But this new development? Disappearing for hours on end? It’s terrifying. Will one of us simply cease to exist? Is that the curse of being two souls trapped in one body?
Quit overthinking it,Hux hisses vehemently. You know I’ll never let anything happen to you.
“I know,” I whisper, but that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
We’re both silent as I pull into the school parking lot and grab my bag from the backseat. I imagine Hux’s thoughts are a reflection of my own—if only one of us can live, how would we choose which one? Would we force Violet to choose between us?
I scrub a hand down my face as my thoughts begin to run rampant.
What class do we have right now? Hux queries as we step into the academic building. I leave the chocolates and flowers in the backseat of my car for Hux to grab later.
“Roaring with Dimitri. Which we’re late for,” I grumble, hurrying my pace.
Can you tell my precious treasure I miss her? And that I bought her roses and chocolates? Or should I just throw them at her like they do in the movies?
And…now I picture Hux throwing chocolate bars at Violet’s head while he stares at her with dopey, lovesick eyes.
I roll my eyes at his antics as I slip through the classroom door. Dimitri Gray is already perched on his desk, his long legs extended in front of him. I spot Alex and Cheryl sitting in the front row, Cheryl purposefully leaning forward to show a hint of cleavage. Violet sits in the back with Frankie, Mason, and Vin. I notice the latter two are joking amongst themselves, but Violet is uncharacteristically silent. Frankie has one hand on her knee, almost as if he’s offering comfort.
Precious Treasure! Hux screams in my head, causing me to wince. Instantly, I’m bombarded with images of me pulling Violet onto my lap and pushing aside her skirt to make love to her. Thank you, Hux. Because I really wanted to start my day with a boner.
Her golden curls are piled haphazardly into a bun at the top of her head. She wears a pink dress with a black leather jacket over it. She looks completely normal, except for her eyes. They’re…haunted almost. Shadowed with pain I can’t even begin to comprehend.
I move to sit at the desk on the other side of her, directly behind Mason.
“Are you okay?” I whisper softly, and her eyes flicker to me in alarm. She quickly tries to smooth over her expression before I can notice.
“Of course.” She forces a smile. “How are my two favorite men doing?”
“Hey, I heard that!” Mason exclaims, spinning around to face us. Violet sticks her tongue out at him, and Mason grabs his heart in mock pain. “You wound me, oh beautiful one.”
“We all know I’m the favorite,” Vin states with a derisive snort.
“I don’t know, man,” Mason teases. “Frankie and Violet are looking quite chummy over there.” He winks conspiratorially at the two, and I can’t help but note how Violet’s face pales and Frankie’s hand tightens on her leg.
Something’s wrong,I murmur to Hux.
With my precious treasure? he demands instantly. Did Frankie hurt her?
I honestly don’t know.
Before I can press Violet for information, Dimitri clears his throat at the front of the classroom.
“As a lot of you already know, this is a new class designed specifically to navigate the analytical portion of the Roaring.” He clasps his hands behind his back and begins to pace. “One of the main games is a test of sorts. But not a written one. You will be put in a situation with a small group of fellow competitors, and you’ll have to work as a team to figure out how to escape with your life.”
How does he know all of this? Hux asks in annoyance. Already, he’s itching for me to turn away from the stoic teacher and focus on Violet beside us. I’m pretty sure the man doesn’t know how to function when he’s not staring at her.
Didn’t you know? Dimitri won the Roaring a few years ago. They called it the Blood Bath. Every other monster died…except for him and one other.
Who was the other survivor? Hux inquires, only half listening.
Dracula himself.
I watched the games on television with my father, appalled by how gruesome they were. I had competed twenty or thirty years ago, but never again. I didn’t want to risk my life for a stupid title and trophy.
But Dimitri Gray and Vladimir Dracula? They won the games…and killed everyone else in the process.
“What if we get paired up with vampire scum?” Cheryl asks innocently, waving her hand in the air to capture Dimitri’s attention. He pauses mid-lecture, the full force of his icy blue gaze barreling down on her.
“Then you better hope your partner is a better person than you, Cheryl Ness,” Dimitri lectures. “Or else you’ll both be dead.”
She huffs, clearly not having expected that answer, before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her seat.
“Today, we’ll start with something simple,” Dimitri declares. “Everyone pair up and—”
“I call Pinkie!” Mason jumps to his feet and grabs Violet’s arm. Immediately, she releases a pained whimper, wrenching her arm free from Mason and rubbing it inconspicuously.
What the heck…?
Hux notices it at the same time I do and roars in my head, demanding to be released. I turn towards Frankie, who looks pale and sick, as if he’s seconds from expelling the contents of his breakfast across his desk.
“What the fuck did you do?” Vin rises to his feet, every inch the dangerous predator. There’s a reason the other monsters fear the Van Helsings. They’re hunters, through and through. When they smell blood, they’ll latch on to it with all of their teeth and bite down.
Mason is slower to understand what is happening,
