by M. K. Dawn
“Prey?” Ethan lifted an eyebrow.
“What he means,” Nikko explained, “is that once a vampire falls victim to bloodlust, they can think of nothing else but blood. Their humanity becomes lost and the monster within takes over.”
Darrien stood and got in Nikko’s face. “Call me a monster again.”
Nikko didn’t seem effected by the display of power. “Do you have a better name?”
They locked eyes for a what felt like forever until Darrien backed down and returned to his seat. “Whatever.”
Samantha tilted her heard and studied Darrien. “You experienced bloodlust had some serious consequences.” It wasn’t a question; his face exposed the truth.
Darrien tipped his chair back. “My stories will give you nightmares.”
“I can handle it,” Samantha retorted.
“We are all about witness bloodlust firsthand if we do not get blood for them both,” Nikko interrupted.
“And how to you suggest we do that?” Darrien dropped the chair’s feet to the ground. “Not like any of our friends can help in that department.”
“What about the infirmary?” Ethan’s eyes gleamed.
Samantha’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you think they stock blood?”
“I don’t know.” Ethan turned to Nikko. “You have any idea?”
“I do not, but with these long journeys in the middle of the ocean, it is possible.”
Darrien jumped to his feet and headed for the door. “Well let’s take a little field trip and find out.”
“Not you.” Ethan stood in front of him. “You’re too uptight and liable to snap at any moment.”
“I’m fine.” Darrien glared at Ethan, shoving him away from the door. “Now move.”
Of course, with wolf blood running through his veins, Ethan barely budged. Still, it was aggressive enough of a move that Ethan shoved him back. “Not a chance.”
Nikko was there in instant, standing between the angry males. “This is not helping.”
“Enough, both of you.” Samantha lowered her head in her hands, trying to ease the pain. “I’ll go. Use my sexy, girly charm on the doctor to find out if they store blood.”
“Get blood,” Darrien corrected.
Samantha threw back her head. “Really, Darrien? You think I’m just going to walk in there, flirt a little, and then ask him to hand over some blood bags? How do you think that conversation will go over?”
“I didn’t say you had to ask.” Darrien started pacing the room again—a habit that wore on her nerves.
“We have to be smart about this.” She stood and steadied herself on wobbly legs. “Find out if there is any blood there and then find a way to steal some. The doctor isn’t on duty all the time. He has to sleep, and when he does, that’s when we make our move.”
“Agreed.” Nikko said. “When will you go?”
“No time like the present.” Samantha headed for the door. “Meet me back in our staterooms in thirty minutes? Darrien, you plan on setting a timer? For old time sakes?”
He grunted. “Funny. What’s the doctor going to do, cure you to death?”
“You know,” Samantha planted a hand on her hip, “you’re a real downer when you’re hungry.” Then she stormed out before he could reply.
The sickbay was located two decks down at the other end of the ship. With nothing to do the past few weeks, they had taken up exploring; making their way from one end of the ship to the other, top to bottom. The sad conclusion they’d all come to realize was they had wasted a whole bunch of time. There wasn’t much to the ship except rooms filled with random items no one found interesting. The only person who had stayed back on their little adventure had been Evie, who still couldn’t stand the sight of Samantha. Thankfully, she had not tried to kill her again.
Samantha took the steep staircase at the end of the hall to deck five and paused at the door. She wasn’t sure what she should say or how to go about getting the information out of Dr. Robinson. From what she knew of the man and seen from a distance, he kept to himself and always wore a scowl. From the long hours, rough weather, or life in general, she didn’t know. She would have to tread lightly.
Inside, Dr. Robinson sat behind his computer.
“Hello,” Samantha said, hoping she wasn’t interrupting. He didn’t appear to be busy, but she was cautious nonetheless.
“What can I do for you?” He lowered his wire-rimmed glasses and stared at her with his deep, black eyes.
