Blood Curse

Chapter Two

 Before I can do or say a thing, a hand covers my mouth and pulls me into an alcove a few steps back the way I came from. We're hidden half a turn from the bottom of the stairs and the alcove is barely wide enough for us to squeeze into. It looks as if it's meant to be a passage to another room as it continues on into a thin hallway.

My first thought is to fight my way out, but I don't want the people in the basement to hear me. The alcove is dark, but my eyes adjust enough to make out vague features of the person holding me against the rough stone wall. Dark tousled hair, defined jaw, and bright blue eyes that practically glow in the darkness.

"Noah?" I ask against the hand over my mouth.

His hand presses tighter against my lips and he makes a gesture telling me to be quiet. I try to ask what's going on with my eyes, but his eyes close and he looks like he's concentrating hard. I don't know what he could be listening to, I can barely hear anything going on in the basement over the sound of my own heart beating. Tears blur my vision as I think about what's going on in the room next to me. An image of a man holding onto an unconscious and bleeding Morgan enters my mind and a tear drips down my cheeks onto Noah's hand. His thumb twitches against my cheek and he leans his head down so our faces are pressed together.

"Shh," he whispers. "Everything will be okay."

His mouth barely opened at all to say the words, they were whispered so quietly I could barely even hear them. How could he say everything will be okay when my best friend could be dying in the next room and I'm not doing anything about it. There were three of them in there with Morgan, two guys, and one girl. How could another girl do this? Isn't there supposed to be some kind of code where girls stick together?

Noah stands pressed against me listening for something for what feels like hours but is probably only a few minutes until he finally exhales a deep breath and takes his hand away from my face.

"What the hell is going on?" I demand as soon as it's gone.

"I'll explain everything later, but right now we have to go," he says.

I push him away from me through the opening of the alcove, "I'm not going anywhere until I know what the hell is happening."

"We don't have time for this."

"Who were those people? What do they want with Morgan? Do you know them?"

Noah growls a sound that doesn't seem even remotely human and my mouth immediately snaps shut. I stare up at this man I barely know, a man I danced with less than ten minutes ago, and realize that he may not be an innocent bystander here.

"Who are you?"

Noah doesn't answer my question, instead, he grabs my arm and pulls me the rest of the way into the basement with him. Inside, there are four openings in the walls that lead into complete darkness. Not an ounce of light is inside them.

My eyes widen as I realize what's in front of me. "The tunnels? They're real?"

"Yes," Noah answers curtly.

Ripping my arm from his grasp, I back away from the predator in front of me. "Now answer my question. Who the hell are you?"

Suddenly my back bumps into something and arms wrap around my torso. "Isn't it obvious, sweetheart?"

I scream.

A hand covers my mouth, a different hand than Noah's, and a set of lips press against my ear. "We're vampires."

I think I blacked out because there is no way this guy just said they're vampires.

"Cut it out, Wyatt," Noah rolls his eyes.

Wyatt releases me from his hold and I back away from both of them as far as I can go until my back is pressed against the wall. I look up at both of them in disbelief. This can't be happening. My best friend gets kidnapped and then I have to wackjobs telling me they're vampires.

"Who were those people? Where's Morgan?" I try again.

Both men completely ignore me and instead talk to each other as if we're all old friends catching up.

"Who's the girl?" Wyatt asks.

"The blonde's friend. She saw her and followed."

"How much did she see?"

"Everything."

My gaze bounced between the two of them. "Hello! I'm right here."

"What do we do with her?" Wyatt's eyes scan me up and down.

"Take her with us. She's seen too much and I don't know if they saw her."

"She'd be dead already if they did."

My eyes widen even further and at this point, I'm worried they're going to fall out of my head.

"I don't want to take any risks," Noah says. "Take her to yours. I'll meet you there after I finish what needs to be done."

"You got it, boss," Wyatt smirks.

Noah walks towards me, "do as we say and you'll live to see daylight."

He bypasses me and saunters into one of the tunnels as if he's taking a leisurely stroll. My heart is beating so fast Wyatt can probably hear it. I can't let them take me away. Isn't there a thing saying don't let your kidnappers take you to a secondary location? I have to fight my way out of this.

"Looks like it's just you and me, sweetheart," Wyatt walks towards me.

Before he can grab me again I throw my fist into his face with all my might. Wyatt barely flinches. Gasping in shock, I make a run for the stairs, but he easily tackles me to the ground. He grasps my wrists above my head and leans his face down to my level.

"Don't make me drain you dry," he threatens.

My entire body seizes in shock as the whites in his eyes turn completely black.

"Believe me now?" He asks, opening his mouth wide enough to show me small sharp fangs.

I definitely blackout after that.