Alejandro pressed up and rotated, pushing the seam of her jeans against the side of her clit. Pleasure rippled through her, making her moan. “I don’t think it will be too hard,” he purred in a confident voice.

“Alejandro,” she gasped against his lips.

“This is not fair.”

He chuckled. “Just tell me to stop, if you want me to stop.” He pressed and rotated, circling against her clit.

Her mouth went dry and she thought she’d swallow her tongue. Ripples of pleasure made her knees feel weak and swamped her thought process. His free arm kept her steady as he rubbed her clit methodically, diabolically . . . bringing her just to the edge of a climax and then holding her there. She creamed against her panties and wished fervently for less clothing between her cunt and his hand.

He leaned in and dragged her earlobe between his teeth. “Say you want me, Daria. I want to hear the words from your lips. Tell me you want me to take these clothes off you, spread you across the bed, and fuck you until you can’t see straight. Say the words and I’ll let you come.”

Anger fought to rise from the depths of her drugged, sexual high but died a whimpering death when he kissed the sensitive place beneath her earlobe and scraped his fangs against her throat.

She made fists with her hands and gasped, “I want you Alejandro. You know I do.” The idea of letting Alejandro have free rein over her body came to her again. Just for one night. Let him do whatever he wished to her.

She felt him smile against her skin in triumph a moment before he sank his fangs into her flesh, at the same time pressing just a little harder against her clit.

Daria gasped as her climax washed over her, the sweet, slight pain of his teeth’s penetration playing counterpoint to the sexual ecstasy coursing through her body.

He drew out her blood while her orgasm went on and on. By the time the waves of pleasure had released her, her knees had completely given out, forcing him to hold her up. The aftermath of her climax swamped her muscles and her mind.

“Damn it, Alejandro,” she slurred as though inebriated. “Who gave you the right?”

He released her throat and laughed softly. Setting her firmly on her feet, he looked at her. “You were mine the moment we set foot in this place. I’m fully within my rights.” He paused, studying her. “Are you going to tell me you didn’t enjoy it?”

She raked her gaze up his body, noting the way his cock jutted against his jeans. He was fully aroused, and a part of her had to stop herself from reaching out and stroking him, leading him to the bed and assuaging his need. She had trouble remembering exactly why that would be such a bad idea.

Instead, she pushed past him. “That’s not the point.”

“So you did enjoy it, then?” His sensual mouth curved in a playful smile. “Because from my end, it looked like you did.”

“Alejandro, I don’t remember you being this damn arrogant.”

He caught her wrist and yanked her against him. His lips came down on hers in a possessive kiss that made her toes curl. Her breath caught at the sensual glide of his lips against hers and the swipe of his tongue into her mouth. He ended the kiss and she pushed away from him.

“I’m the same Alejandro you’ve always known. The same man who wanted you then and who wants you now.”

She made a frustrated noise and headed for the door. “Enjoy your hard-on. I’m going back to work.”

Right before she closed the door behind her, she heard him call, “Baby, everything about you is work.”

She slammed the door extra hard.

Daria crashed out of the building and into the disconcerting Earthlike sunshine. Above her the sky shone a deep blue and white, puffy clouds scudded past. No one was around. Probably everyone was still in Sante Hall, at the party. She stopped for a moment on the path and closed her eyes, immersing herself in the moment in order to ground herself.

Her body still hummed and tingled from Alejandro’s touch. As much as she hated to admit it, the man made her feel good. Being in his arms felt right.

Her ears filled with the twitter of the birds in the trees and a light breeze lifted the hair at the nape of her neck, drying the sweat on her skin. The fresh scent of grass teased her nose and Daria had to remind herself that she wasn’t back on Earth. She was here on Darpong in the Logos Territory, at the Shining Way . . . and Christopher Sante was somewhere in the vicinity.

As she centered herself in the moment, the disturbing pleasure of feeding from the blood donor reentered her mind like a fever she couldn’t shake. He had smelled so good and the thought of his life force, coursing strong and certain through the veins just under his skin, had called to her like the sweetest song. She’d known all she’d had to do was penetrate that thin, vulnerable layer of flesh to drink the goodness within.

