Free Sweet Cravings by Elisabeth Morgan Popolow Page A

blood queen. Vamps changed by her get red eyes. She loved my red eyes—said they were the prettiest shade of all. Anyway, Caen was unlucky and only one of his eyes changed to red, so she beat him a lot. She’s known as the Sadistic Seducer. If she was not pleased, she would torture her blood children and get a thrill from it. Caen and I used to share the same bedchambers, and we talked a lot about escaping and our old lives. He used to be a knight of the King’s Army until she found him and changed him for his prowess with the sword and his good looks. When his one blue eye didn’t change red I thought she had killed him, but instead, she brought him to my chambers where I was ordered to nurse him back to health. It took four months, but he finally got better, and ever since we became buddies. When a vampire turns two hundred, they can leave their master and wander off. We did it together, and he found a promising career in the Paranormal Police. I, though, I was recaptured by Annabelle and severely punished.”
    “What did they do to you?”
    His voice became shaky. “I…I can’t tell you right now, Lily. I’m sorry. It brings back very haunting memories.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay.”
    “Do you know how long we’ve been here?” I asked.
    “Dunno. But I sure hope it’s not three days. You, a fledgling, need to feed at least every day—three days at the most—so if it’s been three days, you’re going to be starving for blood.”
    “Well, I feel fine…” My fangs suddenly slid out, and I felt a burning dryness in my throat. “Spoke too soon.”
    “Just calm down and don’t think about it too much. It’s what helped me.”
    I coughed and sneezed and was instantly shaken by the pain which started in my gut and then spread throughout my whole body. My lips, mouth, and throat were as dry as the Sahara Desert, and I writhed on the floor as the hunger surged through me and pounded me with pain.
    Why now? Why now of all times?
    I kicked out and slammed my feet against the floor, tried to pry the chains off, but I sensed them suck at my energy, my aura, like a car guzzling gas. I stuck my fingers inside the tiny space on the collar around my neck, which I just realized was there, and pushed and pushed but my efforts amounted to nothing. My throat throbbed and my body convulsed. I rolled my head right to left, right to left. My fangs dug into my lower lip and blood trickled out. I could feel my eyes pulsing with need, glowing crimson with desire.
    Just then, as I was thrashing on the ground, a door creaked ajar and light spilled into the room. Caen stepped in and chuckled. “I see the three days has taken its toll on you, Lily.” He said my name softly, almost with admiration, but with a hint of hatred as well.
    I reached a hand toward him. “Thirsty…” I choked.
    “Now this will work better on you,” he said as he took out a long needle from his vest pocket. I flailed and rolled around at the sight of the abomination—needles were my worst enemy.
    “No!” I screamed. “No!” He neared me and bent down, not worried by my wild movements. He grabbed my right arm and lifted the needle.
    “No! No! No!” I shrieked in horror. It was too late. He plunged the needle in and injected me, and then wiped the sweat from his brow.
    “There. That’ll have a very strong narcotic effect, so you won’t be able to move.”
    I swallowed and ceased my lashing. I couldn’t move. I was immobilized, as if I were hit by a tranquilizer gun. My mouth hung open, and my eyes watered. Caen unlocked my bindings, lifted me up, and held me bridal-style—which I had been going through a lot recently—and strode out the door.
    I felt like I did when Darius first met me—some limp thing, like some baby doll hanging from a little girl’s hand.
    He went down a flight of blue-carpeted stairs and into a room, where he locked the door and gently sat me up on a black velvet chair. I groaned as the tingly feeling