One: Just a Bite

I stretched, glancing up at the clock on the other side of my office. 8.45pm.

I was starving, but the club would be opening soon. I’d had to skip lunch because I got caught up on a call, which meant my usual Thursday donor had to go back to work.

Fortunately, Thursday was the night of discounted shots. Within half an hour of opening, the club would be heaving. I could just head downstairs, make myself comfy in my usual spot at the bar, and soak it all up. I’d be back to feeling like me in no time.

A knock on my office door jerked me out of my thoughts. “Come in,” I called out.

My head of security, Luke. He’d worked for me for a long time, the longest of anyone. “Ma’am,” he nodded.

I hated it when he called me that. It made me feel old.

The fact I was going to be 298 this year was beyond the point.

“How are we looking for tonight?” I asked, glancing up at him.

“Already a queue down the road, ma’am.”

I nodded. “Good. That’s good…” my thoughts trailed off. I’d left it far too long in between meals. I might not need blood as often as many others, but I still needed it to keep my strength up.

“Ma’am. You haven’t fed today, have you?”

I shook my head. I should have known that he’d know. My eyes started turning red when I skipped meals. Once upon a time, I’d have had to hunt. Fortunately, my mother was a succubus and my dad a werewolf. I had options.

“As always, I’m here if you need me, ma’am.”

I gave him a small smile. “I’m sure it won’t come to that, Luke. But thank you.”

I stretched again. I said it won’t come to that, but jeez, I was getting uncomfortable. Skipping meals was always a terrible idea. I wouldn’t admit it to Luke, but it wasn’t one day. I hadn’t fed the day before either.

If I didn’t feed the vampire side, the wolf side started to act out. Then it all just goes to shit from there. My control was good, but even I had my limits.

She growled, pushing towards the surface, threatening a shift.

“Ma’am, your eyes,” he whispered, head bowed.

Luke was a member of the local pack I was enforcer for. If the wolf reared her head, my eyes turned a red so deep it was almost black, and instinct had him submit.

My eyes always were the first change.

I rubbed my temples, willing her to calm down. Soon, I whispered. Soon. She growled, I could feel her pacing impatiently. She was bored and hungry, a bad combination for any wolf. “I think I’m going to have to go for a run tonight, Luke. She’s feeling cooped up.”

“I’ll come with you, ma’am,” he whispered, head still bowed.

“You can look up, Luke. She’s calm for now.”

He glanced up, nervous. “You need to feed.”

“I know. Let’s head downstairs and make sure everything is ready to open, I can’t guarantee the wolf will stay calm if we wait too long.”

“Ma’am, you need to feed now. I can feel your wolf, I can feel her calling for my submission. She wants to hunt.”

“Luke, I…”

He rolled his sleeve up, offering me his wrist. I could see the vein pulsing, I could hear his heart speed up in anticipation. My breathing slowed, body tensing. I needed this so badly.

“It will hurt, Luke, I can’t stop it hurting.”

“I know,” came his response. “Let me have a whiskey after and I’ll be fine.” He smirked. At least his confidence was still there.

I stepped towards him, my gaze firmly on where I could see that vein in his wrist. I could hear it, it was all I could hear. My wolf had finally stopped pacing in stroppy circles, and was instead staring intently forwards, growling.

I felt his flinch when my teeth sank into his wrist, his breathing quicken and his body tense.

My wolf liked it. I liked it.

We liked him being under our control, at our mercy.

I pulled back away from him, my breathing deep. Something was different tonight. My wolf was too interested in this, and I didn’t know why.

“That was different tonight.” His voice was shaking as he spoke. “I know that was only the second time… but that only hurt for a few seconds, then…” he paused, eyes closing. “Then I didn’t want you to stop.”

“I know you’re a succubus, but it wasn’t like that last time,” he whispered. “I want you to do it again,” he looked back up at me, desire in his eyes. “I need you.”

Fuck.

“I’m sorry, Luke,” I whispered. “It shouldn’t be like that. Not with you. I don’t know how it happened.”

He stepped towards me. “I don’t care,” he whispered. “I need you.”

My wolf was pawing the ground, she wanted this. She really wanted this. I backed away from him until my back hit the wall, I couldn’t do this. Not with Luke. He was one of my closest friends and he’d been my head of security for 150 years. He’d saved my life more times than I could count, and I his.

I couldn’t jeopardise that over one bite and whatever this was.