Daria shuddered. So this is what it was to be a Chosen. Tears pricked her eyes.

Far away, the muffled sound of voices and music met her ears. Her eyes popped open and she headed toward it. Work. She could do work. It was Alejandro she had problems with.

When she reached Sante Hall and opened the door, the driving sound of digitized music mixed with an ancient tribal beat nearly overpowered her. They’d dimmed the lights, and the scent of human blood, sex, and the tang of tobacco fought for prominence in the room. Daria fought her way through the crush of people, seeking the back of the room where the music was less loud.

As she made her way through, skillfully avoiding being served anything to drink, she caught a glimpse of Brandon sandwiched between two slim, female bodies, his head buried in the throat of one and his hand down the pants of the other. As she glanced around, seeing more such erotic entanglements, her stomach tightened.

To her right a pair of three entwined in a dark corner. A woman between a man and another woman, all questing lips and exploring hands. The succubare in the middle was currently orgasming around some object the male was fucking her with while the woman tongue-kissed her.

All righty, then. That’s how it was. That’s how it always was here in Vamplandia.

She would have to be extra alert. She didn’t want to do any heavy petting with anyone but Alejandro, and obviously she had issues about that, too.

Brandon apparently didn’t have a problem with acting like a local. Of course, if push came to shove and her cover risked being blown, she’d have to join in, too. She just hoped push never came to shove. She’d do all she could to avoid that.

Carlos approached her and she pasted a welcoming look on her face for the oily vampire. She even managed to hold it when he moved to the side and she saw that he led the man she’d fed from earlier. The human stumbled along after him on a chain, looking dazed and confused.

“Valerie,” he greeted her. “I saw you leave with your lover. I am glad you have returned.” He made a show of glancing around. “But where is Emanuel? Did he not accompany you?”

“I’m sure he’ll be along soon. He needed a moment to recompose himself after the excitement of the day.” Damn it. Had her expression tightened just a bit? Had there been a note of sarcasm in her voice?

Carlos smiled knowingly. “Ah, Valerie, are you jealous he chose a woman to feed from? You must not be. The Chosen don’t like to feed on the same sex if they can help it. Well, unless they enjoy the same sex. It was clear to all that the only one he wants is you.”

She wanted to tell the bastard she didn’t need her ego stroked, and she certainly wasn’t jealous of Alejandro’s choice of food. She also wanted to tell him that, by the way, his proximity creeped her out and could he please move away? Instead she unlocked her jaw and said, “I appreciate your reassurance.”

He yanked the chain of the blood donor, who staggered forward a couple of steps. Blood marked the skin of the thirty-something man. His face was pale, his eyes heavily hooded, and his mouth slack. He looked drunk, drugged out of his mind with veil pleasure.

Daria made a tight fist at her side, fighting the obscene allure she had to biting the man again—fighting her newly born Chosen-ness. “Have you been allowing everyone to snack on him?” she asked in a mild voice, tinged with curiosity.

Carlos shrugged one shoulder loosely. “He enjoys it. We enjoy it. It’s a win-win situation. He’s a walking party favor.”

She smiled tightly. “Is he a slave?”

Carlos’s lips compressed. “No. He is a slave to nothing more than his addiction. Once he sobers, if he wants to leave the dome and return to New Chicago, we will allow that. He is paid to be here to play the role of a slave.” He paused. “If you wish to see his employment contract, you may. We don’t deal in blood slaves here, Valerie. We never have and never will. I find the practice abhorrent and would not allow it.”

Daria’s gaze scanned the donor. He would die if he lost much more blood. Daria had to hold herself back from taking his chain from Carlos’s grasp and dragging him out of there. She couldn’t do that. To act in such a way would blow her cover, it would endanger their lives, and, worse, Sante would get away. Again.

Carlos yanked on the man’s chain again, not knowing he was also yanking hers. “Would you like another taste for your evening sustenance?”

The human’s addiction-glazed gaze snapped to her face and a look of longing transformed his slack expression. The man was so out of it he didn’t even know he was a breath away from death. Two more good pulls on this man’s veins might very well mean his end.

