By Suzanne Carré
Regardless of how preternatural vampires have been variously interpreted, the bite remains the one unchanged factor depicted as cold, selfishly motivated, and verging on evil—part of the unspeakable. But there is a ritual to the bite involving more than the extraction, an essential initiating step, much like foreplay to the act of dental penetration, preparing the vampire as much as the recipient for the moment. The bite is the ultimate kiss, an oral technique inextricably linked with sex, and when exchanged between vampires the bite forms a necessary and expected pleasure. The excitation takes time but because vampire live forever, they aren’t rushed and seek the bite to indulge in endless sensual gratification.
After finding the right part of the neck, the vampire mouths the area of interest, using their lips to fondle with intensive pressure, to redden the zone and swelling the tissue with blood. In the process, the vampire relaxes their mouth, stretching their jaw to accommodate the position of their fangs to the right angle with neck of their partner. The use of the lips does more than merely engorge the region with blood, but enhances the flavor of the drawn blood. Just as we use the sense of smell to increase the depth of sweet, salt, or sour tastes in food, the vampires depend on the aroma of blood welling under the skin to prepare their palate. Beyond the mechanics, the kiss to the neck in preparation for the bite increases the anticipation, evokes the sensual appetite, and sets the mood to excite the partner so they are more than merely donating blood.
In the novel Vampire Sexual Secrets, Marie thinks offering blood, by pricking her finger, will keep the feeding process clinical and satisfy her nocturnal lover. But Vincent explains the function of the bite in terms of its sensual nature and proceeds to demonstrate the sexual power of the preceding kiss to the neck. Because she’s human, Vincent restricts his stimulation to the use of his lips but he proves to her the erotic attraction of the bite to vampires.
In the next of the series, I will tempt you further with the preferences of the bite as a function of the shape of fangs and explain how you tell males and females apart (assuming you’re only looking at their fangs—of course).
