by Jodi Vaughn
A slight smile crossed his lips. He sat forward in the chair and took my hand.
“I love you. You know that, right?” His finger made small circles on the back of my hand.
My heart tugged in my chest at the thought of the man I’d married. In that moment, hope surged in my chest. Maybe we would be all right, after all.
Chapter 22
I felt eyes on me.
“What?” I looked up from my plate where I had been busy pushing my food around.
“You never eat anything.” Arianna sat her fork down and crossed her arms.
I glanced down at the plate of baked chicken, wild rice, and asparagus. I’d managed to cut everything up into bite-size pieces, but never ate any of it.
“I do eat.” I frowned and speared a piece of chicken with my fork and popped it into my mouth.
I chewed and then stopped. “It tastes like cardboard.” I frowned and spit it out into my napkin.
“Are you kidding?” Miles shook his head. “This is probably the best chicken you’ve ever cooked. He took another bite to prove his point.
“Really?” I looked from him to both girls.
“Dad’s right. The chicken is great.” Arianna cocked her head to the side. “You don’t have an eating disorder, do you?”
My mouth fell open. “Absolutely not.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was supposed to be a role model for both my girls. And one of them was accusing me of being anorexic.
“I eat.” I speared some asparagus on my fork and looked to make sure both girls were watching. “I eat all the time.” I took a big bite of the vegetable. It, like the chicken, had very little taste. I forced myself to chew before swallowing it down.
“She’s just saying that because you lost all that weight.” Gabby shrugged. “I don’t think you have an eating disorder, Mommy.
“Good. Because I don’t.” I stuck another bite of chicken into my mouth and chewed. I wasn’t hungry. I was tired. More exhausted than I had been in a while. I’d had a lot of energy after Khalan made me drink Cal’s blood. But that had been days ago. Now, I felt like I was fading.
Blood, just the thought of it made my mouth water.
I looked at Miles’ neck. The large vein on the side seemed to throb as he chewed his food. I licked my lips, wondering what his blood would taste like on my tongue.
“Mom, can we pick up Shelby on our way to the game on Saturday?” Arianna had forgotten the topic about eating disorders and had moved on to something more interesting.
“Sure. What time is the game?”
“Game starts at ten, but Coach says be prepared to stay until after noon.”
Shit. That would be a lot of time out in the sun without a break. Could I even make it that long? The way I was feeling right now, I wasn’t sure I could make it through the night.
I’d caught a break with the last two soccer games getting rained out. I’d been keeping an eye on the forecast and knew there was no way this game would be canceled, as well. Unless something catastrophic happened.
It was a struggle just to sit through dinner and pretend like everything was okay. I knew if I were going to have to show up at the soccer game, then I needed to get more blood. One way or another.
* * *
That night after everyone had gone to bed, I stayed up. I couldn’t sleep, even as tired as I was. I knew what I needed. I needed blood.
I stood at the front door, looking out through the glass panes. My gaze zeroed in on Cal’s house. I only had a few days before the soccer game. I had to get blood in order to, hopefully, sustain me through the girls’ game and being out in the sun for half the day.
I was getting concerned that Khalan had not contacted me. He was my Maker. He was supposed to help me in times like these. As much as the vampire irritated me, I wished he were back in town.
I couldn’t wait around for him to show up with blood. I needed to do something.
As much as I hated to hurt Cal again, I knew I needed blood. I eased open the door and headed outside. The weather had warmed up, and the temps were now in the sixties at night. Everyone’s grass was starting to turn a pretty shade of green. I stepped out onto the street and glanced down at my yoga pants and running shoes. If someone asked what I was doing out this late, I could just say I was going for a run. Hopefully, they’d believe me.
I wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way down the street toward Cal and Carla’s house. I kept glancing at the homes I passed, making sure no one was outside or watching me through their window. So far, all the houses I passed were dark inside.
I took a deep breath and made my way up to Cal’s front door. I bit my lip, and my hands trembled as I reached up to knock. I froze mid-way. I’d never wanted something as badly as I wanted blood. I needed to leave. I needed to go home. I turned and took two steps before the door creaked opened.
“Rachel?”
I froze at Carla’s voice. Cal’s wife.
My mind raced, and my heart thudded like a rabbit running in my chest. I turned and plastered a smile on my face.
“Hi, Carla,” I said.
“Rachel, is everything okay?” Carla cocked her head and locked her assessing gaze on mine.
“Yes. Everything’s great.”
“It’s almost midnight.” She blinked.
“Oh, wow. I hadn’t realized it was that late. I thought I saw something moving by your front door, so I came to check it out.” I looked back at the street.
“What are you doing out so late?”
“I couldn’t sleep and thought I would try to go for a run,” I lied.
She frowned.
“I can’t run during the day anymore because of Scooby.” I shook my head. “The last time I went running, he tried to bite my leg.”
“Oh my gosh. I had no idea.” Her eyes widened. “I thought Scooby was such a nice little dog.”
“I’m sure he is,” I said quickly. “I think I must have startled him when I ran by the driveway. He didn’t leave a mark on my leg or anything. Please don’t say anything. I don’t want to cause any trouble with the Macy’s,” I implored.
