Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
But the news that there was a hsh’frux Blood Whore down in the Central Hub of my building was almost as interesting as the fact that she had somehow gotten her hands on my sigil and was using it without my permission.
“What does she look like?” I asked. “The Blood Whore, I mean. Is she anything like that little ‘pet’ Lord Bart brought with him?”
Lord Bart was a Korrigon noblemale who had come to discuss business with me a while back. He’d had a petite little female with him that he had said was his ‘pet’ though I thought he treated her more like a treasured companion.
She had been a tiny little thing with full curves and big, brown eyes. I had thought her uncommonly attractive, though of course I hadn’t said so. And during the Blood Exchange at the feast I had prepared for them, I had tasted a drop of her blood. It was warm and salty-sweet, unlike Naggian blood which had a sharp, bitter tang to it.
I had described the wonderful flavor of the little pet’s blood to Azz’lx after she and Lord Bart had left. Perhaps my description had made him curious to try some hsh’frux blood for himself, I thought.
“She looks a bit like Lord Bart’s pet,” he admitted, frowning. “She’s quite small, though her skin is brown instead of tan and her hair is curly instead of straight. But she has the same look about her—that air of vulnerability, you know. Probably because she’s so tiny and has no horns or fangs or any other natural defense.”
“Is that why you wanted to drink from her?” I asked, frowning. “Because she looked vulnerable?”
“No, no—of course not!” he denied hastily. “And in fact, she was anything but vulnerable! I mean, the moment I got close to her she was shoving your sigil in my face and threatening me with it!”
“Threatening you, huh?” I had to admit, I felt a surge of admiration for this little Blood Whore, whoever she was. She wasn’t afraid to get in the face of a male who was clearly above her station—that made her interesting in my book.
“Yes, threatening me!” Azz’lx exclaimed, raking his hand through his hair again. “She said that she was your ‘favorite Blood Whore’ because you liked the taste of her hsh’frux blood! Can you believe it?”
“No, but I’d sure as hell like to see it,” I remarked. “Maybe I’ll go down and check her out tomorrow.”
There was no possibility of seeing her that night—the Sweepers were out by now, doubtless crawling all over the Central Hub. The huge arachnids have been specially bred to eat the ice-mites that would otherwise bore microscopic holes through the Naggian infrastructure and cause it to collapse. So they’re useful but extremely dangerous—everyone goes home and shuts the door well before they’re scheduled to come out.
“Oh, no—I’m certain that’s not necessary!” Azz’lx said quickly and I thought a slightly panicked expression flashed across his normally smooth face. “I can take care of it for you first thing in the morning—I’ll simply talk to the girl’s pimp. After all, we can’t have some random Blood Whore flashing your sigil to all and sundry, can we?”
“No, I suppose we can’t,” I murmured, giving him a measured glance. Was he hiding something? Was there a reason he didn’t want me interacting with the little hsh’frux Blood Whore?
I decided I would have to find that out for myself. But for now, I would let it go.
“I have a Blood Bride from the Seventh House in the other room,” I told Azz’lx. “Would you like to have a bite before you go home to Dru’silla?”
It was polite to offer, though I had called the Blood Bride for myself. Of course, if I had a wife as Azz’lx did, I wouldn’t have been drinking from any other fount. The act of biting and drinking blood is erotic to Naggians—so much so that it’s often combined with sex.
“Ah, well—I might, if you’ve already had her?” Azz’lx asked politely.
“I have.” I nodded. “She’s for biting only, though,” I felt compelled to add. “No breeding or fucking. That was the agreement when the Bride Madam sent her over.”
“Ah…” He looked indecisive and somewhat disappointed. “Just biting, then?”
“That was the agreement,” I repeated firmly.
That was always the agreement for me, when calling a Blood Bride for service. None of them would have refused to let me fuck them while I drank their blood, but they would have been considered “unclean” afterwards and possibly even demoted from Blood Bride to Blood Whore.
I didn’t want to be responsible for forcing some poor girl into disgrace and abject poverty just to get my dick wet.
But it wasn’t just that consideration that kept me from fully utilizing any Blood Bride I happened to hire—it was the look in their eyes when they saw me and understood it was a half-blood hsh’frux they were expected to service. I’d had some break into actual tears at the prospect of me even touching them—those I had to send away—it’s not in me to take an unwilling female, not even just for a bite to get a little sip of blood.