Blood Awakening (4 page)

“Okay, okay. I get it.” He kept smiling as he spoke, somehow making him even more sinfully irresistible.

“No, you don’t.”

“You’re in love with Chance.” I could hear pain behind his words. I looked away from him, afraid of the truth in my eyes. Of course I was in love with Chance. I always would be.

“And you hate vampires.” I stared at the glow of the city, praying for a tornado or aliens to come sweep me away from this awkward-yet-wanted moment.

“I don’t hate you.” I looked at him again. The crystal-clear blue of his eyes bore into me. “No way I could.”

“But you don’t love me, either.” I wished he would turn and walk away, leave me to be embarrassed in private. “You barely know me.”

“I know I like being around you. I know I don’t want to be away from you.” Two tiny steps, and the space between us was filled with his overbearing magnetism. “And I know you feel the same.” He dropped his fingers onto my wrist, slowly dragging them up my arm, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. I opened my mouth to speak—to tell him to either a) back off, or b) keep going. “Don’t waste your breath,” he interjected. “I know you love him, not me.”

“Then you know why you have to stop this.” And he did. I didn’t look at him as I spoke; I couldn’t. My mind was too focused on the skin his fingers had just caressed, the fire his touch created. I wanted them back, desperately. “And besides, I thought you couldn’t stand me?” I again focused on the twinkling lights of the city, my heart beating so loudly it was nearly drowning out the beat of his. Erik moved slowly, turning his back to the railing and leaning against it. His muscular arm was inches from me, his skin prickling with goose bumps from the brisk night air—I hoped. He didn’t say anything at first, just stood there staring at the wall of the hotel behind us. I didn’t speak, either. I knew my words affected him, I could see it. He was silent because he wanted more from me. I was silent because I think I did, too. So the two of us just stood there, quiet and motionless, together but alone.

“Things change,” he finally said, the decibel of his voice piercing the silence; I actually jumped at the sound. I turned to look at him, but his eyes remained fixed on the wall. What did that mean? Did that mean that now he did like me? That me being half vampire didn’t matter anymore? Or did he mean that I should give in to the inevitable change happening right in front of me and just kiss him or something? My mind pulsed painfully with questions.

“I’m going to bed,” I said softly, pressing my fingers into my pounding temples. I looked at Erik again, but he didn’t look back—didn’t even acknowledge I was there—as I brushed past him and walked to the door of our room.

“One more thing,” he said after my back was to him. I stopped but didn’t turn around, fearful that if I did, I might just give in to the overpowering feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“What?” I heard rustling and felt him ease in behind me, his large hand once again resting on the exposed skin of my arm. He leaned down, putting his mouth next to my ear, his breath warm and inviting on my neck, the scent of his blood seizure-inducing.

“You didn’t say no to my question.” A tiny laugh escaped his throat as his hand left my arm, slid along my side (more sweet fire trails) and opened the door. I was frozen, totally unable to move or speak, as he sidestepped around me and went inside. He was right, I didn’t say no. And I had no idea why.

I somehow managed to steer clear of Erik the rest of the night, crawling into bed beside Kayla and instantly falling asleep. My mind was plagued with a barrage of fragmented memories—more distorted faces and voices—that kept me from getting any decent rest. So naturally I was up first the next morning, thankful for once that being half vampire meant I didn’t need much sleep. I sat up in bed, and my eyes immediately fell on Erik’s naked chest rising and falling in rhythm with his slumber. He was beautiful, no doubt about it, but I still wasn’t sure if I could trust him completely. Which was completely crazy considering all he had done—had lost—for me. When we first met, he was very standoffish—probably because he was a vampire hunter and I was a vampire—and wouldn’t share anything personal with any of us. But since his sister’s death, he had almost become like an open book, ready to chat about anything and everything. I was glad he felt comfortable enough around Kayla and me to talk, but it was a bit overwhelming to say the least. I quietly climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. When I came out, Kayla was half awake, slowly rubbing her tired eyes.

“Morning,” she whispered once she saw me. “How’d you sleep?”

“Not too bad,” I lied—that bed felt like stone. “You?”

