“Don’t bother,” Lucas said. “He’s chosen his fate.”
I pried my hand away. “I can’t let him become like them.”
“He’s a leech,” Lucas said. “When are you going to accept that?”
I squared my shoulders against him.
“I’ll accept it when it’s true.”
And I spun away from him. As I walked away, I could feel his vibe roiling with a tangle of mixed-up emotions. Jealousy being the major one. But there was hurt too, and of course my power chose this moment to kick in and allow me to read the reason why: I’d chosen to go with Derek over him. Frustration. He was being controlling again and he hated it, but also feared for my safety with Derek. Stubbornness, as he warred with himself to go after me.
I pulled out of his head, gasping. For once, I was glad he kept his distance. I needed to concentrate on Derek right now. His involvement with the vampires had to end if we had any hope of stopping the uprising and the murders. I went inside his building and knocked on his door. He answered immediately, looking less than happy to see me.
“Come to yell at me some more?” he asked.
I wrinkled my nose at him and went inside. “Only if you’re going to be an idiot some more.”
Derek shut the door and rounded on me, putting his hands on his hips.
“I don’t see the problem with the vampires,” he said. “You all had me so scared of them, but they’re really nice—especially Melissa.” His lips tilted up in a goofy grin and I swatted him.
“Always a sucker for the Megan Fox look-alikes,” I said.
Derek wiggled his eyebrows at me and said, “That’s why I like you so much.”
I swatted him again and sat cross-legged on his bed. “Seriously, though, you can’t hang around them anymore.”
Derek rolled his eyes, and I caught his sleeve as he moved past me.
I dipped my head down to catch his gaze and said, “One of them tried to kill me, in case you forgot.”
“I didn’t forget. But they’re not all like Vincent. Calvin is like, supersmooth. I swear he’s like James Bond. And Silas knows how to speak every language known to man. Ancient Egyptian!”
“I don’t like it, Derek,” I said, unimpressed. “They’re dangerous. They kill people—think about how many girls have been found dead even since we got here. And they’ll keep killing.”
“They kill to survive. It’s not like they want to.”
“Please,” I scoffed. “Now you’re going to paint them as martyrs? Did you forget about how Vincent tortured us outside the barn? How he tossed that car around and watched us scream? If he’d just been having a meal, why didn’t he do it quickly? Spare us the pain?”
He looked away.
“Promise me you won’t see them again,” I urged.
He looked away with a noncommittal grunt.
I grabbed his face and made him look at me. “Promise me, Derek. If not because they’re murderers, then because one of them might hurt me. Even if it’s just by accident.”
“I might hurt you,” He said quietly. “Lucas might too. Do you want us to go away?”
“That’s different.” I let my hands fall and folded them across my chest. “I know you guys wouldn’t hurt me.”
“I can’t speak for Bingo, but I would never hurt you.”
“Stop calling him names.”
Derek’s lips drew up around his fangs in a victorious leer. He moved to stand by his boarded-up window, leaning against the frame. “Derek,” I said, fixing him with a penetrative stare. “You didn’t register with the vampires, did you?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Why?”
“Did you?”
“No,” he said. “They tried to make me, but I told them that I wouldn’t because I wasn’t a true vampire. They weren’t happy about it, but they didn’t press the issue.”
“Good,” I said, exhaling. “Lucas said that his uprising theory has finally caught on with the pack and they’re stepping up their hunting to cut the vampires’ numbers back.”
“Faith, there is no vampire uprising. You guys are just being melodramatic.”
“How else do you explain all the dead girls?” I challenged. “And Vincent specifically mentioned an army of undead.”
“Maybe he was lying.”
“He wasn’t.”
“Well, even so, what about the humans? They’d just let the vampires start eating them?”
I sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know their exact plan, Derek! I just know that they’re planning a war on the werewolves and that you’re going to get yourself caught up in it if you’re not careful. You side with the vampires, and it’s over. The werewolves won’t stand a chance. Which is why they’ll murder you first chance they get.”
Derek went and flopped down on the couch. “Yeah, well, do me a favor and stop worrying about it, all right? I’ll be fine. I can handle myself.”
Everything inside me shouted to keep pushing him, but I knew doing so would only make him dig in harder. Derek was like that. My best chance at getting him to change his mind was to somehow make him see for himself that the vampires were evil.
“Do you have to leave?” Derek asked.
I forced a smile and said, “I’m yours for the night.”
Derek beamed like the sunshine. “We should go out and do something. Something fun.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Last time we tried that, you almost ate a club full of people and smashed a dude through the bar. Maybe we should just stay in. We’ve got class tomorrow anyway.”
“Well, my classes aren’t until after dark, but I’m fine staying in,” Derek said. “Just so long as we’re together.”
I nudged him with my shoulder. “Always.”
He scooted closer to me on the couch and I shivered as his leg touched mine. “Wanna know something cool?” he said, his eyes lighting up like neon.
“Sure,” I said, though I was a little wary.
“Silver doesn’t bother me like werewolves. And if you try to stake me, it just goes right through like nothing. Hardly even hurts.”
I gaped. “They tried to kill you?”
