Innocent Devil’s Harem Taboo Ch. 08

He hesitated for a second, before accepting it, taking a second sip. "Yep," he said. "The caffeine pill is definitely in this one. Sorry about that," he repeated, before moving to go sit back down at the table. "Although, worst case, you just might have had a hard time going to sleep tonight."

"R-Right," I agreed, holding the glass up to my nose to verify it smelled normal. When it did, I decided to gulp half of it down and then set it on the table. Of course, Nick would have no idea that caffeine could have an adverse effect on me, not to mention the guy really did look exhausted. I supposed I really did overreact, although it made me wonder why he didn't just swallow the pill.

I decided to ask, echoing my thoughts. "Hey Nick, just wondering, but why not take it like a normal pill?"

He nodded in acknowledgment, taking another sip, only to swirl the juice in his glass a little. "Oh, well, there are two reasons actually. One is that I have a hard time swallowing pills in general -- bad gag reflex -- but the main reason is because I get horrible stomach cramps from taking these pills whole. Letting it dissolve in something prevents that from happening."

Gabriella chimed in then. "Why not just drink coffee or something?" she wondered.

Nick shrugged. "Well, honestly I didn't want to ask you guys to make some, since you were already making dinner for us." He paused. "And I also like to know exactly how much caffeine I'm getting. It's sort of an OCD thing." He paused again. "Well, not really. I don't actually have OCD, but you know." He shrugged.

Serenity hadn't said anything yet, seeming like she felt a little awkward from us pestering him with all our questions. She finally spoke up. "Anyway Nick, do you want to go chat in the living room while they make dinner? It sounded like this whole 'them making dinner together' thing was sort of a date."

Fuck! How was I supposed to enjoy my 'date' with Gabriella when my sister was in the other room with some random dude?

And Nick was definitely some random dude! She said he'd only recently moved here! Surely she couldn't already be interested? But then what other reason would she have invited him over? Just to be nice?

At least I'd be able to listen in on them, to kind of gauge my sister's interest, and to make sure there was no funny business. But shit.

I shrugged in response to my sister's comment, trying to act casual. "Yeah, I admit it was, but I didn't want to be rude."

Serenity smiled, though it was a little off. "Oh, no. You're fine, Kai. I'm glad you two are getting along so well," she said, giving me a wink that thankfully no one else noticed -- Gabriella had turned to focus on chopping up the peppers, and my sister was standing a little behind Nick, off to the side.

Normally, I might have found myself threatening to at least blush, between her wink and what she was suggesting, but I was too distressed over the drink situation and just the very fact that Nick was even here.

"Anyway," my sister continued, focusing on her guest. "Let's leave them alone until dinner's ready."

Nick nodded in agreement, holding his glass of orange juice as he followed her out of the kitchen. He glanced back one last time just before entering the foyer area. "Sorry again about that."

"It's alright," I replied casually. "It's just caffeine, after all. Wouldn't have hurt anything anyway."

I then sighed heavily once they were out of sight.

I heard Serenity suggest he have a seat on the couch, followed by her sitting down as well. I relaxed a little when I heard her shift her weight, because while I couldn't be sure without looking, the fact that neither of them had quicker heartbeats suggested to me that my sister made sure there was a cushion between them.

However, now that they were occupied, I was thinking about the drink again, as well as the fact that this guy was on the case involving me in the first place.

Turning around, I saw that Gabriella was watching me cautiously.

She spoke up in a whisper when I moved closer to begin working on the chicken again.

"Can they hear us from in there?" she wondered. When I shook my head, she continued. "Well, that was a close one. That could have been really bad."

I shook my head a second time. "No, I didn't actually drink any of it. I heard him put the pill in and I could smell it, so it wouldn't have been an issue either way. I was just more concerned about whether or not the pill was truly harmless. But I guess I was just being paranoid."

She shrugged. "I don't think you're being paranoid. I mean, he's on the case. Not to mention, we just had that encounter this morning with someone who appeared to be one of the good guys. So, I really don't think you're being paranoid at all. We did talk about how that man could have had a third accomplice."

