Page 8 of Love Lives
Jared held his wrist a little closer to me. Aldrich's hand rested on the top of my head, an oddly reassuring presence as the smell of my brother's blood entered my nose. Was I really going to do this?
"You've had it before," Aldrich told me. "After we got you out of the burning house. You were unconscious, but you drank. I thought we'd wake you this time, though. Figured you'd want to see your brother.And that you wouldn't want to wake up with a mouth full of blood." His tone turned teasing. "I hear that's not for everyone."
I scoffed, then regretted that action too. Oh whatever. I could handle a little blood in my mouth, couldn't I? If my little brother could do it, then… Leaning up just a bit, I licked at the wound on Jared's wrist.
Possibly the strangest thing I had ever done.
Jared didn't back away, though. He pressed his wrist to my mouth, and then, while I was still struggling to process this whole situation, the weirdest thing happened. Instinct took over. I didn't know what else to call it. My brain shut off and my lips latched on to Jared's wrist. Iwantedthat blood. Every last drop of it. I didn't even care what it tasted like. I didn't even care if I sucked my brother dry in the process. It was blood, and I sucked on Jared's wrist as if my life depended on it.
Which it might have.
There was no clear thought left in my brain by the time Aldrich's grip tightened in my hair and he pulled me off Jared. "Don't eat too fast." I blinked at him, swallowing the last drop of blood on my tongue. Only now did I notice the metallic taste.
Only now did I realize what I'd done.
Tentatively, I licked my lips. Yup, there was blood on my lips too. My stomach roiled. But not because I was disgusted. Because Iwantedto be disgusted. Any regular person would be disgusted, right?
So why did I want more?
"Feeling any better?" Aldrich asked, carding his fingers through my hair in a way that was unexpectedly soothing. I kind of wanted to close my eyes, lay back, and fall asleep to the gentle motion of his fingers.
But he probably wanted a reply to his question, and it would be rude of me to sleep when Jared had come to visit me. "I... think I feel better."
Aldrich rested the back of his other hand against my forehead. "You're not as hot anymore."
I managed a smile. "That's the first time you've called me not hot."
"Not how I meant it, and you know it."
I nodded, even though I was sure the statement was true both ways. There was no way I was still attractive, what with the oxygen mask and the bandages, and the machines... and the scars I would probably carry away with me.
And yet, this vampire still wanted to sleep with me for some reason. So badly that he stuck by my side, likely bored out of his mind while I was sleeping. I didn't try to make sense of that. Even if my brain had been operating at one hundred percent, it would have been too hard.
Instead, I turned to my brother. "Thank you for coming."
"You'll have to thank Puck for bringing me here."
"Puck?"
"He's outside," Aldrich said. "Didn't wanna crowd the room."
"Oh."
Jared looked at me, then at Aldrich. "Give me a moment with my brother?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever. I don't have to be in here 24/7." Somewhat reluctantly, Aldrich removed his hand from my hair, then walked out the door.
Jared watched him go. "I'll bet he's standing right outside the door."
I chuckled, surprised that the action didn't make me cough. Whatever was in Jared's blood, it was magic.
Obviously.
God, it was still so weird to think of magic as a real thing. It had been with me all my life, yes, but I’d locked it away in a closet in the back of my mind.
I'd liked it better when my siblings and I were just like everyone else.
"How are you doing?" Jared asked, lowering himself into the chair Aldrich usually occupied.
