Hunger Within (A Sable Hart Vampire Slayer Novel Book 1) Page 9

  “You’re my only undead guest, so choose any one.” He indicated some empty shelves. “If you leave your clothes there someone will wash the blood out during the day.”

  “Thank you. You’re very kind.”

  “Kind for a pimp? Or for a vampire?”

  “Both.”

  He smirked. “I’ll see you tonight. Sleep well.”

  Bone Daddy departed, closing the door. Oddly, I felt alone and regretted my decision; but intellectually, I knew I’d made the right choice, despite what my newly evil body wanted. Thankfully, the rising sun’s oppressiveness increased steadily, already picking at my awareness.

  “How am I supposed to sleep with that?” I stripped, folded my bloody clothes, and set them on a shelf. Then I climbed into the nearest coffin and closed the lid. That felt much better. A sense of security washed over me. Closing my eyes, I felt myself drift off immediately.

  Chapter 7

  When I woke up, I noticed the oppressive weight of day was nearly gone. I didn't know vampires could feel daylight like a physical entity. An enemy. It made me lethargic, sucked away my strength and willpower.

  As the sun set, I knew the moment it was safe to rise. I didn’t get up yet, but I knew. The room’s door opened a few minutes later. I quickly pushed the lid away and sat up. "Good morning, Desiree."

  Desiree paused as she took in my nakedness. Her eyes lingered on my breasts. I didn't think lesbians would be so obsessed with boobs. They had them too, after all.

  Desiree was dressed for work in a skintight gold sheath dress, with a low scoop neckline and no back. She wasn't wearing any underwear. With a dress like that, though, you couldn't wear underwear unless you wanted everyone to know it.

  Desiree smiled brightly at me. "Good evening, Sable. Boney’s waiting for you."

  "Boney?"

  "Bone Daddy is too much of a mouthful. His girls call him Boney in private."

  “If you’ll give me a moment to dress, I’ll be right out.”

  Desiree arched a brow and glanced at the shelves. They were empty. No clothes. Nada.

  “Where are my clothes?”

  “They’re almost ready,” she said. She held out a navy terrycloth robe. “But Boney needs you as is.”

  My heart leapt into my throat. There was only one reason he needed me naked.

  Desiree smiled, and then chuckled. “For training. Nothing sinister.”

  “Says you. He is a vampire, after all,” I said, rising to my feet. I hated the way her dark eyes raked my body, and hated the arousal it caused within me even more. How long would it take before I was in full control of my body? “Will he be naked, too?”

  “Yes,” she said, wagging her brows suggestively. “Scary, isn’t it?”

  “Hmmm, I think I’m starting to like you.”

  Her face lit up, and I remembered what she ultimately wanted from me. Probably shouldn’t encourage that line of thought. So I stepped out of the coffin, and she opened up the robe and helped me into it, before I marched out of the room without another word.

  He was sitting on the platform next to his coffin. I had admit he was a sight to behold. The suit he wore the previous night had hidden his spectacular body. Broad shoulders, rippling with muscles, and a six-pack greeted me. I stood and stared, until he finally beckoned me closer. Bastard was smirking, too. I hate it when I embarrass myself like that.

  “Good evening, Boney,” I said.

  “Good evening, Sable,” he said. “Sleep well?”

  "Yes, very well, thank you, Boney.”

  “Is there a problem with my name?”

  I arch a brow at him. “It is such a pimp name. Or a rapper's name. It would be fine as a rapper's name, I think. But I think it’s too much even for a pimp. Why not use your real name? Or chose a more common name?"

  He shrugged. "I can't. My mistress named me, through a Compulsion. I think of myself as Bone Daddy now – not as Jason Everett."

  Compulsion? That did not sound good. I’ve heard of vamps placing Compulsions on minions, but I didn’t know they could have any power over other vampires.

  I sat beside him. "Why name you Bone Daddy?"

  "Spend the day in his coffin and then you’ll know," Desiree said, grinning evilly. She glanced down and bit her lower lip. I followed her gaze down to his crotch. Did I mention he was well hung? "He bones you until he owns you."

