Page 17 of Mortal Blood
“…should have been kicked out...”
“…belongs in prison…or dead.”
I notched my chin, and a slow smile spread across my lips. This was the worse they had? Hell, I’d spent half the night thinking far worse things about myself. I stepped inside and let the door swing shut behind me.
Lazarus, a vamp with dirty blond hair and a cocky swagger stepped forward with a nasty smirk.
“And to think I almost sullied myself with your disgustingblood last year.” He sauntered towards me, and then prowled in an effortless circle around me. “I always knew you were unworthy of a place here, I just didn’t realizehowunworthy. This year, when I spill your blood, I’ll be sure to let it fall in the dirt where it belongs, with the rest of you.”
He caught a strand of my hair and lifted it to his face, inhaling deeply before his nose wrinkled in disgust and he let it fall, rubbing his fingertips together as if to cleanse them of my stench. The other students laughed, and I felt myself turning red. Everywhere I turned there were more vamps pointing and smirking, and there was no escape for me, not inside this room. I shouldn’t have come here. Screw Astor and her stupid games. I needed to get out of here, away from all of them. I pivoted on my heel, causing the laughter and jeers to double in volume, and slammed my hand against the door, shoving it open. I made it half a step through before I collided with someone, and hands clamped around my shoulders, pinning me in place. I writhed, and the figure hissed in annoyance.
“Knock it off,” he snapped, and the voice penetrated my fog of humiliation. I blinked up at the familiar face.
“Thaden?”
“We need to talk. Now.” He glanced around over my head and then moved me forcibly into the room with a grunt. The laughter had stopped, but I could still pick out the glee underscoring the whispers. No doubt I’d just given them enough to fuel the gossip mill for the next few weeks, but one glance at Thaden’s face told me that was the least of my problems.
He snatched up my wrist and dragged me over to the far corner of the room, ignoring my protests.
“Ow! Thaden, you’re hurting me.”
“Oh, I’m going to hurt you all right, Callista.”
I froze, a chill sweeping over me as he used my name. Heneverused my name, not when he teased me, not when he flirted with me, not even when he threatened me. And I couldn’t imagine it meant anything good now.
“Why thefuckdidn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t like you gave me the chance,” I snapped, yanking my hand free from his grasp. He scowled at me.
“Don’t give me that bullshit. You had plenty of chance if you’d wanted to. Did you get off on it, watching me get addicted to your blood?”
“Watching you get... Wait, do you think I knew about this last year?”
“Didn’t you?”
“No I fucking well didn’t,” I spat, glaring at him. “And I didn’tletyou get addicted to anything. You took my blood against my will, remember?”
“I didn’t hear you complaining at the time.”
“Then you need to get your head out of your own ass because it’s blocking your hearing. I told you plenty that I didn’t want you feeding on me. I begged you to stop.”
“You didn’t mean it.”
I drew my arm back to slap his cheek, but he caught my wrist in his hand before I could make contact. His eyes snapped to it, staring for a moment, then to my face.
“Careful, sweetness,” he said coldly. “Some people might consider that an act of aggression.”
“Well, somepeoplecan bite me. Oh, wait, they already did.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Oh, so I take it you no longer want to feed on me? Excellent. Problem solved.”
I jerked my hand free from his grip, and let it fall to my side. He took a quick step forward, backing me up against the wall behind me.
“No, sweetness,notproblem solved. Giant fucking problem that just got a whole lot bigger. Because whatever your reason for keeping it from me, Iamaddicted to your blood now. And as far as I know, no vampire has ever kicked that addiction.”
I swallowed. “Ever?”
