forced her to
look at him. "No, I will not lose you! Drink!"
Her
voice began to fade and faintly she answered, "Please. I can't live like
this."
Terek
bent over her and placed a kiss on her lips. The fear that he'd lost her
already pressed on his heart and even though he didn't understand why, he was
sure when she left him she'd take part of him with her.
He
whispered against her lips one last plea. "Do not take her from me. God,
leave her with one who can care for her. I beg of you. Do not take her."
"Why
do you want me to live when I don't?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Because
there is something special in you as there is in all creatures."
A
tiny sigh escaped from between her lips. "You made me this and left
me."
Cradling
her face in his hands, he said, "I'm sorry. Don't do this. Don't leave
me."
"I
can't be one of these women. I don't understand this."
Terek
kissed her tenderly. "Then don't be. Stay anyway."
Anguish
filled her voice. "I woke and I was so hungry. But I don't want food. I
hungered for you, but you were gone."
"Take
from me everything you hunger for. Take from the one who knows what you
need."
Pressing
his wrist to her mouth, he fed her soul with his blood. Timid, she stared up at
him in fear, but soon her hands held his arm to her lips and she eagerly took
what he offered.
Her
need for him—for his blood—touched his heart, and a closeness unlike anything
he'd experienced in ages came over him. Something about Ilona made him feel
like he hadn't felt in almost seven hundred years.
He
wanted to save her, to show her the wonders the world offered. If she would
allow him, he'd give her that world.
Ilona
opened her eyes, and Terek saw that his blood had begun to bring her back from
the empty abyss he'd feared and she'd begged for. A tiny smile formed on her
lips, making him happy.
"How
do you feel?"
"I'm
sorry. I'm not sure I'll ever be the vampire you hope for, but I don't want to
die, Terek. I was wrong."
"Do
you still feel the hunger or pain?"
Cautiously,
she inhaled and then exhaled. Smiling, she said, "My ribs feel much
better. How did you do that?"
Terek
smiled in return, happy to know his blood had begun to heal her. "I'm your
sire. My blood is what made you vampire, so my blood can heal you better than
any other in the world."
"And
the hunger? Is that the same?"
Bringing
his wrist to his mouth, he slid his tongue over the holes and closed them.
"For now, my blood is what you need to connect you to our world."
"So
someday I won't need your blood to do that?"
Terek
felt a tiny stab at his heart. "Do you wish to be free of me so
quickly?"
Shaking
her head, Ilona frowned. "No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I was
just curious."
"My
blood will always be what you crave most, but no, you won't always need it as
you do now."
Ilona
was silent, but he could tell she had something on her mind. Once again, he
attempted to read her thoughts but heard nothing.
To
find out, he'd have to do things the old-fashioned way. He'd have to ask.
"What's
wrong, Ilona?"
She
slid up and pressed her back against the pillows. He saw by her expression she
was concerned about something but didn't expect the question she asked next.
"Do
you love all these women?"
Ilona's
eyes grew wide as she waited for his answer.
"Yes.
In my own way, I love every one."
A
look of confusion replaced her look of concern. "Do you sleep with all of
them?"
"Yes,
I have."
Swinging
her legs past him, she stood from the bed and stared down at him with a look of
determination. "I have no desire to be part of a harem."
"You
will if I say you will." Harem? This was his house, not a harem, he
thought defensively.
"No,
I won't. I don't know what the rules of being a vampire are, but unless all
sires are like you, I'm guessing I don't have to be one of your
concubines."
Terek
stared at her in amazement. "Concubines?"
"I'm
thinking you've never met a woman like me, but that doesn't matter. I don't
know how long you've
look at him. "No, I will not lose you! Drink!"
Her
voice began to fade and faintly she answered, "Please. I can't live like
this."
Terek
bent over her and placed a kiss on her lips. The fear that he'd lost her
already pressed on his heart and even though he didn't understand why, he was
sure when she left him she'd take part of him with her.
He
whispered against her lips one last plea. "Do not take her from me. God,
leave her with one who can care for her. I beg of you. Do not take her."
"Why
do you want me to live when I don't?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Because
there is something special in you as there is in all creatures."
A
tiny sigh escaped from between her lips. "You made me this and left
me."
Cradling
her face in his hands, he said, "I'm sorry. Don't do this. Don't leave
me."
"I
can't be one of these women. I don't understand this."
Terek
kissed her tenderly. "Then don't be. Stay anyway."
Anguish
filled her voice. "I woke and I was so hungry. But I don't want food. I
hungered for you, but you were gone."
"Take
from me everything you hunger for. Take from the one who knows what you
need."
Pressing
his wrist to her mouth, he fed her soul with his blood. Timid, she stared up at
him in fear, but soon her hands held his arm to her lips and she eagerly took
what he offered.
Her
need for him—for his blood—touched his heart, and a closeness unlike anything
he'd experienced in ages came over him. Something about Ilona made him feel
like he hadn't felt in almost seven hundred years.
He
wanted to save her, to show her the wonders the world offered. If she would
allow him, he'd give her that world.
Ilona
opened her eyes, and Terek saw that his blood had begun to bring her back from
the empty abyss he'd feared and she'd begged for. A tiny smile formed on her
lips, making him happy.
"How
do you feel?"
"I'm
sorry. I'm not sure I'll ever be the vampire you hope for, but I don't want to
die, Terek. I was wrong."
"Do
you still feel the hunger or pain?"
Cautiously,
she inhaled and then exhaled. Smiling, she said, "My ribs feel much
better. How did you do that?"
Terek
smiled in return, happy to know his blood had begun to heal her. "I'm your
sire. My blood is what made you vampire, so my blood can heal you better than
any other in the world."
"And
the hunger? Is that the same?"
Bringing
his wrist to his mouth, he slid his tongue over the holes and closed them.
"For now, my blood is what you need to connect you to our world."
"So
someday I won't need your blood to do that?"
Terek
felt a tiny stab at his heart. "Do you wish to be free of me so
quickly?"
Shaking
her head, Ilona frowned. "No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I was
just curious."
"My
blood will always be what you crave most, but no, you won't always need it as
you do now."
Ilona
was silent, but he could tell she had something on her mind. Once again, he
attempted to read her thoughts but heard nothing.
To
find out, he'd have to do things the old-fashioned way. He'd have to ask.
"What's
wrong, Ilona?"
She
slid up and pressed her back against the pillows. He saw by her expression she
was concerned about something but didn't expect the question she asked next.
"Do
you love all these women?"
Ilona's
eyes grew wide as she waited for his answer.
"Yes.
In my own way, I love every one."
A
look of confusion replaced her look of concern. "Do you sleep with all of
them?"
"Yes,
I have."
Swinging
her legs past him, she stood from the bed and stared down at him with a look of
determination. "I have no desire to be part of a harem."
"You
will if I say you will." Harem? This was his house, not a harem, he
thought defensively.
"No,
I won't. I don't know what the rules of being a vampire are, but unless all
sires are like you, I'm guessing I don't have to be one of your
concubines."
Terek
stared at her in amazement. "Concubines?"
"I'm
thinking you've never met a woman like me, but that doesn't matter. I don't
know how long you've
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