  "That answers that question. Next question, Boney. Is this Compulsion put on you anything like the one vamps put on minions?"

  “Not exactly. Compulsion is too strong of a word for minions. A vampire can put a very strong suggestion on a mortal, but it fades quickly. An enslaved human, a thrall, can be given a Command, which isn’t so easy to shake off. It too will fade with time, depending on how strong-willed the person is.”

  He nodded at Desiree. There was a black carafe and two large blood-red goblets on a side table. She handed us each a goblet, already filled with thick warm blood. I drained mine in one long draught. Desiree slanted a curious look my way, then refilled my cup. I managed to sip much more politely at that one.

  "Okay, now to explain Compulsions put on vampires." He frowned in thought for a moment. "Only your Sire can put Compulsions on you. The first is usually one of obedience. As an example, if you Changed Desiree into a vampire, you would place a Compulsion on her to obey you and then command her to not run away. Otherwise, she could run away or wander off. That's one of the ways a Sire maintains his control over them. That and other Compulsions."

  I absolutely did not like Compulsions. That was adding insult to injury.

  "In effect, they are his slaves," I said.

  "I wouldn't use such a strong word, but close. Depending on the Compulsions placed, he could control them pretty tightly. But most have a great deal of freewill."

  I leaned forward, locking eyes with him, and then I stood so I could look down at him. “Is that how vampires turn good people into evil vampires?”

  “Well, not all vampires are evil, but yes,” he said. “A Sire will use Compulsions to mold anyone he changes into what he wants them to be. It’s quite effective.”

  Anastasia came to mind. Sorrow poured over me for that unfortunate lost woman. She fought the good fight, and her reward was to be Changed, Compelled to be evil, and then be staked by the man she loved. How horrible. Would that be my fate too?

  "Can you put a Compulsion on me?" Pacing seemed to alleviate some of my agitation.

  "No. Only your Sire, and no one else, I don't care how old and powerful."

  What a sense of relief that answer gave me. Only Yuri possessed the power to make me evil.

  "Good." I smiled sweetly at him. "I'll have to ensure Yuri never has the chance to put a Compulsion on me. Which begs the question, what kind of Compulsions can he put on me?"

  "Anything really. What to wear. How to speak. How and when to hunt, which is quite common. What to do for a living, thus my life as a pimp."

  "A Compulsion made you a pimp?"

  "Yes. I despised pimps. I thought pimps were one and all monsters, hell spawn, and that hookers were their pitiful victims. Only a Compulsion would make me be a pimp." He smiled sadly at me. "My Sire is the Queen of Prostitution in Dallas, and she thought it was Divine Justice to turn me into the thing I hated most.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Boney was a crusading Baptist preacher, trying to stop prostitution,” Desiree said. “He was quite successful, so she put a stop to it by Changing him."

  Bone Daddy sighed. “Now I am hers to command.”

  I gawked at him a long moment, hand over my mouth. A vampire turning a man of God into a vampire was horrible enough, but to heap insult upon injury like that was beyond insidious. What kind of monster was his Sire?

  "That's sick." My heart ached for him, for his loss. “So wrong.”

  "I agree." Boney drained his glass and held it out for Desiree to refill. "But it is effective. I always put Compulsions on anyone I Change. No responsible vampir
e would do otherwise. Without Compulsions we can't control the baby vampires. They might go crazy and go on a murderous rampage."

  "Oh, so that is how vampire families are created."

  "Yes, exactly, but most vampires don't force the vampires they Change to stay with them beyond their training. Most vampires are rather solitary creatures. The older vamps, the Old Country Vampires, are more prone to creating extended undead families."

  "Humph," I said, and startled myself. That was the sort of grunting response Dane would've given. Dane. The thought of him filled me with longing and humiliation.

  “What’s the matter?” Boney said, sitting up straighter.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Bullshit. You look like you’re about to cry.”

  I blinked back the tears, eyes still burning. Turning, I walked a few feet away as memories of happy times, of family and friends, flashed before my mind’s eye. I so wanted to go to them, but I knew I couldn’t bear their rejection. One and all would see me as an abomination, a living nightmare. They all hated vampires.

