Chapter 565: Vampire In Heat

Carmela was this close to poking a few extra holes into him purely out of spite.

His smug grin—relaxed, confident, entirely too pleased with himself was infuriating.

But that was when she suddenly became aware of how close they actually were.

She was sitting right on his lap.

Her legs were spread on either side of him, her body pressed flush against his chest, her weight settled comfortably there, as if it were the most natural place in the world.

From the outside, it probably looked absurdly intimate.

Like a noble lord lounging behind his desk while his personal secretary perched on him, whispering secrets.

The realization sent a sudden spark of heat through her body.

Her lips pressed together. ’Absolutely not.’

She tried to push herself up immediately, intending to put distance between them before Cassius could say anything unbearable.

But shockingly, the moment she shifted her weight, her legs gave out completely.

She dropped right back down onto him with a sharp inhale.

Her body…Her body had betrayed her.

And then suddenly, wave of intense heat surged through her all at once, far stronger than before.

It wasn’t pain—nothing like the hunger earlier—but something far more unsettling.

Her skin felt feverish, her breath coming faster, uneven.

Sweat began to bead along her temples and collarbone.

Even her vision blurred slightly.

She wasn’t hurting.

She was longing.

And seeing her like this once again, Cassius stiffened instantly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked, instinctively steadying her as her weight sagged against him. “Don’t tell me you’re hungry again. I mean, I can give blood, sure, but if this keeps happening I’m going to end up an emaciated corpse by the end of the week.”

She shook her head weakly, gripping his shirt as though it were the only thing keeping her upright.

“N-No…It’s not that.” She said, her voice strained, breathless. “I’m not hungry. I already had enough blood.”

“Then what is it?” He asked more carefully now. “Carmela, what do you need?”

She hesitated.

Her fingers trembled.

For a moment, it looked as though she might simply collapse rather than answer.

Then she swallowed, lifted her gaze to his, and spoke in a voice so soft, so uncharacteristically timid, it startled him.

“I…I need you.” She said.

Cassius blinked. “You…need me?”

“I need you to…” Her words faltered, cheeks flushing faintly as she forced herself to continue. “To touch me. I need you to touch me—to help me feel better.”

The room went silent.

Cassius stared at her, stunned, genuinely wondering if he’d misheard.

“…Carmela.” He said slowly, carefully. “I know I make jokes. A lot of jokes about wanting your body. But you do know I don’t mean forcing you into anything, right?”

“I’m not asking for your body. I wouldn’t—”

“That’s not it, you idiot” She snapped weakly, though her voice lacked its usual sharpness. “This isn’t about giving you what you want.”

She clenched her teeth, clearly struggling as another wave of heat rippled through her body.

“Your blood…” She said, breath hitching. “…has too much vitality. Far too much. When I drank it before, I needed it, I could process it. But now…”

She shook her head, eyes half-lidded.

“Now my body doesn’t need this much life force, and it’s overwhelming me. It’s everywhere—coursing through my veins. I’m burning up from the inside.”

Cassius’s expression shifted. “Burning up…you mean—”

“I’m in heat.”

She cut in bluntly, cheeks flushing despite herself.

“Like an animal. My body has too much energy and nowhere to release it. And it’s reacting…like this.”

She let out a shaky breath.

“The first time, it was mild. I could suppress it. But now, after fresh blood…” She clenched her fist. “I can’t control it anymore.”

Cassius was silent, listening intently.

“My body is demanding release.” She continued. “And because it was your blood…it’s reacting to you. Your presence. Your touch.”

“It’s…drawn to you.”

She swallowed hard.

“If this doesn’t stop, I don’t know what will happen.” She admitted. “I might not survive it.”

Cassius was stunned.

He had been teasing her about her body ever since he met her, but now that it was actually happening, now that she was practically begging for it.

He found himself at a loss for words.

He looked down at her trembling figure, holding her steady as she looked ready to collapse.

“I’m honestly surprised.” He admitted quietly. “Just a moment ago, you said you’d rather die than beg me for anything. I was sure that in a situation like this, you’d let your own body burn out before asking someone like me to touch you.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

Carmela looked into his eyes, her expression a mess of vulnerability and burgeoning desire.

“Normally…you would be right. I wouldn’t let anyone touch me like this. I would accept my fate alone.”

“But you—”

She stared at his face, her mind clearly racing through everything he had done for her—the blood, the protection, the kindness, the way he looked at her.

And suddenly a fresh blush brightened her cheeks.

“W-Whatever!” She looked away sharply as if she was angry with her own thoughts. “If you don’t want to help and instead want to ask dumb questions, then don’t!”

