Page 66 of Those That Don't Exist
“Yes, she’s fine. The cut wasn’t deep.” Red stiffens under my hands.
“Do you have any blood packets left?” I ask. She glances at the desk drawer.
I reach over and pull out the single pack in there. This will have to do.
“Drink it,” I tell her. She takes it from me, her hands a little hesitant.
“I need scissors,” she murmurs. It makes me smirk.
“Not anymore you don't.” She flinches. Realisation sinks into my bones, we’ve been treating this so wrong. We’ve been fearing this day, and now it’s here the female in front of me is petrified.
Sure, it has put us in even more danger, and I’m going to have to figure out how to tell Adicious, but having her fangs also means she can protect herself better. She is a weapon now. Besides, having fangs can be fun.
“I can’t.” She pushes the blood packet back at me. I refuse to take it. I instead cup her face, brushing my thumb across her lower lip, releasing it from her teeth. My skin makes contact with the column of one of her fangs and she shivers. Her gaze meets mine, sheer terror in her emerald irises.
“You know what? I’m relieved you have them. It means you’ve fully turned and we don’t have to worry anymore about you being somewhere in between,” I tell her but I can see sheisn’t convinced. “I love that you’ve got them, you’re now truly a vampire.”
I swallow theI love youon my tongue. I want to say it. I do love her. I’m so in love with her I can’t imagine this ending in any other way than with her as my mate. I don’t voice it yet though, I want to be free when I tell her. So I can offer her myself in all ways.
“But it's too dangerous for you,” she whispers. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to do what we have been doing. We’re going to take this day by day. I’ll work harder to find a way out. Now, drink,” I encourage her.
She lifts the blood packet to her mouth. She’s seen me do this a few times so I let her mimic what I’d done before. It takes her a second to get the coordination but when she lets out a pleasured groan as the first mouthful hits her tongue I see her relax a little. I lean forward, placing a kiss on her forehead before letting her drink the rest of the packet.
I wait until Red has fallen asleep and then I sneak out of her house. I need to get back to the ranch. As relieved as I am about Red being fully turned, I walk up the driveway feeling like I’m heading to my execution. I have no better plan, I’m winging this.
I know I can’t lie, so Adicious is about to find out his project has indeed had a successful outcome. Whatever he says I need to manipulate the situation to buy Red more time. I need to avoid her coming here at all costs. Keep him away from her until I’m free. At least she bit me and not someone else so I could use semantics to dodge his direct order and leave her at home.
I walk into the common room, freezing when I find most of the pack here. So worried about how this conversation is going to go I hadn’t listened out for how many separate voices there were.
I head straight to the bar to pour myself a long measure of the whiskey sitting on the bar-top -sobrietybe damned. I barely taste it as I chug it back. I watch as Adicious stands from the couch where he’s sitting with Ronan and saunters over.
“Ty, finally gracing us with your presence. How’s my project?”
Time slows. My breathing stutters. Every fibre of my being screams at me not to do this but the bond I have to my pack leader tugs as I think about lying.
“She’s got fangs.” It doesn’t even sound like my own voice to my ears. The way the conversations around the room cease though means I did indeed say it. A feline-like grin splits across Adicious’s face.
“Well, finally.” He lights up at the news.
I want to puke.
“You may have taken your time but well done, Ty.” He turns to the room. “Did you hear that lads, we’re about to get ourselves a female vampire.” Cheers erupt and I have to plaster a smile on my lips, to pretend I’m delivering the happiest news the pack could receive. My eyes catch Atlas’s and I see some of my own emotion reflected back. Mitch too seems subdued as he clinks the glass in his hand with the others.
“Where did you leave her?” The question jolts my concentration back to the vampire in front of me. I drink another mouthful of the scotch.
“She’s at home.” Again I can’t lie.
“Why not bring her back here?”
“She’s shocked and freaking out. I knew she wouldn’t come willingly. I couldn’t cause a scene as her housemates were home.” This truth I can bend a little. Omit details.
“Fine. But I must meet her soon.” He stares at me.
“And you will. Give her a little time to get used to the idea. She’s quite emotional. As soon as she’s ready I’ll bring her here.”I’m flying by the seat of my pants here. If I can get him to agree to wait until I bring her here,which will be never,we’ll have some more time to come up with a plan.
“No,” he deadpans back. My heart skips a beat. “If you don’t think she will come here I will go to her.”
