Page 37 of Ava: Part Two

“Have you finished eating?” Zeke asked.

She didn’t even have a chance to answer that as Zeke took her tray and headed over to dump her food. If there hadn’t been other students listening, she would have had plenty to say about that, but as it was, she had to put her head down and follow him. He headed for the parking lot and got into his car.

With a sigh, she opened the passenger door and got in. The moment she closed the door, Zeke opened the box he had been given and then pulled out a vial of blood. She realised straight away what it was.

“Drink this,” Zeke ordered.

“That’s vampire blood.”

“And it will help you in your next matches,” Zeke said as he put it in her hand.

“Yes, but... If I die today, with that blood in my system...”

Zeke’s eyes flashed.

“Drink it, Ava. If things go wrong, you’ll be dead, or you’ll be a vampire. What’s worse?”

Ava palmed the vial as the anxiousness about what was still coming hit her again. But did she want to be a vampire? As a new vampire, it would take her decades to earn a charmed ring so she could see the sun again. She wouldn’t be able to see her family, not only because of the charmed ring but because her pack wouldn’t allow a vampire in their midst. And she would forever be a nineteen-year-old virgin. That was a big decision to make.

“I’ll think about it,” she said as she slipped the vial into her pocket and opened the door. “I need the bathroom.”

“Ava, please listen to me.”

Zeke didn’t follow her as she made her way to the bathrooms. She took too long in there, watching the blood slide up and down the little tube. She didn’t want to die, but she didn’t want to become a vampire. Without Jared’s cream, her chances of dying were very high. They were even higher on the last day when even her beginner classmates would be a big challenge when they were allowed to fight however they wanted. How would she fight a wolf, a witch, or even Robert, who was useless at fighting but still had vampire speed, strength, and fangs?

She had made her decision when she finally stepped out of the bathroom and came face to face with Zeke.

“If you see that I need it, maybe give it to me then,” she told him, “but I will probably need it more on the last day.”

“I can get more,” Zeke protested.

As she looked at him, a little voice in the back of her head asked if he would even want her if she became a vampire, but she shut it up and started walking. That was not what she was basing her decision on. If Zeke decided he didn’t want her anymore, it would actually make life easier.

But still, her stupid heart squeezed. Her reactions were always stupid when it came to this man.

“Ava...”

“I think I’ll be fine,” she lied.

“You’re being stubborn for no reason. I’m trying to help you.”

“I’ll tap out if I have to, Zeke. There’s no need to take such drastic measures just yet.”

She realised she had said his name out loud, and her cheeks coloured. But they were thankfully already at the arena, and the next lot of fights were about to start.

The moment she reached her section, the coach stood, smirked at her, and then did what he had done that morning.

He blew his whistle. And then he called her name.

Chapter 24

Avawalkedstraightintothe ring, and everyone in the arena started to quieten down.

She told herself to breathe. This match would be her real test after fighting the beginners, so she had to let all her fear drain away as she had been taught to do. She told herself she didn’t need that vampire’s blood; she could fight under her own steam.

In the silence of the arena, with all the students and faculty looking on, she concentrated on counting her breaths so she wouldn’t have an anxiety attack. To be more effective, she had to do what she told Robert that morning. She had to pretend no one else was in this room except her opponent, whoever that would be.

As she waited, she started her stretches. She was lucky that she was flexible, but sometimes fear made her body freeze up. That couldn’t happen today. She had no idea how much longer she would be in this school, so she could have just lost all her matches earlier and avoided all of this. But she had her pride. She could admit that. A part of her, the part that always got her into trouble, didn’t want to let the last image these people had of her to be of a pathetic human beaten down and destroyed in the ring.

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