The world returned in a dizzying rush of too much.
Sight was a kaleidoscope of impossible detail—every microscopic fissure in the dark marble ceiling, the subtle play of shadow and torchlight, the individual threads in the velvet drapes surrounding the massive bed. Sound was a symphony of distant whispers, the scuff of a shoe three floors below, the steady, hypnotic rhythm of Jane's heartbeat. No. Not a heartbeat. Reina's new mind instantly corrected her. It was the silent, steady hum of her existence, a vibration in the air that Reina could now feel.
And the scent. Oh, the scent.
It was all Jane. A cold, intoxicating fragrance of ancient frost and dark roses, layered over something far more primal, far more compelling. Her venom. A deep, wrenching thirst clenched her stomach, a sharp and undeniable ache.
A low, involuntary sound escaped her—a hiss of pure need.
Jane was there in an instant, a blur of motion that Reina's eyes tracked effortlessly. She perched on the edge of the bed, her crimson eyes wide, her expression one of rapt anticipation and… concern.
"Reina," she breathed, the name a prayer on her lips.
Reina pushed herself up. The movement was effortless, a surge of power that felt both alien and utterly natural. She was a symphony of strength, every muscle, every tendon humming with potential. She looked at her hands, turning them over. Her skin was like polished alabaster, flawless and shimmering in the low light.
The burning thirst twisted inside her again, more insistent this time. She knew what it wanted. Who it wanted. Her gaze snapped back to Jane, zeroing in on the elegant column of her throat, where a single, faint blue vein traced a path beneath the impossibly white skin.
Jane went perfectly still, watching her. "The thirst… it is the first and fiercest lesson for our kind. It can drive a new-born to a frenzy, to madness. You must master it."
Reina's focus narrowed to that pulse point. She could almost taste the power that lay just beneath the surface. Her body leaned forward of its own accord, drawn by the most potent lure imaginable.
But then she stopped.
She didn't know how she did it. It was an act of will that felt as innate as breathing once had. The frantic, animalistic urge was there, a screaming demand in her veins, but it was… separate. A thing she could observe and control, not a force that controlled her. She held herself in check, her body trembling with the effort of restraint.
Jane's lips parted in astonishment. "Incredible," she whispered, a true smile—not a smirk, not a condescending curve of the lips, but a genuine, awed smile—touching her face for the first time. "No newborn has ever… Your control is exceptional, my love."
The term of endearment, spoken with such reverence, finally broke Reina's fixation on Jane's throat. She looked into her eyes instead, and the world fell away.
Before, Jane had been beautiful in a way that was almost painful to look at. Now, she was… everything. Reina could see the subtle shifts in the garnet depths of her eyes, the tiny, almost invisible flecks of darker crimson. She could see the millennia of loneliness and fierce loyalty etched into the perfect stillness of her features. The predatory grace was still there, but it was woven through with a deep, aching tenderness that was meant for Reina alone.
The thirst was momentarily forgotten, overshadowed by a new, more profound hunger.
"I see you," Reina said, her voice a low, melodic hum she barely recognized. "I can really see you now."
She reached out, her movements fluid and sure, and cupped Jane's cheek. The cool, smooth texture of her skin was a shock, a delicious contrast to the fire now burning within Reina. A deep shudder ran through Jane at the contact, her eyes fluttering closed for a brief, vulnerable second.
"And I, you," Jane replied, leaning into the touch. Her own hand came up to cover Reina's, holding it against her face. "You are perfection embodied. A dream given form."
Reina's other hand came up to trace the line of Jane's jaw, her thumb brushing over Jane's lower lip. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming, but it was different now. It wasn't the soft, human curiosity of before. It was a vampire's desire—possessive, intense, and laced with the promise of a shared eternity. She wanted to map every contour of Jane's body with her new senses, to learn the taste of her lips with a tongue that could now discern a universe of flavor.
"The thirst is… manageable," Reina murmured, her eyes locked on Jane's mouth. "But the need for you… that is a different kind of hunger altogether."
Jane's breath hitched, a useless, remembered human gesture that betrayed her intense emotion. Her eyes darkened with a wanting so deep it seemed to stretch back through the centuries. "We have time for that," she promised, her voice dropping to a sensual whisper that vibrated through Reina's very core. "An eternity to explore every facet of that need. But first, you must feed. Properly."
As if on cue, the door to the chamber opened a fraction. A stunning vampire with flowing dark hair and a gown of sheer black silk stood there, her posture subservient. The scent that wafted in with her was pungent, animalistic, and utterly unappealing. A man, terrified and shivering, was held firmly beside her by the massive guard, Felix.
"Heidi procured a blood type I thought you might find… palatable for your first meal," Jane said, her eyes never leaving Reina's. She was watching, waiting to see how her newborn would react to the offering, to the fear.
Reina glanced at the human, her nose wrinkling at the sour tang of his terror. Her thirst surged, but it felt crude, base, compared to the exquisite pull of Jane's presence mere inches away. She looked from the fearful man back to the devastatingly beautiful vampire whose cheek was still pressed against her palm.
The choice was no choice at all.
Her voice was clear, certain, and filled with a new, vampiric authority as she gave her first command, not to the guard, but to her soulmate.
"Send them away, Jane. I don't want that." She leaned closer, until their lips were almost touching, her whisper meant for Jane alone. "The only thing I want to taste… is you."