by Chloe Grey
Bitten
Blood Bonded
chloe grey
Published by chloe grey, 2018.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
BITTEN
First edition. November 30, 2018.
Copyright © 2018 chloe grey.
Written by chloe grey.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1 | -Talon-
Chapter 2 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 3 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 4 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 5 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 6 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 7 | -David-
Chapter 8 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 9 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 10 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 11 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 12 | -David-
Chapter 13 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 14 | -David-
Chapter 15 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 16 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 17 | -David-
Chapter 18 | -David-
Chapter 19 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 20 | -David-
Chapter 21 | -Cassandra-
Chapter 22 | -Cassandra-
Author's notes
To Mom, who left this world too early
Chapter 1
-Talon-
Run
I tried to quicken my pace but my legs didn’t obey me. They couldn’t. I stumbled, almost tripping over a large stone but regained my footing against a trunk of a large tree.
Birds scattered, a squirrel darted, and branches snapped and scratched my skin as tree after tree fell behind me in a blur. Those small cuts instantly regenerated, but the multiple bullet wounds on my legs, or the dozens of others littered all over my body, couldn't—at least not while I was still getting shot at.
They were still far behind me, but to my enhanced senses, they felt so close that every sound they made thundered in my eardrums. It made my head spin—the snapping of twigs, the rhythmic crunching of dead leaves, the clanking of metal, the ‘click’ as my pursuers pulled the trigger, then the whooshing of bullets, then the sound of my teeth gritting together as a bullet buried itself deep in my back.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
They were catching up.
Faster. Go faster.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Another bullet whooshed past me. It missed me by a couple of inches and landed into another tree, sending small splinters and dust flying.
I cursed. How had I been so blind, so stupid? Of course they wanted revenge. What was I expecting?
They had caught me in an ambush. Well-trained hunters who kept to the shadows, and more silent than falling autumn leaves. But I could have known. I should have known. If I was more aware, I would have caught the rapid beating of their hearts, or the sharp intake of air, or the beads of sweat dripping from their chins and splashing the earth, or their scents, which were now overpowered with adrenaline and determination.
I should have known. But it was too late now.
Another bullet made contact with my right shin, and I collapsed. I was at the mercy of the humans now. The Humans. What an embarrassment.
I could imagine their voices now—the jeers of my blood brothers and sisters, their voices layered with sarcasm, the laughter that played through my head on repeat.
Talon Hall, the vampire who got bested by five mortal humans. Talon the weak, Talon the unworthy.
I didn’t bother getting up; I knew I was finished, and as I laid there in my pool of black blood, I could only hope that the humans would grant me death. I could tolerate pain, but eternal embarrassment?
Talon, is it true? I imagined Gideon saying. The petty voice of my rival now drowned out the laughter. Then there was his smirk—that fucking smirk. Talon? Did you really get beaten by just five humans? Only five? I overestimated you.
Just kill me already.
I am sorry, Helen. You deserve better.
Chapter 2
-Cassandra-
I stayed behind as my comrades circled the fallen vampire.
Not because I was scared. I have killed dozens of monsters like him, but this was different, personal, and it made me sick.
Logan handed his automatic rifle to Dave, retrieved a pistol from his back pocket, and pressed it against the vampire’s forehead.
“You will pay for this,” he growled, with a coldness I had never heard him use before.
The vampire coughed up blood—as black as midnight—and flashed him a smile. A dazzling smile that would have sent scores of women wobbling on their knees if it wasn’t for all the blood and dirt caked on his face, or for his deep violet eyes—the universal sign that told—warned—everyone what he really was. “Tell me, human, how did she do? I’d hope she would at least kill one of you but—”
One of the other guys, Fletcher, stepped forward and stomped on a bullet wound engrained on the vampire’s shoulder.
I thought maybe I would relish his screams. Replay them over and over whenever I feel down and lonely. But I didn’t. I cringed as the vampire writhed on the ground trying to shove the foot away.
“Christ,” he spat out when he recovered. More blood oozed from his numerous wounds, coating my friends’ shoes, but nobody stepped back. All guns were still trained on him, fingers on triggers. We took no chances with vampires, even one lying bloody on the ground.
The vampire went into a coughing fit. “You know, if it makes you guys feel any better, Laura was happy with me. She hated you guys.”
We didn’t answer. We knew he was lying. Vampires always were.
He looked at our passive faces, then caught sight of me in the background and flashed me that grin of his, showing his teeth—all straight, white, and perfect, his fangs gleaming even in the dim light.
“Really,” he insisted and shifted his gaze to Fletcher. “You are Fletcher, right? Laura’s fiancé? She told me a lot about you. How you are a devoted Christian and refused sex until marriage. Man, you really missed out. She was wild in bed.” He licked his lips. “I loved her strawberry taste, it really suits he—”
Fletcher was on him in an instant. He shoved Logan away and pounded his fist onto the vampire. I looked away before I could immortalise the image and send it into the ever-growing box that was named ‘Cassandra’s Nightmares.’
