Chapter 19

Olivia’s POV

I woke up with a start. Sitting immediately upright on the bed, I heaved in a few great breaths as I looked around, trying to take in my surroundings.

I was in a bright room. Oddly, it had windows and curtains pushed open with sunlight peering through. The nearby medical equipment told me I was in a hospital.

I rubbed my forehead with my hand, trying to remember how I got here… how I survived.

That vampire in the woods had bitten my neck so harshly, and had been draining me so eagerly. There was no way I should have lived through that. In the moment, I had thought that for sure, I was going to die.

Before I could piece it together, a werewolf dressed in a white coat, who had to be a doctor came into the room. I blushed a little, remembering how before, I had mistaken Damien for the pet doctor. This man was nothing like Damien. He was an older werewolf, with thinning gray hair and small glasses.

“You are awake,” he said. “Good. Good. How are you feeling now?”

“What happened?” I asked, my mind still reeling. “How did I survive? How did I get here?”

“You were being attacked by a vampire in the woods when Vampire Duke found you and brought you back,” the doctor explained. “Still, your blood loss was so severe, I wasn’t going to be able to save you.”

That I was still alive meant something had happened to change things. I waited for the doctor to continue.

“You were on the verge of death,” he said, “When the vampire Duke gave you a drop of his blood to save you.” He smiled. “That is a tremendous honor for any vampire, and for a pet to experience it… especially with someone as powerful as the Vampire Duke. My girl, you have been blessed this day.”

I looked at him blankly, not feeling very blessed. If I was blessed, I would still be at home with my Mom and sister, making plans for my mating ceremony with Jacob.

Instead I was here, constantly on the verge of death, surrounded by werewolves. Now, I even had the blood of one of them within me? What did that even mean?

If that single drop of Damien’s blood had brought me back from the verge of death, was it going to have other effects too?

The only thing I really knew about vampires’ blood was that it was precious.

Yet… Damien had given it willingly to me to save my life.

Why? Or… did that simply not matter?

I still hated vampires for all they did, especially how they killed by father. But at the same time, I was grateful to Damien for saving my life.

Even if he only saved me because he wanted to keep drinking my blood.

The doctor came closer and gave me a general exam, making sure that my wounds had closed and my blood pressure was back to normal. After this okay, he released me from the pet hospital.

“You can return to your duties as a pet now,” the doctor said. “The vampires are sleeping, but Damien did instruct for you to return to his tower when you were able.”

“Thank you, doctor,” I told him.

He gently shook his head. “If it was just me, you would have died,” he said. “Damien is the one you should thank.”

I didn’t know how to feel about that, but I nodded and left the hospital, heading toward the tower.

When I arrived at Damien’s room at the top of the tower, the door was closed. I assumed it would be lock, but wanting to at least attempt to follow the instructions Damien had left with the pet doctor, I tried the handle.

To my surprise, the door clicked open.

Inside, the room was mostly dark, but there did seem to be a low light set up near the bathroom. It was almost like a night light. Surely, he didn’t need such a thing, being an ultra-powerful vampire.

Had he left that there so I would be able to see on my return?

A strange mix of feelings swirled around inside of me. I didn’t want to acknowledge some of the nicer feelings, because there was no way I should be feeling any level of kindness or affection toward my master.

And yet, as I walked into the room, guided by the warm glow of the night light, I couldn’t deny that I did feel kindness and affection for Damien.

Oddly, those feelings seemed to grow stronger the closer I moved toward the bed and the figure resting on top of the mattress.

Damien wasn’t resting under the covers. Instead, the blankets and sheets were all still carefully made up beneath him. He wasn’t wearing any kind of pajamas, but rather his typical black slacks and a black shirt. His feet were bare and his arms were at his sides.

I’d never seen a vampire asleep before.

He seemed softer now, his features relaxed, which made his pale face even more mysterious. He was so good at schooling his features and keeping his face and voice icy. I didn’t even think he would be capable of a gentle appearance like this.

I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t seem to help myself from moving closer still, despite the danger I knew I was in. If he caught me like this, there would probably be hell to pay.

Though, he did give his blood to keep me alive…

As I moved closer, the more affection and attraction I felt for him, until I found my gaze sliding down to his lips.

In my mind, the memory of his lips on my skin replayed on a loop, as his teeth pierced into my flesh.

The pleasure I had felt in those moments had been indescribable and unlike anything I had ever felt before. To remain pure, I had never allowed myself to feel such bliss, not even daring to touch myself.

Even in dreams, I forced myself to wake up before I could even kiss my fantasy man.

Damien had been awakening things in me, dark pleasures and wants that I shouldn’t have been tempted by, and yet secretly wanted more of.

Though, with the noises I had made in the moments Damien had drank from me, perhaps my wants hadn’t been as secret as I would have liked them to be.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts! Just as I shouldn’t have been leaning closer to Damien, my eyes locked on his lips.

Slowly, inexplicably bold, I moved to the edge of his bed and, raising a hand, reached it out toward his face.

I stopped a few times, not wanting to wake him. I just wanted to feel the softness of those lips once more, so different than the hard edges of the rest of him.

Then, finally, the tip of my middle finger was just close enough, and I lowered it, brushing it across Damien’s plump lower lip.

At once, his eyes snapped open.

I froze.

Without moving any of the rest of his body, his eyes turned to me.

He saw me.