She watched me warily asI prowled across the floor. “Why would you sign up to be a second feeder?You’re going to get hurt, Tess!”
Her lips crinkled into asmile. “Babe, you worry too much. It’s not like you actually feed from me, andmaybe … well, you know, I might actually have a shot at being turned into avamp.”
The bottle fell from myfangs and smashed onto the floor, spattering out the remains of blood. My jawhung open. “What … why … I don’t… ” I was spluttering away, trying to figureout what to say to her. “Why would you want to be a vamp?”
Yes, she had always beenfascinated, but this was taking it a step too far. Tessa was officially a vampgroupie.
Some of her usual firesprang back into her body, and she pulled herself up to meet me in a clash offemale pissed-off-ness. Her finger jabbed at me while she spoke. “I have beenhere eight times in the past few weeks but have only seen you twice. You arebusy or injured, or basically living a fucking life without me. I can’t loseyou.” Her breath huffed in time to her finger jabs. “I know it’s next toimpossible to be turned, but I’m going to do my best. Besides, Blake and I havebeen talking while I wait for you to show up or not, and he’s hot and sweet.Plus, the feeding itself feels … amazing.”
Blake? I didn’t know whatto say. I loved this chick so much; she was my person. If I ever killed someone,I’d call her to help me dispose of the body. I could not blame her for tryingto keep us together, but I needed her to stop.
“Tess, I love you, butyou can’t do this. The Hive is not a place you want to live. It’s rough, anddangerous, and there’s a decent chance that you’ll get killed by someoverzealous vampire long before they will turn you. I need to know you areokay, that you and Mom are out there living normal lives. It’s what gets methrough each shitty day here.”
“What about Ryder?” shesaid, ignoring all the negative I was saying. “Seems to be something going onwith you two.”
I shook my head beforereaching across to grab another bottle of blood. “Ryder is my trainer, end ofstory. He’s helping out Lucas, making sure I don’t die on my first day. Hedoesn’t have any interest in me.”
He’d made that perfectlyclear.
“But you are interestedin him?”
I had told her a littleabout my weird attraction to him.
“You should just go forit, Charlie. Dive on that delicious piece of ash. Don’t wait for him to figureshit out, you take what you want and don’t look back. There’s no way he doesn’tlove you a little. You’re hot as hell and funny and awesome. He’s secretlycrushing on you, I have no doubt.”
And that was the secondreason she was my person. Girl had my back no matter what. I ignored her Ryderpep talk. I knew there was something between me and him, but he clearly hadsome issues below the surface, something that held him back.
“So besidesBlake,how’syour love life going?” It felt like a million years since I’d lived with her inour college room. It was really hard missing all the things in the human world.I forgot about my old life when I was busy in my training bubble, but timeslike this it hit me hard that everything outside of the Hive continued to go onwithout me.
Tess and I talked for the next hour, whichwas the total allotted time we had together. She mainly talked about her newboy-toy Blake. I tried my best to dissuade her, but she said she’d be back nomatter what. I knew that meant for more than me. She was still going to be afeeder. Dammit.
We also discussed myweird blood results. There was still no more word on the cryptic “not an ash”diagnosis and I had almost convinced myself that the vampire doctor was crazy. Duringmy dinner with Lucas he had assured me that her family would be safe and freeas soon as he knew she was keeping her end of the deal. He needed to make sure shekept her mouth shut about my Original father status. Not that it mattered. Iapparently was the lamest descendent of an Original ever. No levitation here.
“Take care of yourself,Tess.” I was trying to hold back tears as we hugged again. The vampire escortwas waiting not very patiently to take her out of the feeding room. “I’ll seeyou next week.”
Her voice was rough. “Youbetter. If you die during the culling, I am going to burn the Hive to theground – I swear on Grandma Joan’s grave.”
She’d loved her cow-wrestling,gun-toting gran. Joan had been a hoot for sure.
I chuckled. “I’ll beokay, I will survive.” I let some of my confidence seep out in those words, hopinglike hell the last thing I said to my best friend wasn’t going to be a lie.
Later that night I sat on the bathroomcounter putting on mascara as Jayden coached me on how to pencil my eyebrows.
“It’s the year of thebrows,” Jayden was saying when a knock came on the door. Tonight was party time,when all of the culling participants forgot about their shitty lives and hadfun. My bestie cracked a smile. “My surprise is here.”
I raised an eyebrow.Pleasebe a gorgeous straight boy here to take advantage of me.Jayden returnedwith a bottle of homemade-looking liquor.
“Strong-ass vampiremoonshine.” He held up the bottle and I grinned. Second best thing.
“Will it get the job donefor a change?” Beside the blood-wine, almost nothing else even gave me a buzz.
“My guy says if we splitthe whole bottle we’ll be drunk for a few hours and it’ll wear off long beforethe culling. Everyone is drinking it tonight.”
“Your guy?” I raised aneyebrow.
He smiled, flashing hisperfectly straight teeth. “One of Ryder’s enforcers. It’s only fun right now,but it looks like I landed me a sexy six.” He winked.
Well damn, even Jaydenwas getting some. Which was the best thing I could hear about my best friend.
