Page 74 of No One’s Daughter

Then his focus shifted, gaze flicking to the street beyond us. “Watch.”

A man staggered past us, alone, keys fumbling in his hand, attention fixed anywhere but where he was going.

Davien stepped out just enough to be seen.

“Oi,” he called, voice calm, totally unthreatening.

The man turned and that was it, all it took. Davien looked at him and commanded him quietly.

The man obeyed without hesitation, no confusion, just compliance.

I couldn’t look away, my stomach twisting.

“That’s compulsion,” Davien said under his breath, guiding the man a few steps closer into the deeper shadows. “Don’t overdo it. Just keep it simple.”

“This feels… wrong.” I muttered.

“It is,” he said bluntly.

He stepped back slightly, nodding toward the man.

“Your turn.”

My chest tightened. Now that I was here, I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t know this man but he seemed nice, normal.

“I don’t—”

“You do,” he said. “You’re hungry. I know you are.”

I swallowed. He was right.

“Just… don’t kill him,” he added, quieter now.

I stepped forward slowly, the man’s eyes finding mine instantly, already pliant. This was different from when I’d fed before—that had been… they had been… different.

“Stay still,” I said, voice soft but steadier than I expected.

He did, and I only hesitated for a fraction of a second before I leaned in. After that instinct took over. My fangs descended and sank into his neck.

Warmth flooded my senses, rich and overwhelming, and my body responded before my mind could catch up.

The man swayed slightly and I pulled back, my breath a little uneven as I forced myself to stop.

I swiped my thumb across my lips, wiping off any spilled blood as Davien stepped in beside me, his presence weirdly warm.

“You have more control than I would have thought,” he said, with what could only be described as a hint of pride in his voice, mixed with surprise.

“Don’t tell me I’ve impressed you,” I said, raising a brow.

He reached out, thumb pressing lightly against my lower lip, catching a stray drop of blood I’d missed. The contact was brief but lingered in places I didn’t want to admit.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he smirked. He pressed his thumb to his tongue, then to the marks on the man’s neck. “The trick is to heal all evidence. Our saliva will do that.”

The man blinked, disoriented.

Interesting. “So does that mean we could heal humans in other ways too, say with our blood?”

“Yes,” he said, eyeing me with that look again. “Although blood comes with its own set of problems. If their body rejects the blood and they die anyway, they could end up turning if they’re strong enough, or, they could form a link with you. It’s best avoided to be honest.”