“Um…” Her mind blanked. What the hell could she say to justify her being there? She really hadn’t thought this through.
“You look unwell.” He rose from his seat. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” she blurted. “And a little sea sick from the waves.”
“Have a seat.” He directed her to the table centered in the middle of the cluttered room. From metal shelving to large, double door refrigerators, not an ounce of space along the wall was unused.
Samantha scooted on top of the flat, cushioned table, her feet hanging off the side as she tried to think of what to say next.
He skirted sideways around a stack of boxes and rolled over a stool beside the bed.
“A bit of a tight squeeze, isn’t it?” Samantha asked. “You barely have enough room to walk around in here.”
Dr. Robinson’s eyes scanned the room. “I guess it is a bit of a mess. There isn’t a whole lot of storage in this tiny room for the supplies I keep on hand.”
“We’ve been exploring the ship a bit,” she said, “and have seen a lot of empty rooms. Ones bigger than this.”
“Yes, but this is the only one set up for housing my medical supplies.”
Samantha didn’t know what kind of special accommodation medical supplies needed, but she had an idea of where to take this conversation. “That’s interesting.”
“Is it now.” He stood before her and placed a stethoscope against her chest. “Nice deep breaths.”
She complied, still contemplating her next move. “A whole hospital in this tiny room. It’s impressive.”
He pulled a small gadget from his pocket; one that had a light at the tip. “I’m going to check your eyes and ears.”
“Do you stock everything you’d need for an emergency situation?” she pressed, trying to get him to engage.
“For the most part.”
“I would think you would have to, being so far from shore. What if someone had a serious accident onboard? I’ve seen the types of equipment the crew work with. One sudden shift of the boat and you could go flying into something sharp. Stab yourself, break a bone, loose a lot of blood. Such a dangerous job.”
“Yes, well. That’s a rare occurrence.” He turned to a cabinet stocked full of medications. “I believe your iron is a bit low, which is why you are so tired. Not uncommon and completely treatable. This should do the trick.”
Samantha took the bottle of pills. “Thanks.”
He’d steered away from her prying and she wasn’t sure how to get back on the subject without sounding pushy.
“Anything else I can help you with?”
Might as well just throw it out there and see what happens. “So which of the medical ailments did you say was a rare occurrence?”
His eyes narrowed. “You sure do ask a lot of questions.”
“Yes, well…” Her mind skimmed over the most plausible excuse for her intrusion, “we’ve been on the ship a very long time. The only people I’ve talked to are my friends. There are only so many topics you can discuss before you feel like you’re stuck on repeat.”
Dr. Robinson smiled. “I know the feeling quite well. This crew has not changed in years. I find a good book helps ease the loneliness.” He paused, “And to answer your question, blood loss is the least common. It’s a good thing, because we do not keep blood onboard.”
Her stomach dropped. “You don’t? What if someone needs blood?”
“We have our crew donate.”
Samantha slid off the tab
le, trying not to look too disappointed. “I guess that makes sense and saves you some room.”
“Indeed, it does.”
“Thank you for the medication.” Her eyes fell to his neck and her fangs extended. One bite and all the pain would disappear.
“What in the world…?” Dr. Robinson stumbled backwards. “Your teeth. How did they do that?”
Samantha’s hand flew over her mouth as she forced her fangs to retract. Even though humans had spent their entire lives around vampires—Sanguines—their teeth did not descend when they drank blood from the bottle.
“I’m calling the captain.” Dr. Robinson stormed over to his desk and picked up a phone. “Sickbay to bridge.”
“Bridge, over.” Samantha used her exceptional hearing to eavesdrop.
“I need to speak with the Captain.”
“Hold.”
Samantha rushed to his desk as fast as she could without causing alarm. “Please don’t. Look at my teeth. There’s nothing to tell.”
His eyes flickered to her mouth and then locked with hers. “I know what I saw.”
“You didn’t see anything,” Samantha said, her tone harsh and full of conviction.
