The Billionaire Vampire Would Kill To Keep Me

Chapter 19: First Thirst

I woke up thirsty.

Not water thirsty. Blood thirsty.

My mouth was dry, fangs scraping my tongue, gold eyes burning. I could hear everything — cooks breathing downstairs, Mama snoring upstairs, Caspian's slow immortal heart next to me.

And blood. I could smell blood everywhere in Lagos. Danfo driver cutting finger. Mama Tunde pricking finger to taste stew. My mama's blood — warm, familiar, sweet.

"No," I whispered, grabbing my throat. "No no no—"

Caspian was awake instantly, silver eyes on me.

"Amara?"

"I can hear them! I can smell Mama! Her blood! I want— I want—" I crawled away from him on the bed, terrified of myself. "I don't want to be monster!"

"You are not monster," he said, reaching for me.

"Don't touch me! What if I bite Mama? What if I bite—"

He grabbed me anyway, pulling me to his chest, his neck to my mouth.

"Then bite me. Only me. Meam Aeternum, remember? You drink from king only."

"I can't— you'll be weak—"

"I have been alive 312 years, little healer. You think small bite will kill me? Drink."

The scent of his blood — black, ancient, powerful — overrode everything. My fangs dropped full.

I bit. Hard.

He groaned, head falling back, hands gripping my waist as I drank from his throat like he used to drink from me. His blood was cold fire, filling my empty new veins.

"Slowly," he whispered, but his voice shook. "Good... good queen..."

I drank until my gold eyes glowed so bright the whole bedroom lit gold, until my skin stopped shaking.

Then I pulled back, lips stained silver-black, crying.

"I'm vampire," I whispered.

"You are queen," he corrected, licking the blood off my lips, kissing me bloody kiss. "My queen. My wife. My eternal."

Downstairs, my mama shouted: "Amara! Breakfast is ready! Come and eat before—" She stopped as we came down.

I wore Caspian's black shirt, nothing else, hair wild, eyes fully gold, fangs still slightly out because I couldn't control.

My mama looked at me and dropped the spoon.

"Amara? What happened to your eyes? Your teeth? Jesu—"

"Mama, I—"

Caspian stepped in front of me, protective.

"Mrs. Okafor, she is now like me. Fully."

My mama walked slowly to me, touched my face. My cold face. No longer warm nurse skin.

"You're cold," she whispered.

"Mama—"

Then she hugged me. Tight. Despite cold. Despite fangs.

"You died, abi?" she whispered into my hair. "Last night, I felt you die. I woke up. My heart pain me."

I started crying — gold tears now, not clear.

"Mama, I'm sorry—"

"Shhh." She held me, rocking. "My mother died. Her mother died. Every mama watches pikin die small and come back stronger. You came back. That's all."

She pulled back, wiped my gold tears, then looked at Caspian.

"You. You let her die?"

"I brought her back, Mama," he said quietly.

My mama stared, then smacked his arm hard. "If you let her die again, I will kill you, vampire or not! Do you hear?"

"Yes, ma," he said, rubbing arm, smiling despite.

Then Mama looked at me again, serious.

"So... you now drink blood?"

I nodded, ashamed.

She thought, then shouted to cook: "Funke! Bring raw meat! Fresh! With blood! For my daughter!"

"Mama!"

"What? You need blood! You think I will let my pikin hungry? You are still my pikin, vampire or not! Even vampire needs food!"

Caspian burst out laughing — loud, real laugh he hadn't done in 100 years — seeing his mother-in-law ordering raw meat for her vampire daughter.

I laughed too, fangs showing, gold eyes tearing.

And for first time since turning, thirst quieted. Because I was home. Mama home. Where even if you're vampire, your Yoruba mama will still find food for you.

Caspian whispered in my ear as Mama argued with Funke about how bloody meat should be:

"See? You will never be monster. Monsters don't have mamas who order them bloody meat at 8 AM."

I leaned into him, his blood in my belly, my mama's voice in my ears, Lagos outside.

Fully immortal. Fully queen. Fully still Amara from Surulere.