  “I… I just remembered my boyfriend, and my family. They all hate vampires with a passion, so I guess I can never see them again.”

  Boney nodded in understanding, and a hint of regret and sympathy filled his eyes. I felt closer to him, knowing we both suffered from the loss of our loved ones.

  "Forget your boyfriend," Desiree said. I looked at her in horror. Even Boney looked taken aback. "All commitments, legal and emotional, are cancelled upon death. He stopped being your boyfriend when you died. Family, well, that’s whole ’nother can of worms."

  Her cavalier attitude kinda ticked me off.

  I leveled cold eyes on her as I sat back down. "Your bedside manner sucks. Medical school is definitely not an option for you."

  Desiree reached out and stroked my hair. She reeked of desire and need. Reeked. But I was still too pissed off to be turned on. That’s when I realized I had a way to suppress my natural vampire hedonism. Anger.

  "I'm much better in bed than beside it." The back of her fingers stroked my cheek. They were so soft and warm. "And I can prove it," she added in a mocking sing-songy lilt.

  "I bet you can." I grabbed her hand and squeezed until she gasped.

  “Sable,” Bone Daddy said. “You have to control your temper. Vampiric anger is too volatile and dangerous, and you seem a bit more angry than most new vampires.”

  “Sorry,” I said. Releasing Desiree’s hand, I took a deep breath and held it. And held it. After a moment, I remembered vampires only breathed so they could speak, so I released it. Despite not needing to breathe, that familiar calming act helped. “So, what's on tap for tonight? Surely you haven't taught me everything there is to know about being a vampire."

  "Hardly." Boney glanced to Desiree. "You still want to help?"

  She looked on the verge of tears, rubbing her hand. Oddly enough, I felt no guilt. That’s when I remembered vampires lost a lot of the human emotions, including guilt.

  "Uh-huh," she said, sniffing. "I’m okay."

  I glanced at him. Boney had spoken with her about my lessons? What could a mere mortal teach a vampire?

  "Good. Let’s teach Sable how to feed from a person."

  Desiree yipped with joy and clapped her hands. Bone Daddy was talking serious vamp training. The scariest subject I could think of, in fact.

  "Feed? From her?" I said. I held up my half-empty second cup of blood. "But I've fed. I'm full. I’m good. See? I can't even finish this cup."

  "Good." He took the cup from me and drained it. "I want you well fed, so you don't lose control of your wits and kill her."

  My stomach knotted up. Even Bone Daddy acknowledged I could accidently kill her. Desiree, though, wore that look of anticipated bliss again.

  "Why do I have to learn to feed off a person? I can drink animal blood," I said.

  “Don’t delude yourself,” Bone Daddy said. “Every vampire, whether he wants to or not, will feed off someone eventually. Besides, even if you are that rare vampire that can control your urges so profoundly, there may come a time when animal blood is not available, or your lover needs or demands you bite him. It will happen, so you have to be taught how.”

  I did not want to do this. My bite could Change her. I would never forgive myself if I turned someone into an accursed vampire, damning her soul.

  “Lose the robe,” Boney said, patting the spot next to him. “And sit right here.”

  "Why?" I looked around. No clothes of any kind? I was already starting to feel vulnerable. "I already don't want to do this, much less naked. I’ll keep the robe thanks.”

  “More often than not, when you feed off a mortal you will both be naked.”

  I scowled at him. "Bullshit. You just want me naked."

  He laughed. "It really is best to be naked for these lessons, if only because you’ll soil your clothes with blood. That said, I do want you naked twenty-four seven. Okay, maybe a pair of black stiletto pumps. They would be perfect with that jet black hair of yours. Wait, make that thigh-high boots and a matching studded collar."

  He gave me a truly depraved look. It spoke of unnatural carnal lust and need. I shivered, filled with my own lust all over again. I knew it was my vampire body betraying me, but I didn't care. I wanted those black pumps or boots, just to see what he would do about it.

  Reality interrupted with Desiree passing between us to take a seat just past where Boney wanted me to sit. She was naked. How did she strip so quickly without me noticing? Probably her hooker training showing.

