Bloodlust (The Blood Series #1)

Chapter 21

Nathan is sitting alone in one of the tables in the yard looking puzzled, an untouched plate of food in front of him.

I navigate my way to him and sit down across from him. "Okay, we need to get rid of Oliver and fast", I announce as soon as he looks up.

Nathan seems surprised that I'm bringing it up in school but I have to talk to someone about all this craziness and lately Nathan has been my go-to guy when in the need of talking about weird stuff. He glances around us and snaps: "Not we. Haley, I'm handling it."

A sudden fear sweeps over me. "Handling it how?" I ask suspiciously.

His gaze hardens. "Haley, don't."

"Don't shut me out, Nathan. I'm the one Oliver has been targeting for two freaking weeks. Come on, Nathan. I deserve to know. You need to work with me here", I try to persuade him.

Nathan shakes his head so hard that it makes his dark hair spin. "He's only targeting you because he knows that he can hurt me by hurting you."

I try to stay in point even though what he just said makes my heart flutter. "But now he's going after Andrea!"

"Wait, what? How do you know this? Did he say something to you or...?"

I point to my head. "How do I know anything these days? Duh. And anyway I don't think--"

"Hey girlie, you're sitting on my seat", a sudden voice interrupts me. I look up, already agitated by Nathan's stubbornness and snap: "I don't see your name on it."

The boy joining us lets out a whistle. "Whoa, a feisty one, isn't she?"

"She's cool, Mike, let it go", Nathan says without taking his eyes off me and Mike shrugs but when he sits down next to me, he's still staring at me, listening to every word I say. I don't let that bother me, my eyes are on Nathan. "I think we should talk about it."

"I don't think so. You won't be a part of that plan so there's no need for you to be bothered with the details", he says adamantly, green eyes glaring at me.

"I'm the one who warned you about him in the first place!" I snap. Nathan is getting on my nerves. This is just as important to me as it is to him. More even since I'm the one who spent last week as a zombie and now it's my best friend whose life is in danger. This is my fight, I want to be the one to take Oliver down. After all the nightmares day and night that I've had to suffer through Oliver's endless insanity, I think I deserve to be trusted with the details of the plan to kill Oliver. Can fallen angels even be killed? I briefly wonder before I'm cut off.

"Oh, is she the Seer?" Mike asks.

I shoot Nathan a glare. "Did you tell everyone but me what I am?" I ask furiously.

"Me and him, we're Blood. We don't keep secrets", Mike replies for him. His tone is casual but I can detect the warning lying behind them. He's saying that they are family and I'm just an outsider and that I'd be crazy to think that anything between Nathan and I stays secret from the rest of the Bloods.

"If you won't help me, that's fine. But I'm not going to let Drea die. I'll save her on my own", I snap and get up. Before I even manage to take one step to walk dramatically away, Nathan is already blocking my path. Mike makes a protesting sound when he uses his powers in broad daylight but Nathan couldn't care less.

"Don't you even think about going against Oliver alone", he hisses.

"Then include me in your plan and I won't have to", I offer.

"No."

"Fine", I say in a freezing cold tone and start to leave just to be cut off by Nathan again. Annoyed, I lift my eyes to meet his. I can see my own frustration mirrored in those emerald eyes but I feel no sympathy for him. If he just stopped being an idiot neither of us would have to be frustrated.

"Haley, I swear to God--"

"Nate, take a beat", Mike warns when the leaves around as start to fly in a spiral around us. Astonished and curious glances are thrown in our way because Nathan and I are the ones standing in the heart of the storm.

I take his hands in mine. "Stop", I whisper. Nathan squeezes his eyes shut and slowly the leaves fall back down.

"You can't say stuff like that to me", he mutters opening his eyes. "I'm enough terrified for you as it is."

Nathan Blood, the unrepentant teenage criminal of our town is terrified? For me?

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything", I utter feeling lightheaded. Even if he's being crazy and overprotective I can't help but melt as his eyes regard me.

His lips curve to a crooked smile. "I never was before."

Mike makes a loud gagging sound and crashes us back to reality from cloud nine. "Guys, I'm still here, you know", he reminds us in a grossed out tone.

"Unfortunately", Nathan teases and I laugh.

"I gotta go look for Andrea", I say. Ever since my vision I've been clinging to Andrea like an octopus. The only reason I'm not with her right now is because she has band practice. I don't think that even Oliver is suicidal enough to go near her when she's playing the tuba. Andrea is a lot of things but musical is not one of them. When she plays it sounds like someone is trying to drag a roaring blue whale across the land.

Nathan kisses my forehead and warns: "Don't do anything stupid."

"Do I ever", I mutter as I go. I can practically see him rolling his eyes at me as he watches me go.

"She's dangerous. When you're with her you don't care about anything, not the family, not even exposure", I hear Mike scolding Nathan when I walk away.

Nathan is smiling when he replies: "On the contrary, brother. She is the one that makes me care."

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I run into Cal when the last period ends. I've been able to avoid Oliver most of the day, Andrea is still safely in English class and Troy isn't in school today. There is one last thing to worry about, one last loose end and that someone is now standing before me.

"Hey there, Callum. Just the lucky boy I wanted to kick the crap out of", I say as I grab his arm and shove him into the nearest ladies' room. A round of shrieks follows and suddenly everyone in the bathroom clears out.

"What is your deal?" Callum cries out as I let go of him.

I glare at him. "You're a prospect! What is your deal?"

His expression changes from confused to defensive. He knows exactly what I think of gangs which is probably why he has been doing his best to hide this from both me and Andrea. "Where did you hear that?" he asks but it sounds more like a accusation.

I refuse to back down. "It doesn't matter. Is this why you were at Hunter's that day? Because they called you up and being the good little doggie you are you dropped everything and ran there, even brought a present with you!" I yell.

Callum's eyes narrow to two blue streaks and he's about to start screaming as well but then a cunning and calculating look crosses his face and he bites his tongue. Instead he asks: "Did Nathan tell you? Because this is Blood business, he shouldn't be telling our shit to an outsider. It's forbidden."

"Who cares about that? You need to get as far away from the Bloods as possible! They are bad people, Callum, have you lost your mind?"

"I'm guessing Nathan's daddy, the leader of the Bloods, probably would care about his son's screw-ups. And second, you really think I'm going to take advice from someone who has been cozying up to the worst of them all for two weeks now. Yeah, we know about that. The Bloods don't have secrets", he reminds me when my jaw drops at his words.

I'm not really surprised that he knows about Nathan and I, Mike already made it clear that the Bloods are one big chatty family but what throws me off is Callum's spiny tone. We have always gotten along well so the hatred in his voice makes my skin cringe.

I try to reason with him. "If you become a Blood, you're going to lose Drea and I know you don't want that. Be reasonable, Cal. Either you tell her or I will."

There's no usual warmth in his eyes when he stares me down and says articulating clearly: "You tell Drea, I'll tell everyone how Nathan blabs Blood business to his hoe."

My hand raises and before I even realize what I'm doing I slap him so hard that the sound of skin hitting skin echoes around the ladies' room. And of course just then the worst possible person walks in. "What the hell is going on?" Andrea shrieks as she takes in the scene before her.

Callum who has his back to Andrea arches a brow as a challenge. What's it gonna be? his taunting eyes ask. I have no choice. I don't want Nathan to get into trouble with the Bloods because of me.

We both turn around and snap simultaneously: "Nothing!"