Liam strode to him upon waking, and this time, he lacked the conciliatory – or even, chagrined – look Danny had seen on his face in days beforehand. Instead, he paused beside the couch, staring down at where Danny sat until Danny looked up at him.

“Stand,” Liam commanded. “Roll up your sleeve. It’s time to get this over with.”

Danny swallowed back another wave of emotion, wanting to cry or scream, but unable to do either. Instead, he stood, not forced to his feet by enthrallment, but by his own desire to get the inevitable out of the way. Rolling up his sleeve, Danny extended his arm out toward Liam and winced when Liam lifted his wrist to his mouth. Fangs lowering, he bit past the skin without any hesitation, and as a wave of pain crested over Danny, Danny realized each previous time he’d been bitten, Liam had controlled the way it felt. Pretenses had been abandoned now. Liam drew several mouthfuls of blood and licked the wounds closed without any further ceremony.

Instead, Liam walked away and left Danny to shrink back onto the couch. Burying himself under the blankets, Danny cried himself to sleep again.

Mari didn’t wake him. When the impromptu nap ended, Danny padded into the kitchen, making his coffee and pausing to listen for any sign of the other vampire. The bedroom door remained closed, but an outfit had been folded and left on the kitchen counter, beside a bath towel. “What the fuck does any of that matter?” he mused out loud, but sighed at himself when the dismissal made him feel guilty.

‘It’s not Mari’s fault,’ he reminded himself. ‘She’s trying the best she can.’

Danny took a shower, like Mari had implicitly requested, and as he emerged with the red shirt and black pants on, he paused outside the shut bedroom door and frowned at it. Lifting his hand, he hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door and waiting for a response. Mari failed to say anything, though her silence became deafening.

Pressing his cheek against the door, Danny said, “Please, Mari. I’d… I’d really like some company.”

She didn’t respond. Danny knocked again and finally, he heard an exasperated sigh and footfalls stomping toward him. “I’m not in the mood to keep company,” Mari said, just shy of the door.

“Mari, you said to admit I was scared.” He took a deep breath, and this time, he didn’t fight against the onslaught of tears. “I’m fucking petrified,” he said as one rolled down his cheek. “I don’t care how slow it is. I keep wondering when all that stuff you described is going to start happening and I’m… I’m scared about how it’s going to feel. I don’t want to die. And I feel so goddamned alone right now.”

She didn’t respond again, and Danny couldn’t be sure she hadn’t walked away as more tears followed the ones that had been shed. It took him by surprise when the bedroom door opened, and she stood on the other side with her eyes glassy and cheeks, stained red. When a tear dribbled down her cheek, it was red as blood and she reached to swipe it away, as if she knew it. “Danny, I don’t know what I can do for you,” she said.

“Sit with me?” he asked with a sniffle. “You’re weirdly soothing.”

Mari grumbled and rolled her eyes. Motioning him into the room, she shut the door behind them and marched back over to the bed, where Danny could tell she had been lying. “I wondered if that’s why Liam keeps leaving me with you,” she said, plopping onto the mattress and curling her feet up underneath her backside. “He’s been saying he doesn’t want you to escape and I need to keep an eye on you. But he’s guilty. I know when he’s feeling guilty.”

“You’ll forgive me if I’m not really impressed by how guilty he might be feeling.” Danny walked over when Mari patted the bed beside her. Sitting where she had indicated, he crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his thighs. “I heard you guys arguing.”

Muttering something under her breath that sounded like Spanish obscenities, Mari followed them with a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I told him the door probably woke you.”

“Would’ve probably wondered what happened to you tonight, even without hearing that.”

She shrugged. “Maybe I’m being a capricious vampire.”

“I don’t doubt you could be if you wanted to be, but you’ve been too nice for me to buy that.”

“Stop flattering me. I’m not allowed to keep you.” The way she spoke those last two words betrayed her bitterness, making her sound on the cusp of bereaved. Danny watched as she took a deep breath and swallowed back a wave of emotion, her Adam’s apple bobbing with the effort and more tears threatening to well in her eyes.

Danny furrowed his brow. “You know,” he said, “it sounds kind of morbid to say this, but I think you’re more upset over my inevitable death than I think my own parents would be.”

She blurted a laugh and swiped at the tears in her eyes. “Your parents. My parents, probably.” Mari shook her head and met Danny’s gaze again. “Maybe that’s why I have a soft spot for you. We have the same estúpida familia.” As she sobered again, it looked like an incredible weight had settled on her shoulders and when she slumped over, she rested her head on Danny’s shoulder.

