Let Him In (Let Him Trilogy) by Sharon Davis

red, caged mesh cutout chemise. “Your sense of family and fashion are equally atrocious.”
    With a slow twirl to model her Frederick’s of Holly wood get-up, Alexis replied, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
    “You would.”
    Alexis sprawled out on the bed. “Why does what I wear bother you so much, big brother? Does the sight of my body make—”
    “You draw unnecessary attention to yourself dressing like that.”
    Alexis expelled a throaty, seductive laugh. “You have to bait the hook if you want a bite.”
    Zane turned away to close the door with his fist. After a subtle shake of his head, he all but growled, “What was the greatest stretch of time that you went without feeding?”
    “Twenty-three hours,” she stated with pride. “Sixty minutes more than you.”
    Zane’s brows furrowed as he faced her. “When?”
    “Last month. The day after you celebrated your thirtieth birthday with a test of will.” She grinned. “Mine was stronger.”
    Zane didn’t look impressed, but Alexis didn’t care; she’d beat him and that was all that mattered. “And what were your senses like afterward?”
    “I don’t know...somewhat muted, I guess.”
    “Be specific,” he demanded, speaking between clenched teeth.
    She rolled her eyes. “Gee, someone needs a drink.”
    Zane’s mouth drew tight, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled and exhaled loudly. Alexis dropped her gaze from his smoldering glare to the glimpse of flesh in between the silk panels of his black shirt. After every deep breath he took his broad chest seemed to get even bigger. Speaking of big...
    Her eyes traveled down to the permanent bulge at his crotch. With the exception of her parents and siblings, Alexis had never met another of her kind, which would’ve been fine with her if not for the fact that Blodbadians could procreate only with each other. The opportunity to reproduce came but once a year, the only time the female was fertile and, because of it, the only time the male was capable of ejaculation.
    “You know my birthday’s coming up,” Alexis said, trailing her inch-long fingernails down the front of her fishnet-clad thigh and to her pussy. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?”
    Clenching his hands, Zane stepped forward. “Alexis—”
    “Here’s a hint: it’s the same thing I’ve asked for the past five years.”
    Zane seized her throat before she could blink. “If you do not answer my question, Alexis, you will find out what Mother’s first two days without blood was like.”
    Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
    Smashing the tip of his nose against hers, Zane bared his teeth. “Try me.”
    “And you say my sense of family is—”
    Zane jerked her up and off the bed, her feet dangling in the air as he charged out of the bedroom.
    “My vision was blurry, all right?!” Alexis grabbed Zane’s fingers. When she tried to peel his hands from her neck he gave her the same pinched expression of annoyance humans did when under attack from flies or mosquitos. “And I could hear but it was faint, like I had earplugs in!”
    Zane came to a stop in front of Sammy’s bedroom. “What about smell?”
    “I couldn’t detect emotions—”
    “But you could still smell the blood?”
    Alexis blinked at that. “Couldn’t you?”
    Sammy’s door opened up just wide enough for him to pop his head out. “What’s going on?”
    Zane gave Alexis a hard shake. “Yes or no?”
    “Yes!” she hissed. “Now put me down!”
    He did and then turned away, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think I am getting a headache,” he said in a scratchy voice. His hand dropped as he opened his eyes to look at her. “Do you get those?”
    Taking a step back, Alexis tilted her head to one side as she folded her arms over her chest. “When I haven’t fed enough.”
    Sammy quickly nodded when Zane’s gaze darted to his. “Yeah, every day.”
    Zane’s whole face relaxed and there was a slight