“No,” Derek said, shooting me a look. “I’m not talking about them anymore. This is stuff I’ve tried on my own.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great. Attempting suicide. That’s awesome, Derek.”
He ignored me. “I’ve just been testing myself like we did in California. Discovering my limits. I have to tell Rolf everything I find out, but it’s fun to do anyway. And sometimes Katie helps me.”
“Katie?” I asked, thrown.
“Uh-huh, we meet up sometimes and run and talk. She’s a chemist, did you know that? I gave her some of my blood, and she took it to the CSU lab to test. Actually, I have to give her another sample soon, because that one got lost or broke or something.” He shrugged. “She’s funny anyway ... helps me forget about the bad stuff. Helps me figure myself out.”
Something here didn’t make sense. “When did you meet with Katie? We were in California for five days and before that you were sleeping. I don’t get it.”
Derek’s eyes shifted toward me. Something was hiding in them. I tested his vibe and instantly felt the stink of deception.
“Derek, what aren’t you telling me?”
He bit his lip, which was actually a scary sight because of his fangs.
“She flew out to California,” he said. “I—I called her.”
“You called her?” I let this sink in for a moment. “Then how was she there to pick us up at the airport?”
“She left early,” he said simply. He took in my open-mouthed face and placed his fingers under my chin, closing it. “It’s no big deal. She was just helping me out.”
“I could have helped you.”
“Believe me, I would have rather it was you, but you were kind of busy with the boyfriend. Plus, I didn’t want you getting hurt. Katie’s more resilient.”
I was put out for a moment and then I regrou
ped.
“What else have you found out?” I asked.
Derek played with a strand of my hair. The blackish-brown of it was abrupt against his albino fingers—like he was holding a tiny black snake.
“We haven’t really discovered any new abilities, but we’ve been testing my limits on the ones I know I have. Like, with running, I can sprint at close to two hundred miles per hour for a good fifteen minutes before I start slowing down. And I can throw a pickup truck about the length of a football field or I could hold it for a couple hours without weakening. I can see in the dark even without changing, I can smell things from miles away, hear through the phone.” He winked deviously. “And some other stuff,” he said smiling proudly at my astounded expression.
“Wow,” I said weakly. “When did you figure all this out? We usually spent the nights together in California.”
“Not all night. I got bored when you went back to him. Plus, I needed someone to ring in the New Year with. We killed a cougar.”
I laughed weakly, not entirely sure he was joking.
Derek smiled and bent his head to inhale the lock of hair he held in his hand. He moved closer, sniffing down my neck. He groaned.
“Derek,” I said. “What are you doing?”
“Breathing.”
I put my hand up against his face, pushing him away gently. “Well, stop it,” I said, unnerved.
“No way,” he said, inhaling deeply. “You smell fantastic.”
I pulled away from him. “Stop it. What’s gotten into you?”
He looked away, suddenly ashamed. “I—I drank blood last night.”
I gasped. “What! You killed someone?”
“He was already dead.”
“Derek! How could you?”
“Don’t judge me,” Derek said, fire in his tone. “You don’t know what it was like over there. They were all staring at me, asking me if I had the blood crave. I told them I didn’t want to do that, but they held the body right in front of me. I didn’t need to smell it to know how bad I wanted it. And after seeing Paula last night, too, I was already revved-up.”
“But you controlled yourself then,” I argued, aghast.
“That’s because you were there,” Derek said. “I had to control myself to keep you safe. And I didn’t look at the body, didn’t smell the blood.” He swallowed hard, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “At the lair I knew it would be all right if I let my guard down. Nobody would get hurt, and the human was already dead. If I drank from him, it would be . . . accepted.”
“How could you?” I whispered again, but he didn’t seem to hear me. His eyes had gone all funny and his voice was deep like the strum of a cello.
“I inhaled,” Derek said. “I smelled the blood and it was like ... like nothing I’d ever experienced. Hunger times a million and I just ... snapped. I felt something take over inside of me. I had to drink it. I needed it. Not just because it tasted so good, but because it made me feel better—stronger.”
I shook my head, unable to believe any of this was actually happening.
“We have to get you help,” I said. “We have to get you to Lucas—he’ll know what to do.” I jumped off of the couch and headed for the door.
“I don’t want help.” He was in front of me before I’d taken a step. I jumped back and tripped over my feet. “I just need a little sip.” His voice was sweet, cajoling. “I won’t take a lot. Just a swallow and I’ll be satisfied.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned. “Lucas will kill you.”
“Only if he finds out. And he’ll only find out if you tell him.”
He came closer and stroked my throat with feathery fingers, breathing me in like a starving man with a steak.
“You’ll turn me,” I said, thinking fast. “How’re you going to explain that?”
“I don’t have venom,” Derek reminded me calmly. “I can take a pull.... The dog will never have to know.”
“He’ll know because I’ll tell him!” My fingers touched the doorknob and I yanked it, but Derek’s hand closed over mine. I was trapped. Trapped in a room with a bloodthirsty viran. His face was a breath away, eyes so hungry they were almost hypnotizing. So I did the only thing I could think of. I lurched forward and kissed him.
