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A silence passes. Elias tilts his head. “You blacked out?”
“Yes.”
“And when you woke up, everything already happened?”
“Yes. Blood, everywhere, like I said.”
Elias purses his lips in thought, squinting. Then his thumb moves again, stroking Kyle’s cheek. “You’re not a monster.”
Kyle’s face wrinkles up, confused by Elias’s response. “Did you not hear anything I said? I murdered my family, Elias.”
“You blacked out. That’s what I heard. You blacked out and can’t say what you actually did.”
Kyle can’t believe his ears. “Seriously, Elias …? Even now, you’re denying it, what’s in front of you. You are just turning a blind eye to what I’ve done, to what I am.”
“What if Tristan was the one who murdered your family?”
Kyle pulls Elias’s hands off his face at once and steps back. “It was me, Elias! Open your eyes and see what I am! See what I’m capable of! I’m not drinking another drop of your blood. It fucking ends today, right now.”
“I think you’re a victim of him, too.”
“How are you so convinced that Tristan is the mastermind here??” Rage bubbles up inside of Kyle. “I just told you my … my darkest secret, a secret I haven’t told anyone, ever, and—”
“I know. It must’ve taken a lot of courage, and that’s really fucking great, Kyle, I’m proud of you for that. But let’s be even more brave.” Elias brings his hands to Kyle’s shoulders, his eyes focused. “Think about the dozens of nights you drank from me. All of that blood, and you didn’t black out once. All of that blood, and you haven’t lost control. Think about it.”
“It has to stop!” shouts Kyle.
“And then what? If you stop drinking, you’ll end up in the desert once more waiting for the sun to rise. No … I won’t let that happen again, Kyle Bentley Amos.” His eyes burn. “Didn’t I say people need protecting from themselves, too? This is me protecting you, in the best way I know. This is me tying up your hands and ankles again for your own good.”
Kyle feels Elias right then.
A connection to his heart, his passions, his feelings.
There is a familiar, electrical heat that surges up from a place deep down, like a dark fire swelling with insatiable need, feverish and beautiful.
Kyle’s eyes narrow. “This is just you wanting to get off.”
Elias makes a face. “Huh?”
“You’re addicted to being bitten, maybe even more than I am addicted to your taste.”
“The fuck?”
“And now I’m cutting off your supply and you’re mad.”
“That’s not what’s going on,” says Elias. “I’m trying to save you.”
“You sure about that?” Kyle takes hold of Elias’s hand right then and brings it up to his mouth, bares his teeth.
Elias watches, lips parted.
Kyle hears Elias’s heart pick up into a gallop.
He hears it just like Tristan could.
Elias’s pulse, as clear as music.
“Tell me how badly you want this,” says Kyle, teeth held over Elias’s palm, barely scraping the skin, teasing him. “Tell me you’re not throbbing in your pants right now, Elias. Hard as stone. Desperate for my teeth to sink in, to make you bleed.”
“This is cruel,” whispers Elias.
“It’s honest. Isn’t this what you’re wanting more of? Want us to be really honest with each other?” Kyle presses his teeth upon Elias’s palm, not yet biting. “Want to see how much of a monster I can really be? Say it. Tell me to bite.” He speaks with his teeth against Elias’s skin, the meat of his palm tempting.
Elias is out of breath, but even still, he tries to maintain his composure, pretending to be calm, forcing his face to comply.
Then he gives in. “Fine, Kyle. It turns me on. You win.”
Kyle drops his hand. “I don’t want to win, Elias. I’m trying to make a point.”
“So am I.”
“That I’m nothing without blood?”
“You’ll never hurt me, Kyle.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know anything. The next time I lose control, it won’t matter what you believe, because you’ll be dead.”
The tension between them feels so tight, Kyle can hardly stand it. As the men stare off, it becomes increasingly clear to Kyle that neither of them is willing to relent. He can feel the unbending steel of Elias’s emotion, resisting, determined.
Then Elias sighs. “I should go for a walk.”
Kyle lifts an eyebrow. “What?”
“You have a lot on your mind. The video. And whether you never want to drink my blood or not, whether you want to hide in this town and fade into unremarkable dullness and ignore the amazing person you are, no matter, the truth is in a video now, and it’s bothering you. I should be more understanding. Here I went again, being my intense, pushy self. I wish you’d believe that I wasn’t here just for your teeth.” Elias turns away, gives a nod at the couch. “Sun’s up. You need rest, you’ve had a rough night. I’ll go for a walk. I could use a little sun, no offense.”
