SWNOVELS Forged in Blood: Chapter 3
She sure shocked the hell out of me when she didn’t run away. They always run, but not this little bundle of sass. Which is a shame given how much I enjoy the chase. I’d call it sport, except humans don’t stand a chance against our kind. When she rolled back her shoulders and willingly walked through the open door, a flicker of excitement flared in my chest. I do like them feisty, and she smells sweet enough to devour whole.
I guide her toward the basement. This is the professor’s private residence, and he and the three of us are the only ones who live here, so there’s no risk of being caught by clueless pledges. Still, the basement is the best place for her—where nobody will hear her scream. And I do intend to make this one scream.
She stumbles down the dimly lit hallway, hands grasping at the walls.
“Ouch!” she yelps and sucks her finger into her mouth. A stray nail protruding from the bare brick glistens, and the scent of her blood immediately fills the hallway. She smells sweeter than cupcakes. My fangs protract painfully, aching to take her. But not yet.
Her heart races, echoing along the narrow corridor. Not unexpected for someone in her predicament. But despite her obvious nerves, she keeps her head high and her shoulders rolled back, like she has even a modicum of control here. I can’t sense an overt level of fear from her. No trembling knees or sharp, raspy breathing. Aside from her elevated heart rate, she seems entirely unaffected. I admire her fire, and I’m itching to see how far I can push her before the icy fingers of terror start to claw at her. Because, afraid of us or not, this little pink-haired girl interrupted the wrong party. And for that, she will have to pay.
I prod her between her shoulder blades, just above her backpack, to hurry her along.
“Where the hell are you taking me?” she snaps.
I can’t help but laugh at her sass. “You’ll see soon enough, Cupcake.”
“Will you stop calling me that?” she says with a dramatic huff.
I flick the ends of her hair between my thumb and forefinger, dislodging the scent of her candy-scented shampoo. Something unfamiliar and warm stirs in my chest, but I push it down. “Then don’t color your hair this ridiculous shade of pink.”
“Ugh!” She twists her head away from my touch and marches forward. It’s funny how she thinks she has even a chance in hell of escaping me.
We reach the steel door at the end of the hallway, and she spins around, her blue eyes wide. “I’m not going in there.”
I tilt my head. “I think you are, Cupcake.”
Her nostrils flare. “Will you stop …” She presses her lips together, and I can’t help but laugh again. She is fucking adorable. It’s a shame we’re not going to get to keep her as a pet. Or maybe …
She barrels into me, trying to push her way past, and I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. Her juicy tits are squashed against my chest, and I drop my eyes and lick my lips. I’m going to enjoy feeding from them and leaving my mark all over her creamy flesh.
“Let me out of here. I swear I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
Malachi reaches around us and opens the door. The steel hinges groan in protest. “Oh, we know that.”
Her heart hammers against my chest as I carry her inside the room and set her on her feet. The sound of her blood pumping through her veins stokes the beast inside me, and my fangs ache with the desire to taste her. She blows a strand of hair out of her eyes and glares at me. “What exactly are you planning to do?”
I arch an eyebrow and rake my gaze over her curves. From those perky tits being hugged way too tightly by her tank top to the tiny plaid miniskirt that barely covers her ass and exposes the creamy expanse of her thighs. They are going to look fucking beautiful with her blood dripping down them soon. She’s a blank canvas, and I plan to paint. And then there are her black lace-up boots that stop mid-calf. She dresses like she’s looking for attention, and she just found it.
She shuffles her feet against the dusty concrete. Oh, I’m going to fucking devour her. My eyes travel back to her face. “We’re going to fuck with you, Cupcake.” I flick my tongue over my fangs. “And if you’re real good, we might just fuck you too.”
Her pulse spikes. She opens her pretty pink mouth to protest, but no words come out. Still, I can’t smell her fear—at least not the kind I’d expect her to be feeling. I sniff, scenting the air, and catch the faintest hint of her arousal. My dick stiffens, aching to be let out of my jeans. “Oh, I think our little prisoner likes the thought of being fucked by us, Kai.”
Malachi grins and stands behind her, running his nose over her hair and inhaling her intoxicating scent. His eyes lock on mine, and his thoughts fill my mind. She smells fucking incredible, right? Or is it just me?