“Great. Don’t want to get up.” She yawned and stretched and I smiled because she looked like she could be my baby sister instead of my stake-wielding best friend.

“So what’s the plan for today?” I kept stealing glances at Erik, who was still fast asleep in his own bed, his naked chest still exposed.

“Boston University,” she answered. “Best place to start, right?”

“Right.”

“I’m gonna take a shower first. Then we definitely have to get some food. I’m starving.” She climbed out of bed and sauntered into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. When I turned back to the room, Erik was leaning against the wall behind the bed, a serious case of sexy bedhead going on, his eyes locked on me.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he said with a half-smile. He already had a deep, rather sexy voice, but given he had just woken up, his words were even more raspy than usual. I could’ve listened to him talk like that forever.

“Stop it.” I was talking to myself more so than him. I wanted to stop fantasizing about how it would feel to lay my head on his bare chest, to fall asleep and wake up next to him every day. I ignored his inviting eyes and sat at the tiny round table beneath the wall-sized window at the front of the room.

“Lighten up, Ava,” he threw back, his tone comical. “You’re way too serious all the time.”

“What reason do I have not to be? What reason do you?” He looked away from me, focusing instead on the darkened TV across from him. What I said made sense, and he knew it. Neither of us had cause to be happy...especially him.

A large hand attached to a deliciously flexing bicep ruffled his disheveled hair. “We’re alive. Isn’t that reason enough?” His piercing eyes stared hard at me, making me feel uncomfortable.

“Exactly why we shouldn’t ‘lighten up.’ We owe Lila more than that.” I had no intention of bringing up his dead sister, but he got to me. His cavalier attitude made me furious—mainly because I wanted to be that way and couldn’t.

“We don’t owe her anything.” Erik’s words and aggravated tone surprised me. And Kayla, too, judging by the dropped jaw she was carrying out of the bathroom. She stood silent next to the sink, the large towel wrapped around her body doing little to catch the water dripping from her wet hair. I so wanted to yell and scream at Erik, to tell him we absolutely did owe Lila; we owed her our lives. But I didn’t. I sat there speechless as he climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. Only then did Kayla speak.

“What the hell was that all about?” she asked, crossing the room and taking a seat on Erik’s bed.

“I honestly don’t know,” I said. “I just told him we shouldn’t act careless, you know. In honor of Lila.”

“Um, you probably shouldn’t have said that.” Kayla’s nose was scrunched up like she had just smelled something rotten. Any other time, I would’ve laughed at her.

“Why not?”

“Because she was his sister.” She hopped from the bed and quickly threw on some clothes, using the towel to finish drying her hair. “I don’t think we should be telling him how to act when it comes to Lila. And we definitely shouldn’t be telling him how to honor her. That’s up to him.”

“Oh.” I fell silent, wishing I could take back what I had said to him. Kayla was right. It wasn’t up to me how Erik dealt with Lila’s death, or how he didn’t. I felt like such a fool. “Should I apologize?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said, forcing a brush through her tangled hair. She moved to the sink again to finish getting dressed just as Erik came out of the bathroom. I could tell by the look on his face that what I had said hurt him, and I hated myself for causing him more pain. I sat quietly as he pulled a shirt and jeans from the makeshift closet, doing my best not to look at him standing there in his boxers (I mean really, couldn’t he have gone in the bathroom?), my heart thumping loudly in my chest. Once he was dressed, I found the nerve to speak again.

“Wanna go for a walk?” I stood up slowly, my eyes never leaving him. Erik scooped his wallet and watch from the nightstand between the beds before looking at me.

“Sure,” he answered, almost in a whisper. I caught Kayla’s reflection in the giant mirror at the back of the room as he and I made our way to the door; her eyes were full of hope that I would make up for being so insensitive.

“Listen,” I began once we were safely out of the room, “I’m sorry for what I said.” Erik shifted his weight as he leaned against the railing. A brisk wind swirled around the parking lot, ruffling my unkempt hair. I realized I was nervously picking at my fingernails, and dropped my hands by my sides before I ended up needing a manicure.

“I know,” he finally responded, turning slightly to look at me. A tiny smile threatened exposure. “I know you’d never say something to hurt me.” I was surprised that he was so sure of what I would and wouldn’t do. Especially since I wasn’t.

