peekaboo toe and a bow at the ankle. Completely adorable.
When I finished, I went down to the kitchen. I needed blood, but wasn’t sure how to get it.
Laeddin was there, leaning against the counter, eating an orange. He was dressed in dark jeans and a green t-shirt. His feet were bare and his black hair was still wet.
I wasn’t sure whether it was the orange or him that I craved more. But he made the orange look so delicious, especially with the juice dripping off his lips. I wanted regular food. I thought about wishing for it, but he’d already told me he didn’t want to change who I was and I didn’t want to waste a wish.
“Morning,” he said, pushing off the counter.
I suddenly felt shy. “Hi,” I replied.
“Ready for school?” He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the lid, and took a long drink . I was mesmerized by his movements. He smelled like ecstasy. It could’ve been his skin or his blood. I wanted to lick at the vein pulsing at his neck, sink my teeth in, and find out. I had a feeling his blood would be as spicy as his scent.
He recognized that I was watching and stopped drinking, placing the lid back on the bottle. I licked my lips. Thirsty.
“You need to feed,” he suggested.
“Yes.” I took a step in his direction.
He faced me, spreading his legs shoulder’s width apart. It looked like he was preparing for my atta ck. “You want to taste me, don’t you, Princess?” His voice was low, deep and sensual.
“I do,” I responded, moving closer. I was almost in a frenzy, and the need for blood made his smell so heady.
Laeddin tilted his neck as though giving me access. I was on him before I realized what I was doing. My tongue tasted his neck and my fangs released. I pressed against his warmth.
He cleared his throat. “Is this what you wish?” Laeddin asked.
That made me pause. “You m ean I have to use a wish to drink your blood?”
“That’s right,” he said, clearing his throat.
That took the heat right out of me. I untangled myself, pushing out of his arms. “Never mind.” I picked up my pink and light green polka dot backpack and walked to the front door. “I’d better get to school.”
Laeddin was immediately wearing shoes. “Here.” He pulled open the refrigerator and grabbed a glass. It was filled with something red. “It’s blood. Drink. You’re going to need it.”
I grabbed and sniffed. “What kind?” I took a sip. It tasted a little sweet and salty with a hint of copper. It tasted different than any blood I’d tried before. There wasn’t any magic laced within as with the blood I normally drank. “Is it an animal?” If so, I knew it would keep me in control for a short time, but wouldn’t satisfy for long. I took another, bigger drink. It was delicious in a way I never imagined. Even better than unicorn blood. Had my mom lied about my not being able to drink animal blood? Would it keep me strong and healthy just like magical blood?
Laeddin smirked. “Something like that.” A set of keys appeared in his hands.
I chugged the remaining blood until it was gone. Usually I drank it warm, but cold wasn’t bad. I could’ve had more, but a quick check inside the refrigerator revealed there wasn’t any left. “You’re driving?” I asked, giving him a sideways glare. “Wouldn’t it be faster to do your magical disappearing and reappearing thing? You know, poof.”
“Of course it would be faster but it might alarm the humans.” He opened the door.
“Oh, right.” I’d forgotten that in the human world magic wasn’t real. “I wish you were going with me. It’d be nice to know one person in the school.”
Laeddin chuckled. “Is that an actual wish? Because it would be awkward, but your wish is my command.”
I covered my mouth and swallowed down my worry. “Oh my gosh. No. You’re right. That wasn’t an actual wish.”
He seemed relieved. “Good.”
We walked outside. Sitting directly in front of us on
Learning to Kill: Stories