“He needs blood,” Iheard Mark state as I shuffled backward until my back hit thelanding wall.
Elle stopped besideme, the odd expression still on her face. “You okay?”
“I’ve been better.” Icouldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze, too nervous about what Imight see in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” She kneltdown beside me, sword still in hand, but used as a leaningpost.
“All the times Ilaughed at you. That was not easy, and my god, they’rehorrifying.”
“I told you so.”
“You just can’t stopsaying that, can you?” I laughed, regretting the action as itcaused my abdomen to tense, caused more blood to ooze as painpinched at me.
“I think I’m entitledto.” She finally holstered her sword.
The sight made me feela little better. I gave her a small grin, risking a look at her.The colour was coming back to her cheeks, but she suddenly lookedtired. Then again, the last two days had been exhausting.
Mark stopped by myright, placing a drawer full of blood by my side. “This will helpwith your healing.”
“Thanks.” I eyed thered bags. I had the notion my stomach should be turning and Ishould be retching, but as I looked at the dark red liquid, mythroat grew drier. Not helped by the fact that my own blood wasclinging to the roof of my mouth like that horrid skin you got onthe top of heated milk.
I glanced up at Elle.“Do you mind giving me some privacy?”
She looked genuinelystunned at the request. “Come on, Than. I’ve seen you drinkingHeather’s mixture.”
“That’s different.” Ipushed myself farther up the wall. “It looks and smells likecranberries. It’s easy to pretend it’s juice. This …” Ideliberately turned away from her. “I don’t want you t’see medrinking this.”
“I know that you’re aVampire, Than. I’ve accepted that.”
Hearing her say thosewords was all I had wanted since that night we had found each otheragain at the Monastery, but words weren’t enough anymore. Icouldn’t bear to see that strange look on her face again. I didn’twant her to be repulsed by me.
“I know, but there’sknowing and then there’s seeing, and you seem to be having troublewith the seeing.”
She remained quiet.Her silence only confirmed what I had just seen in her eyes, on herface.
I risked a look ather. “It’s okay. I’d have the same look on my face if I could seemyself.”
She had gone againsteverything she believed, everything her family stood for just tohelp me.
She sighed. “Ijust—”
“It’s cool. I promiseI understand.”
“Okay.” Shestraightened. “I will be in the other room if you need me.”
“I know.”
I waited until she haddisappeared from view before picking up one of the blood bags. Marksat cross-legged against the front door to my right, watching mewith intense interest.
“Thanks again.” Ilifted the bag to my mouth and reluctantly tore the top off with myteeth.
“Piercing it would beeasier and less messy,” Mark stated.
A splash of bloodspilled onto my shirt, mixing with my dry dead blood. “I willremember that.”
I held the bag infront of my face. I hated how I knew the smell, hated that I couldalready taste it before it passed my lips. That now I held it in myhands, I was actually craving it. My thirst hadn’t been an issuesince I had left the facility. Despite the blood in Heather’s mixbeing watered down, it had done the trick, but now, I could smellit, untainted …
“You do not likeblood.”
I glanced up at theyoung Vampire. “Guess I’m not a normal Leech.”
“You certainlyaren’t.” He looked over at the decomposed heap. “That was quiteimpressive.”
“It wasunnecessary.”
“She would have killedyou, which would have defeated your purpose.”
Sure it would have,but I was a lover, not a fighter.
“Well, you’re adecent fighter.” The Teen sat down at the end of my feet.“Or you’re just dumb lucky.
Definitely the latter.I have no idea what just happened.
“Neither do any ofyour Colony.”
Shit. I’m the Leadernow.
“Until someone elsechallenges you and wins.”
Let’s hope it doesn’tcome to that.
I glanced back at theVampire. “I was hoping that we could have all come to anunderstanding without anyone getting hurt.”
A laugh escaped himthough I couldn’t make out any humour.
“And yet, you havekilled two Vampires in one go.”
“Two?” I felt my browfurrow.
“Mistress.” He noddedto the mound, and then turned to the space where I had left theunconscious blond. I followed his gaze to see another mound in hisplace. “And Bloodling.”
So, it really didwork, and fast. Kill a Mistress or Master, and their Bloodlingwould be dust. Made sense for how easy it would have been for thePack. Each Vampire they killed would have destroyed a handfulmore.
Insane.
“At least you neverhave to worry about such things.” He pushed himself up to stand.“You don’t have one.”
“How did—”
“Great hearing.”
He’d overheard mineand Elle’s conversation. Meaning they all had.
“Is that bad? Thatthey know?”
Honestly, I have noidea.
Elle and I would justhave to bear it all in mind for future conversations.
He nodded to the bagin my hand. “Drink up, or your healing will take longer.”
Cupping the squishybag as carefully as I could, I closed my eyes and knocked thecontents back. The moment the copper liquid slid down my throat, Icould feel the skin around my wounds tingling. No to mention ascratching sensation on my insides, almost like a needle threadingmy muscles.
“You really aren’t anormal Vampire.”
I opened my eyes tosee Mark smirking.
“Interesting.”
I gulped the liquidback and watched the young Vampire head through the sequence ofarchways toward the right house.
“He’s an oddone.” The Teen watched him over her shoulder.
“Yeah, but at leasthe’s more accepting than the others.” I threw the blood bag on thefloor and grabbed another. I ran my tongue over my teeth, and sureenough, I could feel the sharp edge of my fangs as my gums pinchedand they extended. I pierced the plastic and chugged.
“I’m not surethat’s a good thing, Than.”
Chapter Thirteen
~ Danielle ~
Saturday24th October, 2015
Belgravia, London
“Carter, please canyou just call or message and let me know if Heather has safely madeit back to the UK?” I disconnected the call and threw my phone onthe sofa.
I had been calling theAlpha for the last two days ever since I’d received a very shortand to
