All Souls' Night - Renee Rose Page 0,39

most important part of life is who you are with when you are living it.”

“Before, when I let myself feel, all I felt was pain. I stopped allowing myself to feel. I liked BDSM because it gave me the release I needed. I was able to be in control, fulfill my desires, and then walk away at the end of the night. I have my favorite clubs all over the world—Club Toxic, though, is my favorite. Not only do I get to master my prey, I get to feed off the willing sweetbloods. The human clubs don’t have that added benefit.” I wink at Keri, after answering her question about my favorite BDSM club. We have been talking for two hours, her curled up in my arms in the window seat in the bedroom I have designated for her. I try to answer every question she has honestly.

“Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt me one little bit; see what I did there?” I wink.

“Haha!”

I feel her tremor as she imagines, in great detail, being bitten. Why is the imagination so much worse than reality? I can’t fault her for being afraid. After all, most humans only have the Hollywood version of vampires to go off of. I am not a ripper tearing apart humans in the night, and I sure as hell don’t sparkle or glitter.

“Club Toxic has willing sweetbloods who come back time and time again. If it is terribly painful, do you think they would keep returning? Feeding can be rather intimate, the best orgasm of your life, so to speak. It is unlike anything you have ever experienced, and when done correctly, an experience you will never forget.”

Keri squirms. Morbidly curious. That’s what her thoughts tell me she is. I will have to change that. I will expose her to some beautiful feeds at the club in hopes that she will see it as something more sexual and less animalistic… or perhaps, animalistically beautiful.

“Butterfly, look at me.” I wait for her obedience. “I will not touch you until you verbally give me consent. Only then will I feed from you.”

“You won’t, like, hypnotize me into it, right?”

“Hypnotize?” I can’t stop myself from laughing. “I will never influence your thoughts in that way, or any other way. I want your submission to be of your own free will and not manipulated or controlled. Nor would I ever allow anyone else to do such a thing to you.”

She visibly relaxes with those words. It angers me that she would think so little of me.

“So, what is the plan then for this weekend?” she asks.

“Tomorrow night, we will go to Club Toxic for the Venetian-themed masquerade ball, followed by the Day of the Dead parade and celebration Sunday. I’ve arranged for a hair and makeup artist to come to the house on both days. I’ve set aside a gown and mask for you for tomorrow, and then I thought you might want to choose your costume for Sunday. I’ve put several options in your closet.”

“Thank you.” Her reply is no less than I would expect from her: gracious, grateful, and authentic. She grew up poor and pulled herself up by her bootstraps; no help was offered along the way. Her strength, in many ways, rivals mine. I am constantly blown away by her.

“You’re welcome, Butterfly.” Her long yawn reminds me that although I have only been up for a few hours, she has been up all day. She hasn’t acclimated to our schedule yet, and has to be exhausted.

“Why don’t we get you into a long, hot bath?” I ask. “I bought the tub that you had staked.”

“Pinned. I had pinned. On Pinterest.”

“Yes, that.”

“You would think that a vampire would stay away from the word staked.” She laughs at her own joke. There is little I love more in this world than the sound of Keri’s laughter.

“Would you like me to bathe you tonight?” I offer. Normally, I wouldn’t give her the choice. I sure enjoy dipping the cloth between her legs… but tonight, I have dropped many things on her, and she might want some time alone with her own thoughts. I am right.

“If it’s okay, I’d like to soak myself tonight, Sir.”

“It is perfectly okay. I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to look in the dressers yet, but I had a new wardrobe bought for you. You will find your favorite brand of silk pajamas in the top drawer.”

“For me?”

“For you, Butterfly. Take your time, and then