And then, he swallowed.

He drank.

And he sucked.

Charlotte�s blood slid down his throat in a warm, wet rush, a pleasant buzz spreading from his stomach to his limbs. Cell by cell, his body knit itself back together, healing the burned tissue and damaged organs, chasing off the poison.

It was a magic elixir, and it brought him back from the precipice of death.

It made him whole again.

It sharpened his instincts, chased the cobwebs from his mind, strengthened his muscles, remade his bones and skin and teeth. He felt the light return to his soul, the full, undimmed power awakening inside him after a long, dark sleep.

The familiar sight of his bedroom faded away as the craving took over, blotting out his rational mind. He was dimly aware of Charlotte�s soft whimpers, the tremble in her arm, the faint tug as she tried to pull back, but none of that mattered.

He couldn�t stop now.

He didn�t want to stop.

He was alive, his heartbeat strong and steady, his cock rising to full attention as every exquisite drop tempted him into a deeper state of euphoria.

"Dorian," she whispered, faint and fading fast. "That�s enough. I think you�re�"

She tried to pull away again, but she didn�t have the strength. Her muscles finally relaxed, her heartbeat slowing, the numb acceptance settling over her.

Let her go, a voice warned in his head. Release her, or you�ll kill her...

Dorian squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to drown out the voice, to focus on the craving, the hunger, the deep haze of desire buzzing through his nervous system�

"Dorian," Charlotte whispered again.

city streets run red with blood�

"Dorian, please."

crimson city devil strikes again�

"I can�t fight you," she said. "I�m not� strong enough."

no closure on unsolved murders�

"Dorian, stop!"

Dorian opened his eyes.

The reality of his situation slammed into his chest, bringing everything into sharp, undiluted focus.

He yanked her wrist from his mouth and shot to his feet. JrNovels.com