“I won’t say a word.” She gave me an understanding smile.
My gaze dipped to her neck. She was wearing flannel pajamas with the collar pulled up around her throat. I couldn’t see her veins, but I could still smell her blood.
My mouth watered.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” She stepped closer and lowered her voice.
“What is it?” I didn’t lift my gaze from her neck.
“It’s about Cal.”
“What about Cal?” I jerked my gaze to hers and tried to keep my voice calm.
Had she seen how bloody his shirt was? Worse, had she seen me following him?
“The other night, he came in late.” She looked back over her shoulder and then back at me.
“Yeah? Maybe he was working in the garage,” I said a little too quickly.
“See, that’s the thing. He didn’t come in from the garage.” She stepped closer. “He came in from the back door.”
“And?” I frowned.
“And Cal never uses the back door. He rarely goes out to the backyard at all unless he’s cutting the grass.” She cocked her head. “I was in the kitchen when he walked in. Nearly scared me to death.”
“Maybe he heard something and was checking it out.”
“I saw you, Rachel,” she said quietly.
“What?” My mouth tasted like ash, and I felt the blood drain from my face.
“I saw you outside. You were watching him.”
“I …” I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Rachel, I need to know the truth.” Sadness stretched from her face into her eyes. “Are you and Cal having an affair?”
“What?” I screeched. I felt my expression stretch into a look of horror and insult. “Of course, not. I would never do that. Ever.” I pressed my lips into a thin line and glared.
She
smiled and relaxed. “I can tell by your reaction that you’re telling the truth.”
“Of course, I’m telling the truth,” I shot back.
“I’m sorry, but I had to ask.”
“You probably saw me because I saw him stumbling around outside. I was just watching to make sure he got home.”
“Thank you.” She gave me a sheepish look. “He must have gotten drunk over at the neighbors’ house.” She cut her eyes to the neighbors to the right. “You know Malcolm Jenner is a bad drunk when his wife, Alice, goes out of town. I don’t like Cal hanging out with him. He turns into a different person.” She rubbed her neck, and the collar of her shirt dipped, revealing her throat.
“Well, men will do what they do.” My gaze landed on her neck. In the dim light of the moon, I could see her vein pulsating with every beat of her heart.
“Carla, where is Cal?” I cocked my head.
“Asleep,” Carla said.
I tried to step inside, but it was like hitting an invisible wall. I tried again but was once again met by a barrier.
I bet I have to be invited in.
“Carla, invite me into your house,” I said.
Her eyes glazed over, and she stared at me. “Rachel, please come inside my house,” she said in a monotone voice. She was glamoured.
I took a step across the threshold and smiled when I successfully moved inside. I would have to remember this trick. I turned and looked at Carla. She didn’t move away from the door but turned to look at me.
“Shut the door,” I said.
She obeyed.
I stepped into the living room and glanced around. It was decorated in traditional décor with monkey paintings and bronze accessories. Cal and Carla were older than me by about fifteen years. They’d been married since forever and only had one child that had graduated college years ago. They were empty-nesters with a large RV that they took out for six weeks in the summers to go out West.
Carla had never worked outside the home, and Cal was up for early retirement in a few years from his engineering job. They drove older-model cars and never tried to impress anyone. Miles had told me once that Cal was actually very wealthy and probably had close to three million in the bank. That didn’t even count all the money he would likely get from retirement and his investments.
They were also heavily involved with the church, leading Sunday school and going on mission trips every couple of years.
I turned and looked back at Carla. My gaze landed on her neck.
“Come here,” I said quietly.
Once again, she obeyed and walked over to me, stopping only a foot away.
“Sit down on the couch.” I licked my lips and stared at her neck some more.
She walked over to the couch and sat down. I sat on the other side of her.
“Give me your neck.”
She pulled her flannel pajama top away from her flesh and leaned her head to the side.
I could literally taste her blood in my mouth, and I hadn’t even bitten her yet.
In the moment, alone in the dark living room of my neighbors, I didn’t hesitate. My thirst for Carla’s blood was too much. I grabbed her neck and ran my tongue across my teeth. They had changed. They were now razor-sharp, and I could taste my own blood where my tooth—fang—had cut my tongue. It only fueled my lust for Carla’s blood.
I let out a soft growl as I buried my face in the crook of Carla’s neck and bit down, hard. She moaned but didn’t fight or try to get away. The coppery taste of her blood spilled onto my tongue, and I sucked hard, pulling more into my mouth. I groaned at the flavor as it reminded me of Valentine’s Day chocolate.
I tightened my hold on her and sucked harder, pulling the sweet nectar into my mouth as it spurted out like a spring. I felt her pulse grow weaker, and the blood began to slow.
I was killing her.
I pulled away and stood. Carla slumped to the couch, eyes squeezed shut and mouth slightly open.
“Carla?” My own heartbeat echoed in my ears, and I prayed she would answer me.
Silence.
I leaned down and pressed my fingers to the wound on her neck to stop the gentle flow of blood.