She shook her head, searching for a response that would be plausible. “He looks dead on his feet. This man is playing fang roulette.” God, she hoped those words got through to the human. “I don’t want to be the Chosen who kills him and takes away a valuable Shining Way employee.”

Two birds, one stone. She’d done what she could to warn the man while not acting overly interested in his welfare.

He nodded at her throat. “I see your lover has bitten you and you have lost blood. As a newly Chosen I am surprised you can resist the offer.”

“As you have already pointed out, I have a very strong will. That’s why I made it through the succubare.” She gave him a cold little smile. “In fact, if you must know, I don’t like dining from other Chosens’ leavings.”

The human reacted as if slapped. Awareness snapped to attention in his bloodshot eyes, and he speared her with a look to kill. Daria was surprised he still retained an ego to be bruised. Of course the man didn’t know she was trying to save his pathetic life.

Carlos’s gaze took her in from head to toe. “You have an attitude already and you are but newly born.” A slow, small smile that turned her stomach spread over his face. “Perhaps you will do well here after all.”

She returned his smile. “I’m pleased you think so.”

Daria sensed Alejandro’s approach behind her.

Carlos looked over her shoulder, glimpsing him. “Ah, and here is your Emanuel. I will take my leave.” He turned away to melt back into the crowd, trailing the blood donor behind him. That poor man wouldn’t last the night, voluntary service or not. Idiot.

She turned and caught Alejandro’s gaze. His eyes were hooded and he looked pissed off. Of course, unless he’d taken himself in hand after she’d left, she wasn’t surprised he was agitated. His cock had been like a steel rod, and she’d left him unsatisfied.

Anything? He’d opened a private mental pathway. Even in her brain, he sounded tense.

No. She paused. Look, it makes me nervous to speak this way. I’m afraid I’m going to slip and broadcast all over the place.

You won’t. It doesn’t work that way, but we’ll work on it tonight in the room, okay? Let you have some practice before we do this anymore. He cut off the pathway so fast her brain practically spun. Yep, he was still mad.

She knew from the manual that the telepathic abilities between Chosen took a long time to master. It required several steps in order to address more than one person at a time, steps she wasn’t ready to try yet. Steps she didn’t even know. Still, she was shaky on her newly Chosen feet and didn’t want to take any chances. Doing these things in reality was far different than reading about them in orientation.

Alejandro came to stand near her. His body heat radiated off him and she absorbed it with gratitude. Despite the press of bodies in the room, she remained chilled. In the distance, they both watched Brandon enjoying himself.

“I see Brandon has settled in well,” Alejandro murmured.

“Yep.”

“Sante’s been here. I heard from someone in the crowd.”

Her body stiffened.

“He’s gone now.” He took a swig of his beer. “Back into his hole here under the dome, wherever that is. People around here talk like he’s a god.”

Frustration at missing his appearance tightened her stomach. “To these people, he probably is.”

Carlos climbed onto the podium, and everyone in the room clapped and cheered. Daria scanned the area near him, but saw no sign of the male blood donor. She hoped Carlos had sent him away. Or, even better, he’d left on his own. Carlos held his hands out in a gesture meant to quiet the crowd and the roar died to a murmur.

“Let us all give thanks to our benefactor, Christopher Sante, for hosting this gathering tonight. Without him, we would not have the pleasure of each other’s company, sustenance in our veins, or a roof over our heads. We all benefit from his generosity.”

The crowd went crazy, hooting and clapping. Daria tried not to gag as she applauded politely and smiled.

When everyone calmed, Carlos continued. “Tonight we celebrate to welcome new members into our community. We hope they are happy here . . . and are productive.” The crowd cheered, and he made the hand gesture again. The boisterous Chosen again quieted. “So tonight, eat, drink, and be merry. Tomorrow we go back to work!”

Alejandro and Daria exchanged a quick look. The outside world knew next to nothing about the Shining Way. It was a theory that the commune produced some kind of product, origins masked by an unknown distribution company, in order to finance themselves. Or it could be some kind of work related to the trafficking of blood slaves, or drugs, or both. Really, it could be anything.

Daria eased the beer bottle from Alejandro’s fingers and took a drink herself.