Bloodshed

Chapter Twenty-Four: Feed

"Wake up, child." Master whispered in my head. "We are here." 

I let out a little whine while trying to force my eyes open. It felt like I had been asleep for days, I was so groggy and stiff. Though it had probably been an hour or two. My eyes were still closed as I sat up, but when the sharp scent of blood suddenly filled the air, I was wide awake. 

"Master, what are you doing?" I gasped, zeroing in on my great-grandfather. He was in the front seat with the cabbie, drinking from his wrist in the middle of broad daylight. 

He managed to pull away long enough to say, "I was in the mood for a snack, and Pablo here was very gracious to open up a vein for me. Weren't you, Pablo?" 

The man in the driver seat nodded rigidly, his gaze blankly sticking to the building we were parked in front of. 

I huffed and threw my door open. "Can we get this over with already? I'd like to be done and go home." And as far away from the smell of human blood as possible. 

Saliva had flooded my mouth, stealing all the moisture from my throat. It was then that I realized just how weak I was. It felt like I was starving. I was tired all over, my movements slow and dragging, and I was shaking. Then there was a pang deep in the pit of my stomach, resonating out to my limbs. It hurt, bad enough to nearly bring me to my knees. 

I let out a small cry, and Master was by my side in an instant. 

"Child, you must feed." He breathed beside me, sending a mouthwatering gust of blood-scented wind at me. "You are beginning to wither." 

"Wither?" I repeated, raising my sights up to meet his. 

I started to ask what he meant by that when movement from somewhere behind him caught my attention. Aiden and Linc were leaving the back of the strip club we had parked in front of, their backs to me and Master. It took all the strength I had left to keep from wondering about what they were up to, to keep them completely out of my thoughts, and act as if nothing was wrong. 

And the effort almost caused me to collapse. 

"Great-granddaughter?" Master held me by the shoulders, voice full of concern. "Child, are you alright?"

I shook my head, fighting back tears. 

I was too weak to be useful. 

Too weak to keep Master out of my head if he had decided to sift through it. 

Damn it all to fucking hell!

"I think you're right, Master." I said wearily, swallowing hard. "I think...I think I need to feed." 

Not only would this help build up my strength, but it would also help buy Aiden and Linc more time to get to wherever they were heading. And for them, to help keep them safe, I would feed. As much as the act terrified me. 

"Unfortunately, I let the human driver go." Master said with a sigh. "But this city is full of potential blood donors. We will find you someone to drink soon, child, rest assured. Now, can you stand?"

I tried and found that I couldn't. "No."

Effortlessly, Master scooped me up to carry me in his arms and walked toward the strip club. "Take refuge here. I am sure the owner would not mind. Will you, Talia?"

"Not at all, Master." I heard a smooth, feminine voice say. "Just lie her back here in my office." 

I tried to get a peek at the woman but was now too weak to even open my eyes. Her feet padded ahead of us, followed by the near quiet of Master's footsteps, and then a door groaned open. Master took four more steps after that before lowering me down onto what felt like a sofa.