Page 42 of Those That Don't Exist
My blood pulses with fear, or is it something much darker? I can’t tell.
He lifts the packet to his teeth, and uses one of those sharp, deadly looking, fangs to pierce the valve on the top.
I smell it as soon as the seal breaks. It makes all protests in my head cease. The rich metallic scent permeates the air. My stomach clenches in starvation.Fuck.
I’m back on the bed in a flash, practically sitting on his lap. He’s barely taken a mouthful before I find my hand reaching for the packet.
He chuckles as he slowly lowers the pack from his mouth, leaving a drip on his lower lip.
“Careful, I don't want to spill it.” He gently angles the open valve towards my mouth. My hand goes to take it but Ty stops me. “Let me do it, I don’t want you to grip it too tight and end up choking.”
I let him ease the packet to my lips. My heart is slamming in my chest, the voice I've been ignoring is rejoicing. I need this.
I keep my eyes locked on Ty’s as he gently squeezes his fist. At the first flood of blood on my tongue I groan. It's the bestthing I’ve ever tasted. It's like I’ve been walking in a desert parched, and this is the sweet relief of water. It's what I imagine a hit is like to a drug addict.
I swallow greedily before I’m sucking on the valve, trying to get more. My hand comes up to cover Ty’s on the packet to squeeze more out. I need more.
Several mouthfuls later I’m still thirsty, but drawing again on the valve I don't get the hit of fresh blood. At some point my eyes must’ve closed as I open them now to look down at the empty packet in our hands.
“Feel better?” Ty asks. I take in his electric blue eyes as they search my face. He’s trying hard to read my emotions with the level of concentration in them. He lifts one hand to brush my hair back out of my face, he hooks it round my ear sending a shiver through me.
I nod.
“Let down your glamour,” he gently requests.
It takes a small effort, as I’m so used to having it in place, but I do.
Ty’s face lifts in wonder. His fingers are still in the ends of my hair, only now it's longer and a fiery red.
I look at my hands, noticing how my skin has flushed to a normal colour, not deathly pale and translucent. I touch my face, feeling less hollowed cheeks too.
I jolt off the bed, spinning to face my mirror. A gasp escapes as I look at the reflection. There are still dark circles under my eyes, and I’m still thin but I don't look emaciated. My skin looks glowy, my eyes more vibrant than they have in weeks. The difference is staggering.
Ty joins me, his chest to my back. I notice how he moves with grace once more, his injuries already significantly better after the one mouthful he’d drank before I stole his meal.
“It's powerful, blood,” he says, smiling down at me. “We don’t need more than a few mouthfuls a day to survive, unless injured or starved.”
“I’m a vampire aren’t I?” I can't ignore the evidence of the last few minutes.
“Yes Red, you are.” The breath from his answer blows across my neck. He doesn’t seem fully happy about it. I’ll explore that later. He holds my gaze a second longer before reaching across the bed. He retrieves the second packet. “Still hungry?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation. Turning so fast, I nearly slam into him as my feet don’t keep up. My hands land on Ty’s waist to balance myself. I quickly draw them back when I realise he’s still only wearing boxers. He chuckles, flashing me one of his crooked grins, momentarily making me forget about the blood.
“Ok, maybe let’s sit down first.” He nods to the bed, “This should restore you to full health, but be warned you may be able to move a little quicker than you’re used to. You were starving before.”
I jump back onto the bed, and he hands me the second packet already opened courtesy of his fangs. I eagerly drink it down, surprised at how quickly I’m over the fact that this is blood. Human blood. It tastes so good I don’t care.
As I finish the drink I notice Ty has grabbed some clothes from his bag and is putting them on, carefully sliding the black sweatpants over his injured leg so as to not rip the dressing off the wound. He also dons a black long-sleeved t-shirt to cover his beautiful chest and his ink, which I’ve noticed swirls over his shoulder blade as well as the top of his chest. It looks like shadows dancing across his skin.
Fully dressed he joins me on the bed once more. We watch each other for a few beats. Part of me still can’t believe he’s real.Vampires are real. They’ve not been obliterated into legends like the world thinks. There’s living proof on my bed.
The silence between us stretches. It’s not awkward, but I feel like he’s assessing me again. I haven’t bothered to put my glamour back up because for the first time in weeks I’m ok in my own skin.
I suddenly become aware I’m still wearing my pyjamas, a simple lilac cami and loose pair of cotton shorts. And now his gaze doesn’t seem so innocent, heat rushes to between my thighs. My cheeks redden as I need to wiggle a little with the onslaught of lust.
“What happens now?” I ask, clearing my throat. I need to distract my body, now is not the time to be sidetracked.Although we are on a bed…
No. Rory! Focus on the life changing fact you’re now a vampire.