No, she smells good, I reply without talking. No need for our new pet to know how much we want her. She might get the idea that our desire gives her power here. It doesn’t.
“Let me go!” she demands. Her voice trembles, but not from fear. She wants us. Her body does anyway.
“Nuh-uh.” I shake my head. “We’re gonna have way too much fun with you to ever let you see another sunrise.”
Her heart beats an erratic rhythm, and she lashes out, scratching my face while she shrieks for help that will never come. She catches my lip with her nail, and my tongue darts out to lick away the blood. I grin at her. “That was a bad move, Cupcake.”
“Fuck you!” she spits.
“Grab the cuffs,” I bark.
Malachi goes to the wall that holds an array of weapons and restraints, and she turns her head to see what he’s doing, obviously realizing for the first time since we entered the room what this place is. It’s a cell—and a torture chamber when the occasion calls for it.
“Please?” she begs, and that only makes my dick harder for her.
I shake my head and suck on my top lip, watching Malachi pull off her backpack and slap the cuffs on her before she can process what’s happening.
“On your knees, Cupcake.”
“No.” She shakes her head. Still so fucking feisty.
I sigh and nod to Malachi. He nudges the backs of her knees, and she drops to the floor with a thud and a cry of pain.
“He was a lot gentler than I would have been.” I stand in front of her, her lips almost level with my aching cock. “He’s always been that way though. Ever since he was turned.” I run the backs of my knuckles over Malachi’s cheek, and he bites down on his lip. “Such a sensitive soul, aren’t you, pup?”
“You’re an asshole.” Malachi barks out a laugh, and I return my attention to the girl on the floor. I caress her cheek and trail my fingertips along her jawline. She snaps at them, and dammit, it makes me even more feral for her.
Hurry the fuck up, Axl, or there will be nothing left for you.
Don’t you fucking dare get started without me, comes his angry reply. I’m on my way.
“What’s your real name, Cupcake?” I ask.
Her glare is fierce. “Why?”
I shrug. “I like to know who I’m eating.”
Her lower lip quivers, and I ball my hands into fists so I don’t grab her jaw and sink my teeth into it. I know that once I taste her, I won’t stop. “Ophelia,” she says, chin tipped up in defiance.
“Pretty name,” Malachi says.
Her dark eyelashes flutter over her pale-pink cheeks.
“Let’s get this party started.” Axl’s deep voice fills the room and steals her attention, making me irrationally pissed.
I grab her jaw and turn her face back to me. “Don’t look at him. It’s me who’s about to bite you, Cupcake.”
She tries to shake her head out of my grip, but I don’t let go. “Is that girl okay?”
Axl steps closer. “Shouldn’t you be worried about your own welfare right now?”
I snort a laugh. “That’s exactly what I said.”
“Are you vampires?” Her bottom lip is full on trembling now as a sliver of fear finally cracks through her armor of pink hair and sass. The scent of it thickens the air around us.
I flick my tongue over the end of one of my fangs. “What do you think, Cupcake?”
Her blue eyes narrow, and she shakes her head. “But vampires don’t exist.”
Malachi huffs another laugh while Axl spreads his arms wide. “You think you’re dreaming us, then?” He crouches in front of her and tilts his head to the side, his eyes raking over her pretty face, down to the ripe tits straining the fabric of her tank top. She smells so good. I don’t know how she isn’t already pinned to the floor with the three of us feasting on her. Her busting us tonight is the best thing that’s happened in weeks, because she is going to taste so much sweeter than the snarky wannabe cheerleader we had lined up earlier. Axl brushes his knuckles over her cheek. She flinches at his touch but doesn’t pull back. So fucking feisty. “Are we what your fantasies are made of?”
“Yeah, I bet you dream about this kind of thing, hey Cupcake? On your knees for three guys.” I grab my dick and squeeze. “Looks to me like you’re thirsty for some cock.”
Her cute little nose scrunches in disgust, and fuck me, it makes her look even cuter. “I do not and I am not!” she insists with a dramatic huff.
Fuck, I’m gonna nut in my pants if I don’t have those juicy lips wrapped around my cock real soon. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”