Blood Ties (Blood Lust Sequel)--COMPLETED

Epilogue: Audrey's POV

*CHRISTMAS DAY*

It had been a turbulent week, adjusting to life as a vampire, but today would be different. Today, I wouldn't think about blood, or my great-grandpa and his mysterious plans, or my simmering resentment of Gabriel. Today, I would decorate the massive evergreen that Duke and Aiden had brought into the lobby of the university, sing Christmas carols and drink eggnog--even if it did taste like dirt now. 

Everything tasted like dirt these days, thanks to Gabriel tricking me into becoming a vampire. I was almost used to it, but every once in a while, I'd get a wicked mean streak through me at the taste of something I used to love. 

Tomatoes? Dirt. Pizza? Dirt. French fries dipped in ice cream? Yup. Dirt dipped in cold, wet dirt.

I growled at the food sitting in front of me, exhausted with the charade that I was anything else but a powerful immortal now. Picking up my tray, I stood to toss it from my seat toward the garbage bins at the other side of the banquet hall. The tray slammed into the bin with a satisfying clang, and I threw my fist into the air. I enjoyed very few things these days, so any small victory was worth celebrating in my eyes. 

"Shew, somebody call the WNBA." Linc whistled from the banquet hall entrance. "Looks like we got a new recruit ready for playoffs."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you just have to make sure I don't drink the team."

Linc came to stand before me, gray eyes serious. "C'mon now, don't be such a negative Nancy. That ain't nothin' to be ashamed of."

"Yes, it is." I'd said, just as I had every other time he and I had had this conversation. "I live off the blood of others now, Linc."

"You didn't have a problem with your vampire boyfriend's doin' it." Linc scoffed, folding his muscular arms across his chest. 

He'd had a point. Still, I wasn't in the mood to let someone else be right, nor did I want to delve into my feelings of worthlessness and guilt over getting a second chance at life. Instead, I placed my hands on my hips, and asked, "do you want to build a snowman with me?"

He looked flabbergasted. "Do what now?"

"You heard me." I repeated, smirking. "Do you want to build a snowman with me? Come on, it will be fun!"

Before he had time to protest, I took Linc by the hand and led him outside. 

Though I'd resented being a vampire, it did have it perks. Like being able to stay outside in the middle of a snowstorm without so much as a long-sleeved shirt on. Linc seemed to be of the same temperament. I was in a tank top while he was shirtless as we built the foundation of a fat snowman. After that, he fetched a carrot from the banquet hall while I gathered up smooth stones from the shore for his eyes and mouth. 

 After we got the snowman finished, Linc and I stood back to admire our work. He propped an elbow up on my slender shoulder, scrutinizing our snowman with narrowed gray eyes. 

"Hmm," He hummed, scratching at his chin. "I think we're missing somethin'."

I tried to figure out what that could be, when Aiden came up to stand next to the frozen sculpture. 

"You need buttons." He said, taking a pale finger to place three indentions down the middle of our snowman. 

"Shit," Linc scoffed. "Any excuse to stick your finger in somethin', huh?"