“Thanks, Ms. Shaw.” The kid is out of the chair and out of the office so fast, I question whether or not he’s sippin’ a little blood—it’s not unheard of. Sometimes, unblooded vamps will drink to get a boost in power and speed, but it can be just as dangerous as it is for humans to drink vampire blood. If they aren’t careful, they’ll become addicted, and once they transition to a blooded vampire, it’s almost a guarantee they will be born in bloodlust, which leads to the deaths of humans or whoever they can get to.
I look over at Evan. “He seem overly nervous to you? Maybe a little too quick, considering he isn’t blooded?”
Evan tilts his head as if it hadn’t dawned on him until I said something. “You want me to have him checked out?”
“What are you talking about?” Quinn is watching me with thinly veiled annoyance.
“How was the boy before we showed up? Was he acting strange?” Christ, if he’s already drinking blood, being around Quinn, a human with hot blood pumping through her veins, could lead to a disaster if he were to get desperate. She is the easiest prey at Havenfall.
“Sean” —Quinn emphasizes the boy’s name— “seemed fine. A little quiet maybe. What’s going on?” She glances between Evan and me.
“It could be nothing,” I admit and push my hair back. Am I overreacting just because it’s Quinn? Something about him set me on edge, but every fucking male who gets around her sets me on edge. “Did you notice how fast he was when he left?” I look over at Evan, seeing if he’s going to give me an answer and confirm my suspicions or tell me I’m a suspicious bastard.
“He was definitely eager to get the hell out of here, but I wouldn’t guess on why or how right now. Let me look into it.” Evan jerks his chin.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Quinn interjects with exasperation.
“That kid moved like a blooded vamp,” I tell her.
“He was nowhere near as fast as you.” She crosses her arms over her chest, as if she thinks I’m overreacting, but she ends up stroking my ego a little too.
“He never will be. However, being that fast before he’s blooded could be cause for concern. He could be drinking blood already, which would be a problem.”
Quinn’s arms drop, and her brows lift enough to let me know I’ve surprised her with the information. Despite how much humans think they know about supernaturals, there is so much they don’t. “I guess I have a few questions about that.” She darts her gaze to Evan. “Why would he do that, and why would it be a problem?”
“Blood equals power for most vampires, especially unblooded vampires,” Evan informs her simply.
“But it’s dangerous because that power is addicting, and so is the blood. It gets to a point where no matter how much blood they have, it’s never enough, which leads to bloodlust,” I add. Quinn blows out a long breath. “That’s why we keep the blood locked up.”
Evan turns so he’s facing me, his eyes sharp and focused. “We thought the reason they poured blood all over Quinn’s floor was to scare her, but what if it was really to cover up the fact that blood has gone missing?”
“It would mean that someone here, an adult, is dealing it,” I confirm.
“I mean, it’s not a stretch. We know Michelle had to have help to get out of the containment room, and Leo did say she talked to someone else. Might be the reason Michelle was reluctant to tell us whom she talked to. She probably thought she would get into more trouble from sippin’ than what happened with Quinn. She didn’t know what she meant to us at the time, no one did.”
Everything he’s saying makes sense. “Fucking hell!”
Chapter 4
Quinn
“Whoever’s involved is probably on high alert right now,” Evan muses. He and Griffin are still talking about the possibility that someone at the school has been giving unblooded vampires access to blood.
I close the book on the arm of my chair. I can’t even pretend to read anymore. Yesterday, this book would have held my interest for hours. Having an all access pass to Griffin’s books is akin to being a kid in a candy store, however the guys are even more fascinating than books on supernaturals.
“That’s why we should just grab the kid and question him,” Griffin argues. He’s much more in favor of a direct approach.
“We could, but then whoever is behind it will definitely know we’re onto them. If we just keep an eye on things, we may be able to sort out who it is without them having the chance to cover shit up again or get rid of evidence.”
Griffin makes a sound that can only be described as a grunt, but it seems like acquiescence. My tummy chooses that moment to growl. I peer over at the clock. It’s later than when I usually eat dinner, no wonder I’m hungry. Of course Evan and Griffin hear it, and both of them turn their heads to look at me.
“What? I’m hungry.” I’m not ashamed I need to eat.
“Why aren’t you feeding our human, Griffin?” Evan leans forward to get up from the chair.
“Me? I don’t even really eat. You should be feeding her.” There’s a tiny fissure of defensiveness in Griffin’s tone.
I lift my hand in the air. “Believe it or not, I’ve been doing it myself for a few years now, so I think I can manage.”
