7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Leander

I can so easily sense Hayden’s conflicted feelings. The arousal, the want, the fear, the confusion, the excitement. They flow into me and it is addictive, painting an even more irresistible picture of the man I slept with who also happens to be my student.

I should probably be concerned about that last part, but it doesn’t seem to matter that much. To me or to him. Besides, I’m not a permanent teacher at Blackmoon University; I’m only substituting for a month until Mr. Rodrigez is back.

Hayden’s eyes don’t stray from me as I feed on the willing human. We picked this one from the hospital nearby, her illness painful and terminal. We stopped her heart before we started draining her, and she was grateful for the mercy the doctors refused her, bidding us farewell with a smile on her face.

That is not to say we are kind creatures. We simply like to avoid complications, and this is the best way for that. We go after the sick and the dying when we can, we hunt the evil and the unpunished, but clearly, we should’ve been more careful. Hayden should’ve never journeyed down here, stumbling upon a secret we keep hidden from humankind since the dawn of time.

I take a big gulp of blood and refocus my attention on his face. His powerful jaw is clenched and his brilliant hazel eyes are a bit unfocused. They go so well with his dark brown hair and tanned skin, the flecks of green and blue in them popping out when the light hits them just right. Like now, or last night in my bedroom while ecstasy had hold of him and he unraveled for me in the most beautiful way.

A one-time prize, that’s what he was supposed to be. A warm body to have some fun with. Not a man I would be thinking about the entirety of today. Not a student I’d see every week for a while. Not a curious little mouse that sneaked into my lair of secrets.

I scan the chamber. The other vampire Elders of the American Council pay me or Hayden no mind, sucking and slurping the blood with no care in the world. Good. They are unaware of my little farce. I had to improvise, seeing as the pretty human would end up dead otherwise. Perhaps I shouldn’t have cared—he brought it upon himself—but then again, it would have been a waste. And not just because his strong body is as if made for my cock.

I ride out a wave of shivers, delicious and tantalizing. Yes, this can work out in my favor. In his too, if he stops trying to resist me. I always get what I want in the end; it’s in my nature.

But the shock hasn’t hit Hayden yet, I can tell. It will. A discovery of this magnitude is not something a human’s brain can accept so easily when it’s lived in ignorance all its life. Still, so far, he has taken things better than others do and, strangely, that gives me a sense of deep satisfaction. Of pride, a purring sensation stirring in my chest.

By the time I finish feeding, Hayden is sitting cross-legged on the stone floor and staring at his phone. My heightened hearing allows me to catch what he’s watching even though the volume is very low. It’s a recording of one of his lessons, business management, if I am not mistaken, which is intriguing. He must’ve gotten bored watching us and felt safe enough to study in the middle of century-old catacombs.

The smile that slides across my face surprises me. Perhaps I needn’t worry about a freakout.

“Leander, you’ve picked a strange one. He reminds me of a stray dog,” Annabel says, flicking luscious red curls off her shoulders as she stands up. She licks a stray drop of blood from her plump lips, her fern green eyes bouncing between me and Hayden. “You’ve not turned him into a thrall yet. His mind is too active.”

Annabel has the gift of mind manipulation. But she’s young like me, so her powers haven’t fully manifested yet. They are there though, for both of us, dormant and waiting until we’ve passed the threshold of 150 years in age. It’s the downside of being a pureblood, but then again, our gifts have been passed down by generations of vampires, perfected and honed. The tricks that turned vampires can do simply do not compare, even if they don’t have to wait so long to master them.

“Annabel. I fail to see how that is any of your business.” I take a final sip of blood and straighten up, raising an eyebrow at my fellow vampire.

She scrunches her face, pouting a little. I cross my arms, letting my eyes flick to Hayden for a quick heartbeat before I settle them firmly on her. She cracks a grin.

“Don’t tell me you bullshitted us earlier. Do you even know the dude?”

I wrinkle my nose, smoothing out creases from my black robe. She’s always been perceptive, able to read between the lines just by observing you. It’s practically impossible to fool her, even if you are a master of deception like me. It’s part of my gift. Just like she can affect the brain, I can affect one’s senses, make them see or feel things that aren’t there. Our powers can be on the nastier side depending on how they are used, more so than abilities pertaining to fire or soil or metal. Claudius’ gift of gravity can be just as much of a torture tool.

I let my gaze stray to our unsuspecting human intruder. He happens to look up from his phone then, those striking eyes locking on me as if on cue. With a slight tilt of his head to the side, he raises his shoulders and eyebrows, mouthing, “What now?”

