Page 30 of Of Blood and Smoke

He frowned and glanced down, rubbing his thumb along the edge of his empty glass. “I have not.” The claiming of a companion was serious business, especially for those with vampiric blood. It was an eternal bond and not to be taken lightly.

The waitress from several minutes before approached the table and swapped out his empty cup with a full one.

“It is forbidden, as you know,” I said. There was a twinge in my chest, and I instantly cloaked my physical response from my companion and the others around us.

Micha made a fist with his hand and then reached for his vodka. “It's archaic. There aren’t enough female demons, vampires, or witches to justify that rule. When’s the last time you even saw an unattached vampire female? Nobody wants the demons—just look at them.” He referenced their stereotypical wanton behavior rather than their undeniable beauty.

He spoke the truth about our situation, unfortunately for us. Despite my lengthy years, I’d never settled down with a single female. The one woman I’d briefly considered at a pointin time had turned out to be a traitor. I’d only recently begun considering a wife in earnest and I knew my options were limited.

“You didn’t ask for my opinion but I’m going to give it to you anyway. When you meet with Ezra, perhaps you should broach the subject. It’d make my life a lot easier,” Micha said, curling his fingers and beckoning a woman over.

Forgetting about my impending meeting with my superiors, I took the female in. She was a pretty, dainty thing with dark hair and big, bright eyes. Her aura suggested she contained traces of magic, as some humans did, with a very light golden sparkle hovering at the outside edges of the ether surrounding her.

It wasn’t much compared to the thick, decadent haze of lust clinging to her flesh, just begging to be sated.

I could smell her blood as she walked to us, the familiar coppery scent with the accent of a mild spice that reminded me of nutmeg. My mouth grew moist, my tastebuds ever impatient in the face of a meal. I could never get used to the plastic bags of donated blood that were sometimes necessary and much preferred an organic package.

“Hi,” she said shyly. Her arms hung low, hands clasped in front of her pelvis in a false show of modesty and reluctance. Her red cocktail dress had a plunging and loose neckline designed for seduction, and the tight skirt highlighted her gym-carved and ready figure.

Pulling a switchblade from my pocket, I set it on the table. Micha watched, eyes darting between the knife and the woman and licked his lips.

I lifted my six-foot-four-inch frame from the bench, so I loomed over her petite figure and flicked open the knife. Pressing the blade to her waist, I slit the side of her dress, freeing her thighs from their confines. “Welcome. Have a seat.”

She bit her lip, grasping at her skirt as she slid by me, her ass rubbing my legs. She chose wisely and wasn’t wearing any underwear.

“I’m Jayne. With a Y,” she said. “I forgot my drink.”

Micha caught my eye, and I got the message. He was already annoyed with our snack. When you’ve been alive for hundreds of years and these humans were your food, much patience was lost under the onslaught of their foolishness.

No one cares what letters your name contains, Jayne with a Y.

Turning my head, I searched for our server. A glance at her and a quick nod towards Jayne and the waitress’s head bobbed in return.

“Your drink is coming,” I reassured her, tucking myself into the seat. She ignored me, already wrapped up in Micha’s compulsion, busy unbuttoning his shirt. Watching her hand slip against his chest and with the fragrance of her arousal winding through the air, the ache in my throat was rapidly becoming unbearable.

I pulled the ends of my shirt from my waistband and pressed my hands against her hips, squeezing her flesh. Micha ducked his head to one side of her neck, and I took the other. Distantly, I heard her alcohol being delivered but it might as well have been happening a thousand miles away.

Jayne was sandwiched between us and like always, when we shared, Micha began to sup her essence, drawing thin tendrils of her soul and drinking it down. My jaw stretched as two of my teeth lengthened. I dragged them along her supple skin before plunging in and breaking the surface.

I started slowly, avoiding major arteries in order to fully savor our willing victim. Small amounts of her sweet, metallic liquid melted across my tongue, the hint of spice igniting my cells as my cock hardened.

Fumbling with my belt, I curled my other arm around her waist and smoothed my hand down to her core. She was so wet her panties could’ve been wrung out into a cup.

Micha let out a moan and dragged his head down to her breast as my fingers began circling her clit. The scent of sex permeated the atmosphere.

The hour was late, and a symphony of erotic noises and fragrances filled the restaurant as other creatures of darkness began to indulge in their chosen depravity. The energy wrapping around us urged me to give in and I complied, inhaling delicate strings of her spirit. I freed myself from my pants and began to tug her away from Micha.

He stopped me for just a moment, again sinking his teeth into her chest and swallowing loudly. Her head hung lax, her consciousness waning under our ministrations. When he was done, he released her, and I twisted her around, angling myself at her center. I glanced at Micha, watching his irises swirl with the various shades of gray, the colors reminding me of an incoming storm. Ash, pewter, gunmetal, and smoke competed for space in his hot-blooded gaze.

I dragged my crown against her slippery lower lips, my insides on fire and desperately seeking relief. The hunger within me sought fulfillment at any cost as an insistent roar echoed through my veins. Wrapping my hand into her hair and knotting it, I bent her toward me. Her hair was thick and silky, with a luscious deep caramel tint. Suddenly the flame inside me was extinguished.

If I moved less than an inch, I’d have been sated.

It was impossible.

“Micha,” I rasped. “Assistance, please.”

A question flickered through his gaze for a moment but then he grasped my cock, encircling it with his fingers and I nodded my assent. His smooth hands worked me up and down, usingthe moisture from the tip to lubricate my erection. As he brought me to a climax, I sank my teeth into Jayne’s neck, finding the interior veins I needed and devoured her. I only stopped at the very last moment, leaving just enough to allow her to recover. My seed shot and spilled across my friend’s fingers, and I watched him lick away the milky substance as my heart rate came back down to a manageable level.

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