Marked

'And Morgan has clearly begun losing her mind, which is why she's piercing her…' I glanced at Heath and reconsidered. 'Her body and smoking. Tell me someone normal who's smoking.' K thought for a second. 'Me!'

I sighed. 'Look, I just don't think it's smart.'

'Well, you don't always know everything.' The hateful glint was back in her eyes.

I looked from her to Heath, and then back to her again. 'Clearly, you're right. I don't know everything.'

Her mean look turned startled and then flattened out to mean again, and I suddenly couldn't help comparing her to Stevie Rae, who, even though I'd only known for a couple days, I was absolutely, totally sure would not ever go after my boyfriend, whether he was an almost—ex or not. I also didn't think she would run away from me and treat me like I was a monster when I needed her the most.

'I think you should leave,' I said to Kayla.

'Fine,' she said.

'It's probably not a good idea for you to come back again, either.'

She shrugged one shoulder so that her jacket fell open and I could see the thin strap of the cami slip down her shoulder, making it clear she wasn't wearing a bra.

'Whatever,' she said.

'Help her get down, Heath.'

Heath was generally pretty good at following simple directions, so he hoisted Kayla down. She grabbed the flashlight and looked back up at us.

'Hurry up, Heath. I'm getting really cold.' Then she spun around and started marching off toward the road.

'Well…,' Heath said a little awkwardly. 'It did get cold all of a sudden.'

'Yeah, it can quit now,' I said absently, and didn't pay much attention when the wind suddenly stopped.

'Hey, uh, Zo. I really did come to bust you out.'

'No.'

'Huh?' Heath said.

'Heath, look at my forehead.'

'Yeah, you have that half moon thing. And it's colored in, which is weird because it wasn't colored in before.'

'Well, it is now. Okay, Heath, focus. I've been Marked. That means that my body is going through the Change to become a vampyre.'

Heath's eyes went from my Mark and traveled down my body. I saw them hesitate at my boobs and then my legs, which made me realize that they were showing all naked almost up to my crotch because my skirt had hiked up when I climbed on top of the wall.

'Zo, whatever's happening to your body is cool with me. You look seriously hot. You've always been beautiful, but now you look like a real goddess.' He smiled at me and touched my cheek gently, reminding me why I've liked him so much for such a long time. Despite his faults, Heath could be really sweet, and he always made me feel completely beautiful.

'Heath,' I said softly. 'I'm sorry, but things have changed.'

'Not with me they haven't.' Taking me completely by surprise he leaned forward, slid a hand up over my knee and kissed me.

I jerked back and grabbed his wrist. 'Stop it Heath! I'm trying to talk to you.'

'How about you talk, and I kiss?' he whispered.

I started to tell him no again.

Then I felt it.

His pulse under my fingers.

It was beating hard and fast. I swear I could hear it, too. And as he leaned into me to kiss me again I could see the vein that ran along his neck. It moved, beating strong as the blood pumped through his body. Blood…His lips touched mine and I remembered the taste of the blood in the goblet. That blood had been cold and mixed with wine, and from a weak, loser kid who was a nothing. Heath's blood would be hot and rich…sweet…sweeter than Elliott the Refrigerator.…

'Ow! Damn, Zoey. You scratched me!' He jerked his wrist from my hand. 'Shit, Zo, you made me bleed. If you didn't want me to kiss you, all you had to do was say so.'

He lifted his bleeding wrist to his mouth and sucked at the drop of blood that was glistening there. Then he raised his eyes to meet mine, and he froze. He had blood on his lips. I could smell it—it was like the wine, only better, worlds better. The scent of it wrapped around me and made the hair on my arms rise.

I wanted to taste it. I wanted to taste it more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life.

'I want…' I heard myself whisper in a voice I didn't know. 'Yes…,' Heath answered like he was in a trance. 'Yes… whatever you want. I'll do whatever you want.'

This time I leaned into him and touched my tongue to his lip, taking the drop of blood into my mouth where it exploded—heat, sensation, and a rush of pleasure I'd never known.

'More,' I rasped.

Like he'd lost the ability to speak and could only nod, Heath lifted his wrist to me. It was barely bleeding, and when I licked the tiny scarlet line Heath moaned. The touch of my tongue seemed to do something to the scratch, because instantly it started dripping blood, faster…faster…My hands were shaking as I raised his wrist to my mouth and pressed my lips against his warm skin. I shivered and moaned in pleasure and—

'Oh my God! What are you doing to him!' Kayla's voice was a scream that pierced through the scarlet fog in my brain. I dropped Heath's wrist as though it had burned me.

'Get away from him!' Kayla was shrieking. 'Leave him alone!' Heath didn't move.

'Go,' I told him. 'Go and don't ever come back.'

'No,' he said, looking and sounding oddly sober.

'Yes. Get out of here.'

'Let him go!' Kayla yelled.

'Kayla, if you don't shut up I'll fly down there and suck every last bit of blood from your stupid cheating cow body!' I spit the words at her.

She squealed and took off. I turned back to Heath, who was still staring at me.

'Now you need to go, too.'

'I'm not scared of you, Zo.'

'Heath, I'm scared of me enough for both of us.'

'But I don't mind what you did. I love you, Zoey. More now than I ever have.'

'Stop it!' I didn't mean to yell, but I caused him to flinch at the power that had filled my words. I swallowed hard and calmed my voice. 'Just go. Please.' Then, searching for some way to make him leave I added, 'Kayla's probably going to get the cops right now. Neither of us needs that.'

'Okay, I'll go. But I won't stay away.' He kissed me hard and quick. I felt a white-hot stab of pleasure when I tasted the blood that was still on our lips. Then he slid down the wall and disappeared into the darkness until all I could see of him was the little dot of light from his flashlight, and then, finally, not even that.

I wouldn't let myself think. Not yet. Moving methodically, like a robot, I used the branch to steady myself as I climbed down. My knees were shaking so badly that I was able to walk only the couple of feet to the tree where I sank down on the ground, pressing my back against the security of its ancient bark. Nala materialized, hopping into my lap as if she'd been my cat for years instead of minutes, and as my sobs started she crawled from my lap to my chest to press her warm face against my wet cheek.

After what seemed like a long time my sobs turned to hiccups and I wished I hadn't run out of the rec hall without my purse. I could really use a Kleenex.

'Here. You look like you need this.'

Nala complained as I jumped in surprise at the voice, and blinked up through my tears to see someone handing me a tissue. 'Th—thanks,' I said, taking it and wiping my nose.

'No problem,' Erik Night said.