In turn, Danny leaned his head against hers. “I can see why Liam wanted to keep you. I’m a hot mess.”

“It has nothing to do with that. It’s the rules. Vampires don’t approve of other vampires turning new children when they have fledglings and I’m not old enough to leave Liam’s side.”

“He wouldn’t have to turn me into a vampire.”

“It’s the only way to avoid you slowly losing your mind. Taking our blood. And if he doesn’t turn you, then he forms a bond with you and that’s just as frowned upon.” Mari let her fingers dance across the fabric of Danny’s shirt. “Either way, bonded or turned, it’s a connection. And he can’t keep us both.”

“Nobody ever has?”

“I’m not sure about that. This Marquis doesn’t seem to like it, though.” She sighed. “It’s all population control and keeping things secret and other stuff that I don’t appreciate yet, Liam tells me, because I’m too young to.” As her palm pressed against his chest, it caressed northward, toward his neck. “I knew this shirt would look good on you. It’s one of his old ones. Looks better on you, though.”

Danny took a deep breath, sensing her touch had turned more sensual. When her fingers touched his cheek, she lifted his head from her shoulder, allowing their gaze to intersect and lust to travel from one set of eyes to the other. Her lips quirked in a grin, and although he couldn’t see her fangs, something about the thought of them made him shiver, his focus shifting to her mouth for a split second.

He felt his eyes drifting shut when she pulled him closer. Her lips met his and as they kissed, the part of him that sought refuge in sex sprang to life, suddenly wanting to take hold of Mari and drown; not caring what it said about his mental state that he had latched onto one of the vampires as his solace. As Mari repositioned herself and laid him down onto the bed, she climbed on top of him and straddled his waist.

“You don’t have to –” she began.

“Yes,” he blurted. “I know. But yes, please.”

Mari nodded and laid both hands onto his chest, smirking as she shifted further down and sat directly over Danny’s cock. Gently her hips rocked, creating friction on his shaft through the layers of fabric separating them. When his palms settled on her hips, her smirk turned more devious, eyes sparkling with mischief as she continued. “Have you ever fucked a woman?” she asked.

“No,” Danny said. “Not any kind of woman.”

Licking her lips, Mari settled her hands atop Danny’s and coaxed them up across the sinew of her torso. “Well, aren’t I lucky then? And aren’t you? The best of both worlds.”

“That’s what I was just thinking.”

“I don’t mind you thinking that, chiquito. As long as you let me take you along for the ride.”

Danny nodded, feeling his throat turn dry and his length harden the longer Mari rocked atop it. As his hands slid up the silken fabric of her robe, he reached to part it and ran his fingers along the cool skin of her chest. Mari hummed and shut her eyes, and Danny smiled as he imagined the places her mind had gone, apt to join her there and sink even further into the moment. He pinched one of her nipples, and as he tweaked the nub between his fingers, she drew a sharp breath inward.

“Oh, fuck yes,” she groaned, and as she tilted her head back, her fangs descended. Danny felt his heart race, and kept his gaze fixed on the two, sharp daggers at first, until Mari led his hands again, directing them down to the waistband of her pajama pants. “Touch me,” she said, coaxing one hand specifically toward the sensation of her cock burgeoning through the fabric of her clothing.

As Danny reached beneath for her shaft, she produced another long, luxurious moan.

Something about watching her react made the blood rush even faster to his crotch, making him wish he could snap his fingers and be naked within seconds. Mari made no motion to move, and Danny knew better than to unseat her, so he continued to stroke her while her undulations on top of him looked less for his sake and more for hers. Each touch seemed like it sent ripples up her spine and chills throughout her body and she made no effort to hide it. Instead, Danny pumped her until she was stiff and twitching, visibly caught in the throes of trying to resist orgasm.

“Stop,” she finally said, when it appeared she had reached her threshold. Mari opened her eyes and as she looked down at Danny, he felt himself turn both aroused and afraid at the feral expression that overtook her. She flicked her tongue across the edge of one fang, lifting until she stood above him, peering down at him like she might lunge for his neck.

“Pants off,” she said. “Now.”

She hadn’t added any vampire suggestion to the command, though Danny still raced to undo the button of his pants. Shimmying the fabric past his hips, he kicked the trousers and his underwear free of his legs while Mari tossed away her robe. She admired the sight of his hard length unabashedly, then bounded off the mattress and left him lying there so she could reach into the bedside table for what looked like a tube of lubricant.

