Luna's blood became more intoxicating by the second.
Her body pressed against mine. Her moans vibrated through my chest. I could taste her arousal on my tongue, and all I wanted was to taste more.
My hips ground against her ass, my cock throbbed with each second. Every pull of blood cascaded pleasure through us both, building until I couldn't tell where I ended and she began.
More. I need more blood!
The hunger clawed at my insides. Eighteen years of starvation couldn't be satisfied in one feeding.
Luna shook harder, and her legs started to give out.
"Vlad-" Her voice barely above a whisper. "You need... to stop—"
But I couldn't. The blood kept flowing, and my body demanded more.
My vision bled completely red. It was like viewing the world through a crimson veil where nothing existed except the pulse beneath my lips and hunger tearing at my insides.
Everything faded. It all disappeared into that endless red hunger.
Just a little more...
My legs buckled. The strength that had felt limitless vanished.
Luna and I tumbled to the floor, my arms still locked around her as darkness crept in—swallowing my red vision, and replacing it with black.
The cold stone bit into my cheek. Luna's frantic hands cupped my face, her touch desperate. Until I couldn't see a thing anymore.
---
Darkness.
Consciousness clawed its way back like swimming up from a deep lake.
My head felt heavy, stuffed with cotton. My body felt strange, as if I had suddenly gained weight.
Something soft cradled my head. I could feel a gentle hand caressing my face
My eyes cracked open. The stone ceiling was unfamiliar but clearer than anything I'd seen before.
I could see every crack, every shadow in perfect detail.
That's right, I'm in Luna's basement.
"You're awake." Luna's voice drifted down, relief thick in her tone.
I tried sitting up. But I moved too fast.
My body launched forward with unexpected speed, and my face slammed into something impossibly soft and plush.
Thump.
Pleasure exploded across my nose. Stars burst behind my eyes. I lay there blinking stupidly, trying to process what just happened.
Then I realized what I'd hit.
Luna's breasts swayed from the impact, moving hypnotically beneath the silk. I stared, completely transfixed, watching them bounce and settle in a mesmerizing rhythm.
My brain short-circuited. Up, down, up, down.
Oh my, look at those...
I couldn't tear my eyes away. They were right there, moving like that, and my mind just... stopped.
"Vlad?" Luna sounded strangled, embarrassed. "Are you—"
My hands shot up on pure instinct and grabbed them, stopping the motion.
We both froze.
My palms overflowed with soft, heavy warmth. Luna's face blazed completely red. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air.
They were so soft. I couldn't get over this feeling. My fingers sank into the flesh, and heat shot straight through my body.
"Sorry," I mumbled, though I didn't let go. My brain was still catching up, still dazed. "They were... distracting."
"Vlad." Her voice came out tight, strangled. "Let go. Now."
"Right. Yeah." I released her, sitting up slower this time. My face burned like I'd stuck it in a furnace. "Sorry. I moved too fast and-"
"It's fine." Luna smoothed her dress with shaking hands, cheeks still flushed crimson.
She took a deep breath, visibly trying to regain her composure. "You're adjusting to your enhanced speed. It takes time."
I rubbed my face, feeling the lingering ache where I'd collided with her. She'd been sitting on the floor with my head in her lap this whole time. How long had she stayed like that, watching over me? "How long was I out?"
"Most of the day. The sun's setting now." Luna rose gracefully to her feet, though the blush still hadn't completely left her cheeks. "You fed too deeply for a newborn. Your body shuts down to process it."
"I almost killed you." The fragments came back in a rush. The red haze had almost consumed everything. That insatiable hunger is tearing at my throat. The desperate lust that had made me grab her, drink from her like a man dying of thirst. How her body had felt pressed against mine.
"You didn't," Luna said firmly, brushing off her dress.
"And you won't, if you learn to manage your bloodlust." She moved toward the small window near the ceiling, putting distance between us.
Faint orange light filtered through the narrow opening. "Which brings me to what we must discuss-"
"Can I go out in the sun?" I interrupted.
Luna blinked, turning back to face me. "That's your first question?"
"The important one." I stood, testing my legs. They felt solid now. Powerful. "Most vampires can't, right?"
"Yes, but…"
I didn't wait for her to finish. I crossed to the basement stairs, taking them two at a time with my new speed. The world blurred around me. Luna called after me, but I was already at the door, my hand on the handle.
I threw it open.
Orange sunlight washed over me like a wave.
Warmth spread across my skin, seeping into my bones. It felt more exhilarating than anything I'd ever experienced.
My body was now more sensitive, and feeling the sun on my skin was a genuine pleasure.
"Well, shit," I said, holding my hand up to the dying light and watching it play across my pale skin. "At least I don't glow like some freak. That would complicate things."
Luna appeared at the top of the stairs, staring at me as if I'd just performed a miracle. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open. "You can walk in daylight. That's a rare trait that not all nobles possess."
"Good to know." I turned from the doorway, letting the warmth fade from my skin. "What else?"
Luna took a deep breath, visibly organizing her thoughts. Her expression shifted.
"Every vampire possesses unique abilities beyond basic nature. The sixteen noble houses have distinct powers—fire manipulation, lightning manipulation, ice manipulation, animal communication, telepathy, hardening, needle manipulation, creating doubles, pestilence aura, foresight, gravity control, memory reading through blood, plant control, portal creation, barrier creation, and combustion."
I nodded, half-listening. My mind was already racing ahead to the ceremony. To what came next.
"You need to discover which is yours," Luna continued, her tone taking on an edge. "It manifests naturally, but-Vlad, are you even listening?"
"Sure. Powers. Got it." I dismissed the thought as I looked around her home. "Anything else?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yes. Something crucial." She paused, waiting until I actually looked at her. "You need a mate."
That snagged my attention like a hook. "A what?"
"A mate. A Soul Marriage." Her expression turned deadly serious. "Not just companionship. A Soul Marriage binds two vampires at the deepest level. Even if one dies, you'll find each other in the next life. Your souls are linked for eternity."
I frowned, processing that. "That sounds annoying."