Free A Wicked Hunger (Creatures of Darkness 1) by Kiersten Fay

herself as she gazed out. Her expression was one that he’d seen all too often, but only from afar, across a restaurant or through military-grade binoculars. What that expression meant, he didn’t know. He could only describe it as forlorn. 
    He hadn’t liked it then, and he abhorred it now.
    Mace approached her. “Look, I’m sorry you’re so unhappy with what happened, but it was necessary.”
    Her head turned his way, though she studied the ground at his feet. “It was anything but necessary. Do what you will with me, but there’s no need to lie.”
    Mace paused, surprised by her response. “You needed my help. And if you recall, we didn’t even have sex.” Though the temptation had almost destroyed him.
    “No, you only made me beg for it.” Her expression hardened, but then she turned away as though ashamed. She nearly choked on her next words. “And you bit me.”
    He went still. Was that what bothered her the most? A dark thought settled in the pit of his stomach? “Did it hurt…? When I bit you?” He’d never come across anyone who didn’t find pleasure in the act. But then, he’d never met a Lurela .
    Her brow furrowed as her cheeks flushed. Even though she didn’t answer, he could tell she had liked it…at least a little. And yet, she shouldn’t be surprised by that. He recalled her suggesting she had been bit before. So then what was the problem?
    “My bite helped to alleviate most of your need,” he explained. “I assumed it would be better than the alternative.”
    Truthfully, he’d been so overcome with desire for her he’d taken her vein without thinking.
    She went silent for a long while, scanning the landscape.
    “I hadn’t intended for any of that to happen, you know,” he said. “I just gave you too much of my blood, that’s all.” 
    “For future reference, if it’s a choice between me dying and you giving me your blood, I’d rather die.”
    Red coated his vision as he spoke through clenched teeth. “The offering of my blood was a gift not to be taken lightly. Think twice before you scoff at my benevolence.”
    “Benevolence?” She dared a sardonic sneer and actually met his gaze head-on, which managed to deflate his anger. “Oh, you’re so magnanimous, aren’t you?” Then she crossed the space between them and slapped him on his chest. He took a step back, and his jaw went slack. “So gracious to let me live…?” She slapped him again. “To keep me alive…!” Her hands turned to fists, and she brought them against his torso again. “That it should be an honor for me to give you my blood?” Her fists slammed his chest several more times as she spoke, rocking him backward, but he held his ground. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. “I should be happy to let you take whatever you want?”
    Her words sounded out of place, as though she were talking about something other than what had happened between them last night. He clamped his hands around her wrists when his chest began to sting from her attack, but the verbal assault continued.
    “Are you to be my master now? Will you talk of benevolence when you take me to you clan and loan me out?”
    “Whoa, what?”
    She tried to rip out of his grasp, but he held firm.
    “Let me go!”
    He didn’t. Instead, he allowed her to exert herself till she finally stopped and surrendered to his authority, although her tears never ceased. Once more, her eyes went downward.
    He wished he was one of those vampires who could read minds.
    “What happened to you?” he finally asked.
    She flinched, but didn’t respond.
    “No one had ever acted so negatively toward a vampire’s bite, and it’s not because you’re a Lurela . You’ve been bit before, correct? So you should’ve known what to expect, but for some reason, I don’t think you did.”
    She’d gone completely still, like an animal in the grips of a predator sensing death was imminent.
    He released one of her wrists and hooked his forefinger under her