At first, he recoiled with the shock of it, but then he grabbed me up, clutching me close to him and kissing me back fiercely. It was a horrible thing to do. I was basically cheating on Lucas, but he had to understand. I was distracting Derek’s blood crave with an entirely different craving.
Or so I thought.
Derek’s fangs scraped against my lips and along my jaw as he made his way down to my neck.
“No,” I said. “Derek, stop it.”
He was breathing hard now.
“Just a pull . . . ,” he begged. “I can’t stand it.... I have to.”
16
BLOOD BANK
Derek put his hand at the nape of my neck, holding me immobile as he tilted my head to the side. My pulse stuttered as he bent his head toward my throat. I swallowed hard, closing my eyes tight as if that would help. I felt his lips, his breath cooling my skin. My heart pounded faster and faster, practically buzzing in my chest.
Then he spread his lips and pressed his teeth against the vein at the bottom of my throat. Without any preamble, his teeth sunk into my flesh.
There was no pain. None. It was so odd. My brain was telling me there should be pain, but there was nothing but dull pressure. His mouth moved, and I felt him pull on the wound.
Something stirred inside me, something vaguely pleasing, but frightening at the same time. Like the feeling of riding a roller coaster. Vertigo.
It was like kissing times a thousand. My legs went numb, and I held on to Derek as he dragged. Everything went away. It was euphoria of the sweetest kind, and the longer he went on, the more I wanted. Drink it all, take everything, just never let this stop. . . .
Stop. . . .
Stop.
Stop, stop stop! I thought frantically, coming back to myself. He was taking too much. He was going to kill me! I tried to ignite the connection, but there was that wall again, blocking me. Help!
I beat my fists against his back, yelling because I was so angry and scared and lots of other things I couldn’t really understand.
I dug my fingers into his face, but they were going numb from blood loss and fell ineffectually against his shoulders. He gathered me closer in his strong arms, growling deeply, words I could no longer hear. It felt so good, so perfect.... It was almost worth death. This must have been how his venom worked. It wasn’t a paralyzing agent; it inoculated the victim so they didn’t even know they were being killed. And it was working spectacularly. I was almost about to say to hell with it and just let him get it over with, when the door banged and splintered.
Derek unstuck himself from my throat and looked up, letting out a sound that might have been a hiss. His cheeks were light pink, almost the color of actual skin and his chin dripped with my blood. His razor teeth were coated with it, eyes completely blackened with the crave. I’d never been more afraid of him.
The door banged again and flew open. Lucas stood in the doorway, his face livid. He lunged at Derek just as he threw me to the floor. Lucas punched him straight in the nose and sent him sprawling. Derek was up in an instant, bleeding from his nostrils. His eyes went from black to white in hyperspeed and then his body shook violently. I clapped my hand to my bleeding neck and began inching toward the open door. God help us all if anyone saw this.
“Don’t you dare change,” Lucas warned. “I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”
Derek’s white eyes flickered around the room, maybe looking for a way out. I clambered up from the floor and pushed the broken door shut.
“You could have killed her,” Lucas yelled. “Do you get that, runt? Killed her! For your disgusting blood crave! I oughta snap your leech neck right now.” He started forward and Derek cringed. His eyes had grown bluer again. The
y filled with anguish—regret. He looked to me, ashen. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“You don’t talk to her anymore!” Lucas roared. “You don’t even look at her. You can’t be trusted.”
Derek looked as if he was about to cry.
“Lucas,” I said quietly. I swallowed because my voice was hoarse. “It wasn’t his fault. They fed him blood last night. The crave was too much for him.”
Lucas spun around and gaped at me, aghast. “You’re defending him? After he all but killed you?”
Derek’s body seemed to deflate as he looked at me. I saw a few tears leak out of his eyes as he shook his head, denying Lucas’s accusations. That he was actually crying...
I wasn’t thrilled with what Derek had just done and it definitely crossed the line, but when he was looking at me like that, the anger just melted away. He’d only just woken up with this new body and its sick needs; it only made sense that he would have some weak moments. “Derek would never kill me,” I said firmly. “He just lost control for a second. You lose control sometimes, too.”
Lucas looked like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.
“We should take him up to Gould,” I said, getting to my feet. “He needs help. Rolf said that if the crave got to be too strong, we should take him to Gould, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Lucas was still unconvinced. I could feel the raging energy coiling out from his body like flames.
“Look,” I said calmly. “I’m not hurt. His bite didn’t affect me.” Besides the whole arousal thing. “But we have to get him help. I’m not going to abandon him just because he’s having a hard time.”
Lucas cursed and kicked apiece of the doorjamb across the room.
He turned on Derek and got in his face.
“This is the last time I forgive your ass for trying to kill her,” he growled. “Once more, and you’re mine.” He grabbed Derek’s shirt and jerked it. “Got it?”
Derek looked up, hate radiating from his every pore. “Got it.”
The ride up to Gould was a silent one. Nobody spoke the entire two hours. I could feel the tension vibrating in the oppressively miniscule space of Lucas’s car like a level ten earthquake.
Blood Crave Page 16