I thought about that for a second. "Yeah, but I honestly don't think it's him if that's true, especially if he just moved here. Plus, he seems too sincere. I can hear when people have elevated heart rates, and I can smell when they are nervous. He seems completely chill, just tired is all. I think he's alright, so let's just focus on enjoying cooking together."

Of course, I didn't want to mention that I also had a problem with him due to the fact that I had a thing for my older sister.

Gabriella smiled. "Okay, but I don't want to accidentally say something to turn you on, so maybe we can talk more about you. Can you tell me more about yourself?"

I nodded, grabbing the knife again to cut up the thawed chicken. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Hmm, let me think," she replied, working with her own cutting board, the two of us side-by-side. "Can you tell me about school?"

I sighed, running the knife through the raw meat. "I mean, there's really not much to tell about that."

Gabriella seemed cautious as she responded, as if she might offend me. "Well, your sister mentioned you don't have any friends, so does that mean you sit alone for lunch?"

"I try to," I admitted. "I usually don't socialize with anyone, although I'm not exactly rude either. If someone talks to me, then I'll respond most of the time. But I also don't make an effort to keep a conversation going." I shrugged. "I think most people have gotten used to it, although I know it bothers some of them, since I do interact a lot more when I have to, such as for class." I paused, knowing there was really only one person in particular. "For example, there's a girl who sits with me at lunch almost every day. She knows I won't talk to her for the most part, so she doesn't even try getting me to socialize anymore, but she still sits with me. However, she has a lot of friends, so that means the table always ends up full." I sighed. "Honestly, if it wasn't for her I probably would eat alone, although I've kind of gotten used to it."

Gabriella looked at me in surprise, suddenly suspicious. "Is she pretty?"

I shrugged. "I mean, maybe? But I don't think about stuff like that -- I can't." I then paused when I realized she looked a little jealous. "Hey, you don't need to be jealous of her. Even if she is pretty, she's got nothing on you."

She sighed. "I just don't like the idea of some random girl trying to steal my guy. Or rather, I don't like the idea of being replaced. I suppose it wouldn't bother me too much if..." Her voice trailed off.

I looked at her in confusion, expecting her to continue, but she didn't. I thought about prompting her, but then wondered if maybe it would be better to just ask her later. After all, anything related to dating wasn't exactly a subject we should probably focus on right now.

I cleared my throat. "Well, to be fair, you and I have only been together for a day. If anything, she'll probably think the same thing, if she finds out I have a girlfriend." I paused. "I mean, if she even has a thing for me in the first place," I quickly added.

Gabriella sighed heavily. "How long has she even been doing this?"

I began putting some of the chicken in the skillet as I thought about it. "I think she started after we had a group project together. I obviously had to talk to her, so she probably found it as a shock when I didn't speak to her much after the project was done." I paused, grimacing. "Now that I think about it, she did seem hurt that I wouldn't socialize with her when she tried eating with me the first time, but for whatever reason she never gave up." I shrugged. "That was two years ago."

Gabriella abruptly stopped what she was doing, looking up at me in disbelief. "She's been doing this for two years? Okay, seriously that's obsessive. Are you sure she hasn't been stalking you too?"

I shook my head, rinsing my hands off, before leaning against the counter now that I was finished with my part of the chopping. "I would know if she was," I replied in a low voice. "Heightened senses, remember? Her scent isn't overwhelming like yours, but I know what she smells like."

Gabriella was quiet for a few minutes, her red eyebrows knitted together as she focused on cutting up the bell peppers. When she finally spoke, she seemed less annoyed. "Well, honestly, I guess I can understand. Even though you ran away the first time I met you, I wanted to pursue you, and I would have kept trying." She then looked up at me carefully. "What I mean is, I probably would have done the same thing -- obsessed over you, hoping you would let me in eventually."

I looked at her in surprise, suddenly concerned. "Do you think my unfriendliness actually makes me more enticing?"

Gabriella considered that. "Possibly it does for her, but not for me. I was actually happy that you opened up to me sooner rather than later. Meaning, I was interested either way. You didn't have to be distant, or play hard-to-get, for me to feel obsessed."

Obsessed? Holy fuck.

I was careful as I probed for more information. "Okay, obviously we need to be careful about how intimate this conversation gets, but I have to ask..." I hesitated. "You're obsessed with me?"

