Feral Instincts (The Feral Series) (12 page)

Her
fiery response sent a dark need to possess her pulsing through his veins.
Teagan growled against her mouth and cupped the back of her head so she
couldn’t escape, grinding his mouth against her full lips. Ava quickly forgot
her anger in the face of Teagan’s gentle assault. Letting go of her shy
inhibitions she melted under the intensity of his kiss.

Swept
away by the storm of her emotions, Ava began to become aware of a beautiful
copper tang in their kiss. Ava gasped in horror as the realization of what had
happen hit her like a bucket of ice water. Her fangs were fully extended and
she had somehow managed to nick Teagan's lip! Worse than that… she
liked
it.

Ava
groaned and suddenly shoved Teagan away from her. The suddenness of the move
actually managed to separate her from him. Teagan looked at her panting, not
sure why she had ended the kiss.

“Oh
my god, Teagan! I’m so sorry!” Teagan got just a glimpse of her fangs as Ava
covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. Her chest heaving in deep breaths,
tears began to fill her now fully silver eyes.

Teagan
found her breathtaking. “Ava, it’s okay.” Teagan said while licking the tiny
scratch on his lip.
So that’s what spooked her.
Teagan reached out to
pull her closer to him.

“No,
no it’s not okay.” Ava said from behind her hand, backing away from him. She
turned and ran down the hall until she got to her room. Hurrying inside she
shut the door behind her, leaning against it and trying to catch her breath.

Teagan
ran his hand through his hair and scrubbed his face with his palm in
frustration. He knew he never should have touched her but given a chance he
knew he would do it again. Groaning he turned and walked to his room. That
little female was going to drive him crazy.  

Ava
woke the next morning with absolutely no interest in getting out of bed. This
was day four since she had been changed into a vampire. If she didn’t feed
today she may not wake up tomorrow. “Ugh.” Ava flopped to her back and pulled
the covers up to her chin, staring at the ceiling. Memories of her and Teagan
from the night before ran through her mind. “Ugh!” Ava flopped onto her stomach
again and put the pillow over her head.

Ava
laid there for several minutes before sighing and flipping her pillows and
covers back. She stood up and headed for the bathroom, swaying just a little
bit. She caught her balance on the door frame for a moment and then turned the
bathtub faucet and ran herself a bath. She had some time to soak before Victor
was expecting her for what would surely prove to be another failure.

After
a quick bath that still left her feeling slightly chilled she dressed in an
indigo blue wrap dress with a black cardigan over the top of it for warmth, Ava
slowly made her way to Victor’s office. She moved down the long hallway like an
inmate going to her execution. Taking a deep breath she knocked on Victor’s
door and stepped inside.

“Hello
Ava.” Ava’s head snapped up at the unexpected voice.

“Joseph!
What are you doing here?” She was actually relieved to have her session with
Victor delayed.

“Victor
asked me to come.”

“What?
Is everything okay? Has something happened?”

“Everything
is fine.” He said walking over to her and taking her small hand in his own as
he pulled her down next to him on the couch. “I am here for you little one.”

“I’m
sorry. I don’t understand.” Ava said nervously looking into his dark golden
eyes. He looked amazing as usual. He was wearing dark jeans with a black button
down shirt. His long, ebony hair was still a little damp from a recent shower.
“What do you mean you’re here for me? Have I done something wrong?” Ava began
to nervously nibble on her bottom lip drawing his attention to her mouth.

Joseph
looked away from her for a moment so he could concentrate. Gods she was
beautiful. “Ava, Victor told me you have been unable to feed. He is very
concerned. Ava, today is your fourth day. You are going to have to feed or
Victor will be force to have someone force feed you.”

Ava
hopped up, pacing back and forth in front of him. “Joseph, I have tried, really
I have.” She rang her hands in front of her as she paced. Her skirt swirled
around her legs with each pass. She had two more sessions with Victor and both
had been failures.

