Forbidden Hunger by R.L. Kenderson
Twenty-One
Ram withdrewfrom Siya’s body, admiring how wet his cock was from making her come. He set her gently on her feet and helped her put her pants and underwear back on.
When he stood, he lifted her chin. “You know you can’t come out here alone like that. What if something had happened to you? What if Monica were waiting for you?”
“But you were out here.”
“You didn’t know that. It’s not safe.”
She sighed. “I hate this.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Hate what exactly?”
“I hate being vulnerable. Helpless. I want to go back to being normal.”
“Sorry, honey, but you’re anything but normal.”
“That’s kind of rude.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s a compliment, not an insult.”
Just then, a set of headlights flashed across the house. Ram grabbed Siya’s hand and pulled her inside. He was pretty sure it was the shifters coming home, but he didn’t want to take any chances.
He watched from the window as several vehicles pulled up and parked. He’d been right. It was the sentinels.
The tension in his shoulders released, and he stepped back to see Siya staring at him.
“What?”
She blinked and shook her head. “Nothing. I just swore I could feel how worried you were.”
“Oh, it’s probably just my blood. It will pass.” He walked around her. “I’m hungry. What about you?” Now that he’d fed from Bianca, he needed food.
“What are you talking about?”
Ram walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Food? Sex always makes me hungry.”
Pressure caused the handle of the door to slip from his fingers, and it closed with Siya standing there.
Ram straightened. “What’s wrong?”
“What did you mean about it being your blood?”
Ram put his hand behind her neck and pulled her close. He pressed his lips to hers. “My blood is in you. You can sense my emotions if they’re high.”
“You’re saying that I really felt your worry?”
“Yes.”
He moved to kiss her again because talking about having his blood in her was making him hot. He liked that he had marked her in that way.
But Siya put her hand on his chest. “Does this mean that you can feel mine?”
“Yes.”
She stepped back. “And let me guess. You can feel the woman’s, too?”
He frowned. “What woman?”
She pointed toward the door. “The woman whose blood you were drinking right outside just a half hour ago.”
“Oh, Bianca? Yes, I suppose.” He shrugged. “We don’t hang out much though.”
Siya crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her biceps, as if to warm herself. The temp had dropped since the sun had gone down, and she had been out there without a coat.
“You okay?” He stepped forward to pull her into his arms, but she stepped back.
“Are you nuts? No, I am not okay. You’re telling me you can feel my emotions through my blood, and vice versa. But I’m not the only one. Bianca, the woman you turned me down for, gets to experience the same thing I do.”
The hurt coming off of Siya was palpable. His chest tightened from her pain.
“I feel like I just found out I’m in a love triangle.” She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Siya, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t reject you for anyone, and you are not in some love triangle. Bianca is—”
Her hand flew up. “Nope. Nope. I’m not going to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Never mind. It’s my problem.”
The sound of voices neared the front door.
“I’m going to bed,” Siya said and bolted for his room before anyone walked in.
* * *
Siya punched the pillow under her head and tried to get comfortable, but she was too upset. She had hoped setting up her makeshift bed—again—would release some of her resentment, but it didn’t.
She kept picturing that Bianca woman with Ram. The whole blood-exchange thing sounded romantic and intimate in theory. For a moment, she had let herself feel like she was special. But then it had occurred to her that she wasn’t the only one. And maybe if it hadn’t been the same woman as before, it wouldn’t have hurt so much.
The door to the bedroom opened, so she swiftly turned the other way so as not to see Ram’s face.
“Siya.” The door closed, and he walked into the room. “Why are you on the floor again? You know I want you in my bed.”
She wanted that, too, but it wouldn’t mean anything. It would just be sex. And Siya was not a casual-relationship kind of person. At least, not with Ram. Even though she didn’t know him that well, she knew she didn’t want that. She wanted more.
But she didn’t want him to know how she felt. She didn’t want him to know what she was thinking, which gave her something else to talk about at least.
“You know, I thought you drinking my blood was just a thing where you could tell if I was in danger and so you could find me if I was in trouble. That’s what you told me. But it seems as though you left something out. I feel like you violated my privacy.”
“I’m sorry. As a vampire, it’s something that’s always been natural to me. I took that for granted. I didn’t realize.”
She snorted.
“But I should have explained fully,” he quickly added. “I really am sorry.”
The weirdest emotions were taking place in her. She could tell he really meant it. She felt it, but at the same time, it wasn’t her feelings. It was the oddest thing. “I know you are. I can…tell.”
His sadness in hurting her turned to surprise.
“Isn’t there a way you can block your emotions from me?”
His surprise exploded into full-blown shock. “I am blocking from you,” he practically whispered.
“Are you sure? Because I know how much disbelief you’re feeling right now.”
“You didn’t even drink very much from me.” This time, she could hear the amazement in his voice.
“I don’t know what that means, but can you leave me to sleep?”
“You’re not even tired.”
“But I want to be alone.”
Ram sighed. “Okay, I can do that. But I want to talk again tomorrow.”
“Sure. Whatever.”