She sighed, glancing at me. "Are you sure you can handle the truth right now?" When I nodded, she continued slowly. "Obsessed, infatuated, fixated, lovesick. I'm it all, honestly. I wish you could feel my emotions, so you could know just how crazy I am about you. And it's not just a shallow infatuation based on appearance only. You really are everything I've ever wanted, and you're even things I didn't realize I wanted."

"Like what?" I wondered, trying to keep myself reserved emotionally, as if we were talking about math or something.

Gabriella took a deep breath, her voice still low. "Well, I would have been fine with you being a normal guy. That wouldn't have changed my foundational interest in you. However, the fact that you aren't normal..." She hesitated. "Well, you're fulfilling a need that I didn't even realize I desperately wanted. Like, I do like to read stories about this kind of thing, but it's just fantasy. I never realized how much it would mean to me to be loved by someone like you." She paused, only to quickly clarify. "Not that you being supernatural is the most important thing. I wasn't lying when I said I would have come here last night, rather than trying to find the guy who saved me, if it had been someone else."

I nodded in acknowledgement, unsure of how to respond.

Gabriella took a moment to examine my expression and appearance, before continuing while remaining focused on her chopping. "And then, there's the fact that you're so innocent. I know that won't last forever, and I already knew I liked that about you, but I didn't realize how much I needed to be the one to steal that innocence from you. Like, I really feel like you're mine for keeps, even if something ever happened between you and someone else, because I got to be the one to take that from you."

I couldn't hide my shock from what she was insinuating, the implications forcing me to close my eyes as my body started shifting.

She continued without missing a beat, not seeming to notice. "Mine forever," she emphasized. "Plus, it makes for an amazing time in bed," she added, sounding amused before her tone immediately became apologetic. "Sorry."

I shook my head, still trying to focus my transformation so that it didn't show on my visible skin or hair. Then, I took a deep breath. I knew my sister and Nick were still safely in the living room, so I decided to open my gold and black eyes to glance at her. "It's alright," I whispered. "Maybe you can tell me more tonight, but we should probably change subjects."

Gabriella nodded slowly, her emerald eyes wide, now seeming entranced by my gaze.

I quickly looked away. "I'm going to grab the can of tomatoes and get it open, so we can begin sautéing them with the peppers." Really, I just needed an excuse to walk away for a few seconds.

"R-Right," she agreed, quickly attempting to finish up.

However, just as I turned away, I heard her wince quietly, knowing instantly that she'd cut herself. I could smell the blood.

"Ouch," she hissed softly.

I turned back around to see how bad it was, glad that it didn't look too deep, although it was still bleeding freely, already threatening to drip onto the cutting board. Gabriella moved her hand over the sink to rinse it off.

"Wait," I whispered, my tone more urgent than I intended.

I then immediately turned my head away, suddenly ashamed when I realized why I asked her to wait. Because I wanted it. I wanted her blood.

Gabriella picked up on my expression. "Do you need it?" she asked quietly. When I didn't respond, her tone became more decisive. "Hurry up, before it drips." She then reached out with her other hand to grab my shirt, urging me closer. "Hurry and do it. Otherwise, it will go to waste."

I focused on her with my black and gold eyes, still feeling ashamed, sincerely craving her blood, but hating myself for the desire.

Gabriella reached up then, grabbing my chin as she brought her bleeding finger closer, holding it up to my mouth. The fact that the blood was about to drip on my shirt finally gave me the little extra push I needed to allow her to stick her finger in my mouth.

The taste was overwhelming, my mind flooded with relief briefly as I began sucking on it.

However, after the small amount, the desire vanished, the urge completely dissipating again. I quickly pulled her finger out of my mouth, my ears attentive to my sister in the other room as I held Gabriella's hand down under the sink to rinse it off.

I could hear my girlfriend's heart pounding in her chest now from our shoulders being pressed firmly together, but I ignored it, experiencing a weird combination of depression and compassion. The compassion, at least, was enough to cause my skin to continue darkening underneath my shirt.

