Blood Price (New Breed Book 1) Read online

  “It’s not weird at all. I can get anywhere I need to in the city in mere minutes with no need of any mechanical assistance.”

  “Yeah, that’s because you’re thinking small scale. If you ever wanted to have more territory than just the city, your little legs won’t take you all the way across the country in one go.”

  “My legs aren’t little.”

  “Trust me, I’ve noticed. Forget I said anything.” She started to walk away.

  “How can I forget? You said it seconds ago. My memory is not that bad.”

  “Wow. You’re really in the mood to be offended, aren’t you? No matter what I say, you’re going to want to get the last word. You are so human I can’t even understand it sometimes.”

  His confusion only built as he saw her walking down the street. In a flash, he caught up to her. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m walking home.”

  “Are you serious? It’s not safe at night.”

  “Obviously. That’s why you’re going to walk me home.”

  “District Six is three miles away.”

  “Three miles isn’t excessively far for human. It might be excessively far for these shoes, but you can always carry me.” She frowned. “Is that rude? Like, if I asked a human to carry me for a mile or so, that would be crazy. I’m not exactly skin and bones here, but weight is like nothing to you guys, right?”

  “I can assure you that carrying you close to me for any extended period of time would never be a burden.”

  She leaned back and frowned. “Why you gotta make everything weird? I’m just trying to have fun, casual conversation with you, and you gotta bring sex into it.”

  “I didn’t mention sex.”

  Her brow shot up. “You little liar. Just because you didn’t say it out loud doesn’t mean I can’t tell what’s going on in those black demon eyes of yours. It’s like all sex, all the time. Twenty-four/seven sex in there. It’s weird. It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “I think the bartender served you too much.”

  “What are you talking about? Four Jack and Cokes is not a big deal.”

  He’d wondered why she kept on going back for more when she so obviously didn’t seem to enjoy it. He’d seen humans get drunk before, of course. Usually it led to them screaming at him or trying to find out what would happen if they punched a Vopura. He never quite handled an inebriated human like Tela before.

  “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’ll try to think about... that less.”

  “Liar. You’re still thinking about it.”

  And he didn’t predict that was going to change anytime soon. Perhaps it was best if he tried to steer her in another direction. “So why the walk?”

  “Why not the walk? It’s a beautiful night.”

  Even as she said the words, he could see the little shiver shoot through her. He could handle the temperature fine, but he knew that most humans who were out at this time of night at this time of year wore at least one or two layers of clothing. Even though her dress had long sleeves, he doubted it provided much protection from the wind. “Why not? Because you’re cold and there are Vopura around who would love to have you as a midnight snack.”

  “True, but you’re with me. You’d never let some other vampire take advantage of me like that, would you? Sorry, Vopura. Ridiculous. You’re vampires. Stop running from it.”

  “So not only do you want to put yourself at risk by walking home at night, but you actually want me to be with you?”

  “Don’t be so surprised. It’s not like you’re terrible company. Besides, this is nice! The fresh air. The pretty dress. A full belly of food. I haven’t felt this relaxed in... a long time.”

  That filled him with an odd rush of satisfaction. She felt safe with him. Good. She should feel safe with him. He wasn’t about to let anybody hurt her. With few exceptions, there weren’t a lot of Vopura who could face him head on in a fight. He had been reared from a young age to be strong and powerful, even if that power was used for others’ benefit. Now he could use it to Tela’s benefit. Do something good for someone he cared about, for once.

  “So, have you ever been with a woman?” asked Tela, officially confirming that she had way too much to drink.

  “Why would you even ask that?”

  “Well, I know the girls-to-guy ratio isn’t ideal back home. I also know that due to your... social standing, you probably weren’t the first one asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance.”

  He wondered whether he should ask her what she meant, but that would mean prolonging this conversation and he decided against it. “I’ve been with a woman before.”

  Tela flipped around, now walking backward as she smiled at him. “Scandalous! Tell me all the details.”

  “I thought you didn’t want to talk about sex.”

  “I don’t want to talk about, you know, you-and-me sex. This is just like two friends having a friendly conversation. As friends. Get it?”

  “Not even a little.”

  She let out an exaggerated sigh. “All right, I get it. You don’t want to be friends with me. That’s understandable. You’re a vampire, I’m a human. The only way we can be friends is if one of us is miserable.”

  “Why do I need to be in pain for us to have a friendship?”

  Her face dropped. “Oh, I didn’t....”

  “Why did Travis bother you?”

  She frowned in confusion. Good. As long as she wasn’t thinking about his sex life anymore. “Why are you asking me?”

  “Because when I asked the first time, you evaded my question, but you’re much more drunk now.”

  “I’m not drunk! I’ll have you know, I’ve had a lot more than this and still have been perfectly able to walk a straight line,” she insisted, even as her feet were extra wobbly on the ground.

  “I believe you.” But he had a feeling the months she’d gone with no alcohol had lessened that tolerance a little bit. “Now, again, tell me what you and Travis talked about.”

