"There's a hierarchy among my kind based on how close you are to the first vampires. Nephilim are at the top, because they’re the progeny of fallen angels. Ancients beneath them, then an Ancient's progeny, then the rest of us. Soren enjoys manipulating us, making us do things neither of us would do on our own. He's a monster. But even though he has Michel, and even though he has my compliance, I don't trust him not to come after you as well. I had to claim you. Be thankful it's me and not Luke."
I just sit there, numb, staring into Julien's eyes, Robin's egg blue, fringed with thick black lashes just like Michel's, and I remember my dream and how much I loved it when Michel – whenJulienbit me.
Unable to argue, drained of all emotion, I close my eyes and turn my head away.
Chapter 2
“We love the things we love for what they are.”
Robert Frost
We drive in silence. Before we've driven very far, I become nauseated, the headache that's been threatening for the last hour coming into full bloom, blinding in intensity.
"I'm not feeling well," I say, hardly able to hold my head up.
Julien leans over and turns my head towards him, looking in my eyes. I can barely keep them open.
"Stop the car."
Once the car comes to a stop, he unbuckles his seatbelt and moves closer to me, my face in his hands.
"JesusChrist."
"I'm so tired," I manage to say, but the world is spinning, darkness closing in on me. I feel like I'm going to pass out. "Maybe you should take me to the nearest emergency room."
"No need," Julien says, and I pry my eyelids open and watch him. His eyes become bloodshot, his pupils dilated, and he bites his own wrist, twin punctures over his veins. He holds his wrist up to my mouth.
"What are you doing?" I say, horrified that he's trying to feed me his blood.
"You've got a bad concussion," he says. "My blood will heal you. Drink."
Despite my vertigo and weakness, I refuse, pushing his hand away.
"Just take me to a hospital."
"You're not going anywhere in public," he says and forces his wrist to my mouth.
I press my lips together and try to turn my head.
"Don't," I say. "I won't swallow. I won't become your blood slave."
Then he must release some kind of endorphin in my brain that makes me stop resisting and presses me down on the seat. I'm helpless to refuse. He's lying on top of me, and has my nose pinched, his wrist against my mouth, and finally, I have to take a breath. When I open my mouth, he's able to force his wrist to my lips.
I swallow his blood. At first, I'm sick that I'm actually tasting vampire blood, my mind immediately going to the blood whores in Franklin Park and how horrible their lives must be.
"Don't worry, Eve," Julien says, his voice soft. "This little amount won't make you addicted. Although, you may like it so much, you start pestering me for more…" He grins at me while he holds his wrist to my mouth. "If you do, just remember that I expect something in return."
I swallow again, closing my eyes, for it starts to taste unbelievably good, like I need more. I grab hold of his wrist.
"That's just about enough," he says and wrenches his wrist away. I open my eyes and am staring into his and whatever's in vampire blood, it'sgood. Almost too good.
"Oh,God," I whisper, closing my eyes, trying to catch my breath from the rush of euphoria.
"Yes, it's good, isn't it?" He leans his face down to mine and kisses my mouth, licking my lips as if to taste his own blood. "I could take you right now," he whispers in my ear, "and you wouldn't fight me, would you?"
He nestles between my thighs, and I just lie there, my eyes closed, riding the wave of bliss, and he's right. He licks my breast, licks the cut, and I arch my back against him it feels so good. He could take me right now and I'd let him, and I know I'd love it, but it's not me. It's not because of how I feel for him. It's because of the blood and the endorphins. If I weren't under its influence, I wouldn't. I'd pull away, I'd fight him and it would be rape.
"I'm not a rapist," Julien says, reading my mind. Instead of trying, he merely exhales heavily, rubbing his nose under my ear, kissing his bite mark. "I'll wait, but one day, Eve, when you realize Michel's not coming back, you'll come to me and ask for it. If you wait too long, I'll make you beg for it on your knees."