Page 41 of To Quench Her Thirst

As the guards sat him down and began strapping his arms and legs to the iron chair, her fear overwhelmed her.

"Drago," she said, looking anxiously at him. "Please—you don't have to do this. You don't have to stay here with me. Maybe…maybe you should let someone else take your place."

“The fuck are you talking about?” he growled, frowning at her. “I’mnotleaving you alone, baby. And nobody else is going to give you what you need butme.”

“But what if I need too much?” Addie asked desperately. “You don’t understand, Drago—I’m sothirsty!”

As she spoke, she tried really hardnotto look at the thick vein throbbing in the side of his neck. It looked so juicy and ripe—just watching it pulse made her fangs itch…

No, youhaveto stop thinking like that—you have to keep control of yourself!she told herself sternly, tearing her gaze away.

Drago started to answer, but Ls Prissa was suddenly there, between them.

“I see The Thirst is about to take you, so let me give you some instructions before we leave the two of you alone,” she said to Addie. “Once The Thirst takes hold, you will need two things—blood and male seed. You must drink from your man’s vein as you ride his cock. That way, a Choosing Child will hopefully be conceived.”

“A Choosing Child?” Addie could barely speak now—her throat felt like sandpaper.

“A child like my own Sambla—one who will grow to rapid maturity,” Ls Prissa explained impatiently.

“I thought you said we could leave after the The Quenching was over with—notthat I’d have to wait nine months to give birth before I could go!” Addie exclaimed.

“Don’t be foolish—everything about a Choosing Child moves rapidly, including the pregnancy,” Ls Prissa snapped. “You’ll be able to tell at once if you get pregnant because your belly will swell almost as soon as your male fills you with his seed. And then you will give birth within an hour of becoming pregnant.”

"What? Only anhour?"Addie could hardly believe it. But Ls Prissa kept on talking, as though what she was telling them should be common knowledge—which it probably was to the Vargans, Addie thought.

“We will, of course, require you to leave the child here once you deliver it. But after The Quenching and the birth is done, the two of you will be free to go,” she said.

“Wait—you expect Addison and me to make a baby for you and thenleave it here?”Drago demanded.

"That is what I said—did you not understand me?" Ls Prissa gave him a cold look. "It will be raised to serve Sheelash and to go out and find fresh blood for the High Borns of Crimson Moon, just as my Sambla does. Please don't worry," she added. "Your child won't be neglected—I will take over his or her education myself and be personally responsible for their welfare."

Addie felt sick all over again. There was no way she was going to have a baby and leave it for this evil bitch to raise! But she sensed it wouldn’t be smart to say that. So she only nodded silently.

“Good, so the two of you understand?” Ls Prissa asked. Drago only glared at her, but Addie nodded again.

“Very good, my dear. Do try not to drain him completely of blood before you get his seed in yourself,” the older woman instructed. “And do your very best to conceive. Don’t think that we won’t know if you don’t,” she added, pointing at Addie. “Though we are giving you a modicum of privacy, wewill knowif you don’t breed.”

“Fuck off!” Drago growled. “Why should we do anything you ask?”

“Because if you don’t, you won’t be allowed to leave when The Quenching is over,” Ls Prissa snapped. “So if you ever want to get back to your precious Mother Ship, you’ll breed this female like your life depends on it—because itdoes!”

“All right—we get it!” Addie said. It wouldn’t do them any good to piss off the other woman—even though she wished she could tell her to go screw herself.

“Very good.” Ls Prissa nodded regally. “And now, we will leave you. Guards—come!”

And they marched away, leaving Addie and Drago alone on the dais.

23

ADDIE

“This is crazy, right? I mean, everyone here isinsane,” Addie said in a shaky voice as she stood beside the iron chair.

Drago was fastened in securely and the thick leather straps around the big Kindred’s wrists and ankles had been padlocked shut by the Head Guard. Addie tugged at them anyway—if she had a knife, she might be able to saw through the straps, she thought. But they were over half an inch thick and nearly as hard as the iron chair they were attached to, so probably not.

“Yes, they’re fucking crazy,” her Protector agreed. “Look, Addison—I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t come to find you sooner. It was inexcusable for me to leave you alone for so long.”

“It’s all right.” Addie looked down at her hands, fiddling uselessly with the thick leather strap holding his right wrist to the arm of the iron chair. “I figured it had something to do with your Drake.”

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