  She rolled her eyes as she turned back around so he could only see her back. “Travis is an idiot.”

  “But an idiot who upset you.”

  “Maybe. I’m moody. I’m easy to upset.”

  “I don’t like anyone upsetting you.”

  “You upset me all the time.”

  “Yes, but I plan to make it worth your while.”

  She scoffed. “There you go, making it about sex again.”

  “Did you ever think that maybe it’s you who is making it about sex?”

  She stopped dead in her tracks and looked to him with a shocked expression. “You do know that if I felt anything for you other than pure disgust, it would be nothing less than treason against my species. Not against my country, not against my state—my species. I am not allowed to be attracted to you. Not even a little bit. Not even at all.”

  “So you’re not attracted to me then?”

  “I’m not... not attracted to you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Which is it? You’re not attracted to me, or you’re not not attracted to me?”

  “All right then. Tell me what vampire women are like then.”

  “I don’t want to talk about that.”

  “Oh come on. I know that little vampires aren’t just popping up through osmosis, so girl vampires have to be a thing. And since it’s becoming more apparent how many of your kind are susceptible to human female charms, I figure we have to look similar. Right?”

  “There’s not much to talk about. They look a lot like any other human.”

  She let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh, come on. Just look at you! You could say you look like a human man, but we both know that’s not true. You’re stronger, faster, bigger, scarier, and dripping sex.”

  “For someone who doesn’t want to talk about sex, you sure bring it up a lot.”

  “For someone who doesn’t want to talk about sex, you sure drip it a lot.”

  He frowned at her questionable logic, but she looked so sure of her
self he didn’t argue. “Like I said, Vopura women are similar to human. Two arms, two legs, same curves. And yes, by your standards, they’d be exceptionally beautiful.”

  “And what about by your standards?”

  “By my standards, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He wasn’t sure whether she was about to yell at him for that, but instead, she just looked down. He could tell she was biting the inside of her lip.

  “I wasn’t fishing for compliments, you know. I was just curious.”

  “I don’t have the answers for most of the things you’re curious about. People much higher up than me were looking into things, and they either never found answers or didn’t feel like I was worthy enough to inform.”

  “What exactly were they looking into?”

  “Why females haven’t been born successfully in generations. Having a girl is a death sentence. The child is almost certain to die within five years.”

  “Almost certain?”

  “There have been exceptions. Very, very few exceptions. But I can assure you that being one of the only surviving females among hundreds of thousands of us was no gift. It’s a curse. The children are sequestered and hidden from everyone else. Kept a secret until the families can agree on a suitable male for her to breed with.”

  The disgust was evident on Tela’s face. “The families choose? Not her?”

  He had a feeling Tela would get hung up on that fact. “I’ve heard about how your people look down on the practice of arranged marriage, but trust me, it’s for the best. If she was able to go out and court different men, how many of them would be honest with her? How many of them would lie as much as they needed to until she agreed to the bonding ceremony? In this case, having someone older and wiser with firsthand knowledge of who the suitors are, even when they’re not on their best behavior, is what’s best for the child.”

  Tela sighed. “I guess that explains why vampires are so horny.”

  She was right. “It’s like we’ve been wandering in the desert for years and now we found ourselves in an oasis.”

  “But that’s not far from the truth. Isn’t your homeland kind of... desert-ish?”

  “Where did you hear that?”

  She shrugged. “People talk. I always thought it was ironic that you can’t be touched by the sun, but your home world is filled with it.”

  “Your deserts are filled with animals that never see the sun. In fact, night is the most dangerous time to be outside in one of those places.”

  She frowned and tilted her head at him. “You’re doing that odd thing where you go from flirting with me to telling me how dangerous you are, very quickly. It’s enough to give a girl whiplash, you know?”

  “I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking how much I want to be with you, and I can’t stop thinking about how bad I am for your health.”

  They both came to a stop as they reached her building. He knew this was the end of the line for their night, but as strange as it had been at times, he found himself enjoying this conversation. He didn’t remember the last time he’d been able to be this honest and open with somebody. With all of his own kind, he was always on the defense. He had to be. The knowledge that his freedom could be taken away at any moment was a constant companion. Humans, for the most part, all hated him, not that he could blame them. But Tela, on some level, had grown to trust him. He’d convinced her that he was safe, and now he’d have to do his damnedest to make sure he wouldn’t betray that trust.

  “This would be so much easier if you’d stop flirting with me,” she said softly.

  In spite of himself, John moved closer to her. “This would be so much easier if you didn’t like my flirting.”

  “I can’t help it. You’re just so... so....” She shook her head and threw her hands in the air before leaning forward and pressing her mouth to his.

  Tela was a hundred percent sure that the alcohol was getting to her head, and she was also a hundred percent sure that she would want this even if she was a hundred percent sober. She’d been craving his touch. Ever since he’d fed on her at his apartment. Ever since he made sure she got home safe. Ever since that very first night. She kept on trying to fight it over and over and over again, but it was becoming all too clear that fighting it was a losing battle. So she gave up.

