“Um, yes.” Killien shrugs. He’s annoyed, I can tell—I know him well enough.
“Motherfucker . . .” Jacob hurries back to his seat while we both stare at him in utter confusion. “I don’t understand—why would he do that?”
“Is it wrong?” Now I’m getting worried.
“Well, yeah, kind of.” Jacob gestures for both of us to get closer to him. “Drinking human blood will keep you alive for sure, but it won’t make you stronger. We’re supposed to feed off each other. It strengthens our bonds and our bodies.”
“What?!” Killien laughs. He’s on the verge of snapping again. I know that look in his eyes all too well. I can almost see the beast within him about to break free from its chains.
“I—I thought he would explain something so important . . .” Jacob’s expression is nothing but perplexed. His chair squeaks as he leans back and scratches his head.
“How does that work?” I ask. “Why should we be feeding off other vampires instead of just humans?”
“Vampire blood is far more powerful.” Jacob’s eyes jump between me and Killien. “We can transfer abilities to each other, and sometimes our thoughts and feelings too. You won’t get any stronger by drinking only human blood—you’ll just survive. Barely.”
“Are you telling us that the motherfucker made us weak on purpose?” Killien’s voice turns into a low growl.
“I don’t know—” Jacob’s dark eyes close as he massages his temple. “I thought you two were drinking from Ledger until he left. It’s the way it usually goes.”
Maybe we could drink from each other, Killien and I . . .
Oh . . . Oh, fuck yes. I’m in.
“He only gave us his blood the day he turned us.” My brother’s voice seems a bit more controlled. He’s fighting to keep his cool, but his eyes are raging. I wouldn’t be surprised if they lit up at any second now.
“Son of a bitch . . .” Jacob sighs.
There’s a long silence. Kinda uncomfortable. I keep my best poker face, but inside I’m grinning like the brat I am. If Jacob is right, I should be feeding from Killien, and he should be feeding from me. And what happens when we feed? We get really horny.Shit. I’m salivating just thinking about it. I bet Killien tastes like absolute heaven.
“Okay, I’ll feed you,” Jacob says. He sounds determined, but the look in his eyes is troubled. Maybe he doesn’t want to do it? I wanna feed from him too, of course. Wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.
“No, thanks.” Killien collapses on one of the black wooden chairs next to the front door of the shop, as far away from us as possible.
“It doesn’t have to be weird, Killien.” Jacob leans forward and focuses on my brother. “But it is my responsibility, now that Ledger is gone. You both need to get stronger if you want to survive long-term. I don’t want you to struggle.”
“Are you just saying that to get a taste of Damien?” Killien smiles at Jacob, but it’s an absolutely deranged smile. Murderous, even. So damn beautiful. It makes my dick get a bit harder. Although I don’t want them to fight.
“No!” Jacob jumps off his chair, which rolls back and clashes against the side of the counter with a loud bang. “I won’t be feeding, but both of you need to drink vampire blood. Especially if it’s someone older and stronger that can pass on some of their power. It’s usually a maker’s job to ensure that it happens.”
“I’m not buying it.” Killien glowers at Jacob. “Why do you ask that now, huh? Why not before? We’ve been on our own for an entire month!”
Jacob takes the seat right beside Killien, keeping his eyes trained on my brother. “Because the way you snapped today reminded me of what I was like when I stopped drinking vampire blood.”
I’m interested in what he has to say, but I also fear for his life. The way Killien is looking at him is absolutely terrifying, like he could jump on him at any second. There’s a short, uncomfortable silence before Jacob speaks again.
“I was forced off it only a few months after being turned, given only the option to feed from humans for a while. My mind weakened, my body too. I couldn’t think clearly and I was always on edge.”
Killien keeps glaring at Jacob, but he sighs as if he’s considering his words. I have nothing to say, really. I’m kinda shocked that we didn’t know this stuff. Had I been told, I would have latched on to Killien’s throat right away. Ledger should have fed us, and also taught us to feed from each other instead of humans.
“I don’t know if we can really trust you.” Killien’s words are soft. And honest.
“Take some time to think about it.” Jacob nods. “It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable, Killien. But, even if you choose not to feed from me, please consider doing so from other vampires. It’s important.”
“Fine, we’ll think about it.” Killien looks at me and bobs his head towards the door. “Let’s go.”
I like getting clear orders from him, so I oblige. Part of me gets really turned on when he bosses me around. I’ll be a good boy, because I want to sink my fangs into him. I had fantasized about it before, even if I hadn’t known we were supposed to be drinking from other vamps. But now it’s more than just a fantasy.
IneedKillien’s blood. And Iwillhave it.