The vampire’s face was swollen and bloody when Fletcher was done with him. He slowly stood up, his fist trembling and dripping with both red and black blood. With a grunt, he delivered one final kick to the vampire’s stomach before retrieving his discarded rifle.
“Not yet.” My brother, Kevin, stepped forward and rested his huge palms on Fletcher’s trembling shoulder. “You will get to kill him alright,” he quickly added when Fletcher gave him a furious glare. “Maybe he knows something about him.”
Him. We all knew who he was referring to. People call him a variety of titles, but we eventually settled for who he was—The Vampire King.
I will never forget the day when he made himself known. The day where he offered his blood to those who sought eternal life and power beyond imagination. Of course, no one believed him. They thought he was a just another lunatic.
But that was until he demonstrated his power, and soon after, hundreds and hundreds of thousands, maybe millions flocked to him. It sickened me—how so many humans could betray their own kind so easily.
That was more than two years ago, but it felt like an eternity. Memories that seemed distant and blurry. Had I really been happy before that fateful day? I couldn’t tell anymore.
“Such a pretty little thing,” The vampire started, lifting up a hand. I couldn’t help but shiver at his fingernails. Long, sharp and deadly, a vampire’s weapon of choice. “Walking all alone at night, carrying pizza of all things. I assumed it was for you guys? The pizza tasted great, by the way.” He chuckled. “And so did she.”
Fletcher stomped on his shoulder again. This time, the vampire didn’t even flinch.
“Laura was a talkative one.” He was still grinning through the bloody mess on his face. “I made her tell me stories. And all she could talk about was you guys.” The vampire scanned my brother’s massive frame. “You must be the ugly one she told me about. Kevin, isn’t it? She had a nickname for you, ‘Kevin The Ugly Giant’.”
My brother, ignoring his own advice, growled and shot him in the legs.
“You’re definitely Kevin,” the vampire said, gritting his teeth. “She was right. Seeing you up close now, you really are ugly, which is such a surprise because your sister is the complete opposite.” He glanced at me again and winked. “My dear Cassandra, I should have bitten you instead.”
Logan shifted sideways to block me from his view. Strangely enough, that single action brought me warmth.
We had it all planned out. Track the bastard who made our friend into a monster, ambush him, torture him until he begged for death, then kill him. Justice would be served, and it would put all our heavy hearts at ease. Except it didn't. I could see it on my companions’ faces—no one was enjoying this.
We kill the vampire... then what? Laura won’t come back. She never will.
“Before you kill me, at least tell me how well she did.” The vampire turned to Fletcher. “You know, she was a strong one. I admired her. Fought my control for a full day—not many humans can do that. But after that, she was the most devoted bond slave I have had the pleasure of owning. Really went above and beyond on all my needs. I was almost sad when I had to let her go.”
The vampire’s eyes glazed over as he stared at the vast ceiling of greens, zeroing in on a small clearing in the canopy. He smiled innocently at the blue sky and at the scraps of puffy clouds that seemed to form shapes with hidden meanings.
“That’s my biggest problem. I can’t seem to commit to a single woman. Just one week, and I have to get another, and another. Such a curse to be a lowly D rank. You only have the pleasure to bond with a single woman.
“Did she at least almost killed Fletcher?” the vampire asked. “I ordered her to kill him first,” he tried another chuckle, but only managed a pitiful gargle. “My apologies. It’s the weird sense of humour I have, you see—”
A loud bang. Blood splattered everywhere.
But it wasn’t from Logan; it was from Dave, who had been silent throughout the ordeal.
All of us jumped back in shock, except Fletcher, who gaped in horror, bellowed, then made his way to our leader, pointing his rifle at him. “Fucking hell. Why the fuck did you do that?! We all agreed. I would be the one to kill the son of a bitch. It was my right!”
Dave didn’t answer him. He shot the limp vampire three more times before shrugging his broad shoulders. “He talks too much.” He calmly glanced at Fletcher, then at the barrel of the gun, then at all of us.
“You guys know what to do. Cut off his head then burn the body. He’s only a D rank, but take no chances.”
With a final glance at the men, he turned and headed towards the forest clearing where we had come from, but not before pausing by me and giving my arm a squeeze.
I hugged him instead, burying my face into his chest, ignoring the black liquid that was splattered all over his jacket. I could feel the muscles right beneath his skin, all tensed and hard, and shivered at the familiar comfort it brought me.
I didn’t care who shot him. As long as the monster was dead. But Fletcher was right—it seemed fair if he had made the killing blow.
We stood there for a while, and I closed my eyes. For a moment I imagined that it was like all of our of other embraces: happy, warm, joyful.
When I open my eyes, it will just be a dream, a very bad dream.
But as he pulled away and all the cold stillness came flooding back, I had to accept reality. I could tell myself that it was just a bad dream hundreds of times, but that would never change anything.
