We all did what we had to in order to survive.”
Hank squeezed Chrissten’s shoulders and Bethany moved up to stand beside Quinn. He loved all his family, but he had to make his own decisions, live his own life. “I didn’t ask for this to happen, but neither did Evie. Yet it did, and we both have to deal with it. The best one to help us learn what we need to know in order to survive is Damek.”
The vampire finally stirred and came forward with Sonia locked tight beneath his arm. “My home is Craig’s for as long as he needs it. Or, if he prefers, there is a vacant apartment beneath this one. But they do need supervision. They both have remarkable control for newly made vampires. But we can’t trust it to hold, not yet.”
He motioned to Sonia and she went to the wood and leather bar in the corner of the room. Craig smelled the blood and his fangs immediately dropped. His family all gasped and automatically took a step back. As much as it hurt him when they did, Craig knew Damek had done this for a reason. They loved him, yes, but they didn’t understand his new reality, what he was.
How could they when he couldn’t either? He had so much to learn and so did Evie.
Sonia brought two crystal glasses on a tray. Each was filled with blood. She stopped by Evie first and waited until she took one. Then she brought the remaining one to Craig. He didn’t hesitate. He lifted the glass and drank deeply while keeping one eye on Evie.
She hesitated and then followed his lead.
“I can supply what Craig needs,” Damek continued. “He needs to learn the scope of his new powers. Every vampire is different, but there are some basics all need to know.”
“We can help him,” Quinn insisted.
“Not as well as I can.” There was no challenge in Damek’s statement, and no one could dispute the truth behind it.
Craig closed his eyes and felt the blood filling his cells. His senses expanded, and for a brief moment, he could hear every individual heartbeat, every breath, the brush of fabric as his sister shifted on the sofa. His skin tingled, every nerve ending alive.
He opened his eyes and had to close them again. Everything was too sharp, too colorful.
“Craig, are you all right?”
He wanted to answer his sister, but it was impossible for him to speak. He jumped to his feet and was by the far window in a heartbeat. He didn’t want his family to see him like this.
Another hunger began to beat at him and this was one that only Evie could slake. As the blood filled his body, another basic need rose to the fore. His cock was hard as steel against the zipper of his jeans. He wanted Evie and he wanted her now. One wrong move, one wrong word and he was afraid he’d pounce on her and take her in front of everyone, not caring who saw as long as he got what he wanted.
Sex and blood. The two primal needs seemed to be tied together in his head. That kind of craving scared the shit out of him.
He smelled her before he felt the light touch of her hand against his back.
“You should leave me alone right now, Evie.” He dug his fingers into the window casing, his extended nails gouging the wood deeply. He’d have to pay to have that fixed.
“I feel it too.” Her softly spoken words almost made him howl with need.
He eased his head around so he could see her, but not far enough for his family to see his eyes, which he knew had to be blazing red.
“Then you know why you shouldn’t be around me.”
“It’s why I should.” Craig closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Need beat at him. His skin felt hot, his clothing confining. All his senses were on overdrive.
“I think you should leave.” Damek’s voice seemed overly loud to Craig’s ears.
“What’s wrong with him?” Quinn demanded.
“It is too much for him to have all of you here right now. Your voices, your emotions, your blood all torment him. I told you he will have trouble controlling himself at first. You need to help him by leaving.”
Craig wanted to reach out to his brother and sister and reassure them he was okay. But he couldn’t manage a word. Every cell in his body was demanding he claim Evie, take her now.
He knew the smoothness of her skin, the scent of her arousal, the sexy sighs she made when he touched her. He knew how she looked when she came, all flushed with her head thrown back and her lovely, slender neck exposed. He licked his lips, almost able to taste her arousal and blood on his tongue.
“Call us. Promise me you’ll call as soon as you can.” Chrissten’s plea pierced the sexual thrall surrounding him.
“I will.” His voice sounded hoarse even to him. He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.” Sorry for his lack of control, for his inability to reassure them when they needed it.
“Nothing for you to be sorry about.”
Quinn’s gruff voice comforted him.
“We’re here for you. Whatever you need. Whenever you need it. Call day or night.”
Craig nodded.
He felt them leave the apartment and enter the elevator. Knew the moment they left the building. “What’s happening to me?”
Evie was beside him and Damek had come up to his other side. “Every emotion, every sensation will be magnified for a while until you become used to controlling them. You both show incredible control for such newly made vampires. I was not so restrained when I was made. I got drunk on wine and women and blood. Unlike you, I unintentionally killed some before I realized what I’d done.”
Damek never shared stories from his past. Ever. Craig slowly turned toward his friend. “Thank you. For everything.”
He nodded. “Sonia and I are going out to the club for a couple of hours.
There’s no more blood left in the place so you will not be tempted to overindulge. I will bring more home when I return.”
Damek turned his attention to Evie.
“I own Inhibitions, a club not too far from here. If anything goes wrong, call.”
He handed Evie a cell phone. “It’s the only number in the contacts. I can be home very quickly if I’m needed.”
Evie slipped the phone into her back pocket and nodded.
Damek sighed and put his hand on Craig’s shoulder. “What you feel for her is not a result of her having made you.
This is something different altogether.”
With that, Damek joined Sonia and the two of them departed, leaving Craig alone with the object of his lust.
He turned and faced Evie.
Evie wasn’t quite sure what she was feeling—anger at what had been done to her by Vladimir Drake, anger at what she’d accidentally done to Craig, guilt at the problems Craig and his family now had to deal with and a growing need for vengeance. But overriding all those other emotions was the combination of bloodlust and sexual lust.
The blood she’d just drunk had helped slake her thirst. But the sexual hunger kept expanding with each passing second. “Craig?” She wasn’t sure what to say or do. Her emotions were all jumbled inside her, each vying for supremacy.
“You should probably leave me alone for a while. Let me get some control.” Craig’s voice was deep and guttural. Sharp white fangs gleamed when he spoke.
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Uncertainty filled her. “Unless you want me to.” Maybe once had been enough.
She knew he was aroused, but maybe Craig didn’t want to want her. After all, she’d turned him into a freaking vampire.
Evie took a step back and turned away. She’d go to the bedroom and give Craig his space. She would not get upset over this. She wouldn’t.
She’d taken two steps when a heavy hand came down on her shoulder. She whirled around and hissed, anger and frustration at war within her.
Craig’s eyes were burning with desire. The red was gone from his eyes.
Instead, the blue had intensified, as though it were being lit internally.