Page 63 of Thicker than Blood

“Elias isn’t feeling well,” Benicio explains. “Your presence will help.”

“But I have work to do,” he says feebly.

“You’ll stay here now.” I set him down, brushing my hand through his hair. “You’re safe with me. No one will harm you. No one will touch you ever again.”

A vague hint of my civilized self tries to push through the feral fog overtaking me, but I resist it.

“I will care for you, my little mortal nugget.”

He frowns, pulling his head back. “Oh no. It’s affecting you too, but why?”

He chews on his bottom lip, but I gently tug it free. “Don’t hurt yourself, darling. You will bleed for me and me alone.”

He swallows hard, taking a slight step back. “You’re not going to hurt me, right?”

“Hurt you?” I cup his cheek. “I could never. I’m going to worship you and make you mine for eternity.”

“No.” He shakes his head, putting his arms out to stop me from advancing. I chuckle. As if he could stop me. “You can’t turn me, Elias. I have a lot to do and I need to be mortal to do it.”

His resistance insults me. “You don’t want to be mine? Am I not a suitable choice?”

“Of course you are. You’re perfect. I’m just not ready yet. That’s all.”

I grab his arms and push them down to his sides as I step closer. “You will be mine though. You’ll stay here until you’re ready. I won’t allow you to leave.”

“You’re kidnapping me?”

“Why would you choose to leave when you can have anything you want here?”

“I need my… things. Clothes and my notebooks. I need access to the lab.”

“I will build you a lab. What do you need? Just say it and it’s yours.”

He huffs, dragging a hand through his hair. My, he’s lovely. Blue veins crawl across the pale skin of his neck, pulsing with sweet blood. His scent wafts around me, leaving me swaying with lust.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to let me go to work? It’s already set up. Meredith will be looking for me too, and Enyo is sick. Someone stole my vaccine and?—”

“Who?” I yell. “Tell me and I will kill them.”

Geordi flinches. “I don’t want you to kill anyone. I just need to know why he took it and gave it to people. I need to know what his plan is.”

“Who is it, Geordi? I will find them and bring them here.”

“Ronald Shaw. He’s Bernard Shaw’s nephew.”

“Done.” I turn on my foot and stomp toward the door, pausing as I recall his other requests. “What do you need from your lab?”

“I could go with you and get?—”

“No.”

Geordi steps back, wringing his hands.

“Do not fear me, my darling. But you’ll stay here.”

He nods. “Okay. I need my notebooks and some blood samples from mortals and vampires who haven’t had the vaccine. Pure samples.”

“I will bring people here.”

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