Dave kissed me on my forehead before walking away. I watched him go, wondering what was on his mind. He had been unusually quiet lately, only communicating with nods and hugs.
“Are you okay?” Logan said, kicking a pebble as he made his way towards me. He eyed Dave for a little while longer, a slight frown etching his lips.
“Yeah. I just can’t believe she’s gone, and in the worst way possible.”
“Me too. But you got to be strong, okay?” He tried to sound like his usual self, confident and secure, but his voice cracked. “We got to be strong.”
“Okay.” I nodded, trying to hold back the tears that were collecting behind my eyes. I didn’t know why I tried to fight it, really. I never won, so why even bother?
Just let it all out, like I had every day for the past—oh god, how long has it been?
Just let it all out. It was the normal thing to do. The healthy thing to do.
But I still fought it—until I couldn’t.
The dam broke.
Chapter 3
-Cassandra-
Logan’s voice broke the silence.
“I want to kill them.”
I looked at him. He was next to me in bed, both palms on his chest, and was staring numbly at the ceiling, like a dead man lying in a coffin.
“I want to crush all those damn vampires like ants.”
I inched closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek. He looked at me; brown met green. His were filled with the same fury of emotions I felt.
“Me too,” I said. “But how?”
“I don’t know, babe,” he said, his voice cracking and his cheeks trembling. “I don’t fucking know.”
Tears began running down, wetting my fingers. My heart broke.
“I don’t want to fall asleep. It’s always the same nightmare. Pulling the trigger...” Logan looked away. “It’s my fault.”
“Hey.” I reached out another hand to cup his face. He turned back towards me, his rich brown eyes softening against mine, his faint cinder scent filling my senses. “It’s not your fault. You had to do it.”
“Why us, babe? Why Laura? Couldn’t it have been literally anybody else?” He leaned in and kissed the curve of my nose. “And what if it happens to you? I don't know what I would do.”
“It won’t,” I said confidently.
“You can’t promise me that. People get turned every day. If you turn into a monster like her and...” He shook his head. “I would rather you kill me.”
“Don’t say that.”
He sighed. “You know, maybe the governments is right. “Maybe we should surrender. It’s been two years, more than that. We have only managed to take down a single A rank. Only one, Cassandra. And at what cost? A bloody war that took thousands and thousands of lives just to kill one of those bastards.” He shook his head. “It isn’t worth it. We should lay low and try to live a normal life from now on.”
It was a good idea; the safe idea. The world was falling apart and most of the world leaders were already discussing peace terms with the vampires. The vampires’ terms were simple: They would rule over the world and we would deliver a daily quota of humans to them. No negotiations.
“Maybe,” I said. “But we can’t just give up to those vermins. If Laura was here, she would say the same. Worst comes to worst, and we all go down, at least we gave them a hell of a fight.”
“I don’t know, babe.” He trailed his fingers down my neckline. My body tingled as they grazed between my bare breasts. “I thought that too—that we were invincible, that we could change the world. The number of vampires we killed...” He shook his head. “I don’t want to risk losing anyone anymore. We should settle down; start a family,” Logan started g
lazing over, eyes alight with dreams. “I always wanted a daughter.”
I frowned. “Logan, it’s too early for that.”
“Babe...”
“We will talk about this tomorrow,” I said, putting a finger to his lips. “Get some sleep. I will back in a bit.” I pointed to my throat. “Thirsty.”
“Okay.”
I reluctantly pried myself away out of his arms and draped on a robe. With a sigh, I resigned myself to the long walk to the kitchen.
Dave was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, when I got there. He studied me with those intense blue eyes as I entered, except they weren’t intense anymore.
He had been crying.
“Hey,” I said, forcing a smile to hopefully ease some of his pain away. “Can’t sleep?”
My best friend uncrossed his arms, and I couldn’t help but take all of him in—as I and many, many others always did. He was wearing his usual outfit—a simple black V-neck shirt that clung nicely to his lean, athletic build.
Other than the rare suit he wore on special occasions—which was always a treat because the butterflies in my stomach would go crazy whenever he wore those damn things—I doubted he owned any other clothing.
I had always suspected that Dave was gay. Everywhere he went, women’s eyelashes fluttered, flirty smiles were offered, giggles came often and easy (even when he wasn’t joking), but he had never—not once—shown any interest in any of them. Him being gay was the only reasonable answer... except he never showed interest in men either. It was a puzzle I had often wanted to ask him about but never found the courage to.
Maybe he is asexual.
“Yeah,” he said in that smooth, sexy voice of his. That snapped me out of my trance. A pause, then, “I need to talk to you.”
I frowned. Had he been waiting for me all this time?
“What is it?”
He sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets, and looked at me. His steely gaze bored through me. I fidgeted. “I understand that you want to stop them, Cass. I really do, but maybe Logan is right, we—”