“Victor
has introduced me to three humans now and each time, I just freeze up! God,
listen to me, I just referred to people as humans. This is crazy. I can’t do
this. My teeth don’t descend, I feel nothing. It just doesn’t feel right! I’m
just not ready. What if I hurt one of them? They are innocents, just like I
was. I know I have to do this, it’s just been so hard. I can’t do it!”

“Ava!
Just stop for a minute your making me dizzy.” Joseph stood up in front of her
blocking her path. “Ava I want you to feed from me.”

“What?”
Ava froze and looked up at him in shock. “Joseph, I can’t, you’re a vampire!”

“That’s
not true.” Joseph chuckled. “I mean yes, I am a vampire, but vampires can feed
from each other and from many of the other species of the Lore. You can feed
from me.” Joseph said looking into her eyes and trying to read her reaction.

Ava
gulped and closed her mouth, just realizing it had been hanging open while she
stared up at Joseph. “…and you could feed from me?” Ava squeaked.

“Yes.”
Joseph chuckled at the expression on her face. “It is more common though for
our females to feed from the males.”

Oh
my gosh! Teagan had every right to be mad at me the other night.
She never would have been comfortable falling asleep on the couch like that if
she had known she could possibly still be on the menu!

“Joseph,
why didn’t anyone tell me this before?”

“Newborns
are usually encouraged to feed on humans. The majority of vampires do. However
many of our females prefer to feed from their mates. They enjoy the connection
and the closeness that comes with feeding from their males. It’s not like
feeding from humans.”

“…and
you want me to feed from you?”

“Well,
yes.” Joseph actually looked uncomfortable for a moment. “Victor thought since
you had been unable to feed from the humans that we should try letting you feed
from someone you already know… and trust. He thinks your fear is preventing you
from feeding.”

“Joseph…
I… I don’t know what to say.” Ava felt panic rising in her throat.

“I
know you do not fear me.” Joseph teased her with a little grin. “… and you
already know you cannot hurt me.” He reminded her of their little training
session, trying to alleviate some of her fears.

Ava
didn’t know what to think. This sounded like more than just a feeding. This
sounded like something more intimate between her and Joseph and she just wasn’t
ready for that. She would just be using him and she refused to treat him that
way.

Joseph
reached up to the neck of his shirt and slowly unbuttoned a few more of the
buttons down the front of his chest and pulled his collar to the side for her.
He watched her closely waiting for her to decide. It had been a long time since
he had allowed a female to feed from him. He knew she was scared but it was
necessary. He could longer stand by while she suffered needlessly.

“Come
on Ava, you can do this. You are out of time. I can feel your need. I can no
longer stand by and watch you get weaker.” Joseph leaned in closer to her
caging her between his arms against the wall, the air separating them suddenly
filling with heat.

He
leaned in close beside her ear and whispered to her. “
Il mio sangue vi do
, my blood I give to you,
take what your body so desperately needs.” Ava closed her eyes and shivered as
his breath caressed the side of her neck.
Why did he have to smell so good?
Joseph
pulled back a little, looking in her blue eyes. Ava watched him in confusion as
he seemed to come to some sort of decision. A look of determination entered his
golden eyes and then Ava gasped as his lips found hers.

There
was more than one way to wake her vampire instincts.  He could feel Ava
tremble beneath his gentle assault but she didn’t try to escape him. His lips
were warm and full as they caressed her own. Ava placed her hand on his bare
chest, whether to hold him back or pull him closer she didn’t know. His kiss
started out sweet and gentle but he was quickly becoming more aggressive, more
passionate. Skillfully, Joseph stoked the fire deep within her. Ava fought her
emotions but she could feel her fangs beginning to lengthen.
No. She
shouldn’t be doing this. Her body was responding to him but it felt, wrong.

Joseph
growled as he felt Ava begin to respond to him. He could sense the change in
her, feel her hunger. Her vampire instincts were slowly awakening. “Now Ava… ”
Gently he pulled her closer and guided her towards his neck. Ava hesitated, her
lips hovered near his neck.

“No,
Joseph. Wait.” Ava gasped and started to pull away from him.

