AllFreeNovel
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“Yes?”
“You said you used to survive on blood.”
“Yes.”
“You said you liked mine more than anyone else’s.”
I think if his body could stiffen even more, it would. I actually sense his mood shift, because he knows where I’m going with this.
“Hannah, don’t.” He sounds even more growly than usual, and I’m not sure if it’s because he’s mad or because he can’t move his jaw.
“Why not?” I lift myself on an elbow to look down at him. “If all you can do right now is swallow, and we don’t have any water…”
“I can’t let you offer yourself to me like that. Not when you’re in a fragile state.”
“I’m not offering out of the goodness of my heart. I’m thinking of myself, too. I can’t be here for much longer. This heat is dangerous for me.”
I have a point, and he knows it, but he still has that conflicted glint in his eyes.
“Are you afraid you’ll drink too much?” I press.
“No. I know when to stop.”
“Are you worried about hurting me?”
“No. It’s not painful, remember?”
Yes. Yes, I do. In fact, I recall it being quite nice.
Confused by his refusal, I shake my head. “Then what’s the big deal?”
“Before, I didn’t have a choice. Drinking your blood was a requirement of the ritual. But this… now… It would be completely different for me to do it recreationally.”
“Different how?”
“There’s something you have to understand about the history behind blood sharing. Committed blood partners have one of the strongest bonds I’ve ever seen. In some cases, they become addicted to each other. This happened in the Lost Land with a few couples. The fact that they were same-sex pairings didn’t diminish the validity of their relationship. I’d liken their connection to that of fated mates—you rely on that person for survival. You trust them to be monogamous with you. You get to know them, love them. You’d kill for them if you have to. It can make some people aggressive. Possessive to the point of being feral.”
“Someone wanting to protect their partner is natural,” I comment. “That makes sense to me, and I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“Unfortunately, the lawmakers in Valora do.”
“They’re against homosexuality?”
“No, not that. Sexual preference has nothing to do with it. It’s the exchange of blood that they see as unnatural and dirty. Even the dark fae only used it as a last resort. In the Lost Land, it was necessary for sustenance, but here, there’s no reason for it because there’s ample food and water.”
I give an exaggerated glance around us, pointing out the lack of said food and water. “I’d beg to differ in this particular situation.”
“It’s a taboo practice,” he argues weakly. “Very much forbidden.”
Honestly, Ellister’s only making me want it more. Being told I can’t do something because it’s “taboo” is just too enticing. “How would anyone know if we do it just this once?”
“Punctures. Bruising,” he answers. “Those things don’t fade in a day. If we run into someone after we leave here, they could see.”
Disregarding his warning, I hold my wrist over his mouth. “Can you drink from me here? I’ll just make myself a nifty bracelet to cover the marks.”
“Once won’t be enough,” he warns emphatically. “The memory of tasting you already haunts me, Hannah. I-I crave you, and the more I have of you, the more I’ll want. Understand?”
“You crave me?” I ask, my heart beating faster at the compliment.
