"Do you mind if I ask what you did last night?" Tanner asked.
I looked at him. He seemed nervous, but interested, not frightened. Maybe this would work out after all. "Sure. Ask away."
"First of all, it felt more amazing than anything I've ever experienced. Then afterward, I felt a growing strength which is why I was able to take on my teammates. What did you do?"
I rolled onto my side to see him better. I traced his chest with my fingers, thinking about how to explain it to him.
He turned and looked deep into my eyes. "Whatever it is, you can trust me. I'm not going to tell anyone. Who would I tell?" he asked with a smile. "Everyone else at school hates me."
Tracing his broad shoulders, I said, "Soon they'll start treating you better."
He took my hand and kissed it, placing it back on his chest.
I traced his chest again. "Do you have an open mind?"
His body shook with shivers as I moved my fingers to his neck, where I had bitten him. "My mind couldn't be more open. I stayed awake last night trying to figure out what you did. You wouldn't believe the thoughts that came to my mind."
I ran my fingers along his face stopping at his lips. I kissed him briefly. "What did you think about?"
He kissed me back. "I thought that maybe you were a witch, casting a spell on me."
"I'm no witch," I whispered. "You can't trust them anyway."
Tanner raised an eyebrow. "You've met a real witch?"
Running my fingers through his hair, I said, "More than I care to think about. They hate my kind."
He took a strand of my long hair and twirled it around his finger. "Why is that? I can't see anything to hate."
"We're more powerful. When we request their services, they have no choice except to oblige. Even the most powerful ones."
"Tell me more," he whispered.
I caressed his ear with my breath. "Let me show you instead. You can figure it out." I moved to his neck and licked circles lightly, giving him the chills and preparing his skin. "Pay close attention to what I'm about to do."
"Oh, I am."
I smiled, then I gave a little nip, allowing the venom to start its magic. I pulled away, then watched him close his eyes as he relaxed. I stared at his beautiful face for a moment, tracing the bruises which had nearly disappeared. My venom from the previous night had helped his body to heal faster. I moved back to his neck and bit down, giving him a stronger dose of the venom this time.