Page 67 of Those That Don't Exist
My blood turns hot and I taste venom, how do I stop this?
“Ok, give me a few days.” What I’m saying I’m not sure, I’m planning this as it comes off my tongue. “Let me set up a date for you. To meet her, officially.” Adicious eyes narrow.
“Tomorrow,” he states.
“Tomorrow?” My voice sounds a little higher than it should. I take another gulp of the whiskey. At this rate it may get me drunk, this itch to reach for the Fae strength stuff intensifies but I can’t throw away the last few years.
“Ty, I’m trusting you with this plan to get her here willingly. I conceded that in the long run it would be better than snatching her. But I’m not leaving her out there for a few days. If word gets out we have an unmated female we will have every pack and rogue descend on us. No, I will meet her on campus tomorrow. Understood?”
“Yes, Adicious.” I make sure to keep my gaze low as I agree. The reminder of there potentially being more males than just him wanting Red sends my head snarling. Murderous thoughts flit through my mind as I think of anyone pushing Red into anything she doesn’t want.
“And you’ll join me.”Now that I wasn’t expecting.
“Sorry?” My mind races, where is this going?
“She trusts you right?” he asks me.
“Yes, I think so,” I answer. “At least in so much as I’m the only vampire she knows right now.”
“Good,” he responds. “You can play my wingman.”
Oh gods, no.The whiskey I downed nearly makes a reappearance as I answer.
“Sounds good.”
We talk further, me filling him in on Aurora’s timetable and what time we will be setting off to the campus tomorrow. It's the first day of the spring term so she won’t be free until early afternoon. Adicious doesn’t know I have her number in my phone - thankfully he doesn’t ask - so he plans for us to ‘surprise’ her.
I have to keep up my facade for a long while after as the pack parties into the early hours. I manage to sneak off for a few minutes to message Red, typing out a quick but lengthy text to forewarn her of what's coming. I don't know if she’ll even get it until morning as I had left her asleep.
It's not until I get to my room near five in the morning that I dare to check my phone. A reply from Red sits in our chat thread.
Red: I’ll be ready. Please don’t worry, we can do this.
She sounds so confident and collected in the message. She’s one of the strongest people I know when faced with things that would shatter another. How she can rally so fast I don’t know, she cries about it and then comes out fighting. My chest tightens with longing to be with her right now, snuggled together in her bed.
Instead, when I next see her, I’ll be bringing with me the male who plans to keep me from her forever. And I’m no closer to figuring out how to stop him.
CHAPTER 24
AURORA
This time when I wake up trembling, I have the new addition of a metallic tangy taste on my tongue. I swallow the excess fluid only to realise it’s my own blood, coming from a cut on the inside of my lower lip.
Being careful to not stab myself again, I gently run my tongue along my upper teeth, swirling it around the new elongated columns of my canines.This is the weirdest feeling.
After a few more seconds they ascend into my jaw until I have regular teeth again. It's going to take some time to get used to having fangs.
The nightmare had altered again. In this latest version I’d gotten out of the car, following the crash, and attacked the body we’d hit as it laid in the road. I’d torn into his throat, ripping through flesh with the ease of a predator taking down their prey. The horror at feeling a gleeful satisfaction is what woke me.
I throw the lingering thoughts from my mind, locking them out. I refuse to deal with this right now.
As my breathing slowly calms, I remember Ty had been here when I’d fallen asleep. My bed is cold beside me telling me he’d left some time ago.
Knowing sleep will avoid me for the rest of the night I get out of bed, turn on my bedside light, and start quietly tidying my room as something to keep me occupied until dawn.
I’m jittery as I hang clothes back in my wardrobe and stack my books into neat piles. Last night left me utterly freaked out. I’d nearly tried to murder my best friend. Would I have if Ty hadn’t stopped me? The overwhelming desire for her blood was next level compared to what I’d felt with David.
I hope that if I keep drinking enough of the packet stuff I won’t lose control again.
