Affinity

Chapter 15: That Bites

Anastasia woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and sore shoulders. A little drool saturated the pillow she was laying on. She had never drooled in her life, but she has also never slept across the hall from the promise of the most delicious of sins either. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she squelched that thought. She had stayed up late long after Pam had fallen asleep, just thinking about last night's revelations. Her Affinity being a vampire hunter made her want to cry, laugh, scream... but none of that would change what has to happen, what is meant to happen. She will have to attack and kill him eventually. Maybe Pam wouldn't resent her too much given the circumstances.

She sat up realizing Pam wasn't beside her. Running out of the room, she came to an abrupt stop when she saw Pam calmly eating a piece of toast at the table. Calm down, she berated herself for her brief panic. Even if they did find out Nastia was a vampire, they wouldn't harm Pam, right? She's human. Then again, the persecution of one faction does not exclude the collateral damage of another.

"Morning," Ethan greeted as he waited on the sputtering coffee maker. Despite the greeting, his mood seemed to be darker than his ebony brow.

AJ was on the other side of the great room hitting on a punching bag. He stopped when he saw her. Sweat blackened his gray t-shirt and made his toned biceps glisten. His racing heartbeat and the way his shoulders moved up and down from the exertion made her own blood purr. She averted her hungry eyes keeping her vampiric side in check. The rattling of the chain signaled he went back to hitting the bag.

"So," she said biting into the toast Pam offered her. "Can we begin my training or is there a whole process to this?"

She heard a faint scoff come from across the room.

"While I love an eager student, let me get my caffeine in first," Ethan said. He poured the dark liquid into a cup of ice then gulped it down. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he asked, "What about you, Pam? Are you interested?"

Pam waved her hands frantically expelling the idea like flies. "No, that's okay. I am not brave enough for all that. I didn't even like gym class. But I could make snacks for you guys or something if that's a thing."

"That can definitely be a thing."

Nastia let out a sigh of relief. If Pam had insisted to also go out hunting vampires with these nutjobs, she would have to hypnotize her best friend, again.

"I second that," AJ said. "Thanks for having some common sense, Pam."

He looked pointedly at Nastia when he said that, leaving not a shred of doubt as to who he was implying lacked sense. She stood up and positioned herself between him and the bag. His fist stopped a millimeter from her nose, a tremor shook his arm holding back the force that was about to accidentally hit her pretty face. His proximity didn't bother her with her senses blocked by the burning sage. She made a mental note to ask about that, but first, she stabbed AJ with a frosty glare. "What is your problem with me?"

"Wow. Where to start? At this second? You're acting like this is a game. You have no idea what you're getting into. You could have died last night."

"But I didn't."

"If I wasn't there, you would have."

"Are you expecting a thank you?"

"I wasn't. Not from you. But ya know, yeah, a thank you would be nice."

"Thank you!"

His face contorted not knowing how to take such hostile gratitude. "You---"

"What is so hard to understand about me wanting to be a hunter? You say I almost died last night as if I should just accept that and be terrified. What if I don't want to be scared? You won't always be around. What if I want to save myself next time? Who the hell do you think you are to stop me?"