Page 40 of Bitten

Kane sighed, unable to deal with the smell in the room any longer. His extra sensitive nose picked up the old food in the containers, so he began to gather them in a plastic bag.

“You don’t have to clean up after me,” Caelian said, jumping from the bed.

“Apparently someone has to.”

Caelian yanked the bag from Kane’s hand and went about finishing the job. “I’m not usually this messy. I’ve just been exhausted after days of searching for that needle in a haystack. I know you think I’m just sitting on my ass all day—but it’s mentally exhausting.”

“Any leads?” Kane asked, keeping his tone vaguely interested.

“Maybe I found something,” Caelian said with a slight smile.

Kane stiffened. “What’s that?”

“The Dhampir,” Caelian said. “A human-vampire hybrid.”

Kane relaxed a little. “I’ve read about those—a half vamp born to a human mother and a vampire father. Aren’t they usually vampire hunters?” Much like himself.

“They are,” Caelian said. “But the record shows they’re extremely rare and hard to find. They appear human—just a bit stronger and faster. They aren’t susceptible to the same vampiric tests—they have an image. They don’t freak out over garlic and crucifixes. Sunlight doesn’t make them combust, but they don’t really like being in the sun. The vampire side of them craves the night—but in all reality, they’re daywalkers.”

Sounds like someone I’d get along with. “Are there any dhampirs in Midnight?”

“I don’t know,” Caelian said. “I’ll have to share my findings with Theis and see what he can dig up. I assume you can get in contact with him?”

Kane nodded. “I can report to him in the morning after I’m relieved.”

“Good.” Caelian eyed him a moment before straightening the sheets.

He bent over, his perfect, round ass tempting Kane’s stare.

And hands.

Kane held his arms stiffly at his side, refusing to give in to the need to rub his hardening staff against the elf’s softness.

Damned armor. Another spot where it proves to be too tight. He moved his hips slightly, trying to get more comfortable. At least he didn’t have to worry about armor tenting and giving him away.

I could just take it off. Get naked with the man and scratch the itch.

Kane shook his head to clear away the wayward thought. If he caved, he’d never be able to walk away.

After depositing the bag of trash outside the door, Caelian turned to eye him, a hint of the lust Kane had felt all day in the man’s eye. “Hungry?”

The throaty question made Kane’s dick thicken even more.

Caelian’s eyes widened some before he began to stammer. “I-I-I mean… do you even eat?” Caelian swallowed, a hand absently going to his neck. “Or do you need to… feed? I saw the fangs but… I’m not quite sure what you are.”

Kane eyed the elf.

An image of Caelian under him, his fangs sinking into the elf’s throat nearly had a groan tearing from his lips. Since donning the amulet he wore, there was only one other he’d wanted to bite that desperately.

Ralnur.

“I don’t bite.”

Caelian frowned, dropping the hand at his neck. “How do you survive without blood?”

“I’m stronger than the bloodlust,” Kane murmured. He’d never bitten anyone yet and didn’t plan to. He could never lose the amulet—or he’d become the very thing he hunted.

“Do you… eat? Regular food.”

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