“Do you fancy him?” Annabel probes, whipping her head around and shooting him a snarl that makes him avert his eyes awkwardly.

I am so glad our clans are on good terms and she’s my best friend. Having her as a rival would make my life difficult.

“We are very compatible, yes.” That flutter of satisfaction rises in my chest as the words spill out of me.

“Good sex doesn’t mean anything,” she points out.

She is right, of course. To us, sex and blood are like nutrition and air to humans. Necessary to accommodate basic functions, but beyond that, nothing special.

“Then why ask such a pointless question?”

She gives me one of those unreadable looks, her eyes going a little unfocused as they roam my face. She seems to find an answer of some sort, humming in what could be either agreement or mockery. “No particular reason. Just messing with you.”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t mess with me.”

“Aww, here you go again with the stick up your ass. No wonder you picked that pup to liven up your dull and gloomy sex life.” She shudders, hugging herself. “I can practically feel him vibrating.”

He looks mostly calm sitting there with his lesson on his phone, but I can sense the underlying buzz, too. The energy, the nerves, the adrenaline, the unrest. Whatever is on his mind is a lot more than him processing what he discovered tonight.

It piques my interest. His sense of self-preservation is… strange. It’s there, but it’s not as strong as it should be. Is he not afraid? Just because I said he’ll be safe if he behaves? A thrill crawls down my spine at the thought, concentrating in my core. Yes , that sounds so so nice for some reason. My dick swells, hardening as images of what a good boy he was last night flash in my mind.

“Ok. I get it. Now stop with this,” Annabel pants, her pale cheeks flushed and her eyes glazing over. “Leander, seriously, you’ll give me a no-hands orgasm just from the intensity of your dirty thoughts.”

“Get out of my head, then?” I suggest, glancing to the left as Mariah approaches us.

“It’s not like it’s a switch I can turn off! God, I’m so happy I can just feel thoughts and can’t read or see them yet, or I’d be popping a boner every time I’m around you.”

“You can’t pop a boner,” I point out helpfully, tipping my chin at her female form.

She waves me off. “Semantics.”

“What are you two bickering about?” Mariah cuts in, her signature frown in full force. Despite it though, she’s as beautiful as a star-covered night sky. The glitter across her black skin shimmers in the low candlelight, making her look magical.

“Planning our next trip out. Why? You decided you wanna join and have some fun like normal people do?” Annabel snaps, her bite stronger than usual.

I can’t blame her. She’s had a crush on the Kennington’s heiress since we were in middle school, but Mariah won’t even look her way.

“We are vampires, not people,” Mariah clips, carding her long-clawed fingers through her neat braids. “Leander. I spoke to your aunt the other day. Is it true that you will be picking a suitor at her ball?”

The pleasant hum feeding brought out in me vanishes with the reminder of my very pressing issue. If she knows about it, Auntie must really be set on marrying me off to someone in the very near future.

“I will consider some of the offers,” I say flatly, trying not to glare at her. Her clan sends a query at least once a year, so I am sure her name is on the list of candidates my aunt has picked out. Not that I have even looked at it yet.

She nods and flashes me a mastered smile, pretending she doesn’t notice my indignation. “That is wise. It is about time you started taking things seriously.”

My fists clench on my sides. I want to punch her. I am not impulsive, but she’s extremely adept at getting under your skin. I already had a shitty day dealing with my aunt, and more nagging is the opposite of what I need right now.

She continues though, droning on about vampire duties and clan strength and whatnot. A headache makes my temples throb as I nod and hum in agreement. I’ve had enough of this. I want to be somewhere else. But she’s older and I am younger and, as per vampire hierarchy, I need to be respectful. To uphold the reputation of the Adetu Clan while I fight a war on the inside so I don’t strangle her lean neck. In all honestly, I have no idea what Annabel sees in her.

A terrified shriek hijacks my full attention just as I am about to give into the urge and tell Mariah to fuck off. My focus zeroes in on Hayden immediately, cold shivers engulfing my body. His eyes lock with mine, startled and confused and pleading as Thomas, the one with the gift of shapeshifting, backs him into a corner.

He’s beautiful. The way his presence reaches out to mine. I can catch his scent even from here, the jasmine so unintrusive I wouldn’t have noticed it unless I knew what to look for. Which I do, ever since he walked by me at that bar. The whiff of flowers accompanying that vibrating energy and ambition packed in a big, powerful frame called out to me like a beacon of light in a dark forest.

So gorgeous and perfect.

I still, realization flooding me like a tidal wave. He’s the solution to my annoying problem. This attractive, fiery man that I want to worship again with my mouth and my cock.