Once the gray color was threatening to climb up my neck and down my arms, I finally pulled away, apologizing quietly as I went to go hide in the closet-like pantry for a moment. Standing alone for a few minutes helped a ton, reminding me that I had more pressing issues to worry about, including the fact that we had company over, who also happened to be on the case in the search for the guy who saved Gabriella.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the can of tomatoes and then returned to her side.

She was holding a paper towel against her finger, checking to make sure it had stopped bleeding when she noticed me approach.

"Do you need a bandage?" I asked quietly, my tone somber. She nodded, so I continued. "Come with me?"

When she indicated she would, I set down the tomatoes on the counter and then led her upstairs. I called out to Serenity on our way up, saying we would be right back. She didn't seem concerned.

Once we were alone in the bathroom, I apologized again. "I'm really sorry about that."

She shook her head. "If you needed it, then you needed it. It would have just gone down the sink anyway."

I sighed, pulling out a bandage for her finger, and then beginning to apply it for her. "Yeah, but..." My voice trailed off for a second. "I really don't like this," I admitted. "I've gone my entire life not knowing this was something I might need under certain circumstances. It makes me feel like a monster."

Gabriella gently rested her hand on my chest, prompting my hair to flash white. "You're not a monster. We just talked about this earlier today," she added firmly.

"I know," I agreed. "But still. I don't know what will happen if I try to resist. I don't even know for sure that being injured is the only thing that will make me want it. And most importantly, I don't know if it's truly a 'need,' or if it's just a strong desire to speed up the healing process in the event I get hurt. If it's a want, then it means I can resist. However, if it truly is a need, then I'm afraid of what would happen if I did resist."

With her finger newly bandaged, Gabriella reached up to clasp my face in both of her hands, attempting to ensure I would look at her. "I understand, love. But right now isn't a good time to test it out by trying to resist all evening. You obviously needed it, or wanted it, whatever. Either way, now we can have dinner and relax without having to worry about what might happen if you had resisted."

I took a deep breath, glancing away. "Are you sure you can still love me though? If it turns out this is something I really need," I clarified.

"Look at me," she demanded quietly. She continued once I did. "I'm committed. I'm in this, no matter what. And besides, you've gone your entire life without drinking blood, so obviously it can't be that strong of a need."

My shoulders dropped in resignation, hoping she was right. That, and hoping she didn't ever decide to change her mind. This whole situation put things into perspective for me. Here I was all flustered about my sister bringing a guy home, forgetting that having her for myself was a complete fantasy. I'd gotten really lucky with Gabriella accepting my secret, and while it was possible my sister might be able to handle it too, I couldn't live with her rejecting me entirely. To the point that I'd never risk taking that chance.

I really needed to stop wishing for the impossible.

After all, even if a miracle happened, and I could somehow have my sister, then that would only mean I'd have to give up Gabriella in exchange. And while I would have made that trade in a heartbeat earlier this morning, I wasn't sure I could do it now. Our afternoon together had really changed how I felt about Gabriella -- made my attachment a lot stronger.

Sighing, I changed the subject, able to still smell our cooking food in the kitchen. "Well, we need to get back downstairs. The chicken is done, and we need to get the tomatoes and peppers added."

Gabriella smirked. "I think it's going to take a while for me to get used to your strong sense of smell. You still surprise me when you comment on things that most people wouldn't be capable of sensing."

"Like how you want me right now?" I wondered playfully.

She blushed. "Sorry, I just think you're hot." She quickly removed her hands from my face, seeing that she'd been covering up graying skin. "Right, so about that chicken," she said, being overly serious.

I smirked, giving her a quick peck on the forehead, before urging her to head downstairs without me, allowing me the chance to focus on my breathing.

Once I looked normal again, I followed after her, joining her in the kitchen.

Gabriella seemed pensive while she prodded at the contents in the skillet.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

Her frowned deepened. "I was just thinking about that girl again. The one who always sits with you at lunch."

"What about her?" I prompted, when she didn't automatically continue.

"Well, I was wondering if I would have ended up like her, if you had not allowed me to see you transformed." She grimaced, glancing up at me. "I almost feel bad, knowing she's probably liked you for so much longer. She's been waiting on you for two years by the sounds of it, and here I am getting you almost right away, simply because I lucked out." She sighed. "So I was just wanting to know how things might have turned out differently if I didn't see your secret last night."