Sweeter than Sweets {M/M} (Dogs, Bats & Monkey Series, Book III)

Chapter 18

Quite recently.

There was a law about how often one Feeder can be fed on and how much blood it was acceptable to take from them. While I wasn't usually much of a sticker to laws, I agreed that there was a good reason behind this one. After all, too little blood in a person's veins meant sickness or even death. Even I kept that in mind when I was biting someone, which was why if I intended to nibble on the same person often, I didn't take much blood. Sometimes, I wouldn't even take any at all, simply bite them for the thrill of it (for them) or to alleviate boredom (for me), then let them patch themselves up.

By the looks of this guy, he'd parted with more than just a few drops lately.

"Have you gone broke and unable to afford more Feeders, grandfather?" I drawled, leaning back in my chair, away from the human. "Mine has already been drunk from."

Bolek, who was drinking quite carelessly from the woman kneeling next to him, had his eyes on me. After a brief moment, he waved in the general direction of the servants, his fangs still sunk in the wincing woman's wrist. One of the footmen took my food away and brought back another meal, this time a healthy female. Like the guy before her and everyone my family was currently feeding on, she fell to her knees and offered her wrist without a word. My fangs elongated, the gums itching, the feel of the woman's skin against them as I bit into her soothing that itch. I drank from her, taking three lazy pulls of warm blood, then let go. I hadn't been hungry, but I didn't want any comments about me being too squeamish to feed this way.

By the time I was done, so was everyone else. Bolek, Anastasiya and Ekaterina's feeders looked sort of dazed, and Vika was offering water to hers. The human was just reaching for the glass when grandfather gave the order to send the Feeders away and bring in the rest of our dinner.

"Really, Viktoriya? Offering the human a drink?" Ekaterina started, reaching for her glass, delicate sarcasm in her inflection. "How noble of you." She took a sip of her wine. "At least your bite was a clean one this time. You used to be such a messy eater."

"I've never been a messy eater, mother, you just like to nitpick, especially when it comes to me," my cousin calmly commented.

"Do you see what I have to deal with, sister?" Ekaterina placed her glass back on the table.

"At least your child took what was given to her. Mine kicked up a fuss." For the first time since I'd walked in, my mother looked at me, her eyes full of as much annoyance her dignity allowed her to display.

"You would've asked for someone else too in this situation, mother dearest," I noted.

"Yes, but I'm a Dayer of good breeding and you are just a mutt. You should be grateful we feed you at all."

"If you didn't want a mutt of a son, you should've told your dear old dad over there to shove it when he ordered you to sleep with a shifter. Instead, you chose the noble task to whore yourself for the family. You two, aunty." I raised my glass to salute them both.

Humans had often told me that when I was angry, they could feel my presence as if it was a corporal force that was about to come down upon them. Even if I stood very still, they'd feel that I was inching closer and pressing into them, choking them.

It was an exaggeration, of course. Humans were the only species to posses Gifts, but in this moment, as two sets of eyes - one golden, one silver - sent daggers my way, I could understand the dramatic description.

"Enough," Grandfather ordered evenly before either of the women had had a chance to retaliate. "We eat now."

I smiled sweetly at my mother before turning my attention to my plate.