Stifling down a smile as something clicks in place in my chest, I brush past Mariah. “Excuse me. It seems I am needed.”

“What’s your name? You are very pretty. I bet you have a huge cock. Can I blow you?” Thomas says, licking his sinful lips as he steps in and sniffs Hayden, whose back hits the stone wall.

He’s my human, according to the impulsive declaration I made earlier. Part of me, I have to admit, does like how it sounds.

Thomas is a menace despite his angelic appearance, a fiend with insatiable libido that will suck the soul out of you through your dick. The Kreuzberg Clan, which he belongs to, is believed by some to have mingled with spawns of Lust at some point after they came to America, but that’s never been proven. Besides, other supernaturals stay within their groups like we do, rarely interacting with us or those not belonging to their kind. It’s an unwritten rule, there to keep the balance intact and aggression low, though once a year four representatives of every species meet in an undisclosed location to catch each other up.

“Thomas, I advise you stop,” I say, pouring authority into my voice.

The little devil’s grin stretches past what the human face can comfortably accommodate. “Ah, but he smells so good.” Leaning in, he traces Hayden’s jaw with two fingers. “I bet you taste just as nice, too. Have you ever been part of an orgy? My friends will gobble you right up. I can arrange it. All the cock and pussy you can eat.”

“Thomas,” I growl in warning, the muscles in my forearms flexing as my claws extend without my input. “Leave him be.”

One thing to note about us vampires is that we are territorial. Protective and possessive of what or whom we own. Not that I own Hayden, I do realize that, but it still rubs me the wrong way that Thomas is trying to get in the human’s pants when I’ve already staked a claim. Even if it’s a fake one. It’s disrespectful without an invitation from me first, even if he outranks me.

Besides, he is right—Hayden is delicious. Addictively so. His little rebellion today only makes me want to get another taste of him all the more, to feed him my cock so I can etch into my memory those lovely cries of pleasure as his body takes from me what it needs.

Thomas seems intent on ignoring me again despite my dangerous tone, his fingers moving on to Hayden’s lips. The violent side of me doesn’t like this, roaring to get free.

“Thomas, I said ge—”

Hayden’s hand shoots up, grabbing Thomas’ wrist. “Twinks aren’t really my type,” he says in a slightly trembling voice as his eyes flick to mine. “I like big guys that can manhandle me in the bedroom.”

Thomas’ laughter rings around the chamber like chiming bells. “Oh, I can manhandle you just fine, baby, trust me.”

Hayden squeezes the vampire’s wrist tighter, which makes a wondrous expression displace the sexy and barely human smirk that’s gracing Thomas’ cherub face. “I’m with Leander. He’s 100% my type and you aren’t. But I’m sure some of the guys on the team”—he grins and it looks downright evil in the most enticing way—“will kill for a chance to join your orgies. Like Park. Yep, Anthony Park will be sooooo up for it. He just looooves cock, but pretends otherwise. And he’s obsessed with twinks like you. Especially the dommy type. Do you like spanking? I bet he’d love to get spanked by you. I should introduce you two.”

Thomas’ smile settles into something less nightmare fuel and more genuinely amused. A subtle frown scrunches his smooth forehead. “Leander, your human is strange. And he talks a lot. I’m getting a headache.”

Shifting into a crow, Thomas flies off to wherever he came from. I follow him with my eyes and then watch the rest of the vampires as they suck out the last of the blood from the woman. The buckets we collected from her and the other four sickly humans we got from the same hospital will go into our reserves to be used in case of emergencies.

When I focus my attention back to Hayden, I can feel his elevated breathing. His eyes are a little spooked too, like he’s suddenly not sure what’s happening and what he is doing here. I know the perfect cure for that, a way to distract him and give his probably overwhelmed mind some breathing room.

Coiling my fingers around his muscular arm, I nudge him toward the stairs. “We are leaving.”

He comes without a protest. “Yeah, okay.”

Silence rules until we make it out of the catacombs. He visibly relaxes once we reach the main library floor where light is abundant and people tackle assignments behind books and monitors. I take him outside to the side of the building where there is no one, and we sit on a bench. Before I make him forget his worries though, I need something from him.

“What were you doing in the off-limits area?” I pose, curiosity getting the better of me.

He curls those kissable lips, his nostrils flaring. “I got lost. That place is a maze.” A shadow passes over his face. “So, what happens now?” he asks, aiming his beautiful eyes at me. They are bright and unsure, an ocean of three colors that I would willingly drown in.

“Now, you keep what you discovered tonight to yourself. If you don’t, you will be killed.”

