Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Elena swallowed her nervousness and concentrated on him. She knew a bite from him wouldn’t kill her, it would only prick a little at first… she was completely safe, and as long as she reminded herself of this, she was able to keep her fright at bay. Her jittery fingers moved her hair over her shoulder and pulled at the seam of her shirt, slipping it over her shoulder. She revealed the column of her neck, her throbbing jugular, and the enticing shape of her chest. Her skin looked soft.

“Here,” she said, pointing at her neck, the same area as last time.

He wrapped his arm around her back, drawing her in so that their upper bodies were connected. She liked the sudden proximity to him and held his gaze, finding his ruby eyes irresistibly beautiful once they reflected the silver moonlight. Framed by dark lashes, they took her breath away. The cool metal of his lip ring dragged over her neck as he kissed her sloppily, sucking on her skin without biting her. Her sweet fragrance invaded his senses. He couldn’t get enough. She flushed when a moan slipped past her lips. His touch felt so good—and she didn’t want it to stop despite knowing what would follow. He had her under his spell.

The pain came suddenly. Two sharp fangs buried themselves in her neck, drawing warm blood. She stiffened and gasped. Ryder secured his hold on her, supporting her head with one hand. His other hand drew calming circles on her back, reminding her to relax her body. When the initial pain faded and was replaced with numbness, Elena leaned into him.

Their shared embrace was intimate and left no room between their bodies. She clutched the back of his shirt, needing something to hold on to. She had to ground herself somehow since the absence of pain made her notice certain other things. For example, the intense touch of his lips as he continued to suck at her neck. Occasionally, she felt his tongue flicking over it too, lapping up her blood.

Why did she feel so hot? He set her ablaze, and she burned with a strong desire. Low moans left him as he drank—and she wondered just how good her blood tasted. His tongue flicked over her neck again and again as he drank. She grew dizzy from the blood loss, and had it not been for his embrace, maybe she would have fallen, but he steadied her. Sensing that she reached her limit, he carefully removed his teeth from her neck. Featherlight kisses were planted on the bite mark. He made sure to leave no traces of her blood behind, creating a wet trail when he licked the red fluid off her skin.

She leaned into his chest, closing her eyes and listening to his breathing. The numbing sensation from the bite mark had spread through her entire body, preventing her from moving and making her dazed.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, shifting his embrace to support her weakened body more securely.

“Yes, just tired,” she whispered.

His hand touched the back of her head, caressing it comfortingly. “I see. Then let’s get you to bed,” he murmured. “I will take care of you, buttercup.”

He carried her in his arms, leaving the balcony and moving through her room towards the door. She didn’t ask where he was going since she already knew—he wouldn’t let her sleep alone after he had taken her blood. When he reached his own room, he set her down on the dark blue cover of his bed and arranged the pillows for her.

He left in a flash, and when he returned, not even five seconds later, he handed her a glass of water. “Drink this before you sleep.”

She took it, and while she emptied the glass, he closed the curtains on the windows, shutting out the moonlight so she would rest without distractions. Once he returned to her, she had already lain down, her head sinking into the pillow. Elena was exhausted; her limbs were heavy. This sensation scared her since it was unfamiliar and made her vulnerable.

Sensing her distress, he sat on the bed and reached for her hand, holding it gently. She gazed at him, but only saw blurred contours. “Stay calm, Elena. You have nothing to worry about,” he spoke in such a silken and understanding tone, she decided to believe him and closed her eyes.

He squeezed her hand in reassurance before he brushed her hair away from her neck. Tipping her chin with his fingers, he took a glance at the purple bite mark. Throughout all this, she barely reacted, slowly drifting off to sleep. Her breaths were even, and he was relieved that her heartbeats had returned to a normal pace.

His hand wandered to her jugular, the tips of his fingers ghosting over it. Even after drinking her blood, there was a part of him that craved more. Red flashed through his eyes. He knew that this was her limit. No matter how delicious her blood tasted, he couldn’t take what he desired. He might lose her if he did. After all, she was a fragile being, and her blood was her lifeline. Her health needed to be preserved.

In the 250 years of his life, he had always lived with other vampires. After meeting his soulmate, he regretted not spending more time with witches and humans since he hardly knew anything about their habits and lives. He had looked at them from an outsider’s perspective. When he had been a young vampire, he had even killed some of them by accident while drinking their blood. He had been too impetuous and careless at the time. It had taken him decades to gain better control of his thirst and his superhuman strength.

Since his soulmate was not a vampire, he was grateful for his experience. He no longer made the same mistakes as in his past, thankfully. Her body was as breakable as that of a human. With bones that shattered like porcelain at the slightest strain and skin that ripped like paper, she was the complete opposite of a vampire, and he always had to keep this in mind when he touched her.

His fingers moved higher, cupping her cheek. Her complexion was not as rosy as usual, looking ashen. Ryder decided he would stay at her side for the remainder of the night, watching over her as she slept. She was so calm, trusting him more readily than ever before. Falling asleep in his presence seemed easy despite his dangerous nature.

“Thank you for accepting me for what I am,” he muttered and adjusted the royal blue cover, assuring that she was comfortable and warm. “I appreciate it.”

For her, he would fight the bloodthirsty vampire within him. He would never give in, no matter how enticing her blood tasted.