“I’ll deal with it myself!”

Seeing her about to leap off his lap, Cassius reacted instantly, hands shooting out to grip her waist in a panic.

“No, no, no—don’t you dare!” He blurted, voice a mix of alarm and triumph. “Things stay exactly like this. There’s no way I’m letting you escape right now.”

And then slow grin spread across his face as the realization sank in.

“Look at you.” He murmured, voice dropping into a low, teasing rumble. “The proud Carmela, practically jumping into my lap, wrapping herself in satin ribbons, and offering herself up on a silver platter.”

“If I pushed you away now, I’d be the stupidest, most idiotic man alive. So yeah, there’s no chance in hell I’m letting this opportunity slip.”

Carmela’s eyes widened, a fresh wave of heat flooding her cheeks, but before she could protest, his hands moved.

They moved with purpose, sliding straight to the front of her white blouse where the fabric strained against her large, plump, perfectly firm breasts.

His fingers brushed the buttons, ready to undo them.

And feeling this, Carmela’s eyes snapped wide.

Instinct took over.

Her fangs bared in a sharp hiss, hands flying up in a defensive swipe, claws extended just enough to threaten.

“Whoa—hold up! What the hell, Carmela?”

Cassius exclaimed, genuinely baffled at the claw right in front of his face.

“One second you’re begging me to touch you, the next you’re hissing like a feral cat ready to claw my face off!…Make up your mind, woman!”

Carmela realized what she’d done a heartbeat later. Her fangs retracted, cheeks burning crimson as she quickly covered her mouth with both hands, mortified.

“S-Sorry…” She stammered, voice small and shaky. “I…my body just reacted. I didn’t mean to. This is…this is the first time I’ve ever felt anything like this. I don’t know how to control it.”

“My instincts…they kicked in. I thought you were…threatening me.”

Cassius blinked, then let out a soft, understanding laugh.

“Well, turn those instincts off for a minute.” He said gently, though amusement lingered in his tone. “Because if you keep hissing, baring fangs, and trying to slash my face, there’s no way I can help you. We’ll get nowhere fast.”

Carmela bit her lip hard, nodding shyly, embarrassment flooding her features. She looked utterly vulnerable, nothing like the proud vampire who had threatened to kill him hours earlier.

And seeing the ordeal written across her face, Cassius’s expression melted completely. He reached up, brushing a strand of pale hair from her cheek with surprising tenderness.

“Hey…I’m at fault too.” He murmured. “I should’ve realized you’ve never done this before with how upright you are. Going straight for the goods was a bit much.”

He took his hands off her chest as he said,

“We’ll go slower. Much slower. Is that okay?”

Carmela hesitated, then nodded, voice barely a whisper.

“I…I don’t know anything about this. But if you go slower…it would be better.” She trembled again, the heat inside her still raging. “Please.”

Cassius’s smile turned gentle, reassuring.

He didn’t reach for her chest again.

Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a deep, enveloping hug—chest to chest, her head tucked beneath his chin.

The embrace was warm, steady, protective and Carmela stiffened for a heartbeat, caught completely off guard.

But then melted into it, arms slowly coming up to return the hug.

It had been so long since she hugged anymore and she didn’t know if it was because of lack of hugs or the raging fire inside of her.

But his embrace felt so good that she never wanted to let go.

And while she was thinking of how he felt more comfortable then a bed, his hands sneakily slipped beneath the back of her blouse, palms sliding over the cool, smooth skin of her back in slow, soothing strokes—up between her shoulder blades, down to the curve of her spine, tracing lines that made her shiver.

“Like this?” He whispered against her ear, breath warm. “Is this okay? Or is it too much?”

Carmela’s arms came up almost on instinct, wrapping around his neck as she buried her face against his shoulder.

“It’s…fine.” She stammered, voice muffled. “It’s fine. Just…keep doing that.”

He did.

His hands moved in long, gentle sweeps—fingertips gliding over the elegant line of her spine, palms pressing lightly to ease the tension knotted there, thumbs tracing the subtle ridges of her shoulder blades.

Every touch was careful, unhurried, meant to calm the fire raging inside her rather than stoke it higher.

And yet…it excited her all the same.

The contrast was maddening: his palms were warm, almost hot against her naturally cool skin, and every slow drag of his fingers sent little sparks dancing along her nerves.

The firm pressure of his chest against her breasts, the steady beat of his heart under her ear, the faint scent of him filling her senses—it all fed the heat, but in a way that felt safe, controlled, soothing.

She felt the overwhelming vitality from his blood begin to settle, no longer a wildfire but a steady, glowing warmth that pooled low in her belly and made her thighs press together involuntarily.

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