His gaze drops to my mouth, his eyebrows slanting. A shiver surges through his powerful frame. “You seriously expect me not to tell anyone that vampires are real? That’s like, super unfair. Also, it’s super cool.” He grins, biting his lips. “ Holy shit. Please tell me vampires are not the only thing that exists. There’s gotta be werewolves, too. And yeti. Demons? Unicorns?”

“There are. But we are not going to talk about them. Their affairs are not up to us vampires to discuss.”

My stern tone doesn’t deter his smile. “Why not?” He throws one leg over the bench and swivels around so he’s facing me. “I’ve got so many questions! You have to tell me everything!”

I think this might be his way of coping with the fact that his world changed forever tonight. Enthusiasm, energy, curiosity. I soak them all up without even trying, making them mine, the influx of sensations flooding my core.

Grabbing him by the back of his neck, I pull him toward me, my mouth finding his. He startles, instinctively pushing me away, but as I flick my tongue over his sealed lips, he melts under me, opening on an enticingly unhinged moan. His taste is sweet and intoxicating, his nimble tongue tangling with mine as if he’s been just as hungry for me as I have been for him. Like he’s been fighting this moment and waiting for it at the same time.

How very titillating.

I ravage his mouth, licking every corner, tasting every inch. He lets me take charge, his hands clasping the front of my shirt like he needs an anchor so he doesn’t lose himself completely to the kiss. I deepen it, even more desperate for his pleasure. I don’t want him to hold back, I want him wild and raw like last night. But first, I still need him to agree to help me.

Saliva drips from the corner of his mouth when we come apart. His twinkling eyes watch me as I wipe it with my finger, the pupils dilating as I shove my digit in his mouth. He sucks it diligently, his tongue wet and hot and making my cock twitch.

“Fuck, Dadd—Leander, this is so hot. I almost came just from kissing you.”

My chest swells, satisfaction pulsing within me. It’s a little strange if I am being honest, a little novel. My encounters with men and women are very transactional, but there is something so very… different about Hayden. I don’t know why or how, but I decide to leave it be, because if anything, it just makes what I am about to propose all the more worth it.

“You don’t seem to understand the position you are in, Hayden,” I say in a low, sultry voice. “If not for me stepping in, you would’ve died tonight. This, us vampires, is no joke.”

He swallows hard, the lust-driven bliss draining from his face. “Are you going to kill me now? Or lock me up and turn me into your personal blood bank?”

I brush my fingers along his jaw, absorbing the little shivers the contact elicits in him even though fear now lives in the sweet hum my kiss set out across his body. I want it gone—I wish no harm to this lovely human—but I let it linger for now, so I can put my plan into motion.

“Those are two viable options. The second one more so than the first. However, I believe what I am about to offer you will be a lot more… beneficial to both of us.” His entire world narrows down to me and I revel in the all-encompassing feeling, in the way it caresses every inch of my cool skin and drives liquid fire to my very center.

“Okay…” he whispers, eyes fluttering as I pop the tips of my claws out and run them along the side of his neck where his jugular is.

I can feel his pulse, the quickened heartbeats, the desire still present in his system. I’ve just eaten, but an urge to bite him rises in me. Not to satiate hunger, but for pleasure, so I can mark him, so I can give him a part of my essence when my saliva comes in contact with his blood.

“I need you to pose as my partner at a ball so I can get my aunt off my back. She has been pestering me to marry, and I’d like to avoid dealing with such a headache for a while.”

Hayden’s eyes go wide, confusion swimming in them. “Your aunt wants you to marry? Like an arranged marriage?”

“More or less. She worries I am lonely and might decide it’s too much. There have been…” I consider whether and how much to tell him for a few moments, deeming it can’t hurt if he’s already been dragged into our world. Besides, the open curiosity and the buzzing anticipation that pours off him is too potent to resist.

“There have been…?” he prompts, swiping his tongue over his plump bottom lip in a deliberately seductive manner.

“There has been an increase in the cases of suicide by garlic—”

He snorts, a huge grin chasing away any remaining fear. “What?” he mumbles between peals of rumbly laughter. “Did you just say suicide by garlic ? Not by sunlight or fire or… Shit . You were here during the day. Are you okay?” He plasters his palm on my forehead, dark brows knitting together.

I clasp his hand and bring it to my lips, kissing his knuckles. A delightful shudder slides through him, his eyes taking on that edge they had right after our kiss.

“Contrary to popular belief, sunlight doesn’t harm us. Neither does fire. They can be uncomfortable to some, but they aren’t deadly. Garlic in certain amounts can be lethal.”

“Ooh.” He blinks. “Oooooh. So, if your bloodsucky friends try something, I just need to make sure I have me some garlic on me? Does it work if it’s, like, garlic bread? Or that chips flavor they have in the café on campus. That shit is sick .” He snorts.

