Moonlight Calls (Demon's Call Series Book 1) (14 page)

The phone kept
vibrating, and I saw that he had resorted to texting.  I deleted his message
without reading it.  Then I turned my phone off and stuffed it under the couch
cushion.  Pointless, but it made me feel a tiny bit better.  I glanced down at
my notes.  I had made it to the section on blood borne diseases and genetic
mutations.  I slammed the folder shut and stuffed it under the cushion with my
phone.  I just couldn’t do this right now.

I didn’t know
why I was so hurt.  I hadn’t known him more than a day, but for some
unexplained reason I felt supremely betrayed- I mean, beyond the part where
he’d used his powers to get me into bed for reasons as yet unknown.

Ailis strode
into the living room.  She sat down on the couch beside me and ran a brush
through her shiny red hair with brisk strokes.  She didn’t mention the
lumpiness of her seat.  She had showered and changed her clothes.  She finished
bushing her hair and quickly slicked on some lip-gloss before reaching for her
boots.

“Where are you
going?”  I sounded like a lost little girl, but I really didn’t want to be
alone.

“I’m sorry,” she
said distractedly.  “I need to go out for a little bit.”

I wrapped my
arms around myself and stood, looking down at her.  “You’re going to leave me
here alone?”

She glanced up
at me in surprise.  “You’ll be okay, Mya. I’ll ask a friend to keep an eye on
the house, and I’ll have my cell.”

She stood and I
turned away.  It was pathetic, but I was scared to be alone and the only person
I trusted to keep me safe was Ailis.  “What is so important that you have to go
now?”  I asked sharply.  “Why can’t it wait ‘til morning?”

She gave a
little half shrug and looked away.  “I have to go now,” she said softly.  “I
really can’t wait until tomorrow.”  She fidgeted uncomfortably and I stared at
her, not comprehending.

“What is it that
can’t wait until tomorrow?”  I asked angrily.  “Off to do master’s bidding?” 
That was snide, but it was nighttime, and last night we had been attacked by
vampires.

“Mya, I don’t
want to fight with you,” she said, her voice a register lower than usual.

I glanced at her
and saw the gray in her eyes quickly turning to silver.  Understanding washed
over me.  She had lost a lot of blood in the fight last night.  Earlier, when
she remarked that she hadn’t eaten all day.  She hadn’t been talking about
food.

She saw my
dawning comprehension and turned away, picking up her boots.  “I won’t be long,
but I can’t put this off all night.”  Her jaw clenched and I knew that she was
ashamed of her need.

“I’m sorry I
have to leave you.”  Her words were clipped.  “This is just who I am.”

She stooped to
slide a slender foot into her boot and I stopped her with a hand on her arm. 
“Don’t go.”  It was almost a whisper.

She shook her
head, not realizing what I was offering.  “I have to go now before it gets much
worse, or I won’t be able to protect you even if I am here.”

I stepped in
front of her and tried again.  “Ailis,” I said catching her eye, “please let me
help.”

She let out her
breath in a long sigh and her eyes flashed to sliver.  “Mya…are you sure?”  Her
voice trembled slightly and I felt a rush of fear at the flash of sharp canines
when she spoke.

I took a deep
breath and squared my shoulders.  “Sure,” I said, trying for bravery.  “I mean
it’s not like I’ll grow fangs or anything, right?  Just tell me what to
expect.”

I knew myself
well enough to know exactly why I was doing this.  I was just keeping her here
so I didn’t have to be alone and think about Christian.  The needy orphan in me
reared its ugly head.  I was looking for closeness with Ailis to make up for
what I didn’t have with Christian- or anyone else.  That didn’t stop me
though.  Once I got an idea in my head there was no stopping me.  And I had to
admit, the thought of her lips on my skin made my stomach flutter.

I sank down on
the couch as Ailis bent to take off her boots.  She glanced at me and swept her
fiery hair behind an ear.  Then she headed for the kitchen.  “I think this
calls for drinks.”

I inventoried
myself while she was gone, noting that my hair smelled of conditioner and my
skin still carried the scent of my amber body lotion.  I supposed I was
suitable.  I didn’t know how Ailis preferred her meals to be packaged, but at
least I was clean.

