neshama. Everything’s fine and as it should be. Don’t fight me. You said you trust me. For once in your life, let surrender be part of that trust. Give your life to me.
I did. I do. As Niall gripped Evan’s thigh, holding on, Alanna felt the surge of emotion from her vampire master. The declaration was the male equivalent of what Niall had just told her. I love you.
For the vampire’s side of things, it was a lot to drink at once, but like the old wives’ lore about consuming the placenta of an afterbirth, there was an ancient wisdom that said ingesting all of a human’s blood in a turning would increase the bond between sire and fledgling. She knew Evan would embrace that. As he continued to swallow, she inched closer until her knees were pressed against Niall’s hip, both her hands on them, one on Niall’s chest over Evan’s, the other on Niall’s opposite shoulder. His arm came up around her, fingers digging into her back, a sudden convulsion.
The serum has gone in. In a moment, you’ll start to feel very different . . .
She knew the moment that Niall could smell her blood as a vampire could, for his eyes opened, and she saw the reddish tint.
“Almost, neshama. Almost.” Evan’s arm was now fully over his chest, holding him firmly. Move back for a moment, Alanna. You’re too close.
Of course. She knew that. She had to give Evan time to complete the final step. A fledgling that drank of human blood before the process was complete would get sick on whatever they gorged themselves on. She was embarrassed she’d forgotten, so intent on being near.
There’s no shame in forgetting yourself because of your love for him, Alanna.
Then Niall tried to surge up toward her, and Evan had no time to spare for reassuring thoughts. The vampire shifted their positions, tackling him, bearing him back down to the ground. As he straddled the male, keeping him pinned, she sensed the strain in it. Evan was trying to hold the big Scot down and make one of his own veins available to him. Sliding around them quickly, she pulled out her small knife, caught Evan’s sleeve and pulled it back, cutting the vein in his wrist.
Niall’s head whipped toward her hands of course, a growl in his throat, but the gush of Evan’s blood drew his eye. Evan got it to his mouth, and Niall drank, holding on to his wrist with both large hands. Evan stroked the side of his head. “There you go, neshama. Final step.” Get ready, Alanna.
She was. She waited until she knew Niall had swallowed enough, and then lay back on the ground behind them. She drew up her skirt, slid the panties down and off, getting them out of the way. Taking up the knife once more, she found the femoral, poised over it and waited.
Now.
She made the quick puncture as Evan deftly levered Niall up, directing his energy and hunger immediately to where she lay. Niall, his mind nothing more than blood hunger at the moment, was a fearsome sight, lunging toward her, but Evan caught him by the chest. Despite the difference in height and weight, Evan did have the strength, barely, to hold Niall from coming down on her too roughly. Because of his advantage as a third-mark servant, Niall was likely to have at least a hundred years’ worth of strength and speed out of the starting gate, but she saw no worries in Evan about that. For her own part, she expected she’d have the pleasure of seeing some intriguing wrestling matches between her two Masters.
Evan shoved Niall to his knees between her spread ones. “Here, Master,” she purred, sliding her fingers over her labia, teasing herself to wetness so the two aromas came together. “Everything you see is yours.”
The Scot’s hands clamped down on her legs, and she let out an anxious, yet exhilarated breath as he shoved her wider, put his mouth on her thigh. He bit into it, despite the cut already there, and she made a little cry at the size of his new fangs, thick and sharp.
Easy, neshama. She’s your servant. Do not harm her. Let her serve you.
Niall’s fingers flexed as he took the blood in large gulps. It would be a hefty amount, sure to make her light-headed, but she felt no fear. She gazed up at the night sky through the trees, heard the lap of the water and