Reflection (Book #2)

Chapter Eighteen

As Ben slowly suckled blood from the last girl's neck, I checked the other three to be sure their pulses had completely stopped. I admired, for a moment, their identical snake tattoos.

Ben hung his head back and burped loudly. "I can't," he panted. "I can't take anymore."

I nodded. "I'll drink the rest." I smiled at her beautiful dark skin, and dark brown eyes, then latched onto her neck. When I was finished with her, I realized I hadn't truly been full in years. As she fell to the floor, I opened the door and whistled at the black Baya truck, so they could come collect the bodies.

The second I shut the door, Ben grabbed me in his arms. "I feel it," he said dizzily. "I didn't know it would feel like this." He gripped my face roughly, and pulled me into a deep kiss.

I moaned softly when my heart jumped, and he picked me up, running with me, at the full extent of his speed, into our bedroom. He slammed the door behind us and threw me onto the bed. I couldn't contain the confused laughter. "What has gotten into you?" I asked.

"I feel amazing," he roared. "You're mine. All mine." He ripped my shirt instead of pulling it off. For a second, the old Ben flashed over his eyes in a silent apology, before his lips were back on mine.

He held my body against his tightly, as if he was trying to take my body into himself. The passion coursing through our shared blood was making him crazy. "Your heartbeat," he whispered against my collarbones, "I can feel it under my skin. Please tell me that will never go away."

"If you pay attention to it, you'll always be able to feel me." I tilted my head back so he could nuzzle his face into my neck. "I feel your heart too."

"Can I bite you now?" He asked, dragging his teeth over my skin.

"You can," I groaned, "but if you take blood from me, I might have to take some back."

He growled and chomped down on my shoulder. My nails pulled at the skin of his back as overwhelming pleasure crashed into me. He gripped my hips as I rocked against him, and I heard myself moaning into his ear. He released my shoulder from his mouth with an "ah!" and begged, "bite me. Please."

I nibbled at his earlobe, then kissed down his neck, until I found where I wanted to bite.

He groaned so loudly that I felt 'butterflies' in my belly. I was slow to take blood from him, but the exchange of  hormones and chemicals made him irresistible.

I wasn't sure how long we spent drinking from each other and making love, but as the sun came up, he collapsed beside me, panting.

"It's more intense than you said."

I admired the sound of his deep, husky voice. "Do you feel much different?"

"I feel completely different. It's almost like I can barely remember what I was like before."

"Your hair is darker, and your eyes are different. They were so brown before, now they're lighter, like they've been tinted with green."

"I feel taller," he said, looking at his hands.

"You are, and your voice got deeper."

"I feel like I grew up twenty years overnight. How long was I asleep?" He asked.

"It happened yesterday evening. It took me much longer for my transition, so I think losing all that blood made it go faster for you."

He considered that for a moment, then he smiled at me. "You did it! I'm so proud of you. You overcame your fear."

I scoffed. "You didn't give me much of a choice. You were going to die. There was nothing else I could have done."

He winced as sunlight gleamed through the window above our bed. "The sun is so bright."

"It's time to go to sleep," I whispered.

He moved me roughly, still unsure of his strength, and cradled me against his chest. "I love you."

"Nakupenda pia."

"What does that mean?"

"Its Swahili for 'I love you too'."

"Mama!" Alex called.

"Shit... Alex." I had been so wrapped up in my strengthened bond with Ben I had completely forgotten my child was just down the hallway. Did he hear us? I motioned for Ben to stay put as I slipped my robe on, but he didn't listen. He pulled on a pair of boxers and followed me down the hallway.

I cracked the door open and smiled at Alex. "What's up?" I whispered.

"I want to see Baba. I want to talk to him. I can't sleep."

I pushed the door the rest of the way open, pulling Ben with me into the bedroom.

"Wow! He's so much bigger!" Alex said, jumping out of his bed. "His eyes..."

Pain shocked my heart, and I turned to Ben, realizing the feeling had come from him.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," Ben said. "I should have put the guns away where you couldn't reach them. I wasn't thinking-"

"I shouldn't have touched it. I didn't know what it was. I didn't realize it could have killed you, until..." Alex ashamedly looked at the floor.

Ben knelt and pulled Alex into a deep embrace. "I'm not mad. I wasn't even mad for a second. It was an accident."

"Can I have my little sister now?" Alex asked, a hopeful grin spreading across his face.

At the same time, Ben and I responded, "No."