Mikhail didn’t say anything, but he did something that caught her completely off-guard.
Reaching out, he cupped her cheek with his hand. His palm was big enough to cover most of the skin at her side, but what was most unnerving of all was how cold he felt. Like an undead.
“Are you feeling well?” he asked.
Cassy blinked. “I’m… good…” she said uneasily. Why was he asking her this?
Ah. Was he asking because of her injuries from last week?
She was a human, so she didn’t have any special regenerative powers. If she had been left alone in the alley that night, she would’ve bled to death much sooner and died.
But when Mikhail forced her to drink his blood, the wound closed up quicker than normal. Sure, she lost some blood, but with the healing powers and some food and rest, she was up and about in no time.
Such was the power of an elite vampire’s healing blood.
“Then you are well enough to allow me to drink your blood,” Mikhail said.
Cassy’s eyes widened. “My… what?”
The corner of Mikhail’s lips tugged upwards. “Do you not know what it entails to be exclusively my woman? By giving yourself to me and with me dedicating my free time to you, you are the only one I will drink from starting now.”
“Wait, so you’re telling me…” she said slowly. “…that I have also become your sole food source? Just me?”
“Poor choice of words, but basically, that is correct.”
Cassy wanted to scream in frustration. Great! Now she was also someone else’s exclusive meal for three months!
What in the world had she gotten herself into?
When Cassy didn’t say anything, Mikhail raised an eyebrow. “Are you refusing me?” he asked. “If you do not wish to repay me, then I can do nothing about it. I will not force my mate to submit to my requests.”
“Yet you forced me to drink your blood that night,” Cassy couldn’t help but remark.
There was a hint of amusement on Mikhail’s face. “That situation was an exception, my dear. You were on the verge of death. I did what I did in order to save your life.”
“Because you have use for me.”
“That, and because you are my mate.”
Cassy could tell when she was fighting against a losing battle. Reluctantly, she said, “…Fine. I did agree to be your woman, after all.”
She did want to repay him for saving her life. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to drain her of her blood… right?
No. That would get him into deep trouble with the Council. Mikhail Ivanov wasn’t the kind of vampire who would throw everything away just to kill a mere human, especially his own mate.
She had to remind herself over and over that maybe he might still have a tiny piece of his heart left to be compassionate towards her, even just a little bit.
Cassy shut her eyes as she felt him approaching. Right now, all she could see was darkness, but she could feel Mikhail’s calm breathing as he neared her face. Her heart started pounding traitorously in her chest, and it was so loud that it was practically hammering in her ears.
“…I can hear your heartbeat,” Mikhail said, and she could detect a hint of mirth in his tone. Damn him and his smugness! “Is this what humans call ‘excitement’?”
Cassy opened her eyes and glared at him indignantly. “Just—Just get on with it!” she snapped, feeling her cheeks heat up from humiliation. She was already throwing away her pride as a woman and a human by letting him do this. The least he could do was not rub it in her face!
And did he not realize that she was only feeling this way because he was her mate? If it were any other vampire, this sensation would only be described as ‘anger’ and ‘horror’!
Mikhail didn’t say anything more — thankfully — and buried his face in her neck. The sudden intimate touch made the hairs on Cassy’s skin stand up on their ends, sending a sharp, tingly feeling throughout her limbs. Anticipation mixed with fear churned in her stomach, and her mind was beginning to feel dizzy.
She had heard about humans describing the sensation of being bitten.
They usually said that the experience was surprisingly euphoric. Almost everyone felt pleasure and exhilaration. This was because a vampire’s bite released endorphins and other feel-good chemicals into the bloodstream.
However, the act of drinking blood could also be painful and traumatizing, especially if the human wasn’t a willing participant.
Even though Cassy knew this and gave her consent, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit afraid. After all, this was her first time being bitten by a vampire. She had always been careful to avoid such situations before.
But now…
Cassy closed her eyes once again, wishing that Mikhail would just get it over with quickly.
Suddenly, she could feel a wet sensation against the skin of her neck. She jolted in shock, unable to believe that this was really happening.
Was he… licking her neck?
Cassy felt her throat go dry. Mikhail was still lingering at the side of her neck, licking it and pressing small kisses along the way.
Why was he delaying it?!
She could feel her heartbeat growing louder in her ears, much to her humiliation. She knew that Mikhail was aware of it, thanks to his sharp sense of hearing. It only made this feel all the more embarrassing.
“Relax,” Mikhail said softly, making Cassy stiffen in place once again.
Suddenly, his hands were at each side of her waist, and she felt herself being lifted up from her seat. Mikhail led her slowly towards the center of the room, not even raising his head from her neck. Cassy drew a sharp intake of breath, feeling instantly powerless to resist.
She could feel her body heating up slowly. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted him to come closer, to press against her so tightly that there wouldn’t be any gap left between their bodies.
‘This is so humiliating!’ Cassy wailed in her heart. To think that she was attracted to a vampire, of all species!
She would much rather prefer a werewolf to be her mate! Why did the gods loathe her so?
“I said, relax,” Mikhail’s voice drifted into her ears like warm honey, making Cassy blush once again. How on earth could someone have such a nice voice?
Before she knew it, she was overwhelmed with emotions and a strange kind of anticipation.
Then Mikhail made a noise at the back of his throat, causing goosebumps to break out on her arms. She could feel his fangs pressing against her skin, and suddenly her mind turned blank.
She was really doing this, wasn’t she?
She was offering herself as a vampire’s food source.
Before she could regret all her life choices, however, Mikhail’s fangs plunged into her neck, and then everything went blank.