“I don’t mind the pain,” she said, “but I want to enjoy this.” After pulling off her pants, allowing her to stand in front of Danny in all her gorgeous, olive-skinned nakedness, she squirted a generous portion of liquid into her hand and crawled back onto the bed.

“Shouldn’t we use…?” Danny inhaled sharply through his teeth as she began to stroke his shaft, greasing it from tip to base and back again. “Isn’t it… safer –?”

“Vampire,” she said. “Not necessary when you’re with me.” Danny blinked, and as she lined him up with her opening, he felt her steadily lower on top of him. His gaze fixed on the ceiling, he found his hands sliding up her legs and when she pushed him inside the rest of the way, he twitched and shut his eyes, enjoying the tightness that surrounded him.

“Mmm, you feel incredible.” Mari reached for one of his hands, bringing it to her chest again. Danny opened his eyes and while she rocked on top of him, he toyed with her nipple again and let his other hand wrap around the base of her cock. A sound of pleasure lilted past her lips. “If you keep that up, I’m going to come before you have the chance to.”

“I doubt it,” Danny said. “You have me almost there myself.”

“The race is on, then.” She pulled up and pushed down onto him again, and as Danny shrieked with lust, she increased the tempo of her movements, not seeming to care when Danny stopped teasing her nipple, but moaning with encouragement at the way he stroked her. The movements of his hand were almost subconscious, his facial expression twitching and the coil in his groin pulling tighter and tighter until it threatened to snap. “Come on then,” she said. “If you make me fuck you any harder than this, you’re going to suck me off next time.” Her words were strained, thighs tensing around him until Danny let the thought of her spilling over infect his mind.

As he thought of ropes of cum shooting from her cock, his own spasmed and gave into climax.

The sheer amount of relief that washed over him made his head swim. Though he was aware of his hand becoming wet with cum, he continued to touch her, not sure which one of them was making the most noise. He swore he heard himself shouting obscenities, but when she leaned over and drove her fangs into his neck, a wave of pleasure even more heady than the one that had preceded it sent him into a state of euphoria. He distantly became aware of her pulling away, and as he tasted something coppery on his tongue, he struggled to return to reality from the bliss he’d been thrown into.

“What the hell…?” he said.

“Shh,” Mari retorted. Danny licked his lips and as his eyes focused on her, he watched Mari lick her own wrist and lower her arm to her side. She settled her palms on his chest, with him still inside her, and paused in what looked like a moment of relish. When Danny motioned to speak again, she only shushed him once more and even after she lifted from on top of him, Mari remained silent, choosing instead to curl herself around Danny, gathering him against her body.

“Am I going to turn into a vampire?” he asked.

Mari chuckled softly. “No,” she said. “Those few drops of blood are our secret, though. Liam will find out, eventually, but I have a plan until then.”

“What’s your plan?”

“To wear him down. I think he could fight the Marquis if he wanted to. He just needs a reason to try.” She hummed and kissed Danny’s hair, toying with the buttons of the shirt he still wore. “You don’t want to die slow and terrible, right?”

Danny laughed. “No, I don’t.”

“Well, then, you’ve taken my blood. There are consequences to even those few drops, but the good news is that it’ll keep your mind intact.” Casually, she parted the buttons, exposing Danny’s chest. “I can’t force you to try and play sweet with him. But either we woo him toward keeping you here or, eventually, I’m going to have to tell him you took my blood and he’ll probably be pissed at us.”

“He’s going to kill me if he finds out, isn’t he?”

“He might.”

“I thought you didn’t want me killed.”

“I don’t.” Mari lifted enough to look Danny in the eyes. “But if you want a shot at living, this is the best idea that I have. Take it or leave it, chiquito, but I’d rather keep you around.”

He sighed, but nodded, accepting the soft kiss Mari placed on his lips before she lowered her head onto his bare chest, right above his heart. Danny stroked her shoulders with his fingertips, and as he admired the cracks in the ceiling, the idea of whoring himself to Liam felt less-than-appealing, but even then, he had to agree with Mari. Being needed in some manner beat being relegated to wither away slowly.

“What do you recommend?” he asked, after a period of extended silence.

Danny could almost hear the smile in Mari’s voice. “I have a few thoughts,” she said. “Let me tell you where to start.”