Blood of the Past
nine

The water went down easy now, as my throat wasn’t dry anymore. Food was a different story.

I opened my eyes, mesmerized by the blue eyes in front of me. I would have assumed I was safe in my bed, had I not known any better. “Your cheeks are hollow,” he said.

I sat up and grabbed the plate from him, taking my time to savor the breakfast. Sausage and bacon. It was so juicy and wonderful. “I meant to ask you, Marcos.” I swallowed my bacon. “Why do you think you destroy everything you touch?”

He shrugged. “My sister is dead, isn’t she?”

“Because of vampires, not you.”

“I’m a vampire now.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“What?”

“I refuse to believe you destroy everything you touch.”

He shook his head. “Look at you.”

“You didn’t do this to me, Marcos. They did. You don’t have to be like them.”

“But I am them.”

I put my empty plate down, scooting closer to him. “Kiss me.”

Marcos whipped around to look at me. “What? Brianne, are you crazy? I’m a vampire. You’re a...werewolf.”

With my legs folded underneath me, I scooted closer. “Kiss me, Marcos.”

But Marcos hesitated. He was unsure. I grabbed the back of his head and kissed him like I had never kissed anyone else. Part of me felt guilty, like I was supposed to be alone forever to make Noah happy. However, this kiss wasn’t like kissing Noah. With Noah, it had become an addiction, a craving for more. With Marcos, it was as if he had been the other half I needed. He filled a part of me that had never been touched.

Marcos kissed back, slow at first before it grew into something more. My wolf stirred, not sure how to react to this. She wanted to admit it was wrong to kiss him, but something felt so right.

I moved closer, throwing one of my legs on the other side of his lap. Marcos pulled away to give me some time to catch my breath. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” But I didn’t care about what he had to say. He was afraid, but he was too scared to admit it.

I gripped the hem of my shirt with two hands, pulling it over my head. Marcos eyes flickered down my chest, before coming back to my face. I leaned in until our lips were centimeters apart. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.”

His finger trailed up my stomach, afraid to get too close. It was frustrating for me.

“I don’t know if you’re in your right state of mind,” he whispered.

It warmed my heart to hear those words. How could a vampire admit he didn’t want to take advantage of me while in the same breath say he hurt everything he touched?

“I have spent so much time thinking about Noah, afraid that I could never replace that again. I didn’t want to move on or make him feel lesser.” I closed my eyes. “I don’t feel like I have the right to be happy with anyone else.”

Marcos reached behind my head, tangling his fingers in my hair. “You deserve the world,” he said before kissing me.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head, throwing it on the floor. His other hand reached behind my back and pressed me against his chest. The cold touch had been sudden yet amazing all at once, causing me to gasp from the overwhelming feeling all over my chest.

He untangled his fingers and held my chin. “Is this what you want?”

I leaned my forehead against his, nodding. “Is this what you want?”

As if to say yes, he kissed me again, trailing kissed down my jaw and neck. A certain fire ignited within my soul, and my wolf told me to stop. Maybe I should have listened, but I couldn’t be bothered now. I was in too deep.

While I undid his belt, I moaned right into his ear. “Bite me.”

“That’s too much. I could never do that to you.”

“I’m asking you to.” I got his belt off, unzipping his jeans.

His tongue slid over my neck while he searched for a spot. His fangs poked my skin, breaking the barrier and piercing my flesh. The pain was minimal compared to everything I’d endured here.

For Marcos it was the first time in a long time that he’d been able to experience ecstasy. It was wonderful for him, and even more wonderful for me. It didn’t matter to me that he’d been a vampire. The alpha would probably disown me, or banish me from the pack if he knew what we were doing.

We had pushed his jeans and briefs down far enough. Inside me, my wolf was going crazy. She didn’t think anyone could replace Noah, but that wasn’t what I was here to do.

Marcos lifted his head, blood dripping from his lips. “Are we sure this is a good idea?”

I wiped the blood using my thumb. “You’ve shown me that vampires are more than the outside. There’s a man inside, and I was just too blind to see it. I grew up in this world thinking you were the enemy and yet you’ve tried to keep me alive long enough for us to escape. You’ve kept me better company while I’ve been here than my own pack after Noah died.”

He smiled a little, nodding. “I don’t believe anyone deserves to be alone forever.”

I searched the empty room. “Do you have a condom?”

He chuckled. “A condom? You’re asking a vampire for a condom?”

I stopped to look at him as my cheeks flushed. “Sorry, I forgot. I was used to making sure we had condoms with Noah.”

Marcos put a hand against my stomach. “I think we’re past the condom stage anyway.”

A laugh escaped my lips as I nodded. “That’s true.” I stared at his lips just before he kissed me. The rest of the night, Marcos and I connected in a way that no vampire or werewolf would dare go. I had never confirmed my belief in second chances, but when I was with Marcos, I knew without a doubt that he was my second chance.