“Captain speaking,” Salty’s voice came through the receiver.
The doctor held Samantha’s glare for a heartbeat longer before replying, “Robinson here.”
“What’s the problem, doc?”
Dr. Robinson blinked. “Problem? There’s no problem here. Why do you ask?”
Samantha released a weighted sigh. She didn’t know what changed his mind, but thanked God he had. Salty didn’t strike her as a man who took deception well.
“You called the bridge, doc,” Salty said.
“No,” Dr. Robinson rubbed his eyes, “I didn’t. I was just finishing up with a patient. Hold on a second.” He covered the mouthpiece. “Was there something else you needed?”
What game was he playing? “No. Thank you for not saying anything.”
He fiddled with his glasses. “About your iron deficiency? Doctor-patient confidentiality.”
“No, the other thing.” She pointed to her mouth.
“Is there something wrong with your teeth? We don’t have a dentist onboard, but I can take a look.”
Samantha backed away, confused. “No. Nothing’s wrong. Thank you again for the medication.”
She staggered towards their rooms, unsure of what to make of what had just happened.
Ethan sat on the floor in the hall next to his room with a book in hand. “Samantha? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I think…” Her mind was a jumbled mess. “I think I might have done something to Dr. Robinson’s memory.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The sound of a hysterical woman crying dragged Darrien from sleep. Only when he dreamed did he find peace from the constant nagging in his brain that reminded him every second of every moment of every day that he needed blood.
Whoever took that peace away better have a damn good reason, or he was going to lose his shit.
Lumbering out of bed, he threw on the jeans and t-shirt he’d worn earlier and trudged to the door, not bothering with shoes. “What the hell is going on out here?”
Samantha buried her soaked face in Ethan’s chest, her body wracked with sobs.
Ethan wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her close. “Something happened. She hasn’t stopped crying long enough to tell me what.”
Darrien leaned against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles. “Like she stole blood bad or lost control and killed someone bad?”
“Neither.” Samantha tilted her head back and took a deep breath. “My teeth descended when I was talking to Dr. Robinson.”
“Son of a bitch.” Darrien knocked his head against the metal, hoping he was stuck in a dream.
Ethan brushed away the hair stuck to her cheeks. “What did he say?”
“He freaked out and called the Captain.”
Darrien punched the door to his left. “Nikko, get your ass out here.”
Nikko opened his door and glared. “What?”
“Seems little miss heir over here,” Darrien jerked his chin at Samantha, “has a big mouth.”
Samantha pushed out of Ethan’s embrace and stormed over to Darrien. “You are such an ass when you’re hungry.”
“Hey,” Darrien lowered his head so they were nose to nose, “I’m not the one who dropped her fangs in front of a human.”
“He doesn’t remember,” she blurted.
Ethan seized her arm and spun her around. “What do you mean he doesn’t remember?”
“He picked up the phone to call Salty, and I told him to forget what he saw and…” she dropped her shoulders, “he did.”
Darrien was in no mood for riddles. “You asked him not to say anything and he didn’t. Doesn’t mean he won’t.”
“No,” she whirled around, “I didn’t ask him to do anything. I told him to forget, and he forgot it ever happened. Didn’t know he called the bridge and asked to speak to the captain. A piece of his memory disappeared.”
“You can’t be sure.” Darrien balled his hands into tight fists. “He could have been acting like he forgot and when you left, called Salty and told him everything.”
“I don’t think so,” Samantha said. “If you had seen the look in his eyes when I thanked him for not telling…his confusion seemed genuine.”
Darrien’s head throbbed. “Still, you can’t know for sure.”
“How long ago was this?” Nikko asked.
Samantha chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure. It’s not like I checked the time when I left. Ten minutes, fifteen at the most.”
“What’s your point, Nikko?” Darrien wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and rid himself of the pain that infiltrated every inch of his body.
