Between the Marshal & the Vampire(30)

She gave him an arch look. "Among other parts of my body?"

He brushed against her as he passed her. "Never said I had any self-control when it comes to you, Mariel."

She shivered at his murmured warning. Or was it a promise? She could take it as either.

Vellum emerged from the darkness moments later, his steady gaze moving over the camp, then the two of them. "You're efficient tonight."

"There's water ahead," Clay told him. "We could make it there before sunrise if that's something that interests you."

"Of course. We could use the water." Vellum hitched up his sleeping box. "And I wouldn't mind cleaning off." He looked back at them. "I'll make my feeding quick then, so we can be on our way."

"You can feed from me," Clay spoke up before Mariel had the chance. She held her tongue, understanding that he needed to do this. It probably helped that Vellum didn't intend to play with them this time. No doubt Clay was hoping to get through this with minimal contact between him and the vampire.

"That's very generous of you, Marshal." Vellum stood stock still, only his lips curving slightly at the corners. "I admire a man who's willing to shoulder his share of the burden. Though I hope that in this case, neither of you consider what I need from you to be a burden."

"It's fine," Clay muttered, rolling his head on his neck.

"Not a burden then?" the vampire purred.

Mariel clutched her saddle as she looked to Clay.

But the whiskey-eyed man only smiled at Vellum. "We all do what we must. You should understand that, hmm, vampire? Bloodsucking wasn't your choice."

Mariel sucked in her breath. Vellum heard, his obsidian gaze moving to her before settling once again on Clay. "The loss of choice is an unfortunate thing," he agreed softly.

Did he dislike drinking from them? She had always assumed it didn't bother him, that he might actually glean a great deal of pleasure from the act since it also fed his nature's need to dominate.

He drew his duster around him, and suddenly his imposing figure was no longer as imposing. "I'll take from your wrist this time, Marshal. That will be the least invasive for you."

Clay cocked an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Thank you."

He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm as he approached the vampire. When he was within reach he held out his bare arm.

Vellum took hold of it at wrist and elbow but instead of raising the limb to his mouth, he contemplated it. "Men will never understand the appeal of their blood to my kind," he murmured. He brushed his thumb over the tracery of veins in Clay's wrist. "Imagine a hunger that is so keen that it feels like an obsession." He used two fingers to trace the veins up the underside of the Marshal's forearm, eliciting a shiver from Clay. "To want something doesn't mean you wish to destroy it. You can want something because it appeals to you. Because the thought of possessing it makes you feel fulfilled."

"Lots of pretty talk about sucking my blood," Clay said tightly. "Just get on with it."

"If I were speaking only of your blood, you wouldn't be so nervous," Vellum said with a flash of fang. The next moment, his dark head bent over Clay's wrist and Mariel saw the Marshal shudder.

Vellum drank relatively quickly. If Clay experienced any of the vampire's effects after the initial bite, he didn't reveal it to Mariel. When Vellum finally lifted his head, he gazed up at Clay and licked his damp lips. "Sometimes the hunger can be a leash, as well. You're not the only one who's collared, Marshal. Remember that."

He strode away and mounted up. After a moment's hesitation, Clay buttoned up his sleeve and did likewise. In silence, they began their ride across the starlit desert.

However, Mariel doubted it was a silence that would last, and she was proven right.

"So vampires do care about some of the things the rest of us do," Clay said after some time.

"We share a great deal in common, Marshal. You'd be surprise."

"So surprise me."

There was challenge in his voice, but Mariel could see Vellum hadn't taken it as antagonism.

Vellum settled his hands atop his pommel, a picture of relaxation. "There's the matter of a good steak. I can still appreciate the smell and taste of one, even if my body is no longer capable of ingesting the flesh."

"You mean all this time we should have saved some for you?" Mariel asked, feeling bad about the fact she'd never once offered him a taste of their meals.

"Not at all. As I said, I'm unable to digest bulk matter." He leaned forward slightly in his saddle so he could see her beyond Clay. "Though I would have enjoyed licking your fingers clean."

She shivered, knowing he might be teasing but that he also meant it. She had to admit she was looking forward to her next meal.

"What else?" Clay demanded, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.

Vellum seemed to smile to himself. "Though I'm no longer the man I once was, I continue to find my eye turned by a beautiful woman."

"You don't have a future with Mariel."

Clay's blunt declaration shocked her.

"You may play with her now, but the end, she won't be yours," he went on. "Such a thing is impossible."

"I'm not unaware of reality, Marshal." This time it was Vellum's voice which carried a barbed note. "However, I am adept at enjoying the moment. When you're practically immortal you must learn to portion out the time lest it feel like an eternal damnation."