Page 35 of Hound

Had Christopher known about this? No, there was no way. Validation settled in my chest. But I still needed concrete proof; not a feeling.

Pocketing the diary in my uniform, I made my trek across the grounds, eyes vigilant on the surrounding guardians underneath the cloak of night. If I sped, I’d trigger them, so I kept a healthy pace although my feet craved to run. Once hidden below ground, I sprinted through the dark tunnel and silently met Christopher’s door. A fist rested in the air with no ounce of power in its hold.

How do I approach this? The last time I’d been here, I’d nearly burned the bridge I didn’t know had existed with Christopher. It was already enough that an offensive guardian was inside. Unless directed otherwise, we weren’t meant to step inside. If we got caught it would destroy?—

The light oak door stretched open, Christopher’s muted green eyes widening as they fell on me. They quickly snapped behind me as he removed his glasses, and before I could say anything—was my tongue nonexistent now?—he harshly pulled me inside and into his embrace.

His room was an organized disaster. Books were stacked into towers, some tall, some small. I knew the ground was there based on the small path in-between the stacks that led to two staircases at the end. Even the stairs were covered in books, all up to the loft. But somehow, unlike Lace’s, it was organized. It fit him.

“How did you know which one was my chamber?” he whispered into my ear, the touch of his breath intensifying the heat on my skin.

“I—” The blueprint wasn’t a plausible reason since it didn’t state whose room belonged to who, aside from Nina’s, of course. And, deep down, the thought of lying unsettled my stomach. “I can hear you.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Slightly, if I’m close enough to the door.” I cleared my throat. Damn this stupid knot. “But. . .I’ve also been watching you.”

The heat grew, especially in my cheeks. Was it normal for them to get so hot?

Christopher pulled away. I was taller than him by two centimeters, but as a small smirk stretched across his face, he appeared taller. Bigger than life. “Is that a fact?”

“I had to know why you were ignoring me for almost three weeks,” I teased, but the words barely concealed the bitterness in my tone. With the increased rounds, I was able to sneak peeks into the mansion. As a guardian, it was normal to keep an attentive eye on the visitors that were in and out throughout the days.

What if whatever they were doing with those pins and needles were used as weapons? What if one turned out to be another attacker like the one Nina handled? What if they snuck into Christopher’s room late at night or to his library early in the morning?

Guardians protected with body and heart. While Sonia or Tristan were near in most fittings, it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

But you’re not doing this as his guardian.

The realization pinched at my chest as Christopher studied me, the cheery glint in his gaze gone. His skin was always pale, but somehow, he was gray. Vampires didn’t typically get toomuch sun, but he desperately needed it with the way his dark purple veins were about to pop out.

The room froze over. “What’s going on?”

“My apologies, Lorenzo. The Christmas Ball is upon us and it was not my intention to keep you in the dark of this. There has been?—”

Christopher’s voice diminished as his body tumbled onto me. My legs leveled us before I could fall onto one of his stacks, arms wrapping around him. His skin grew colder and clammy. He tried to keep his eyelids open, but his eyes rolled back.

Just like Nina when she’d gone months without feeding.

“Christopher,” I muttered, “when was the last time you fed?”

His words were strained. “Not since our night together.”

Guardians didn’t need to feed. To upkeep their enhanced abilities, the CEG administered steroids—or crossbred injections like Lace’s brothers called them—every few months. It removed the aspect that teetered guardians closer to half-vampires and ensured they stayed half-humans. But, I didn’t know how often vampires needed to feed. Was it weeks? Months? More or less? Fuck, maybe doing my homework during the CEG training days could have benefited me more than I?—

Wait.

Nina fed. Thanks to Lace’s hints, I knew she needed to feed at least twice a month. While her situation was different from Christopher’s, it was the only thing I could pull from. Maybe vampires needed blood more often? Whatever the case, I would give Christopher all the blood he needed.

I unzipped the tight guardian uniform and exposed the shoulder with his bite marks.

Thankfully, they hadn’t vanished.

Christopher’s nostrils flared as I brought him to the spot—his spot. His fangs stretched and punctured, adrenaline racing through my veins as he took from me. A sense of lightnesscoursed through my body and soothed all nerves and thoughts. When he stopped, disappointment swallowed me.

“Why haven’t you fed?” I bit out. Christopher’s gaze focused as he straightened, color flushing his skin. Although the idea of him feeding on someone else stained my eyes with red, I’d rather him do it than be like this. That pain would be manageable. This was not.

“I’m not sure. . .” His eyes shook as they stumbled on mine, veins still obvious under his temples. These were different, though. They weren’t a sickly purple anymore. They were black and webbed across his face and into his eyes, drowning his scleras in pools of darkness.

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