Page 13 of Blood Moon Bound

“You fed in front of me the first night I brought you here. Drink.”

Her blush deepened, and her lids fluttered as she nodded jerkily and reached for her glass, taking a sip of my blood.

My cock stiffened at the sight, and I almost groaned when a drop slid over her full lower lip and she licked it up. “Is your new room adequate?”

Her hands trembled. “Yes, thank you.”

Get the fuck up and walk out.

But I couldn’t do it. Being the monster I was, I enjoyed the sound of her racing heart, the quickening of her breath, her nervousness, her shy responses far too much. I willed her to fucking look at me. She did not. If I were a male like her stepfather, I could use this girl to destroy him. I could debauch and break her, like he had Samara—and I’ll admit, I had contemplated it, briefly. My fingers curled into a fist. But I was nothing like that sadistic fuck, and no matter whose roof Delphine had lived under most of her life, I would never sink that low.

“How have you been sleeping?” I cut off a piece of steak and slid it between my teeth, chewing it slowly, watching my bride as she tried to gather her courage to look at me in return. “As good as you did the first night?”

“Um…yes.”

“You’re lying again.” I shouldn’t toy with her, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

She gripped her cutlery tighter and swallowed hard. “Sorry, no…not as good as the first night,” she quickly amended.

Look at me. I almost snarled the words out loud. “I’m not surprised, after the way you came for me that night, little one, you passed out.” Her gaze flew to mine then, eyes wide, confusion clear in their depths, finally giving me what I wanted, what I’d goaded her into. Christ, so innocent. That look was a punch to the gut. “The pleasure you felt, Delphine, when you drank from me, when you rubbed your virgin pussy against me until you orgasmed…twice.”

She froze completely. “I…I’ve never. I’m sorry if I… I don’t know what happened to me…” She jammed her lips together.

Seeing that look on her face—I found I didn’t enjoy tormenting and goading her quite so much. She didn’t even know how her own body worked. Her mother should have at least shared with her what would happen, what to expect. “You don’t need to apologize,” I said, the uncharacteristic urge to reassure, surprising us both.

Her hands were still trembling, and she lowered her knife and fork and dropped her hands to her lap, hiding them from me, and finally found her courage. She looked up at me again, though still not meeting my eyes, not for long anyway.

Her cheeks were pink again, and her gaze slid to my throat and back up. “No, my behavior that night was unforgivably unladylike. I…I don’t know what came over me. I understand why you’ve chosen not to feed me that way again.” She licked her lips nervously. “I know I’ve disappointed you, but please, don’t send me back. I’ll stay out of your way, and if you’d prefer I feed from another completely, I understand. I’m sure I could find someone else to…to help me if need be.”

Her words shocked the fuck out of me. I searched for what to say, and the longer I said nothing, the more she shrunk in on herself. I didn’t like it. No, I fucking hated it. Delphine wasn’t just an extension of her twisted stepfather. I’d realized it that first night, much to my fucking dismay. And the fear I saw in her eyes now, at the prospect of going back to him, made me wonder if perhaps his sadistic nature had gone beyond his dungeon and into his home. “You haven’t disappointed me.” My voice sounded harsher than I’d intended, but I had no idea how to ease a female’s fears. Samara had very rarely shown emotion, especially fear. “What happened the first night, your response to what you felt, was normal, and I don’t give a fuck about ladylike behavior.”

She blinked up at me, eyes wide. “Oh.”

“I haven’t fed you from my vein again, Delphine, because I assumed you’d need time to get used to me,” I lied. Why the fuck did I care about this female’s feelings? I had no idea, but apparently, I did, and to the detriment of my own sanity, if my next words were anything to go by. “The next time you feed, you will come to me.” The possessive snarl to my voice caught us both off guard. “And you sure as fuck will not drink from anyone else.”

She licked her lips nervously. “Yes, Constantine.”

Her voice was soft and sweet and lifted tingles all over me. My cock was unbearably hard now, and the urge to throw her over the table and fuck her, to claim my little virgin bride, was almost overwhelming.

I stood, and she jumped in surprise. I bit back another snarl at her reaction. “I have things to do,” I said and walked out of the room.

And I ignored the monster roaring in my head to go back, to pick her up, and take her with me.

Five

DELPHINE

“Do you think I could cut some roses for my room?” I asked John.

John was the groundskeeper. He was friendly, and we’d been chatting for a while. It was so nice to have an easy conversation with someone.

“Of course, mistress.” He handed me a small pair of shears.

The roses were stunning, their colors vibrant, their perfume sweet and heady. I wanted to bring some of that color inside to brighten Constantine’s dark, moody décor.

I’d spent most of the day exploring the house and the grounds. When Alice brought my breakfast this morning, she’d suggested it, since it was my home now, so I had. The place was huge, and the gardens absolutely stunning.

Thankfully, it was overcast today, so I was able to venture outside and check out the gardens. Despite what humans thought, vampires could walk in the sun, but the younger we were, the more sensitive we were to it. I’d seen the rose gardens from my bedroom window, and I’d been desperate to take a closer look. Roses were my absolute favorite flowers. We’d had several beds at home, but they were nowhere near as stunning as the ones here.