Page 59 of The Union
Steven held Peter by the shoulders. “Stay still.”
Jo climbed on the bed and leaned into Sam’s ear. “Brother, it’s me, your sister, Jo. You can have my blood.”
“What happened?” I asked. I found it odd that Sam was feasting on Peter with Steven in the room.
Dr. Vieira urged me to keep my distance while he left. I imagined he was getting a sedative. That would be the only way to pull Sam off Peter, or at least I thought so.
Nevertheless, I slipped into the room, staying close to the supply cabinet in the back.
Steven grabbed Sam’s hair. “Son, stop.” His voice was even.
“The chip is activated,” Peter said. “You’ll have to give the order with a little more force than that. He’s programmed to receive harsh intonations.”
“Soldier, I command you to stop!” Steven’s voice boomed.
Flinching, I pressed my fingers to my chest, trying to ease the stabbing pain, trying not to freak out.
Steven’s command did nothing.
“Sam,” Jo said softly. “I know you’re in there. Please, let go of this human.”
Peter grew pale as Sam continued to drink from him.
Dr. Vieira rushed back in with a bag of blood. “Out of the way, Jo.” He worked quickly to secure the bag to the IV stand. Then he pulled out a syringe from his lab coat.
“No, no sedative.” Jo’s voice was lethal. “We need him awake.” She whipped out a dagger from the sheath on her leg. “I’m sorry, brother.” Then she drove the blade into his arm.
Sam released Peter and growled at Jo like a hungry animal who’d been disturbed.
Fuck me. He was feral.
I jumped backward into the cabinet, and the contents inside rattled—or maybe the noise came from my throat because I was trying to suck air into my lungs.
Jo waved him on. “Come on, Sam. I’m ready for a fight.”
Better her than me, and only because I didn’t have a weapon on me, although I might be able to get through to him.
“Can you shut the chip down?” Steven asked Peter.
Blood dribbled out of Peter’s bite marks and seeped into his white shirt as he typed on his keyboard but not quickly enough.
Sam dove at Jo.
Dr. Vieira jumped out of the way as Jo slammed into a silver metal rolling tray before falling to the floor.
My heart was in my throat until Sam sniffed the air. Then my fucking heart leaped out of my chest as he rushed toward me like a linebacker in a football game.
I swallowed thickly, my breathing nonexistent. Memories of hunting in the woods on a stormy night soared back. A hungry vampire with his fangs bared and dripping with blood had his sights set on me.
“Don’t move,” my dad had said in a hushed voice behind me. “Stay completely still. Show no fear.”
Not an easy task when a predator was stronger, powerful, and bloodthirsty.
Sam stood toe to toe with me and angled his head one way, then another, his silver eyes glowing with bloodthirst and something else I couldn’t quite discern.
I touched his long, ugly beard. “It’s Layla, vampire. Do you know who I am?” My tone was surprisingly calm, but inside, I was shaking to beat the band.
“Hurry, Peter,” Steven urged in the background.
