Page 20 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

I shivered at the smile I could hear in Elowen’s voice and forced myself to refocus on Hayes. It was probably easier for us than the others in the class. He already felt as familiar to me as my own mind.SoulmatesRowan had said. I still didn't believe in them, but maybe he'd been onto something.

"Let your focus shrink down. It's important to stay aware of your surroundings when feeding as this can be a vulnerable moment for us, but for today you can entrust your safety to me."

I let the bright grey-blue of Hayes’ eyes swallow me whole as his heart sped up. There it was again. Anticipation.

The scent that was uniquely his—honey, dark chocolate, all things that made my mouth water, undercut by something clear like mint, was dragged in deep. My gums ached at the prospect of tasting him again.

My hands had found his chest and I stood on my toes just slightly to better reach above the place where his neck and shoulder joined.

"And when you're ready..." Elowen's voice drifted to me as if in a dream. "Bite."

I bit. Striking so quickly I was unsurprised when Hayes jolted, but I could tell from the way his heart slowed that the pinch of pain was quickly overwhelmed by the pleasure as I pulled from him. He tasted better than I remembered, like he was changing and evolving just like me, or maybe my senses were just better since I'd properly finished my transition.

His blood hit my tongue and I gasped, clasping him closer, needing more. His hand wrapped itself around my waist, tugging me roughly against his chest like a twisted embrace as I dug my teeth in harder. If my ear hadn't been so close to his mouth, I might not have heard his groan. His heart was steady, his scent the same—this wasn't fear then. He wanted this just as much as I did.

I pulled back slightly, the thought sobering me, only to find his arms like a cage around me, clasping me desperately to him. After a moment, he seemed to come back to himself, like he'd realised that now he was the one who'd slipped. I got the feeling Hayes didn't like to show weakness, and emotions were akin to the same thing. Not that it made a difference to me, I could feel him regardless of how quickly he shuttered his expression.

"Good," Elowen said and I jumped, not having realised she was behind us. "How do you feel?"

"Okay." I shrugged. I felt like I had a burst of energy, but it was nothing like the high after drinking her blood. I opened my mouth to ask how she had recovered but a snarl cut me off before I could voice the question.

Some of the group were still feeding, others were done and were lounging on the grass looking relaxed, even a little giggly in some cases.

The snarl had come from the girl who'd glared at me the previous day. Her partner's throat was ragged, blood soaking his front and his dark skin strangely pale. She'd lost control. Luckily the majority of the group seemed too high to react to the blood. It smelled good to me, but the thought of someone's sloppy seconds didn't appeal.

Elowen grabbed the girl by her arm seemingly effortlessly, her hand pale against the charcoal grey of her jumper. "Novalie. Enough."

It was like Elowen may well have not existed as Novalie thrashed to get back to her partner who had since sunk to his knees. Elowen let the girl go and instead approached the guy who was clumsily trying to stop the blood from pouring out of him. Elowen removed the hand gently and pressed her own wrist to his mouth.

My own watered in response, remembering the electricity that had flown through me as a result of her blood.

The bleeding slowed and then stopped and as Elowen sat back and stood, the skin knitted over, smooth and healed beneath the wet blood on his neck. Amazing.

Novalie stumbled forwards, whatever Elowen had done to stop her from moving now worn off, but she didn't approach her partner. No—she came for mine.

Her fangs seemed almost comical compared to my longer set but I couldn't laugh right then, not as instinctual rage flowed through me that she would dare try to take what was mine. This wasn't careful or controlled, this was pure instinct, a force bigger than me driving me forward before I even decided to move. She'd leapt into the air, throwing herself at Hayes, but she never made it. My hand closed around her throat in the air and as she choked, her eyes cleared, the bloodlust abating at the sight of the bigger predator with its fangs at her throat.

I could kill her, I realised. The bones in her body were so fragile, it would take barely any effort at all. But was this what I wanted? To kill because I could?Not just because you can, a little voice inside me pointed out,because she tried to hurt him.

"Leonora." Hayes' voice was cool, collected, and it allowed reason to overrule the monster raging inside at the perceived slight.

I uncurled my fingers one at a time and Novalie gasped for air as I tried to convince my body to move away, to step back, and that her neck looked fine at its current angle anyway.

A small lip twitch let me know that Hayes had heard that particular thought but I was so tired I couldn't bring myself to feel anything—not shame, not amusement. Just a gap that echoed inside me that felt a lot like the place where my heart used to beat.

ChapterEleven

You'd thinkit might have been awkward to have lunch with the person you'd almost killed earlier that day. And maybe it was a little, but that was the good thing about vampires—violence was often deemed par for the course, especially when in the grip of bloodlust. So maybe I'd lost control of myself, but so had Novalie, and, after a tense nod, we sat at the long table together as Rowan filed in next to us, Hayes reluctantly joining a moment later.

I didn't need to eat anymore and didn't really feel any desire looking at the thick-cut sandwiches the living vampires had on their plates. I'd already had my fill, thanks to Hayes during practice. He did look a little pale, now that I thought about it.

"Can I get you anything?" I said and his eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

Rowan snorted. "Charming as ever, Hayes."

The exasperated look they exchanged intrigued me—there was definitely a past between them, but Rowan was right, there was no tension. No longing looks. The most I could pick up on through the bond was a fondness Hayes felt for the other vampire.

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