Page 25 of Taste of Forever
“I’m not going to hurt you.” I could sense her fight or flight response like it was a neon sign. “We don’t harm humans here, even when feeding outside the blood bank. Vampires recognize you as a fellow sentient species.”
That had been a fairly recent development in vampire society, but she didn’t need to know the gory details of the past.
“I’m not worried about that.” She frowned like she was confused by her own admission. “I mean, I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. This doesn’t feelreal.”
“You had my fangs in your wrist. This is very real.”
“I know. Just letting it sink in, I guess. Anyway, go on.” She met my eyes, resting her forearm on the bar. “You were saying I tasted bland?”
“No, that’s the thing. I expected you to, but you tasted incredible. The best blood I’ve ever had.”
My mouth watered at the memory, and my stomach growled with hunger. Every instinct screamed at me to just grab her. Find a vein and quench this burning thirst. But she was more than just a meal. I wanted her to trust me. To understand me.
“Your flavor was indescribable,” I went on. “I couldn’t get enough. It didn’t really hit me until your wrist was taken away, but I felt like…like I would kill to taste you again. And that was when I knew.”
Heather tensed again, her heartbeat elevating as she leaned back slightly. “Knew what?”
“That you were my blood mate. Your blood, and yours alone, is suited perfectly to my needs. My brain recognized it before I did. That was why you tasted so good. My body, instincts, whatever you call it, had found the perfect source and now nothing else will satisfy.” I grinned, the utter joy and relief of having found her washing over me again. “So, what do you think?”
“Hold on. Pause.” Heather held up a palm while pinching her nose bridge with the other hand. “What do you mean, it perfectly suits your needs? What is it about my blood in particular?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. All I can say is, whatever’s in your blood, in whatever ratios or amounts, tastes like a fucking dream and makes me feel…like I’ve never felt before.”
Heather stared at me like I’d begun speaking a foreign language. “I’m sorry, but that’s literally impossible.”
“It is a rarity. Well, two other people I know found their blood mates pretty recently, which might have been a fluke. But now that it’s happened to me”—I let my grin spread wide—“it feels like a blessing.”
“Listen, Laith.” She paused, crossed her legs and I enjoyed the brief lull, soaking in the way she spoke my name. “I actually know blood pretty well for a human.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, I test and analyze it and make reports based on my findings all the time. It’s part of my job.”
“Really?” I couldn’t help but lean into her, fascinated. “What do you do?”
She hesitated. “I work in a crime lab. I test evidence from crime scenes.”
Oh shit. She was smart. Likesmartsmart. Which meant I was fucking doomed.
Remembering to give her space, I drew back. “Wow. So you’re, what, like a science person?”
She gave a humble little shrug and nodded. “Forensic scientist is my official title, yes.”
“Damn, that’s…impressive.”
What I really wanted to say was,that’s so fucking hot, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t be receptive to it. Not yet anyway.
“Thank you.”
Her eye contact shifted away briefly while she played with a lock of her hair. Someone wasn’t accustomed to receiving compliments. Interesting.
“Anyway my point is, human blood is basically all made up of the same components. The little variance that does exist from person to person would not be enough to determine if I was your…your blood mate.”
“But human blood is only one half of the equation,” I pointed out. “You don’t know vampire blood. Or any vampire anatomy, I imagine. How do you know there isn’t something in my biology that recognizes an ideal food source in yours?” When Heather gave no answer to that, I said, “See? Not as dumb as I look.”
“You don’t look dumb,” she blurted out and blushed.
“Aw, that’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
