blood." She was trying to envision one of her male friends, Clint maybe, nursing blood from somewhere on her body and couldn't. It was just too weird.
"Come with me," Slade said as he stepped from behind the bar.
"Where?"
"Some things are more easily shown than told."
"You're the second person who's told me that."
"Who was the first?"
"Angel."
"Ah. Makes sense." He was standing next to the bar waiting for her to follow. "Are you coming or not?" he asked.
"I don't think so." Did he really believe she was going to just traipse off with him to some undisclosed location?
"Give me a break, Kate. You're the one with all the friggin' questions. If you want me to be your vampirepedia , you're gonna have to trust me a little."
There was something about the challenge in his tone making her tail puff up. "Sure. Fine." Kate rose roughly and moved to stand beside him. When he just stood there staring at her with the dumb grin of his, she said, "Well, are you taking me to this magical vampire secret holding place or not?"
"Hey Onyx," he called over her head. The dark haired waitress looked up from where she sat chatting with patrons. "Watch the bar for me, baby. I'll be right back." When she nodded, he turned back to Kate. "Shall we?"
Chapter Six
He led her to a closed door and paused to retrieve a set of keys buried deep in the front pocket of his black slacks. After unlocking the door and shoving it open, he reached across the doorway and clicked the light on. "Go ahead," he told her.
She entered cautiously, half expecting to find a pile of bodies or a dungeon or something. The room was spotlessly clean and filled with stainless steel equipment, counters and chairs. Various medical looking devices were neatly arranged on tables or hung on walls.
Tucked away in a corner, the bright red biohazard collection bin stood out in bold contrast against the stark metal.
She turned to Slade in awe. "This is amazing," she said as he was gently closing the door. "Is this all used to draw blood?" She indicated the various appliances around her.
Slade nodded.
"I thought people just bit each other."
"Some do, but it's generally frowned upon. Not only is the human mouth filthy, biting can be really painful and can actually do a lot of damage."
"How does it all work? Show me something. What are the glass cups for?" Her enthusiasm was more blatant than she intended. She couldn't contain it though. Everything about this room fascinated her.
Slade pulled what looked a large shot-glass from a shelf. "These are for cupping. After heating the cup, you place the opening of the glass flush against the skin like so," he pressed the glass into the fleshy part of her shoulder. "As the air inside compresses, a vacuum is created and blood is pulled out."
"Straight through the skin? Sounds painful."
"I'm sure it would be if it worked like that. You lance the skin first, otherwise you just get a big circular hickey."
"So, is this how you get blood from your donor?"
"No, I use these." He grabbed a couple sealed tubes and an unopened needle.
Frowning, she said, "Isn't that was they use at the doctor's office?"
"That they are."
She grimaced. "Seems so sterile."
"Definitely not my first choice."
"What is?" She noticed her body was suddenly close enough to him to feel the heat radiating from his big body. He hadn't moved though, Kate had.
She was pretty tall and Slade wasn't much taller than her, maybe five feet eleven inches, but what he lacked in height he more than made up in body mass. He dwarfed her. His bicep was as big as her thigh and his chest was three times wider than she was. As massive and thick as his fingers were, she could only imagine what other parts of him might be like. The thought made her pulse quicken.
Her nearness did not escape his notice. Leaning close, he innocently brushed his arm against hers as he returned the vials to their home. At least the act seemed innocent enough, her reaction was anything
"Come with me," Slade said as he stepped from behind the bar.
"Where?"
"Some things are more easily shown than told."
"You're the second person who's told me that."
"Who was the first?"
"Angel."
"Ah. Makes sense." He was standing next to the bar waiting for her to follow. "Are you coming or not?" he asked.
"I don't think so." Did he really believe she was going to just traipse off with him to some undisclosed location?
"Give me a break, Kate. You're the one with all the friggin' questions. If you want me to be your vampirepedia , you're gonna have to trust me a little."
There was something about the challenge in his tone making her tail puff up. "Sure. Fine." Kate rose roughly and moved to stand beside him. When he just stood there staring at her with the dumb grin of his, she said, "Well, are you taking me to this magical vampire secret holding place or not?"
"Hey Onyx," he called over her head. The dark haired waitress looked up from where she sat chatting with patrons. "Watch the bar for me, baby. I'll be right back." When she nodded, he turned back to Kate. "Shall we?"
Chapter Six
He led her to a closed door and paused to retrieve a set of keys buried deep in the front pocket of his black slacks. After unlocking the door and shoving it open, he reached across the doorway and clicked the light on. "Go ahead," he told her.
She entered cautiously, half expecting to find a pile of bodies or a dungeon or something. The room was spotlessly clean and filled with stainless steel equipment, counters and chairs. Various medical looking devices were neatly arranged on tables or hung on walls.
Tucked away in a corner, the bright red biohazard collection bin stood out in bold contrast against the stark metal.
She turned to Slade in awe. "This is amazing," she said as he was gently closing the door. "Is this all used to draw blood?" She indicated the various appliances around her.
Slade nodded.
"I thought people just bit each other."
"Some do, but it's generally frowned upon. Not only is the human mouth filthy, biting can be really painful and can actually do a lot of damage."
"How does it all work? Show me something. What are the glass cups for?" Her enthusiasm was more blatant than she intended. She couldn't contain it though. Everything about this room fascinated her.
Slade pulled what looked a large shot-glass from a shelf. "These are for cupping. After heating the cup, you place the opening of the glass flush against the skin like so," he pressed the glass into the fleshy part of her shoulder. "As the air inside compresses, a vacuum is created and blood is pulled out."
"Straight through the skin? Sounds painful."
"I'm sure it would be if it worked like that. You lance the skin first, otherwise you just get a big circular hickey."
"So, is this how you get blood from your donor?"
"No, I use these." He grabbed a couple sealed tubes and an unopened needle.
Frowning, she said, "Isn't that was they use at the doctor's office?"
"That they are."
She grimaced. "Seems so sterile."
"Definitely not my first choice."
"What is?" She noticed her body was suddenly close enough to him to feel the heat radiating from his big body. He hadn't moved though, Kate had.
She was pretty tall and Slade wasn't much taller than her, maybe five feet eleven inches, but what he lacked in height he more than made up in body mass. He dwarfed her. His bicep was as big as her thigh and his chest was three times wider than she was. As massive and thick as his fingers were, she could only imagine what other parts of him might be like. The thought made her pulse quicken.
Her nearness did not escape his notice. Leaning close, he innocently brushed his arm against hers as he returned the vials to their home. At least the act seemed innocent enough, her reaction was anything
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