Page 5 of Undying Thirst

Ren madeit back to Crimson Manor just before sunset. I tapped my fingers on the leather seats, giving it a few more seconds. I wanted as much distance between us as possible, but I also couldn’t wait too long.

He was so sure I’d wait like a good human.

After tossing his order at me, he’d slipped out of the car and loped up the long cement stairs. From this vantage, I could see nothing more than the vines weaving through the wrought iron gates. Crows perched atop the metal bars embedded into the brick columns, twisting and turning their necks eerily.

As quietly as possible, I popped the door open. The light came on in the luxury vehicle. I needed to get inside my house before he caught me. With my heart in my throat, I swung my legs onto the embankment and hoisted myself up with the crutch.

Hobbling up my drive, I swept my gaze over the expanse of the vampire’s manor. A faint orange light reflected from the highest window. I counted. It was the floor I hadn’t been on yet.

I wouldn’t invite them in. I would wait them out until the sun rose, then I’d make my escape. After all, they had to go for coversoon. I peered at the sky. The stars were already beginning to disappear.

Could I make it? I hastened up the porch, huffing and puffing through the pain. God, I was so close. Each time the heavy cast scraped against the cement; my shoulders hiked. Almost on my porch. For the first time tonight, I allowed hope to take hold of my throat.

I’d give myself a half hour to pack everything I could. The boards of my porch creaked under my weight and the quick thump, thump, thump of the crutch pounded into the wood. Living next to vampires offered me security to the point that I never locked my door. And for a split second, I was grateful for my naïve trust. My hand slipped off the doorknob from how severely I shook, but I managed to get the door open and slammed shut behind me.

I did it.

A breathless laugh escaped my lips. I was inside, safe. Now to wait them out.

Packing was the only goal, because I was out of here as soon as the blessed sun rose. I’d crawl to the bus station if I had to. I gathered one large rolling luggage from the closet beside the front door where I left all the boxes and other packing bags. I didn’t have the luxury of taking more with me.

I squeezed the crutch under my armpit to keep it in place as I rolled the luggage closer. Wrapping my palm around the hand grip of the crutch, I stretched two fingers from the same hand to cling to the rolling bag’s handle. I awkwardly inched my way down the hall to my bedroom and set it up on the bed. My heart thundered in my chest with the speed of a hummingbird’s wing. My laptop was absolutely vital. If I lost that, months of hard work on the manuscript would be down the trash, at least for the drafts I hadn’t backed up. As soon as I could, I’d email Peter tolet him know he wouldn’t hear from me for a while, back up my projects to the cloud, then I’d smash it.

I made my way to the closet and swept my gaze over my collection of clothing. I plucked my favored pieces and placed them on the bed before grabbing a pile of less pricey clothing. I’d roll everything up so I could fit everything possible.

As frivolous as it seemed, I needed my skin care routine to go with me. In the bathroom, I stuffed everything into a little makeup bag. Plucking them from my counter and dropping them in the bag unceremoniously. I didn’t have the luxury to wipe them all down and space them out. At the top, I set my microfiber towel and zipped it up. On my way back to the luggage, I grabbed my medication. Especially my inhalers. I hadn’t needed to use anything recently because feeding me their blood had offered me some healing perks. I froze with my good arm extended. They gave me their blood, and according to them, that meant they could track me down . . . but the Pale One never found me. And they couldn’t compel me. Whatever oddity made me different was likely protecting me from that too.

I would run with that because freezing up wasn’t going to do me any good.

I plopped the medicines into the little pouch imbedded in the luggage, then grabbed a long-sleeved shirt to wrap up my computer so it wouldn’t bang around inside.

A dull thud vibrated the front door. I gasped, my hands numbing.

Even if it was a vampire, they couldn’t come in without invitation. The only one I’d stupidly invited in was Asher . . . and Jax had somehow gotten in because of some weird twin thing.

But they wouldn’t be knocking if it was them. I dragged my bum leg behind me until I reached the door. I pressed my palm to the door’s surface and peeked into the peep hole. Wideshoulders and a massive stature. I had to look up, even through the hole, to see Ren’s face.

A knot swelled in my throat, and I backed up as slowly as possible.

“I hear you.” I froze. “Allow me in,” he ordered.

I sank my teeth into my bottom lip. I would wait him out, he was bound to go inside when the sun rose.

“I’ll burn you out if I have to,” a faint taunting entered his tone. My chest inflated. I hadn’t considered that option being a possibility. Stupid. Stupid of me.

The door vibrated again and again until a jagged line appeared in the middle of the wood. I flinched until my back was flush against the wall. “I told you to wait in the car, little human. You’re really fucking testing me.”

“Leave me alone,” I shouted, the words bursting from my soul.

Silence. I drooped against the wall, panting.

“Suit yourself.”

I should have run sooner. I should have—enough. I couldn’t turn back time or change things. Screwing my head on straight now was vital if I wanted to survive.

A tickle entered my nose and I sneezed. Flames suddenly exploded to life from my kitchen and my shoulder slammed into the door. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the flickering fire crawling up the walls. None of this made sense. I shook my head in disbelief. Why was this happening?

Smoke formed in the direction of my bedroom.

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