“I think you did mean to break me,” she muttered bitterly, “You left me alone knowing what I was going through. Made me beg for you. Did it make you feel powerful? Justified?”
He closed his eyes and sighed, “Maybe. And yeah, that makes me a monster. But maybe you needed that, needed to know what we have is real. Now we can move forward, on the same side.” He pulled her so that she landed on his lap, “I’ll learn more, figure out what to do.”
“What if you drink too much? What if you drain me?” Her voice was barely a squeak. He nuzzled her throat.
“Baby, I will do everything I can to not hurt you. You still don’t get it. You are such a breath of fresh air. To be with a girl who is actually there, with me, really with me? When you say my name it reminds me that you’re really there, not just a shell but a person. That I’m really here. You have no idea how powerful an effect you’ve had on me. I feel alive. Like I’d been walking around numb before I met you. It’s not just about your blood. It’s you.” He reached caressed her cheek, “I won’t risk your life. I won’t risk losing this feeling. The way it feels this soon? I can’t wait to see what this feels like a year from now, ten years from now. I’m strong. I have control. I’m not just a turned vampire, I’m part vampire in my DNA. That makes a difference to my control, my abilities.”
She pulled back but he didn’t let her up, “But…I keep pissing you off and when you’re angry. You’ve already lost control with me…” Kyla reached for and poured more wine in both of their glasses and then stared into her glass, swirling the liquid around. A year, ten years? Wow.
“I’m stronger since then. I didn’t know what was happening. Now that I do, I can control it.”
“What do you mean your DNA?”
“There are vampires in my bloodline. Most vampires are vampire because they were turned. My bloodline is what makes me the vampire royalty, the super vampire. When I was turned it flipped a switch in me. I have control; I promise. Each feeding from you makes me stronger, enhances my abilities and my control. Stop trying to escape. That’s what I really need from you.” He kissed the back of her neck, “Okay?” He asked.
“What about me? What about my actual life, my plans for my future? Does it all just get swept under the rug now because you like the way my blood tastes? Because you like the way you feel? Because of sex?”
“That hurts.” He had a wounded look on his face, “Man, you’re stubborn. Am I not getting through to you? It’s not just blood and sex, it’s this connection. Don’t you feel different, too? Like meeting me, like the things you feel might mean that your future could change and that it wouldn’t be so terrible if it did? My future looks different to me since meeting you and I don’t look at that as a bad thing. Who says that a future with me would mean you couldn’t be happy? I could make you happy.”
She didn’t know what to say. It had been an emotional roller coaster so far, “We don’t even know each other. We’re from two different worlds. You’re so out of my league and if I have to spend my life hiding in your bedroom…”
Tristan got to his feet and held her shoulders, “We’ll get to know one another. Let’s just take things one day at a time for now, okay? You won’t have to hide forever. Somehow I’ll fix this. And you’re out of my league. Stop seesawing and pulling away from me. It hurts. I haven’t dealt with hurt in a long time. I don’t like it.”
Guilt swept through her, “I’m sorry.”
“Just because you didn’t choose this doesn’t mean it can’t be the best thing that ever happened.” He looked downtrodden.
He was right.
“What’s the story with the guys?” she added after a moment.
He shook his head, “The other day I had a newbie here. Turned just a year ago. The day I hurt you and had to bandage your throat he had a freak out at the scent of your blood, through the door. He wasn’t gonna stop until he got through the door. I have him caged and shackled downstairs while I figure out what to do. I had another staff member go mental at the door, too when you had that open throat wound. I’m concerned about Joe. He’s been a vampire for 8 years, has more experience, more control than the other two but the smell of your blood put him off kilter. I’m not liking the vibe I’m getting from him. He’s different since smelling your blood. I’m playing things carefully. They think I’m having fun breaking you in. It’s not unusual to keep a…” he stopped.