CHAPTER 20 – BLOODLUST
The man slumped in Reuben 's arms. With a relieved sigh and bloodstained teeth, the Nightstalker finally released him. As Scarlett stepped over and pressed her lips to the man's bite wound, Reuben wiped a few drops of blood from his chin and licked them off his fingers. Dexter watched him, fascinated. When Reuben noticed, Dexter recoiled in disgust. What was happening to him? Amidst his revulsion, something else, something terrible, was taking hold: an insatiable hunger.
"What's happening to him?" Dexter asked weakly, more to distract himself. He didn't want any of this, but he felt trapped. Reuben had made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't let him off the hook. Or was he just convincing himself that it was Reuben 's fault for what he was inevitably about to do? The inner hunger was growing stronger and harder to resist.
"He's stunned," Reuben said. "In a few minutes, he'll wake up and remember nothing. The bite marks will have disappeared, just like us. Perhaps he'll feel a little dizzy, but a good meal will fix that."
Scarlett rose to her feet and licked her lips. "Your turn." She gestured toward the man. "But don't take too much, or he won't make it."
Dexter hesitated, then stepped closer. The scent of blood overwhelmed him, nearly maddening his senses. He could feel his fangs elongating in his mouth, digging into his gums due to his clenched lips. Every fiber of his being was screaming to pounce on the man at his feet and drain him of his life force. He fought back the urge as best as he could, but it was a difficult struggle. He wanted to ask Scarlett how he would know when to stop, but the thought slipped from his mind along with everything else. Everything blurred from his field of vision, and only the man remained, the two promising red points on his pale neck. Dexter leaned down toward him as if drawn by an irresistible force, licked at the bite wound, closed his lips around it, and began to suck.
It was divine. Everything inside him exploded as the sweet, juicy, warm blood bathed his tongue. Dexter eagerly sucked at the man's neck, craving more, much more. The blood rushed through his veins, and...
A cold grip seized him from behind and flung him away. Dexter hit the ground hard, and the air was knocked from his lungs. For a moment, he wrestled with his senses, feeling as though he'd been thrown from a beautiful summer dream into an icy-cold river.
Red curls brushed his face as someone bent over him, shaking him by the shoulders. "Didn't you understand 'no' or 'don't kill'?" Scarlett snapped at him. Dexter blinked in an attempt to gain clear vision. Right in front of his face was her cleavage, making it nearly impossible for him to look away.
Reuben laughed wickedly behind her. "Come on, sweetheart, he's discovering the Nightstalker within."
Dazed, Dexter got to his feet and wiped his mouth, leaving bloody streaks on the back of his hand. He began to lick them clean but thought better of it and wiped them off disgustedly on his pants.
"Did I...?" He glanced at the man, who was still huddled on the floor.
"No, but you came close," Scarlett said. "You have to listen to his heartbeat. Stop before he gets too weak."
"Now that we're full enough not to be taken advantage of by the Children of the Apocalypse," Reuben chimed in. "Let's go! Now that I have more company, I need to stock up on the blood supply at the castle."
Still somewhat disoriented from the blood rush, Dexter stumbled after them as they left the house. Now that he had literally tasted blood, he found it difficult to silence the inner voice that was whispering that being a Nightstalker wasn't all that bad. Drinking blood was an intoxicating experience. Everything inside him was craving for more. Desperately, he reached for his head. What had Reuben done to him?
The sunlight hit him like a punch in the face as he stepped outside. He quickly pulled up his hood. At least it had the effect of waking him up a bit.
Reuben and Scarlett led him through the village to a place on the outskirts with several trees. His creator placed his hand on one of them and ran it down. There was a click, and the ground beneath Dexter's feet trembled. Startled, he jumped back just in time as the earth gave way to reveal a staircase. It descended into darkness.
"After you, please," Reuben said.
Dexter shot him a withering look but obeyed. There was no point in arguing with a Nightstalker. It would only end painfully for him. He slowly felt his way down the earthy wall into the depths, acutely aware of Reuben 's gaze behind him. To his surprise, Reuben 's gaze pierced the darkness effortlessly once he was out of the sunlight.
At the bottom of the stairs, the corridor took a sharp right turn. Dexter moved in that direction, peering around the corner. A few steps further, the corridor opened into a candlelit room.
Scarlett pushed him forward from behind, and he stumbled into the room. Inside, there were several shelves filled with bottles, barrels, and waist-high glasses filled with a dark liquid. Dexter's eyes widened as the realization hit him. Blood!
On the other side of the room, a woman entered through a door. She went to the counter and folded her hands expectantly in front of an open book. A midnight blue cloak draped around her, covering her hair as well. For a moment, Dexter thought he was facing another Nightstalker, but her eyes were brown instead of red, and she smelled of humans, he realized. It was a sweet scent of life, of fresh, pulsating blood. Uncertain, he looked back at his companions.