Violet Forsythe has finally found peace.
She successfully escaped a coven of malignant vampires, worked hard to get an education, and has actually managed to pull herself together.
But, as old acquaintances begin to resurface, the life that Violet w...
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Alec and I lay nude, side by side in the snow. The sun was just beginning to rise and we still hadn't gotten anything productive done since I woke up.
"You must be starving," Alec said, looking at me with a lighthearted smile.
"I've been doing my best to avoid the thought," I replied, keeping my eyes forward, toward the sky. If I made the mistake of looking at Alec again, I would be at great risk of getting distracted again, and our time alone together was already limited.
"And how is that going?" I could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Poorly." My throat burned painfully from thirst, but I still wasn't ready to face that reality.
"What would you like to do?" he asked, rolling onto his side to look at me.
"Do I have a choice?" I asked, avoiding eye contact.
"Would you like to discuss your options with me?" Alec asked, reaching out and gently turning my face toward his.
Impulsively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him towards me with more force than I intended.
"Violet!" he laughed as my fingers tangled in his hair. "I'm being serious. We need to address this."
"I don't want to leave," I sighed, kissing his face.
"You need to eat."
"We could rob a hospital," I volunteered as my pressed my body against his.
Alec cupped my cheek with his hand and directed my attention toward his face. "Focus."
"I am," I complained, finally giving up and letting him go. "I was being serious about the hospital!"
"Not only it that unbelievably inefficient, it's irresponsible."
"How so?" I asked, sitting up.
"Humans donate blood to assist other humans," he pointed out. "Plus, it would take a lot of blood to keep you satisfied. It's risky, and there's a good chance we'd get caught eventually. It's not sustainable."
I wanted to respond, but the pain in my throat escalated, and a throb of pain caught me off guard.
"It hurts."
"I know."
"I don't think I'm ready to kill anybody."
Alec sat up and took my in his arms. "I know," he said gently. "But, you're not alone. I'll make this as easy as I can for you, I swear it."
"How?"
"There are still horses in the stalls," he said. "You have options."
"Oh."
Alec kissed my forehead and gave me time to think things through.
"And if I choose not to do that?" I asked.
"Then I will make your other option as palatable for you as possible."
Pain tore through my throat like razor blades as I exhaled deeply. "Thank you," I breathed.
* * *
The man and woman were walking down the dirt path, speaking amongst themselves and minding their own business. They were completely unaware of their surroundings.
They had no idea they were being stalked.
Alec had his hand firmly wrapped around my bicep, a request I made as we redressed. I didn't want to lose control of myself, and I'd instructed Alec to use his gift on me if he felt there was even a fraction of a chance of that.
He agreed, and I trusted him to follow through.
We exchanged looks, and I nodded, pushing past my hesitation.
Alec released my arm and ran at our targets from behind, snapping their necks before they even knew anything was coming; they didn't feel a thing.
I ran after him and attempted to help drag the bodies off of the road and out into the woods, but Alec wouldn't have it. He was adamant about making my first hunt as easy as possible for me.
Once we were tucked safely back into the woods, we stopped in a small clearing and Alec deposited the bodies in the middle of the available space; I hung back at the edge of the clearing, apprehensively watching him handle to corpses.
"Are you okay?" he asked once he set the bodies down.
I felt uncomfortable being so far away from him, even though he couldn't have been more than twenty feet away.
"Yes," I said with a tepid smile.
Everything would be okay. I had to keep reminding myself of that fact. Everything would be okay.
"Would you like me to start?"
I nodded demurely as a sickening thrill of excitement rolled though my body.
Alec gave me an encouraging smile before crouching down and grabbing one of the freshly dead corpses by the back of the neck. The head lolled to the side as he hoisted the body up and brought the exposed skin of their neck to his lips.
I let out a small, involuntary gasp of as his teeth sink into its flesh. My throat burned unbearably as I watched Alec enjoy the fruits of his labor.
He glanced up, and our eyes locked, sending a shiver of pleasure wracking through my body.
Oh, it burned.
But I wasn't ready.
Not yet.
Not yet.
Alec lifted his head to observe me and gage my mood, releasing his prey from his teeth as he did so.
It burned.
Blood spilled from the exposed wound, trailing down its neck.
Not yet.
It coated his teeth and dripped down his soft, full lips.