She returned
with two glasses of wine.  Handing me a glass, she joined me on the couch.  I
emptied my wine glass in one go and set it down on the end table.  Ailis
laughed at me as she sipped her wine.

“You know,
that’s kind of insulting,” she said in a teasing tone. 

I glanced at her
in question and she rolled her eyes.  “You have so little faith in me that you
have to get blitzed beforehand.  Come on Mya, give me a little credit here.  I
have
managed to feed myself all these years.  And I haven’t killed anyone in
forever.”

Oh,
that
was
comforting.  “I don’t know how this whole thing works,” I said shakily.  “I
still get lightheaded when I see blood draws at the hospital.  Give me a
break.”

 I looked down
at my hands, clasped in my lap to keep them from shaking.  According to all the
stories, giving blood to a vampire was supposed to be pleasurable.  I thought
that must be one of the exaggerations Ailis had warned me about.  Just because
some idiot put it down on paper didn’t mean it was true.  I imagined what it
would feel like to have blood drawn from your neck and I nearly bolted from the
house and begged the wolves to take me.

Ailis set her
glass down on the table.  She leaned toward me and brushed a stray curl behind
my ear, caressing my cheek.  I shivered at the touch.  I was still attracted to
her, even though I knew it was just my hormones reacting to hers.

“Will it hurt
very badly?”  I asked.  “It’s okay if it will,” I rushed on, “I just want to
know what to expect.” 

Ailis took a
deep breath and took my hand, interlacing her fingers with mine.  “I will be
very careful not to cause you any more pain than absolutely necessary.”  She
said softly.  “But it will hurt at first, just for a second.”

  “If you want,
I can make it very pleasurable for you,” she said softly.  “I won’t pressure
you to do anything that you aren’t comfortable with, though.”

She didn’t seem
upset with me for being such a coward.  Instead, she stood and moved to the
antique chaise lounge she had added to the living room, drawing me after her. 
She sat on the chaise and pulled me down beside her so we were both reclining,
with her behind me.  She stroked my hair soothingly, tucking it over my
opposite shoulder and out of her face before resting her arm gently around my
waist.

I tried not to
notice that this left my neck on that side nicely exposed.  She laid her head
by mine and was still, just breathing.  As we lay there, she spoke to me in
that soothing alto that I had come to associate with her vampire self.  She
spoke of nonsense things, telling me about how beautiful the sunset was from
our back porch and that it would probably rain tonight because she could smell
it on the air.  I relaxed bit by bit until I was no longer afraid.

The vampire
attraction is a powerful thing.  Her aura had settled over me- though I don’t
know how I knew this.  I could sense her powers at work, even as they clouded
my mind.  Something in me flared to life, and I felt that I could resist her
power, if I chose to.  But I didn’t fight against it, and her influence flowed
over me with ease.  I felt warm, loved, and protected.  Ailis was so strong. 
Nothing bad could ever happen to me while she was here.  Ailis had become my
best friend.  She shielded me from the vampires.  She put up with my moods, and
my petty anger, and she still liked me for who I was.  I sighed in
contentment.  I could never thank her for the things she did for me- but then
again, maybe I could.  I suddenly wanted nothing more than to please her.  To
make her strong and happy. 

I placed my hand
over hers where it rested on my waist.  She shifted slightly, holding me
closer, and I willingly obliged, wiggling myself back against her.  Her hand
slipped from my waist to my hip, caressing.  I began to feel panicked, as if I
was suffocating, caught in a strong current that I couldn’t escape.  I pushed
myself upright, gasping.  “What the hell?!”  Whatever it was that had such a
hold on me snapped with a
twang
, leaving me feeling headachy.  And
pissed. 

“Mya?”  Ailis’s
silvery eyes were round as saucers.  She sat up too, staring at me in wonder.

“What did you
just do?”  We spoke in unison, and Ailis held up her hands defensively.

“How did you do
that?”  She sounded suspicious.  “You just broke out of my influence.”

