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The honeyed taste of her blood blanketed his tongue like a rich, decadent dessert. He’d never had a sweet tooth, but indulging in her savory essence might change his mind. After the first swallow, he braced himself for the onslaught of her recent memories that would follow.
Pictures, accompanied by fragrances and sounds, fought for prominence. He withdrew from her neck and used his tongue to wipe the puncture wounds to heal them.
By the time she came out of her compulsion, it would be healed.
Holding her in thrall, he took a step back with his hands on her shoulders. “Katsuki, look into my eyes.” She must’ve closed them when he took her blood.
Her eyes opened and the pupilless turquoise color deepened a darker hue.
“You will have no memory of me being here with you. The reason for the time delay is you’ve been daydreaming.”
Her expression slackened with her mouth open. She blinked in slow motion.
“Tell me you understand.”
“Yesss, I understand. I’m thinking about our mission and how Jelena can help us and not put herself in danger.”
Sorting through Katsuki’s recent memories, he uncovered the main reason she was so protective of Jelena. She viewed the younger woman as a surrogate daughter. After the sudden death of the Akurn woman Jelena called MoMo, this female and her two companions raised the young hybrid alien.
Having Jelena join their little family helped to fill the aching gap in her heart after the Akurns kidnapped her natural daughter, Arzea. Katsuki had been a commander of a spaceship that the Akurns boarded in one of their last pillages before the planet got caught in Earth’s solar system. The planet she came from, Nakata, had an ironclad matriarchal society. Must’ve been a shock to find herself a prisoner on an ingrained patriarchal planet like Akurn.
Taking care of Jelena had been a welcome challenge for Katsuki. She and her two companions struggled with how to handle Jelena’s unusual dietary needs. At first, they allowed her to take their blood. But it was soon apparent she needed more than they could give. Especially when it turned out Qhasheik’s blood was indigestible for her. Through the years, they guided her on how to use her enthrallment talents to take from the citizens of Azadi with no one the wiser.
There was something else about Jelena that worried Katsuki. Not only did she think Jelena had an unrealistic obsession about Sychar, but it disturbed Katsuki how quickly it escalated. Over the last several months, Jelena had become absentminded and subject to wild mood swings. She had a tendency to neglect her health until her bloodlust overwhelmed her. More alarming was, the only thing Jelena wanted to talk about was Sychar.
Zamush frowned. Since he’d known her, she didn’t act the way Katsuki’s memories portrayed her. She seemed pretty level-headed to him.
When he visited Abiditan, he’d get another opinion.
Zamush touched the middle of Katsuki’s forehead with his forefinger. When he connected with another’s skin, it added an extra push to the compulsion he sent into them. “Katsuki, you will be at peace. You still want to find your daughter, Arzea, but the pain of separation will lessen. Your suspicions about me are unfounded. Remember, I am your trusted companion. Repeat that you understand.” He drew his hand away without leaving a mark.
Katsuki’s jaw snapped shut. “I am at peace. I will find my daughter.” Her shoulders drooped as if tension alone held them up. The dark blue of her eyes lightened to teal as her gaze focused on him. “You are my trusted companion. I have no suspicions about you.”
“Very good.” Zamush let his other hand drop from her shoulder. “Continue what you’re doing. I’ve never been here.”
Without a word, Katsuki turned her back on him and focused on her tablet.
He watched her bend over an open container as she pointed to whatever she counted inside. With a small smile, he left the cargo bay and headed to the kitchen galley to search for the Akurn. His mouth watered. He’d tasted a pureblood Akurn before, and he couldn’t wait to do it again.
A flash of red on the wall above him caught his eye. Was that damn lizard still following him? If Zamush didn’t know any better, he’d swear he was being tailed by a spy.
He stopped outside the kitchen galley as the rich scent of something cooking made his mouth water. While taking blood was essential to live, he still had to eat like everyone else. Another thing about the stupid vampire lore humans got wrong.
His stomach growled. He’d better be careful when he sampled the man’s blood. The small amount he’d taken from Katsuki was just an appetizer. He had to be careful. If he’d gone too long without food, he had a tendency to overindulge when feeding from a host. After subduing the Akurn, food was next on the to-do list.
Taking a deep breath, he observed Abiditan stirring something in a big pot. Zamush’s eyebrows rose. This spaceship had an Earthlike stove and oven? You’d think they’d have food processors or something. Even on Earth, they were close to inventing a 3D printer that would create something edible.
But whatever the Akurn was cooking made his stomach growl again. It must’ve been loud enough because the male turned around and pointed a small sharp knife at him.
“How did you get out?”
Zamush lowered his head and stared compulsion into the Akurn. “Put your weapon on the counter.”
Abiditan complied, his face relaxed.
“What are you cooking?” His stomach growled again.
“Chicken and Andouille gumbo.”
