Page 138 of Wanted

Motioning toward the stairs behind him, I say, “We need to speak with Father, and I need to eat. I’m almost empty.”

Moving ahead of me, every step Ambrose takes is like a careful dance to the music only he can hear.

“Thank you for guarding us,” I say to him when we’re halfway up the stairs.

Ambrose barely nods his head in acknowledgement as he continues ahead of me.

He’s a very odd one.

And I know I would have killed him had I been Asher.

But now?

Now I trust Ambrose with the safeguarding of my love.

Ambrose leads me directly to the kitchen.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Asher and Chloe stare into each other’s eyes. No words are spoken, but I can tell they’re communicating inside their bond.

Smiling, I head to the pantry door. Inside, I find four humans waiting.

They’ve been glamoured, of course. It wouldn’t do to have them howling and screaming for help.

Looking at the selection, the pickings are… not exactly appealing now that I’ve tasted the bliss of my bonded’s blood.

Grabbing a blonde in her mid-twenties out of the pantry, I yank her to me and bury my fangs into her neck.

Swallowing a mouthful of her blood, I wince at the taste.

Pulling away from the girl, I drag her over to the table and slump into a chair that’s vacant.

I grunt in dissatisfaction. “This one had collagen filler and fat injections.”

The flavor is awful when people put crap in their bodies. One would think humans would be more considerate of what vampires have to taste.

Turning to face me, Asher shakes his head with a chuckle. “Blame the twins. They went shopping for groceries. You’re lucky they didn’t bring back half a sorority. Why didn’t you grab the guy in the back of the pantry? He looked healthy.”

I glance back at the pantry. He’s probably right.

“Probably because I’m still used to looking at humans like I did when I was unbonded.”

I sigh with boredom. I need to taste Alena again.

“God, you guys,” Chloe groans. “You should eat to live, not live to eat.”

Andrei chuckles as he enters the room. “Says the woman who couldn’t stand the sight of blood.”

“I’m cured of that now!” Chloe grouches at us. “After what I had to do to Raph… I almost blew chunks everywhere.”

I laugh at her. “And Father, how did that go?”

“Shush.” Chloe glares at me. “Don’t make me ground you. That wasn’t my fault. And I heard you called me Slicing Beauty…”

I shrug my shoulders at her. The nickname fits how she was acting.

Leaning down, I take another long drink from the blonde kneeling beside me.

I guess the blood isn’t too bad, but it isn’t great.

---