“Ava,
you need to feed.”

“No,
not like this. This is wrong. I can’t do this to you.”

Ava
pulled away from him with tears in her eyes. Joseph tightened his grip on her
arms. “Joseph let me go.”

“Ava,
you have to put your fears aside. I can help you.”

“No…
no you can’t. Now let me go.” Ava jerked her arms out of his grip and ran to
the door. “Dam it Ava!” Ava threw open the door and ran down the hall. She
didn’t really have a plan and decided at the last minute to just head back to
her room. She stumbled a little as she blindly wiped the tears from her eyes
and turned the corner, crashing into someone’s solid chest. Two strong arms
came around her to steady her and she struggled to escape for a minute thinking
Joseph had followed her.

“Ava,
calm down.” Teagan’s voice rumbled. Ava looked up into his smoky blue eyes for
a moment. “Oh, Teagan, I’m sorry.”

“What
the hell is going on?” Teagan growled taking inventory of her tear stained eyes
and swollen lips. “I’m okay, it’s nothing, really.”

“Like
hell you are. Did someone hurt you?”

“No,
I’m fine.”

“Dam
it Ava! Did Joseph do this?!” That son of a bitch, Joseph’s scent was all over
her. Teagan opened the door to his room and drug her inside. “You’re not
leaving here until you tell me what happened.” Ava jerked her arm out of his
grasp.

“Fine!
You want to know what’s going on?” Ava yelled at him and started pacing back in
forth, waving her hands as she talked. “I am the sorriest excuse for a vampire
ever! Today is the fourth day of my transition and as of yet I have been unable
to feed! If I don’t feed today my body will shut down. Maybe that would be
better for everyone anyway! I shouldn’t be here!” With an angry huff Ava tugged
her cardigan off and tossed it into the nearest chair as hard as she could. “I
never wanted this! I should be home right now living a very ordinary human
life! I can’t live as a vampire! Joseph just tried to get me to feed from him
and I freaked out and left because apparently when a female vampire shares
blood with a male vampire it means a whole lot more than just feeding!”

Teagan
growled at the thought of Joseph’s hands on Ava. He could tell by her swollen
lips that he had tried more than just to feed Ava. When he saw Joseph again he
was going to punch him in the face. “No one told me vampires could feed from
each other. Apparently other Lore creatures are on the menu too. You know there
really should be a handbook for all of this.” Ava took a deep angry breath,
wiping the tears from her face with her fingertips.

Teagan
actually wasn’t all that surprised at her melt down. He was only surprised it
hadn’t happened sooner.

“So
go borrow one of Victor’s humans and feed. What’s the problem?” Teagan sat on
the bed and crossed his arms over his chest to keep from grabbing her while she
paced back and forth.

“I
already tried that. Again, hello, you are looking at the worst vampire ever! My
stupid fangs wouldn’t descend!”

“You
mean like they are right now?”

“What?”
Ava stopped her pacing, coming to an abrupt stop directly in front of him. She
didn’t realize her fangs had descended during her tirade.

“Like.
They. Are. Now.” Teagan said as he calmly reached out and grabbed Ava’s arm,
pulling her between his knees. “Like they do when I kiss you.” Teagan said as
he angled his head to hers and cupped her cheek in his palm, claiming her lips
with his own. Teagan kissed her deeply, sending waves of heat rolling through
her stomach and down through her core. He crushed her tighter to his chest.
Wanting to feel her every curve pressed against his body, wanting no man’s
scent on her but his. He would wipe the memory of Joseph’s kiss away with his
own. Ava moaned and wrapped her arms around him. She was so confused but this
felt… right somehow.

She
was surrounded by Teagan’s heat. He always seemed so delightfully warm. She
loved the way her body molded itself into his. Teagan opened his warm lips
against hers and she tentatively met the tip of his tongue with her own. She
tasted like honey on his lips. He wanted more of her but something held him in
check, there was an unexpected innocence in her kiss. Her response was raw and
inexperienced. She was so beautiful, how was that possible?