My Blood To Give Read Online Free Page A

what you keep saying,” she told him. “But I am human. I can’t deny the basic human need for physical intimacy. I’m sure the other consorts feel the same way.”
    “Do you mean sex?” he asked. “If you mean sex, you can have sex with any human you want. I can see to that if you like.”
    She gasped. “You want to arrange for me to have sex with another man? Is that what you think I want?”
    “Do you not want sex?” he asked.
    “No!” she cried. “I mean yes. But I don’t want some strange man you’ve arranged for me to have sex with. I came here to be with you. You say you brought me here because you love me. Well, I came here because I love you. I want to give my body to you and only you, and I don’t mean for you to feed off me and parade me around in fancy clothes. I want us to be closer than anyone else. I want us to be two sides of the same coin.”
    “We are,” he replied. “You’re my consort. I couldn’t be closer to anyone if I wanted to be.”
    “But you don’t desire my body,” she pointed out.
    “Oh, I desire your body,” he countered. “I desire your body more than any human man ever could.”
    “You know what I mean,” she shot back. “You don’t desire me in a sexual way.”
    He made a troubled face. “Sex is meaningless to vampires. What I want from you is so much more than that. I desire your body in its purest sense. I desire that part of your body that represents your highest self. I desire your blood, your essence.”
    She turned away. “You don’t understand.”
    “It’s you who doesn’t understand,” he told her. “You will understand one day, though, after we’ve been consorts for a while. You’ll see that the bond between us is deeper and stronger than anything we could ever have through ordinary sex.”
    She didn’t turn around. “If you’re going to wait outside while I change, you might as well go. This isn’t getting us anywhere.”
    He nodded and went out.
    Dara stared out the window. If only the tiny twitter of a house sparrow rang through that window to comfort her soul. What she wouldn’t give for that.
     
     

Chapter Four
    Reeva came back in and quickly had a change of clothes set out for Dara that would suit her visit to the games.
    She traded her ornate court gown for a light blouse and a long skirt. A pair of ankle-high leather boots and a matching leather jacket completed the ensemble.
    When she opened the door to face Andrei, it was with a refreshed air. The disquiet and doubt she had experienced earlier faded away, and she looked forward to the excitement and exhilaration of the games.
    Andrei took her by the hand, and they walked side by side down through the main foyer into the street.
    People of all colors and ages mingled in the square in front of the palace. They smiled and bowed to Andrei, and to Dara. Would she ever get used to that? Would she ever get used to having other people waiting on her, dressing her, and bowing to her?
    Vendors tended stalls on the side streets. Children ran and shouted through the square. Women carried baskets of laundry here and there. Industry, contentment, and tranquility reigned throughout the city. Sanctuary really was the shining city from Dara’s dream. The noise of human activity even obliterated the curious absence of bird songs.
    All at once, Dara glanced around and noticed one other strange difference between this shining city and home. No animals of any kind lived here. No dogs or cats trotted through the streets. No squirrels chattered in the trees. In fact, Dara couldn’t even see any trees, or plants of any kind.
    “What’s wrong with this place?” she asked.
    “What do you mean?” Andrei asked. “Sanctuary is perfect.”
    “There are no animals and no plants,” she said. “There are no trees or flowers. There aren’t even any weeds growing out of the cracks in the pavement.”
    Andrei laughed. “You should be happy about that. People spend a fortune to get rid of