  "Okay, girls," Boney said. "Tonight we are going to train Sable on how to properly bite and feed from various locations on a mortal’s body. I'll be here to make sure nothing goes wrong. Any questions?"

  “I’m not getting naked,” I said, and sat between them. I leveled a defiant look at Boney, who started to protest, but closed his mouth with a look of exasperation.

  "Fine. I guess I can buy another robe,” he said.

  Desiree scooted closer to me while I was distracted. Very close. Our hips and arms touched. I could feel her blood rushing through her body and I could smell her desire, her arousal.

  "Give Sable your neck," Boney said.

  Desiree leaned over to me, threw an arm around my shoulders, and let her head fall back. Way back. My heart began to race as her perfume engulfed me. It didn't dampen her scent of blood, of food. As she pressed against me, I became acutely aware of the blood flowing within her – very distracting and very enticing. My stomach twisted, the cold lump becoming heavier, but at the same time her scent called to me, making my mouth water.

  Boney put his hands on my shoulders. He began to direct my actions, like a skilled director. "Lick her neck, and feel the blood surging beneath the skin. That’s it. Right there.”

  I pressed my tongue to her throat, right over her jugular. Her blood pulsed underneath, promising delights beyond comprehension. Even though I was full, my body hungered for the taste of her blood. My unnatural hunger was winning the battle against my natural revulsion.

  “Feel it? Yes. I know it calls to you, but don’t bite yet."

  Don't bite? Every fiber of my existence screamed for me to bite her.

  "Smell it. Smell her desire. Smell her need," he coaxed me gently. I ran my nose up her neck, inhaling her scent. Desire was too weak a word to describe what I smelled. She reeked of carnal need. "Hear her beating heart? Listen to the blood. You can feel it. You can almost see the carotid artery and the jugular vein there, side by side, rushing blood through her neck.”

  The second I had skin on skin contact with her, I could sense her blood flow perfectly. My hands began to explore her naked body, enjoying her silky smooth skin way too much. The boldness of my hands surprised me, but I found all of the spots her veins and arteries were closest to the skin.

  Boney’s voice dropped an octave, becoming breathier. “They're filled with fresh, hot, delicious life-giving blood. Now, gently, place your fangs above the carotid. Yes,
there. Not too hard… there you go, nice and gentle."

  He made it sound easy to separate the jugular from the carotid. It wasn't. I felt them both, too close together, and it took a bit before I could separate them. Carotid artery carried blood to the brain, while the jugular vein carried it from the brain. Sounds easy, right? Not so easy when your unholy mentor insists you bite only the carotid and they are pressed together. I felt like a spring pushed all the way down, ready to release all that pent up energy. I needed to rip out her throat and drink. Her blood called to me, but I obeyed Boney. His touch was amazingly comforting. Without it, I wouldn't have had the self-control I needed to spare her life.

  "Remember, your brand-spanking-new fangs are designed to rip, not puncture. It takes extra care and effort on your part," he said.

  He walked me through penetrating her warm, soft skin. Desiree groaned wantonly upon penetration. You'd think her pimp had mounted her. My eyes closed, and then my fangs penetrated the sheathing around the artery and vein, before piercing her carotid artery, and blood spurted into my mouth. I no longer cared. I sucked greedily.

  Let me tell you, human blood is the best! Animal blood is a pathetic shadow compared to human blood. Animal blood is like a dried up, over-cooked sausage next to a thick, juicy porterhouse steak. No comparison, baby. Wow. I completely understood why a vampire would prefer human blood to animal blood.

  "Enough,” he said, squeezing my temples to get my attention. I groaned, not wanting to stop despite being sated. “Hold, don't remove your fangs yet."

  He guided me through "sealing" the twin wounds. I could practically "see" her skin growing back together in my mind, healed without a scar as I slowly pulled my fangs out. It kept her from bleeding to death when I removed my mouth. Then I pulled away, seeing the two partially-healed puncture wounds on her neck.

  "Excellent!" Boney said. "Great first time."

  I beamed, more from the head rush I received from her blood than from his praise. He reached over, laid his hand over the tiny pink marks I left, and they were completely gone when he removed his hand. So I still had to work to do in that area.