“I don’t think before I speak sometimes.” I suddenly felt nervous and shy, like it was my first time being around him. “I had no right telling you what to do.”

“It’s cool, really. And you’re right. I should show a little respect, you know?” He turned completely to face me, placing his elbow on the balcony railing. “It’s just that if I don’t talk about it, it’s almost like it didn’t happen. Like she’s just gone on a trip or something, and she’ll be back one day.” The pain dripping from his words swam over me, and I had to choke back tears as he spoke. I knew how bad Lila’s death was to me (we weren’t exactly friends, but she did die helping me); I couldn’t begin to imagine the pain and torture Erik lived with every day.

“I understand,” I answered, getting lost in flashes of memory: A woman, young and beautiful and happy, smiling at me and hugging me. Was it my mother? I didn’t know. But the feelings of peace and warmth the memory exposed were intoxicating, my head swimming in a sea of pleasantness.

“You do?” Erik’s voice yanked me back to cold reality. I turned and looked at him, wide-eyed with surprise. The early morning light fell on his face with natural ease, only heightening his pristine features.

“I do,” I said, looking away for fear of blushing. “I think that about my mom.” It was the first time I had ever said anything about the woman who gave me away as an infant. I barely remembered her, so I felt I had no right to form an opinion. I had never even told Chance of my distorted feelings toward my mother. But something was urging me to share them with Erik, so I did. “Well, I used to. I used to pretend that she was gone on some sort of adventure, saving the world or curing cancer or something. That she hadn’t abandoned me and gone on with her life like I never existed.” The pain of those memories—along with the actual memories themselves—came rushing back to me like a swollen river, and I had to fight off the urge to turn and run.

“So when did you stop believing that?” Erik asked. I took a deep, cleansing breath, ready to completely expose my feelings about my mother, when the undeniable stench of cold, dead blood slapped me in the face. We had company—and not the good kind.

V
ISITORS

I
frantically began looking around for the source—the vampire—when Erik caught on.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, a hint of nervous fear spiking his heart rate. I didn’t answer. I was too focused on a lurking figure that had just vanished into the thick woods across the street.

“Stay here,” I snapped, using my super speed to run the length of the balcony and bolt down the stairs.

“Ava!” I heard him shout my name but I didn’t stop. I had to find the vampire that made the mistake of spying on us. That was the only thing my mind could focus on, the only thing that mattered. The rest of the world could have fallen away in an apocalyptic spectacle and I wouldn’t have cared. I shot across the virtually deserted highway and into the dense foliage blanketing the forest’s edge, the hazy morning light making the trees and brush seem almost fantastical. The memory of my first training session with Aldric came roaring back to me as my arms and legs were sliced by jagged limbs and prickly vines cut into my bare feet. And just as I had then, I completely ignored the superficial wounds as I sped through the woods in search of the undead interloper.

Just as I cleared the thick brush that skirted the highway, I saw him. He was standing eerily still in the middle of a cluster of towering pine trees about fifty yards away, his glowing yellow eyes fixated on me. He was larger than me—much larger—his frame wide and ominous. He wore simple black, looking more like a preacher than an undead monster; I guess he could have been both. I stopped running, my body locking with tension and anticipation. I was ready for anything, a surprising feat considering I never would have been only a few months ago. But ever since the fight with Sebastian’s coven, I had learned to always be prepared. Like a Girl Scout. A half-dead, bloodsucking Girl Scout.

“You’re fast.” The vampire’s words were gritty as they spewed forth through his gnarled, clenched teeth. A normal human wouldn’t have been able to notice that at such a distance, but my vampire eyes were like binoculars. I could even make out the tiny drops of venom lying in wait on the tips of his fangs.

“Thanks. You too.” Yes, being a smart-ass was my best line of defense.

“Stronger than we originally thought.” He dared not move as he spoke, his arms rigid at his sides, his fingers curled into fists. He was a warrior, a hunter—and I was his prey.

“Well that’s no fair. I didn’t know we could invite someone to this party.” I was impressed with how calm I sounded, considering I was a live wire on the inside. “Who’s we?”