his pocket.
“Then you know that asking me to do this is messed up and incredibly wrong,” I pleaded. “She is an innocent child. I will make her… feel things… that aren’t right for someone her age or limited life experience, Ruarc. You cannot ask me to do this. It isn’t right dammit. She’s too young.”
“Tests are never easy,” Ruarc said simply as he reached out and cut the side of her neck with the dagger. The cut was shallow and superficial, but the intended effect was achieved.
The smell of her hot, fresh blood slammed into me like a ton of bricks and my fangs instantly descended with a snick. I whimpered involuntarily and couldn’t stop my forward momentum; my feet seeming to have a mind of their own. God, I’m so hungry. I looked down at her helplessly as I came to a stop in front of her. I was ravenous and I desperately needed to eat. My stomach cramped with intense need and I bit back the growl that threatened to escape. I had to have her hot, fresh, delicious blood inside me and there was no way I could stop what I was about to do.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as I leaned into her. “I have no control over what you’re about to feel. I hope you can one day forgive me.” I fisted her long brown hair as I pulled her neck to the side, exposing the cut. I briefly glanced up at Ruarc with hateful eyes before I sank my fangs deep within her.
Angelica’s blood was amazing. If Bethany’s blood had been a rock concert, Angelica’s was a sweet symphony in comparison; so pure and light, a submission to pure decadence. She moaned slightly and I was quickly brought back to the here and now. I focused and prayed hard that she wouldn’t be affected the way the other humans had when they first experienced my bite. I didn’t want her to be scarred for life.
About fifteen seconds had passed and, with great difficulty, I pulled my fangs out of her neck and flashed across the room and away from her. I tried to make it seem like I was unaffected by the meal but the truth was, I was anything but. I wanted to go back over there and gorge myself on her thick, delectable life force. I swallowed again, ridding my tongue of her distracting taste, as I focused solely on Ruarc.
“How was it?” Ruarc asked with a small smirk.
“Amazing,” I answered angrily. “It was sweet and satisfying… and completely delicious. How could you do that to me? That was so wrong on so many levels. I’m completely disgusted with myself right now.”
“Angelica, how was it for you?” Ruarc raised his eyebrows as he turned to her.
“It wasn’t as expected,” she answered in a whisper, a far-off look in her eyes. I knew that look well. It was frequently worn by the feeders I had seen Archer with but definitely not the ones I’d fed from yesterday; their looks had been far more intense and sensual in nature.
“It felt more relaxing and mellow than your bite did. Your bite was definitely more powerful in comparison. It was enjoyable but the resulting high was not excessive… not like the one I got from you.”
Ruarc’s eyebrow furrowed deeply; confusion played in his eyes as he studied me intently. He turned to the side and immediately sought Oleif. “Tell our brothers what you witnessed during her first feeding yesterday.”
I listened to Oleif speak to the men in Gaelic as the man who escorted the girl down led her back upstairs to the first floor. Several of the soldier’s eyes widened as they looked at me in surprise. A few of them chuckled as Oleif’s recount came to an end.
Once again, I was utterly mortified and embarrassed to have my business thrown out for all to hear. I didn’t want them to negatively judge me for something I had no control over.
“So which is it?” a man I had never seen before today asked. “Is the venom stronger with this newborn or is it not?”
Several men started talking amongst themselves when one man interrupted. “Is it possible that she can somehow control how much she delivers to her prey when biting them?”
All eyes swung to me again and I frowned and shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t ask me. This is all new for me. I don’t even know what I’m doing 99% of the time.”
Ruarc turned to his