coffin and almost stumbled. I felt dizzy, light-headed. My stomach growled and my mind went to thoughts of blood and raw meat.
And sex. I wanted sex in the most intense way possible. I’d heard that Vampires associated sex with blood, and now I understood.
That need turned my thoughts to Colin. How could I have not thought of him sooner? It was as if being a Vampire was wiping out my past life.
What about my parents? What about all the people I loved?
“Change into this.” Elizabeth came out of nowhere and shoved a dress into my arms. “Volod wants you to wear this, and he wants to see you in his study.”
She put her face close to mine. “You’d better watch yourself, bitch. When your end comes, I’ll be the one driving a stake through your heart.”
“Good morning to you, too,” I said beneath my breath as she turned and walked away. “Or rather good night. I guess.”
I looked at the royal purple dress she’d handed me. It went well with my amethyst skin tones. I wondered why Volod was having me dress up as if I was in medieval times, like Elizabeth. Monique wore modern and sexy clothes.
The basement was empty save for myself and a whole bunch of open coffins. In the corner was a screen that I changed behind. I said “Avanna” before I put on the clean dress, and the magical cleansing spell of the Elves made me feel as fresh as if I had just taken a shower.
I didn’t know what to do with the dress I had been wearing so I folded it and laid it on top of my coffin to worry about later.
No doubt Volod wouldn’t be crazy about waiting, so I made my way out of the basement, up the stairs to the second floor.
As I stood at the doorway to Volod’s study, he looked up from paperwork on his desk and he frowned. “I do not tolerate those who do not do as they are told when they are told,” he said. “I expect no delays whenever I call for you. You simply drop what you are doing and come.”
I lowered my gaze. “Yes, Volod.”
He got up from his seat behind his desk and came around to where I stood. “You must desire sustenance.”
My stomach clenched and growled and I nodded.
“Good.” He said the word as if it was meant to be comforting. But I knew what he meant—my hunger gave him control over me.
“Here’s one of the paranorms like you requested.” A male voice came from the doorway, and I turned to see a middle-aged Doppler female beside a Vampire paranorm.
“Excellent.” Volod went to the doorway and took the Doppler by her shoulders. “Wait here,” he said to the Vampire paranorm who had brought in the Doppler female.
“Yes, sir.” The Vampire paranorm bowed from his shoulders and stood to the side.
“Come here, Nyx,” Volod ordered as he turned the Doppler to face me, holding her shoulders from behind. “Vampires understand instinctively how to feed, just as a suckling baby does with its mother. But I will show you the best way. I want to watch you the first time.”
My belly twisted as I looked at the Doppler he was holding. I could smell her fear, more intense than I would have smelled even as Drow.
But what called to me more than anything was her blood. My mouth watered. Pain made me wince as my fangs dropped from my gums, where they had retracted.
“Hungry, are you not?” Volod said in a soothing tone that I recognized as him manipulating me.
Yet I couldn’t take my attention from the Doppler. I imagined how good her blood would be as it entered my mouth …
My stomach twisted harder at the thought of drinking a being’s blood. I’d only liked char-burned steaks and super-well-done hamburgers, never anything even slightly pink.
And now I was visualizing myself drinking blood, and even eating bloody hunks of meat.
My stomach growled again. I felt sick at the thought of what I wanted to do. And sick at the thought of doing without.
Volod motioned for me to come closer. I took a step forward.
A look of impatience flashed across his face and I hurried to reach him. He ran a finger down the side of the female’s neck. “This is the carotid artery. It is very special. It is what we drink from.”
I couldn’t take my eyes from that spot. The Doppler’s fear excited me while I watched the pulse of