“My point is,” Nikko clenched his jaw, “that if Dr. Robinson called the captain after she left, we would have known by now. Salty is not one to take potential threats lightly. He would have come down here to check things out for himself.”
Evie opened the door behind Ethan wearing nothing but a button-up flannel shirt and yawned. Darrien had been avoiding her since she’d come on to him—Nikko’s idea in case she turned against Darrien like she had Samantha. He didn’t fight the suggested separation. The way he felt—all the pent-up anger and irritation—if she threw herself at him again, he would be powerless to say no. Sex always had a way of taking his mind off the hunger when nothing else could.
“Evie,” Ethan shifted in front of her, “for God’s sake, put some pants on.”
She shoved Ethan aside and sauntered out into the hall. “I’m trying to sleep but some crazy female is crying her little eyes out and keeping me awake.”
“Go back inside, Evie,” Ethan took hold of her arm, “unless you want another dose of tranquilizer.”
“Fine.” She shook him off, eyes welling with tears, and stormed back into her room.
“That’s a little harsh.” Darrien wondered if they were still sedating her. “Keeping your sister all drugged up like that.”
“Not that it’s any of your concern,” Ethan frowned, “but it’s for her own safety and for ours. She’s struggling. Shifts at the sound of Samantha’s voice. We can’t have her wandering around. What if she turned into a wolf in front of the humans? We’d be screwed.”
Darrien’s blood ran through his veins like lava. It killed him knowing for the past few weeks they had locked Evie up like a wild beast. “You can’t keep her hidden forever.”
Ethan took a hostile step forward. “You have a better plan?”
Nikko maneuvered between the two. “I think we have more pressing things to focus on.”
“Like what?” Darrien asked. “Samantha said the doctor can’t remember anything. Salty hasn’t come down here with guns-a-blazing. Sounds like we’re in the clear.”
“So you believe me?” Samantha crossed her arms over her chest. “You didn’t a few minutes ago.”<
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“Well,” Darrien pushed off the wall, “Nikko made a sound argument on your behalf.”
“The point I am attempting to get at,” Nikko rarely became annoyed, but it seemed they were on the verge of pushing him over the ledge, “is that if Samantha can alter memories, you can take blood from a human onboard.”
“What?” Samantha’s face dropped. “No. I don’t know how I did it the first time. No way am I going to try it again.”
“This is the best idea I’ve heard in months.” Darrien didn’t mean that; it was a stupid idea that would most likely end in them—him—having to kill the poor man-guinea pig. On the other hand, he was starving and not feeling any sort of compassion towards anyone so he didn’t really care if the human had to die. Better that guy than him.
“And if I can’t do it?” Samantha asked.
Darrien shrugged. “Then we’ll kill the bastard.”
“Are you kidding me?” Ethan clawed at his neck. “Who are you? It’s like you’re a different person.”
“Person?” Darrien stalked towards Ethan. “Person? I’m not a person. Not a human. I’m a vampire. A blood-thirsty monster. Your kind’s sworn enemy. You should be careful not to forget that.”
Ethan held his ground, disappointment swimming in his eyes.
Darrien had seen the same look in the eyes of the first woman he’d ever loved. Right before he walked out of her life forever. It had left a scar on his soul that had never healed. This one would go next to it—a reminder of the monster he became when he let the bloodlust take over. “That was uncalled for.”
“You think?” Ethan’s nostrils flared.
“As you can see,” Darrien steadied his words to keep from lashing out, “the need for blood is taking its toll. I can’t speak for Samantha, but I can tell you, the monster within me unleashed by bloodlust will kill every human onboard this ship.” He turned to Samantha. “That’s why you have to try and if you fail, one life sacrificed is worth the dozens that will die if I don’t get some blood in my system.”
“What Darrien is telling you is true.” Nikko patted his back. “All vampires are different, but if you two succumb to the bloodlust, more than one human will die on this ship.”