“Yes,” I said,
rubbing my temples.  “I felt like I was drowning.”

“I’ve never had
a human do that before,” she whispered.  “Are you sure it wasn’t on purpose?”

I realized what
she was asking me.  Had I always been able to do this?  She thought I had lied
about my abilities, or lack thereof.  I pulled one knee to my chest and turned
to face her. 

“I don’t know
how it happened,” I said honestly.  I took a deep breath.  Her eyes were still
silvery and her fangs elongated.  “Look, just do what you need to do, but
don’t… don’t use your powers on me anymore, okay?”

 She nodded.  “I
didn’t do it on purpose… it’s kind of second nature.  It keeps people from
freaking out-
usually
.”  She hesitantly wrapped her arm around my waist
again.  I broke out in goose bumps as her soft lips brushed my skin, traveling
down my neck at an angle.  I realized that she was following the path of my
vein and shivered.

“Don’t be
afraid,” she said huskily, then she plunged her teeth into my neck.

I started at the
pain, though it quickly receded.  It felt excruciating for a moment, burning
like fire, then it was gone.  A rush of pleasure rippled through me and I
gasped.  The stupid stories were right.  This was like sex.  I felt warm desire
pulsating through me even as she took my life’s energy.  At the same time, I
felt powerful.  I was giving Ailis life.  She was stronger than I could ever
dream of being, yet she needed me in order to survive.  I could definitely see
the allure here.

She sucked
lightly at my neck, drawing my blood into her mouth, and ribbons of liquid fire
laced through my veins.  The feeling was indescribable.  Then Ailis began to
move her hand upward across my skin.  I shuddered, stopping her hand as it
moved toward my breast.  Her slender hands were smooth and soft against my
skin, like the touch of butterfly wings.  I moaned as the physical sensation
merged with the ecstasy pumping through my veins.  I was trying really hard to
separate the ecstasy caused by her bite from my actual feelings for her.  It
wasn’t working.

She started to
toy with the button of my shorts and I stiffened in concern.  No way was I
ready for that.  She withdrew her teeth at my response.

 “I’m sorry.  I
wasn’t thinking,” she said, sounding a bit confused.

I shook my head
and pulled her down to me again, trying not to wonder just how crazy I was. 
She lay on her side, her slender, willowy frame pressed to my curves and one of
her legs thrown over mine.  I put my arm around her waist as she leaned in,
bringing her mouth to my neck again.  I started then sighed, wrapping my arms
around her as I felt her teeth slice into me.  The fire shot through me and I
thought I would burst.

She lifted her
head again and looked deeply into my eyes.  Her own eyes had gone completely
silver.  I pushed myself closer to her, wanting more, wanting to feel the
sensations that she could give me.  She slowly moved her mouth to the swell of
my breasts.  I buried my hands in her hair and arched my head back in
expectation.  She sunk her teeth into my flesh.  I cried out and she pulled me
closer, one arm under my back holding me close as the other slid behind my head
to cradle the back of my neck.  She sucked harder at my breast and ecstasy
washed over me flooding my body.  Then something shifted.  I felt warm and
detached.  A startling feeling of power filled me, and I closed my eyes, losing
myself to it.

Ailis lifted her
head a second later, pausing to delicately lick a small trickle of blood from
her mouth.  She picked up the afghan that had fallen to the floor with our
movements.  Cradling me to her again, she covered us both.  I sighed as the
fire in my veins began to ebb.  I felt wonderfully tingly all over and I was so
tired.  I wanted to relax into sleep, but I was cold.  I shivered and Ailis
held me closer.

“I’m sorry,” she
said in concern.  “I haven’t fed in so long that I took too much.  And your
blood…my
God
…”  She rubbed my arm as goose bumps raised on the flesh
there.  “You’ll be okay,” she said softly.  “You just need to sleep and let
your body replenish.”

“Alright,” I
murmured sleepily.  What the hell had I just done?  It was a good thing Ailis
had the self-control not to just take what she wanted.  I certainly hadn’t been
in any position to protest when I was lost in those sensations.  Only now was I
beginning to understand how subtly powerful the vampire attraction was.