  Everything with John was so different. In her old, normal life, she’d be walked home and then given a delicate kiss on her doorstep. Even if it would heat up, it would never heat up like this.

  Everything with him was so much more desperate. She knew she couldn’t ask him upstairs because Dani was there. She knew they shouldn’t be making out like this in the open on the streets, where everyone could see. They only had a few short minutes, and she wanted to cram everything into those minutes she could.

  Her hands twisted in the expensive fabric of his suit jacket. She pulled him closer. Her hips swung into his, a motion which he clearly appreciated, because his big hands reached around to cup her ass and pulled her even closer against his erection. She let out a gasp at the pleasure the simple motion caused, and he took full advantage as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She could feel the ever-present sharp fangs against her, but instead of filling her with fear like they should’ve, she couldn’t help the spark of excitement. A little part of her wouldn’t mind if he took another bite. After all, last time it felt so good....

  Abruptly, John gave her ass a tight tug, causing her feet to lift off the ground; he twisted with her in his arms until he had her pushed back against the brick wall. The cold brick contrasted sharply with his hot body and her head fell back. She tried to reconcile the conflicting sensations. He took advantage as he trailed kisses down her neck, lightly scraping his fangs over the sensitive flesh.

  She shuddered in his arms, every single sensation in her neck shooting straight down to the center of her thighs. She needed him. And if he wasn’t inside her in the next minute, she was going to explode. She reached down between their bodies and started tugging at his belt, but before she could get it undone, he flashed away from her. She stumbled to the ground, and she had to adjust to carry her own weight again as she looked to where John now stood, ten feet away. Her breath came in deep gulps, and no amount of oxygen seemed to be enough for her to catch it. Confusion and shame mixed together as she stared questioningly at him. “What’s wrong?”

  His jaw was tight, tense. Apparently it wasn’t easy for him to stop, but that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for her.

  “I don’t want our first time to be like this.”

  “I’m sorry. Is this not normal enough for you? Because I’ve seen vampires fucking humans on the side of the street before.”

  “You’re not just any human to me, and I hope I’m not just any vampire to you.”

  She let out a bitter laugh. “Oh really? Trust me. You’re no different or better than anyone of those other assholes.” She knew she was in shaky territory with this creature much more dangerous than her, but she couldn’t stop the venomous words coming out of her mouth.

  John took a deep swallow, but he seemed to control his anger. “You’ve been drinking. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “I don’t need to know what I’m saying. You... things have invaded my home and tore apart everything I know. I have to sell myself like a piece of meat to even eat, and now all of a sudden I’m not good enough to fuck in the street?”

  “You know that’s not what I said. Don’t twist my words.”

  “Don’t patronize me. I’m not giving you the girlfriend experience.”

  He tilted his head in confusion. “The what?”

  “The girlfriend experience. Some guys who buy hookers just want a good fuck. A quick lay. Another kind of guy, the most demented, want girls to talk to. To hold. To pretend they’re loved. The whole thing is just a fucking illusion, and they’re still paying for that affection. Don’t be one of those pathetic people who mistake me for a girlfriend. At the end of the day, y
ou pay for me.”

  “I didn’t pay for you to come with me tonight.”

  “But you didn’t give me much choice, did you?”

  He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. It was the first time in their short relationship that she had hurt him. But she didn’t feel like she’d won this fight. There was no satisfaction. If anything, she was just angrier, except now she was angry at herself. She winced and closed her eyes. “John, I—”

  When she opened her eyes, he was gone. She let out a sigh of frustration, falling back against the cold brick. Without his body next to hers, she was surrounded by cold. Cold and loneliness.

  Not that she should feel lonely. She knew it was too dangerous out for John to leave her alone. She knew, even after all the shitty things she’d just said, that he would be there, watching her. Making sure she got inside safe. “I’m sorry,” she said to the air, praying he could hear her. “It’s not all fake for me. I wish it was. It would make everything so much easier, but....” She shook her head. How could she apologize when a kernel of truth had been mixed in with all the lies? And even if he’d been polite by refusing her advances, the sting of rejection hurt. She’d given in to her baser instincts against her better judgment and had to have him—a cruel, predatory animal—tell her she was being ridiculous. The whole thing just hurt, and she was sick of hurting.

  “If you had a phone, I’d be blowing it up with apologies. Just to let you know,” she said into the darkness.

  There was only so much talking she could do to the empty air, so she turned and went inside, glancing behind her once more as the door shut. She looked for any sign of John, but there was nothing. So she dejectedly went downstairs and unlocked her apartment.

  Of course, she wasn’t going to be able to just go to bed.

  Dani jumped up from one of the armchairs in the living room, in her pajamas but not showing any sign of being sleepy. “How was it? Tell me everything. Was it lavish? Was a decadent? How crazy was it?”

  If only Dani knew that the craziest moments had taken place after the party. “It was... frustrating.”