Oliver's Hunger

Cane pointed to one of the taps. “AB positive, please.”

His eyes continued to watch her as she poured the red liquid into a wine glass and put it in front of him, then tapped her register. Without having to be prompted, he swiped his ID to pay for his drink. The price of the blood was subsidized by Scanguards. In fact, Scanguards sold it to its employees at cost, a service they provided in order to convince more vampires to drink bottled blood rather than feed directly from humans.

Cain liked the convenience of bottled blood, but on occasion he went out to hunt. It wasn’t something he flaunted, particularly in front of Oliver, who had enough problems with keeping himself in check. It wouldn’t help him if he knew that Cain also enjoyed a little hunt now and then. He fully agreed with Quinn, though, that Oliver first had to learn to control himself before he could be let loose on the general public. And from what Cain could see, Oliver was as far away from that goal as he’d ever been.

Cain took his drink and slunk into an empty Wingback armchair in front of the fireplace.

The words of the vampire he’d killed echoed in his head. She didn’t have the right blood.

What had he meant by that?

21

Ursula leaned back in the passenger seat as Oliver navigated the van through the nearly empty city streets. She felt tired and relaxed at the same time. As well as a tiny bit embarrassed about her behavior. She’d never been so . . . forward. And with a vampire of all creatures.

She could only hope that she hadn’t made a mistake by trusting him.

“Do you regret it?” Oliver asked out of the blue, casting her a sideways glance. “Is that why you’re frowning?”

“I’m frowning? I’m sorry. I was just wondering how you’re going to find the vampire whose wallet I stole and what you’ll say to him.”

“Don’t worry. That’s what I’m trained for. He won’t be hard to find. There’s a driver’s license in the wallet. That’s where I’ll start.”

“And then?” She cast him a doubting look. “When you find him, what will you say?” Would the leech admit that he’d been to the blood brothel and fed off the girls? Or would he deny its existence?

“I’ll make him talk. I promise you.”

She nodded. “And if he doesn’t know where they moved the operation to?”

“I have the feeling that he does. I would imagine that they told all regular clients where they were going. Why go looking for new clients when they can bring the old ones back? They must have a way of letting their existing cliental know where they can be found now.”

“I hope you’re right. We have to find where they’ve taken the other girls.” She had to keep her promise toward them and help them get out of the hellhole they were in.

“You care about them,” Oliver stated.

“We were like sisters. We weren’t allowed much contact, but we found ways to communicate anyway. Going through the same pain binds you together.” That’s why she had to help them, because knowing they were still suffering hurt her.

“I’ll do what I can. But you know that once we know where they’re holed up, we have to involve Scanguards. It’s not something I can do on my own.”

Ursula knew what he was alluding to. “But you won’t tell them about my special blood, will you?” She looked at him, but he continued to stare straight ahead.

“Why are you so afraid about them finding out? You told me about it.”

“I don’t know them. What if they’re like the vampires who held me captive? What if they want the same?”

Oliver shook his head. “You don’t know me either.”

Her breath hitched. What was he trying to tell her? “You want my blood too?” Her voice broke. Had she made a huge mistake by trusting him?

She heard him breathe hard, then she noticed a shudder go through his body.

“It’s not what you think. I want your blood, yes. Because of what we just did.” He cast her a predatory look. “When a vampire makes love, he wants to take his woman every way he can. And that means sinking his fangs into her and drinking her blood.”

Ursula shrunk back into her seat, inching closer to the door.

He seemed to notice and lifted his hand from the steering wheel. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I won’t take your blood, because I can’t.”

With disbelief, she stared at him, not understanding what he was saying. “But you just said—”

“I know what I said,” he interrupted. “But there’s something you have to know. If your blood is like a drug, then it will be forever off limits to me. I was an addict a long time ago. When I was human. And I’m never going back to that. Never.”