Katie gulped hard. She didn’t know how to react to silence from a clearly angry Alexis. She cradled her wrist and said, “I kept it a secret because I knew everyone, especially you, would make such a fuss, and Josie couldn’t help it, she was just following her instincts.”

“You know what this means?” Alexis said. “Josie will now be ravenous for your blood.”

“I’ll feed her if I need to.”

Alexis shouted, “No,” and backed Katie up against the wall. Katie watched her eyes glowing red and her fangs erupted.

“I don’t want any vampire feeding on you.”

Katie gasped in shock. Alexis was jealous, demanding, and the look of want and hunger in her eyes was desperate. Katie’s body reacted to her. Her skin tingled and tightened with need.

The want and sexual tension was palpable, and Katie was getting caught up in Alexis’s need. She reached out and caressed her cheek, and Alexis groaned. Then she touched her finger to Alexis’s fang and pierced her own finger, making the blood flow into Alexis’s mouth. Alexis closed her eyes and moaned, sucking her finger into her mouth.

It was clear Alexis did like the taste of her blood. Had she been wrong all along?

Katie put her hand on Alexis’s neck and pulled her close. Katie looked deeply into Alexis’s eyes and saw fear, as well as want. Alexis looked like she was fighting what she wanted.

“Kiss me,” Katie said.

“No, it’s not right.”

“It’s right if we want it to be,” Katie whispered.

Katie touched her lips to Alexis’s and ran her tongue along her lower lip. Alexis met the tip of Katie’s tongue with hers and then sucked in Katie’s lower lip.

“Yes, kiss me.” Katie lightly scratched the back of Alexis’s neck. Her heart was pounding as well as her sex. She needed Alexis to touch her.

And then out of nowhere, Alexis pulled away from her. “No, no, I can’t.” Then she sped out of the room at super speed, leaving Katie trying to catch her breath.

“You ran from me again. What’s wrong with me?” Katie shouted, knowing that the Duca would hear her with her exceptional hearing.

Chapter Six

The next morning Amelia was sitting at her dressing table in her silk nightdress straightening her hair while Byron got dressed, and Byron told her about what happened last night.

“This woman—Josie—fed on Katie? Is she all right?” Amelia said.

“Last night all we knew was that Katie found a newly turned vampire. Alexis came to update me while you were in the shower.”

“But is she all right?”

“Yes,” Byron said straightening her tie. “Alexis took a team to The Sanctuary last night. Apparently, Katie didn’t want to tell Alexis or myself because she thought we’d overreact, but she doesn’t understand the severity of being a new vampire’s first blood.”

“What does it mean?” Amelia put down her straightener.

Byron walked over to her and put her hands on Amelia’s shoulders. “Being newly turned is a dangerous time for a vampire. Remember what happened to me when I first became a born vampire?”