“Not so much now since you just had to take the shine off with that mouth of yours,” Salino said, then gestured to Yolanda wilting form in my hands. “Well, turn her. Give her your blood to drink.”
“My venom is already in her,” I said.
“I don’t want her to be a shifter, do that on your own time. I want to see what kind of vampire you’ll make. Now, finish it,” Salino snapped.
I felt his influence again. It wasn’t as if he was forcing me to complete the deed, but it was more of a mental nudge in that direction. “Stop it!”
“Ah, ah, ah… watch your tone. Remember who you’re speaking to. Act accordingly, Sage,” Salino warned, reminding me that in the world of vampires, I was beneath him. I needed to find a way to level the playing field.
It would have to wait. I looked down at Yolanda, her head was back and she was like a rag doll in my arms. I knew how it was done, the making of a vampire. Normally, a vampire feeds from the human, then they give that human back the blood. That was the first part of the transformation. After the human wakes up from the stasis the blood puts them in, they have to feed again from their sire. Why Salino came to my home last night. To complete the change. I brought my wrist to my mouth and bit into my own flesh. My blood tasted different and I could definitely taste Salino’s blood mixed with mine, his essence.
I licked my lips, then pressed my wrist to her mouth and let my blood drip onto her tongue. It took her a few seconds, but I began to feel her tongue brushing against the wound. When her lips really locked on to me, that was when I felt the sensation of being drained by a human. It didn’t hurt. I expected it to hurt, but it felt good. I panted as she fed from me. My cock was already hard after having just fed, and my erection seemed to get harder. I let my head fall back as the pleasure coursed through my body.
“Oh, now I am jealous,” Salino said.
I could feel myself growing weaker and I almost didn’t want to stop her from feeding, but I didn’t want to be incapacitated again, so I shoved her away. She fell to the floor and I slumped back into the chair. I watched as she convulsed, her body shaking uncontrollably until she arched one final time, then went limp.
“Is… is that how it happens?” I asked.
“Yes. Your blood is now changing her, bringing her to the cusp of life and death. You are to take her with you, because once she rises, you’ll need to feed her,” Salino said, then he rose and walked over to me. “Drink,” he said, holding his wrist out to me.
I cocked my eyebrow at him, looking at him sideways. “Why?”
He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Because I said so. That is your only reason.”
“Just do it, fucking crybaby,” Nakago snapped.
“This doesn’t have shit to do with you. Stay in a minion’s place,” I growled.
Nakago snarled and opened his mouth to speak, but Salino interjected.
“Enough, both of you,” Salino said. “Sage, drink. Now.”
I reached for his wrist, and sank my fangs. Salino’s blood was ambrosia as soon as it hit my tongue. It was everything and by the sound of his moaning, he was enjoying my feeding as much as I was. Salino’s blood warmed me in ways the human’s, Yolanda’s, blood didn’t. It was sex and food and life like a human’s, but just on another level. The two couldn’t be compared. I was lost in the sensation of draining Salino when he yanked his wrist from me as easily as if I were an infant. He was that powerful, even after being drained.
I opened my eyes to see him leaning on Nakago, a wet stain on the crotch of his black, satin pajama pants and a goofy smile on his face as he looked at me, nodding approvingly. “Excellent,” he panted.
I licked my lips, trying to get the last bit of his blood that I could. “Why… why did you give me your blood again?”
He straightened and gestured for Nakago to leave or fetch something. He walked over to the divan and plopped down a little harder than he would have had he not been weakened by my feeding. “To make you stronger, and to bind you even more to me.”
I snarled. “You—” I stopped my remark, because the look on Salino’s face was more than a warning and I felt it. His dominance. I growled low, because I didn’t like the power he had over me. I would never let Adrian know how much it bothered me, though I was sure he could guess. He was just as in tune with me as I was with him. But he did what he had to do to save my life. No way in hell would I allow my pride to make him feel guilty because of the unfortunate outcome. Besides, as I was learning, being what I’d become had its perks. I just needed to find a way to adjust to this new normal.
Nakago returned with another human, this one handcuffed and gagged. I watched as the human was shoved to his knees, his neck bared for Salino to feed. The master vampire didn’t waste any time taking a bite and drinking. The human screamed and I knew it was because Salino was a pain feeder. I got that much when he bit me earlier. The human was in full on misery as Salino fed, although Salino’s eyes were closed as he enjoyed the blood. The pain the human was experiencing making the blood that much more delicious. Yes, I was learning fast.
Once the human went limp, the heart stopping, Salino dropped the corpse and settled back comfortably on the divan. Nakago picked the body up and left without saying a word. “That was very satisfying,” Salino said.
“Yeah, I bet.”
“Let us get back to business, shall we? I’m sure there was another reason you came to me this morning, aside from learning about your vampire half,” Salino said, then he reached over and picked up a cheese square from the platter.
“I know you’re expecting some portion of my earnings or my territory now that we’re… connected,” I said.
He nodded. “Oh, yes, indeed. All vampires must pay their monthly tithes.”
“Yeah, anyway… what the fuck are we talking about—percentage wise?”
“Forty percent seems fair.”