I roll my eyes, something I haven’t done in years. Perhaps I didn’t need to bring up the garlic pandemic. “Hayden.”

He keeps laughing, barraging me with questions about food containing garlic despite the warning in my tone.

“Enough.”

I grab him by the wrists and push him down on the bench, hovering above him as I let my fangs protrude. Snarling so he can see them, I pin him with a hard gaze. He struggles, trying to get free, but soon enough realizes that it’s pointless since I am stronger than him. That seems to knock some sense back into his pretty head, erasing the goofy expression as some weariness creeps into his chiseled features.

“Sorry. I think it’s the whole vampire reveal. I’m still processing.”

I lessen the hold, but don’t let go, keeping him restrained to the bench. “As I said, I need a partner for that ball. If you agree, I will place you under my protection, so no vampires come knocking on your door in the middle of the night.” I slide my free hand down his stomach, reveling in the feel of his sculpted abdominals. “I will make it worth your while as well.”

He licks his lips, eyes rolling back a bit as I trace the outline of his erection. “Right, so… You want us to fake date? So your aunt leaves you alone?”

“Correct. With you showing up at the den tonight, it shouldn’t take much to convince her.” In fact, it plays in my favor. “Our arrangement will last until the ball is over. We’ll return to our own lives then. My temporary teaching position will have finished, and we’d have no reason to run into each other. If you prefer, we can altogether forget anything even happened.”

A sliver of a smile flirts with the corner of his full lips as he nods. “Oh, you are one step ahead already. That’s why you acted like a possessive neanderthal on me and said I was yours. Smart.” His eyes shimmer with mirth. “Not gonna lie, vampy, it was kind of hot, too.”

“Hayden.” I channel authority through my voice, making him flinch. “If you agree, I will also compensate you for the time and effort.”

He goes thoughtful, reeling in the playfulness he’s exuding. “Yeah, okay, sure. I’ll fake date you so your aunt doesn’t force you into marriage. But, uh, I have one condition?” He bats eyelashes innocently at me, going for the most inviting expression he can pull. “If that is okay.”

I suppose that depends on what he asks for. I have no idea what it might be, he’s proven to be a little unpredictable, but I am willing to humor him. “What do you want?”

“I’m in a bit of a teeny tiny pickle at the moment.” He tilts his chin toward the suitcases we dragged outside with us. “I’ve got nowhere to live. It’s why I was in the library and got lost, actually. Some goons showed up at my place and forcefully evicted me. So… If you let me live in your mansion until I’ve found a new place, I’ll fake date you. If you think about it, it’s probably for the best, because we can totally practice! You know, so we look like we are real dating and not fake dating. It’s a win-win, really.”

I don’t smirk. My face is too elegant for anything other than tastefully flirtatious smiles. But I can’t help it, his ridiculous ‘arguments’ too adorable to resist.

“I agree,” I say and lean down, attacking his neck with nipping and wet kisses. “But while you live in my house, I am allowed to do anything I want to you.”

He swallows, his heart banging against his ribcage. “So, we real bang and not fake bang?” he asks, his voice hoarse and lust-laden.

“Yes, we real bang. Every night. And we won’t need condoms. Vampires don’t get sick, plus I saw your medical results from the health-check this week.” I slide my hand between his legs, brushing his balls before I rub along his hole. “You will take my cock and let me fill you up like the good boy you can be.”

He bites off a sexy little groan, mumbling nonsense under his breath and squeezing his thighs. “And if I’m not a good boy? Vampire Daddy will punish me?”

I perch an eyebrow at the obvious answer, letting the silly nickname slide.

“Fuuuuck, okay. There goes my no repeats rule. Shit, why do you have to be so… Ugh!” He looks past me at the night sky, smiling as he shakes his head. “ I’m so gonna regret this . Fine. Let’s do this.”

I hum in approval. Triumph lights up my nerve endings, making my entire body vibrate. He’s agreed to be mine, if temporarily, and I can’t wait to show him how good that feels. How much more intense than the sex we had last night.

“Leander,” he says in a gravelly voice that makes my body sing. My eyes shoot up to his face, locking on those tri-colored depths of his. “As much as I am enjoying our bench fondling, I think you need to get your fancy car and take me to your fancy mansion so I can choose my fancy room. I have practice in the morning, and I need decent sleep.”

I place a kiss on his left collarbone and straighten up, letting him do the same and gather his things while I call Montgomery.

If Hayden thinks I’ll let him sleep tonight, he couldn’t be more wrong.