Page 19 of Thicker than Blood
A sexy smirk spreads across his lips, giving him a slightly terrifying appearance as his fangs glimmer in the light. “That must be it then. The reason they sense something unique about you.”
“Who?”
“My friends.” He gestures over my head. “They could smell you and they liked it. Are you sexually pure as well?”
I pull my head back. “Are you asking if I’m a virgin?”
“I couldn’t care less if a mortal has touched you. I meant have you ever indulged your curious nature in a vampire’s bed?”
“Of course not. It’s against the rules.”
Elias tilts his head, the glow of his eyes pulsing. “Do you ever break the rules, Geordi?”
“No. They exist to keep us safe.”
“Perhaps.” He circles me and I follow the movement with my eyes. “But you must have been curious? Tempted, even. Your work exposes you to the world that so intrigues you.”
“I’m not tempted. Not by that.”
“No?” He leans in again, his lips brushing against my earlobe. “Your scent says otherwise. I can hear the blood rushing through your body to stir your cock awake. You can’t lie to me. It’s impossible to deceive me.”
Closing my eyes, I blow out a breath, trying to ground myself, but I sway anyway. “Well I won’t cross the line.”
“What a shame.” Elias moves in front of me, so close I have to tilt my head up to hold his gaze. “Lucky for you there’s one rule I abide by.”
“Wh-what?”
“Compulsion. I could make you do anything I want. I could peel off your clothes and spend the evening counting your freckles if I chose to.”
I clear my throat, desperate to push that visual out of my head. “But you won’t?”
“No. Simply because I enjoy consent. The blood is sweeter when both parties want the exchange.”
“Good.” I set my shoulders back. “Speaking of, I have a vaccine I want to test.”
He raises an eyebrow. “What sort of vaccine?”
“To protect against compulsion. I figured if it works, people could choose to get vaccinated or not. If not, then they’re vulnerable, and vampires could be free to remove that particular restraint.”
He wrinkles his brow. “Why would you develop such a vaccine?”
I worry my bottom lip for a moment, trying to block out the moans behind me. “I feel bad. I know it’s difficult for vampires to hold it back. They shouldn’t have to, but people also have the right to avoid it.”
“Do you think there are mortals who would choose not to accept the vaccine?”
“Of course. A lot of us aren’t afraid of you. Maybe more than you know.”
“Interesting. How do you propose to test it?”
“I would be the test subject. I just need a vampire who can attempt to compel me over a period of time to see if it works. I don’t know what the side effects might be yet, so I haven’t had any approval for clinical testing yet. I think if I could show them some hard evidence, the board would approve it.”
“You’re not afraid of it?”
I shake my head. “Worst-case scenario, it doesn’t work and I end up doing something I didn’t plan to do.”
Elias’s expression morphs quickly into something that looks a lot like concern. “I’d ask that you allow me to choose the vampire then. Your safety is a consideration.”
Swallowing hard, I nod. “I was hoping you would be willing to help me. I mean, you could actually try it first.”