I scowl after him and slam the door harder than necessary. Hunter sits on the side of the bed watching me. Without a word, I stalk over to the bathroom. After a fast shower, I throw on clothes. I'm just about ready to leave when Hunter stops me. “Did you get blood? I don’t have any more for you.”
I blink. “Uh, yeah. I’m good.” I pause for a moment. “You haven’t eaten since we got here.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe I didn’t get food for you. I’m sorry. I’ll track somebody down this morning.”
“It’s fine, Sherese.”
My mood was already dark. “It’s not fine. I’ll figure it out.” I leave without another word, shutting the door behind me a little harder than necessary. I stalk through the building, intent on finding somebody to get food for Hunter. But I decide to get to the healer’s room first. I didn’t want her to pay the price for being late. She doesn’t bother looking at me when I get to her room, nor does she look at me the entire way. Thankfully, she doesn't fight me, like she did every other time we’ve stepped into this room. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. When I finish with the healer, I make my way to my next shift. Before I start, I track down Ajax. “I need food for Hunter,” I tell him without preamble.
He has the audacity to smirk at me. “Do you now?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Not sure we can help with that. I mean, unless he wants blood...”
I stare at him. “We both know you don’t drink blood, Ajax, and yet you look to be eating pretty well.” His face tightens with anger, but I’m past caring. “Food. For Hunter. Where is it?”
“There is no food for the wolf. You should have thought of that before you brought him with you. Sorry.”
He is anything but sorry, and I’m fuming with anger. “Ajax,” I take a step closer to him. “I swear—”
He peers behind me, and I know without looking that Rizo is here. “Little Lamb,” he says in a velvet voice. “What do you need?”
I don’t look away from Ajax. “I need food for Hunter.”
“Aw. The shifter. I guess it wouldn’t do to let your food source starve.” I turn to him, but he faces Ajax. “Be sure the shifter has food to eat.” He leaves without another word.
There's suddenly a harsh grip on my wrist, and I wince when he grinds the bones together. If I were human, the bones would have already snapped. “I’ll get your precious wolf his food,” he all but growls in my ear. I don’t respond in any way, and when he releases my limp wrist, I walk over to the double doors with my head held high. I put my thumb on the scanner. Rizo has made sure my thumbprint is on all the scanners it needs to be on. It’s not until after nine again that I make my way back to our apartment. When I get there, Hunter stops suddenly and turns to me. “What were you doing?” I ask, and it comes out harsher than I intended.
“Pacing.”
He doesn’t say anything else, and I don’t either. I head to the bathroom to take a shower before collapsing in bed. Before I go to sleep, though, I turn to look at him. But I don’t see him. “Hunter?”
“Here,” his voice comes from the floor.
“What are you doing?”
“Working out.”
“Oh.” I stare up at the ceiling for a moment. “Is your wolf okay?”
It’s silent for a moment. “He’s as good as he can be.”
I close my eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault,” he says through a harsh breath, and I figure he’s back to pushups or sit-ups or whatever it is he’s doing. I’m aware of him on the floor as I start to fall asleep, but when he walks towards the bathroom, I suddenly remember.
“Hunter.”
He stops and turns just before the bathroom door. “Did you get food?” He nods. “What was it? Because Ajax was in charge of it, and that worries me.”
“It was a vampire. He dropped off a bunch of food, so I won’t go hungry.”
I close my eyes. “Good.” He heads into the bathroom, and I start to drift off.
When I wake the next morning, there’s a deep ache in my gums. I squeeze my eyes tightly and push the pain away. I figure if I don’t focus on it, it will go away. The day drags on, and the feeling doesn’t go away. In fact, it gets worse. I find myself craving blood. My stomach cramps, and I wonder what in the world I’m going to do. But I force those thoughts away; I’m stronger than my blood cravings. I’ll be fine. I don’t look at Hunter when I get back to the room that night. I’m so hungry, and my mouth is so dry. I feel terrible. I don’t bother even changing for bed. I hear Hunter say something, but I ignore it and try to find peace in sleep. That night, I dream of blood. I dream that I drink so much, I’m finally satiated. But when I wake with an ache in my stomach, and my gums feeling like knife blades, I know I’m in serious trouble. I push the covers back and move to stand up. The world spins a moment, but I find my balance and make my way to the bathroom.It will pass. I just have to stay strong until I figure out a way to get intothe blood supply.I hadn’t found a way the past few times I tried, but I will today. There was literally no other option. I was slow, but I eventually showered. But the hot water is too much; it only weakens me further. I barely make it out of the tub without falling.
