Page 53 of High Noon

Chapter Twelve

Enoch

Eve chose me.

She pushed Titus and even Maru aside for the first time. I never imagined she would do it. Eve was fiercely loyal to them, but even more so to me. “Are you trying to manipulate me into forgiving you?”

“That depends,” she laughed. “Is it working?”

“Absolutely,” I answered, capturing her bottom lip with my teeth, careful not to cut her.

She went perfectly still, her breath hitching.

I released it.

Had she ever wondered what it would be like to be as I was? Most humans we sired were noticeably weaker, but Eve? She wouldn’t be. She’d be considered an equal, if not more powerful if she turned. With her upgrades, she had abilities I didn’t.

Abram was proof of how strong they could be.

No human I’d sired had been able to resist my command. Titus claimed it was the suit’s doing, that it ‘healed’ him from my influence, but I wasn’t convinced.

The three of them were human, yet possessed inhuman qualities that were only magnified by the transition to vampire.

Abram resisted my thrall at every turn, running away from my tutelage. He escaped my clutches faster than I imagined, though I did have him in sight. Eve would be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

The thought overwhelmed me, so excited was I by the prospect. I watched as she rose to her knees, kissing me with fervor. What would it feel like to kiss her as if she weren’t fragile? To feel her fangs on my lips, raking down the column of my neck, over my abdomen…

It was too much to imagine.

Combined with her actual attentions, I was as taut as a bowstring and ready to snap. “Stop, Eve.” I pulled away from her. I needed to remember she was fragile. She’d just passed out from blood loss, and now… she seemed perfectly fine. More than fine. I took a deep breath.

“What is it?” she asked, lust still wafting from her body.

I looked away, but she pulled my face toward hers. “Oh,” she said, realizing my dilated eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was affecting you that way.”

“Everything about you affects me.” That was the problem. With her, I was barely able to contain myself. I couldn’t lose control, because she’d made it clear on more than one occasion that she didn’t want to be turned. She didn’t want to be a vampire. And yet, I wanted nothing more than to make her one.

Her blood, her scent, called out to me in a visceral way. I knew she saw the darkness overtake my irises. A gift I inherited, unfortunately, but for her a visible warning that I was close to snapping.

I ran shaky hands through my hair. “I need a few moments. Now would be a good time to spend with your friends. I’ll send them up to your room.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Thanks,” she replied weakly.

Her lips were swollen, her hair mussed. It took every ounce of strength I possessed to stride across the room and leave. I slammed the door in frustration.

Titus and Maru sat at the bar, drinking water. “She wants to talk, but stay upstairs.”

“So you can eavesdrop?” Titus asked, one of his brows creeping up onto his forehead.

“Asa and I will give you a few moments of privacy,” I responded stiffly.

“The hell we will!” Asa yelled from the back. “You can, but I’m staying. This is my…”

I blurred to him and forced him out the back door.

“Get off me!” he roared, putting a few feet between us.

“Where is Terah?”

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