Page 39 of Blood Match

The memory shifts and I’m back in the club, the first time I felt the Bloodbane’s grip. The beautiful woman offering herself, eager and willing. The sharp pain as I tried to feed, my body rejecting what should have sustained me.

I shake my head, trying to clear the fog of memories. Her breath, quick and shallow as she pulled away from our kiss. The flush of her cheeks, the slight tremor in her hands as she shoved at my chest. And underneath it all, the sweet, maddening scent of her blood.

I surge to my feet, my vision blurring as the room spins around me, my body rebelling against the blood I’ve just consumed. The pain in my gut is excruciating, but it’s nothing compared to the hunger that claws at my insides. I need…something. Someone.

I can’t give up. I can’t give in to this.

“Master? Is everything alright?” The servant’s voice cuts through my haze, and suddenly, all I can focus on is the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The scent of his blood, warm and pumping, floods my senses.

Before I can stop myself, I’m at the door, yanking it open with enough force to nearly tear it from its hinges. The young man stumbles back, his eyes wide with fear as he takes in my appearance.

“M-master?” he stammers, but I barely hear him. All I can see is the pulse point in his neck, throbbing tantalizingly.

In a flash, I have him pinned against the wall, my hand at his throat. He whimpers, and the sound only fuels my frenzy. I lean in, my fangs extending, ready to tear into his flesh. Ready to rip out his throat.

What the fuck am I doing?

I freeze, my fangs mere millimeters from the human’s skin. Why? Why do it? I won’t be able to drink from him, anyway. It would be a waste of a life just to prove a point.

You’re better than this.

With a herculean effort, I force myself to pull back. He crumples to the floor, gasping for air. I stagger away, horror washing over me as I realize how close I came to losing control completely.

“Get out,” I rasp, my voice barely recognizable. “Now!”

The human doesn’t need to be told twice. He scrambles to his feet and bolts, leaving me alone with the aftermath of my near-fatal lapse.

I slump against the wall, trembling. I can’t remember when I last came this close to losing control. The thought leaves me shaken. I’ve prided myself on my iron will, on being able to manage my impulses. And yet, here I am, nearly driven to madness by a hunger I can’t understand or control.

If I can’t get a handle on it, this thing is going to end me.

13

Chapter 13

Darick

Islam the door of my study, my hands shaking as I struggle to contain the beast within. The taste of that witch’s lips lingers, a sharp contrast to the blood I just consumed. Centuries of control, shattered by one kiss.

Pull yourself together, Drake!

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I head to one of the wide bookshelves, running an eye over the many spines packed in neat rows.

“The answer might be here,” I mutter, wishing I didn’t sound like a madman. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve looked here. Yet, I yank out ancient tomes, desperate to know more.

The Bloodbane.

What do we know about it really? I’ve heard stories, seen its effects on others, but never imagined it would claim me. I pore over faded texts, searching for any mention of a cure, a precedent, anything to explain this maddening connection I’ve felt with the witch.

Page after page yields nothing but frustration. I hurl a book across the room, watching it crash against the wall.

“There has to be something,” I growl, reaching for another volume. My eyes scan frantically, latching onto a passage about blood allergies in vampires. It’s vague, unhelpful, but it’s all I have.

Face it. You have nothing.

If there was anything in here, it would have been shared by now. I’m not the first to face this.

A knock at the door interrupts my frenzied research. I smell him before I hear his voice. Marcus.

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