This time, I trail one hand all the way up his leg, from ankle to ass, and I reach between his legs and cup his balls while I sink my teeth into the other cheek.
He jumps a little this time, a groan vibrating through his body. I smack his butt lightly. “Hush!”
“If you keep doing that, I’m going to come on your sheets,” he hisses. “You should stop.”
“You shouldn’t have such a tasty-looking butt,” I retort. But I do want him inside me, so I give him one last nip before I let him roll over. “I’m doing this again once I’m a vampire.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Fuck.” He’s panting, his cock standing straight up.
I take hold of him and guide him in, settling into place. He holds my waist with his left hand and cups my breast with his right, his thumb stroking my nipple.
The way he’s looking at me now, with such grateful adoration, makes me feel more like a goddess than I ever dreamed possible. But I’m the one who should be grateful.
“Thank you for not giving up,” I whisper. “Thank you for finding me. Shit, I’m crying again… I told myself I wouldn’t do that… I’m sorry—”
But his eyes are glistening, too. “Don’t apologize.” His voice is tight, thick with emotion.
I watch those lovely brown eyes flutter shut as I ride him, as we breathe softly together in a quiet, lascivious hymn of moans and sighs, as we transform each other into the creatures of power and passion we were always meant to be.
Epilogue
“Wolfsheim,” Jay crows in a singsong voice. “You have a visitor.”
He opens the top hatch of the cell door while I approach slowly, cautiously. Nervous energy cascades through my new body, the untapped potential of freshly toned muscles and systems operating at peak fitness.
An incredible feeling, but I’m still adapting.
It’s been two months since the showdown with the Wolfsheim and his Progeny. After that night, I made a bucket list of sunshiny things I wanted to do before turning into a vampire, the first being a long beach vacation with my parents.
Since the Glassy Mountain vampires were pretty freaked out about my ability, it wasn’t a bad idea for me to get out of town while Jay stayed behind to manage the aftermath. He had to reassure all the anxious vampires that I’m not a threat, that I would only use my powers to rehabilitate gluttons or protect the vampire community.
Yeah, that took some convincing. But being Jay Gatsby, he managed it somehow.
Two weeks ago, I drank Jay’s blood and took the serum he developed to ease the transformation. I spent six days sweating, moaning, and dry-heaving. It felt like the worst flu I’ve ever had. Jay spent as much time with me as he could while I recovered, holding cool washcloths on my forehead, putting on my favorite shows, coaxing me to drink sips of ginger ale, or, toward the end, donating blood.
By the seventh day the aches and gurgles in my body had settled down, and I was left with a hollow, ravenous hunger. Jay explained that I couldn’t drink from him right away—new vampires need human blood. He taught me how to carefully drink from my mom and dad, which was super awkward. But my mom just laughed and said, “This isn’t the first time you’ve depended on my blood for survival.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Geez, Mom. That makes this all better. Just like old times, in utero.”
After a week or so of drinking from her and Dad, it’s a little less awkward. But I still haven’t gotten used to licking their wrists afterward to heal the puncture marks.
Other than that, I’ve adapted seamlessly to the whole blood-drinking deal. No gluttonous urges so far. I’m adjusting to my stronger, faster body and my superior hearing. The best part of it all? My dewy-fresh, practically poreless skin.
I haven’t tested my voice power yet. My voice was hoarse for a while after the change, but it’s nearly back to normal. We’re testing it today on Wolfsheim.
I slink closer to Wolfsheim’s cell, listening to his slow, heavy breathing. Jay stands quietly by the door, watching me. Behind him is the house manager, Henry, one sleeve rolled up to the elbow. Jordan’s here too, as both my friend and a representative of the Glassy Mountain vampire community.
“The prisoner has been catatonic for weeks,” Henry says coolly. “We’ve had to use an IV to get blood into him, since he won’t drink. And I’ve been forced to…clean him.” His nose wrinkles slightly.
“It’s like you scraped out his brains, Daisy.” There’s a wariness to Jordan’s expression, and I don’t blame her one bit. I’d be a little scared of me, too.
“Open the door to his cell, Jay,” I request.
“Are you sure?”
“He’s catatonic, remember? He won’t hurt me.”
There’s a facial recognition panel near the door, and after Jay completes the scan and enters a code, Wolfsheim’s cell unlocks.
Fists clenched, I step into the doorway.
Wolfsheim is greasy, drooling, staring into space with vacant eyes. None of his magnetic presence or commanding power remains.
“Maybe I should try my power on one of you first.” I glance back at Jay and Jordan. “I don’t know if I can do anything with him.”
“Try,” Jay urges. “If you can restore even a little of his mental faculties, just enough so he can take care of himself, it would make life a lot easier for my staff. Besides, we may need him eventually. He brought a lot of his people with him to confront me, but Cody suspects there are more of the Progeny out there. If they ever decide to come knocking on our door, I’d like to have their leader functional yet still under our control, so he can call them off.”
I draw in a long breath. “Earplugs in, just in case.”
Jordan and Jay insert the earplugs, while I crouch in front of Wolfsheim. The rank stench of him nearly knocks me over.
“It’s been a while since you tried to kill me.” I start in a normal tone, gradually notching my voice down into the familiar, soothing register. “The strangest thing is, I haven’t needed to dissociate since that night. I don’t have terrible dreams about Tom or George anymore. Breaking you healed me, I think. Isn’t that ironic?”
I’m there now, in that space where my words carry the deceptively silky weight of an irresistible command. “Wolfsheim, I need you to wake up, just enough to drink blood like a normal vampire and take care of your body’s needs. But you’re not going to attack me, or Jay, or any of his people, human or vampire. And you’ll keep following these rules even when I’m not here, speaking to you. Do you understand? Nod if you understand.”
Wolfsheim lifts glazed, bloodshot eyes, and his shaggy head bobs.
I motion for Henry to come forward. He moves past me, into the cell, his arm extended.
