Page 34 of Blood Taken (Blood Mafia 2)
"I stabbed him!" I scream, not at all embarrassed by the spit that flies out of my mouth.
The color drains from her face. "What?" She lets go of my arms.
Blood tingles upon the release.
I turn and drop my forehead on the dresser. "That's how I escaped. I stabbed Colt in the heart."
Nicole makes a soft noise. "Maria, we can't—"
"It’s the only choice that we have, Nicole. You know this. Gerry will tell the Guild what he's learned and he will push for her execution. I don't wish to see my daughter killed."
Mad as it sounds, I let loose a boisterous laugh. Turning to face them, I start to laugh harder at the sight of their shocked faces. Tears spill from my eyes.
Everything is too much. All of this.
The vampires.
The Hunters.
My mother.
Daniel.
This is a dream. It has to be.
A nightmare.
Maybe I passed out from alcohol poisoning at the club and I'm in a coma.
Maria's palm cracks against my cheek and my head snaps to the side. I growl and grab my face, scowling at her.
That hurt too much to be a dream. The bruises covering my stomach and chin are very much real.
"Get it together, Demi. They will be here soon enough and you need to be prepared."
"There's no preparing when it comes to Mateo, Maria. You've well and good signed my death warrant. Only I'll be killed brutally instead of mercifully."
Nicole frowns. "He's shared his blood with you twice. There's no one else he's done that with. Once, yes. Twice?" She shakes her head. "That's unheard of. Mateo's never had a pet."
"What?" I ask even though I know exactly what she means.
"Three exchanges of blood with a vampire creates a master and pet bond," she explains.
"I'm not a human."
She grimaces. "I know. The bond still happens, though not as strongly as it would between a human and vampire. You won't be like a pet. . . per se."
"The third exchange," Maria cuts in, "is more than a normal exchange. The vampire will tie his soul to yours and you won't be able to stop it. He intends to forge a bond between you. He will not kill you."
"You overestimate my worth," I say, pulling out one of the drawers and finding a new shirt and pair of pants. I toss them on the bed and strip out of my old pajamas.
Maria and Nicole watch me with equal looks of worry as I dress.
"Mateo sees me as nothing more than a conquest. Now that I stabbed Colt, he's not going to keep playing nice."
Grabbing the bag from the closet, I stuff in the few things I brought with me. If by some miracle I live past tonight—with or without the vampires—and come into my powers, I want my things.
"The Blood Mafia is not my salvation, Mother." I stare into her brown eyes, making sure she sees all the pain she's caused me over my lifetime. "They're my damnation."
