Blood Draw: Book Two of the Blood Type Series (complete)

Tremors

Much to my surprise, Andrew Larsen and several other vampires I didn't recognize were waiting for us when we arrived at John's house. Andrew rushed to our aid as we stumbled through the door, Olivia's limp form caught between us.

"Dear God," Andrew said. "What happened to this girl?"

"Margaret happened," I said.

"Margaret bit her," John clarified. "Thomas changed her."

Andrew peered more closely at Olivia, bringing his nose to the slope of her neck and inhaling her scent. His mouth tightened. "As I recall, she did not have a compatible blood type when she was human."

My grip around Olivia's waist tightened. "Will that be a problem, Mr. Larsen?"

"The girl will become a liability to us all," Andrew replied. "She must be dealt with."

I bared my fangs and lunged without premeditation, sending Andrew crashing into the wood paneling behind him. Before he could recover, I threw myself against him again, crushing his windpipe with my forearm to press my point. "You will not touch her!"

Andrew's eyes widened, his surprise slowly giving way to a lopsided grin. "You continue to impress me, Miss Ehlert," he rasped. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"Then you underestimated me." I pushed harder on his throat before finally releasing him.

Andrew brought a hand to his neck, holding my stare as he straightened his shirt and tie. "It's a mistake I will not make again, I assure you."

Heart pounding, I turned and glared at every other vampire in the room. "Does anyone else have a problem with my best friend being a vampire?" No one came forward or said anything. "Help me carry her upstairs," I said to John. "She'll be more comfortable in a bed."

After getting Olivia settled, John and I returned downstairs to face the roomful of vampires. "For those who don't know, my name is Blake," I said to the group, getting straight to the point. "And this is Ian. He's the one who informed me about the vampires that want to return to the days of hunter and prey."

"And like a disease," Andrew said, nodding at me in solidarity, "this faction's reach has touched and infected our jurisdiction, introduced by our very own Conrad Abernathy."

Andrew stopped, his eyes lighting on each vampire in the room as he gave them time to digest what we had said. "Conrad Abernathy is not acting alone. Head Watchers in other jurisdictions have issued similar price increases on blood under the guise of a dwindling supply. These questions remain: from who are they receiving their orders, and what are we prepared to do about it?"

"It will be us against them," I said. "And our numbers are growing."

"We have Thomas Abernathy on our side now," John chimed in.

"How do you know he's on our side?" someone asked. "What if he claims he is and it's nothing more than a ruse to gain our confidence?"

"I know Thomas," John replied. "We can trust him."

"I don't trust any of them, not even Thomas!" said another vampire, which raised a chorus of agreement that climbed in volume until I was forced to put my hands over my ears to drown out the noise.

"Quiet!" Andrew shouted. When the discord had died down, he continued in a more subdued voice. "If Blake and John say Thomas is with us, I believe them."

I made my way to the center of the room. "Earlier today I was drugged and taken against my will to the Abernathy mansion. There, I was forced to drink incompatible blood and then paralyzed with compulsion. It was Margaret Abernathy who attacked my friend Olivia, but it was Thomas who saved her and helped us escape. What other proof do you need?"