“Carla, open your eyes,” I said a little louder this time.
She struggled to hold her lids open. Shit. Maybe I had taken too much blood. I might have killed my neighbor.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.” I wished Khalan were here. He’d know what to do.
“Rachel, what are you doing here?” Cal’s sleepy voice made me jump about a foot in the air.
I spun around and looked at him.
He rubbed his eyes and looked at the couch. When he spotted Carla, his eyes widened.
“Oh my God. What’s wrong with Carla? Why is she bleeding?”
I looked at Carla. Her bleeding had stopped, but there were blood stains on the collar of her white flannel pajamas.
“What did you do?” Cal’s eyes hardened on me. He pushed past me and knelt beside his wife. He took her head between his hands and assessed her situation.
“Cal, I didn’t do anything,” I said quietly. It was a lie.
“Rachel, tell me what happened?” He glared up at me from his position on the floor.
I was scared shitless. Scared that Cal would call the cops. Scared that Carla would die. Scared that I was a monster. I had to protect my family. At all costs.
I placed my shaking hands on Cal and forced him to look up at me. He glared and tried to shake me off. I had to make him understand that I hadn’t meant to harm Carla.
What do people need when they get blood taken from them at the blood bank? I took a deep breath and met his gaze.
“Cal, look at me,” I commanded.
He looked at me, and I held his gaze. “You found Carla in the kitchen where she’d fallen and hit her neck on the counter. The blood on her pajamas is from where she cut herself. She’s fine. She just needs some orange juice and cookies. She’ll be fine. I was never here. Just you and Carla in the house. Just a small, little accident where she hit her neck. But there’s no damage. You’ll stay up with her for the rest of the night and make sure she’s okay. You’ll take care of her. If she loses consciousness, you’ll call the ambulance. Understand?”
“I understand,” Cal answered in a monotone voice. His expression was relaxed and neutral. Gone was any animosity towards me. He was back in his zombie state.
I sighed with relief. I’d managed to glamour him.
I looked down at Carla. Her eyes were barely open, yet she was still breathing.
“Carla, look at me.”
She obeyed. Her weak gaze landed on me.
“Carla, you got up in the middle of the night. You slipped on something wet on the kitchen floor and hit your neck on the edge of the counter. You bled a little, but the bleeding has stopped. Cal is going to make you eat something to make you feel better. If you start to feel worse, tell him, and he’ll call an ambulance or take you to the hospital. Understand?”
“Yes. I understand,” Carla whispered.
“I was never here. Understand?” I stared hard at her.
“I understand,” she said.
“Cal, take care of Carla,” I demanded.
He took his gaze off me and wrapped his arms around his wife. “Let’s go get something for you to eat. It will help build your strength,” he said to her.
I took a few steps toward the door, blending in to the darkness as I watched Cal assist Carla to her feet. He carefully helped her into the kitchen and then sat her down in a chair. He grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with orange juice. He handed it to her while he gathered up some shortbread cookies and placed some on a platter for her.
Once I was satisfied that he would do what I’d said, I eased out the front door and moved out onto the street. I glanced at my house but decided that I wasn’t ready to head home just yet. If I went home, I wouldn’t go to bed. I glanced down the street in the other direction.
Instead, I decided to act
ually go for a run. I started out in a slow jog, my feet pounding the pavement with each step. With the new blood in my system, and my cravings satisfied, I couldn’t go slowly. I needed to go fast. I ran faster until the wind was blowing in my hair. Tonight, I felt free as the crisp air hit my face and skipped across my bare arms.
I heard the growl of the beast before I spotted him. Scooby. The neighborhood nuisance.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the dog coming up behind me. Usually, he was a fast runner and always caught up to me. But tonight, I was the faster of us. He generally growled and nipped at my leg when he got close enough. But this time, he made an odd sound.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw him barreling toward me. Before I could turn around, my foot landed on an uneven spot on the asphalt. I lost my balance and landed on the ground with a thud.
“Shit,” I muttered as pain raced across my shoulder where I had hit it. It would hurt like a bitch in the morning.
A loud howl had me scrabbling to my feet. I didn’t want to be an easy target for Scooby. Before I could gather my legs under me, the dog launched himself in the air right at me. I opened my mouth to scream but was pushed to the ground and pinned.
I braced myself for the feel of his teeth sinking into my flesh.
He bent his head, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
A long, wet tongue licked me from my chin to my forehead. I cringed and opened my eyes. Scooby stared back at me with his tongue hanging out of his mouth in a goofy grin. Slobber dripped from the tip of his enormous tongue and soaked into my shirt.
“Gross.” I lifted my arm and wiped the saliva away from my face with my elbow.
“Get off me,” I muttered.
Scooby complied and jumped off my chest to sit by my side, his eyes trained on me the entire time. When I was confident that he wasn’t going to bite me, I slowly stood.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you licking me? You’ve always tried to bite me.” I narrowed my eyes and glanced down at my shirt. I lifted the material to my face and sniffed the drool spot and cringed. “Your breath could kill a horse.” I narrowed my eyes.
