Page 16 of Deadly Cravings

She exited the bathroom in a set of shorts and a strappy shirt with frills at the edges. I rushed to get to the other side so I could continue watching her in time to see her collapse on the mattress. She swayed and dropped to her back, unconscious. Her chest continued moving up and down rhythmically.

Asher must have taken more blood than she could handle. He usually had a better gauge of that.

She left the light on in the room. If she would be a tool for us to use, sating my lust on her could be something to consider.

After all, I hadn’t craved another body in decades . . . sinceImogen.

SEVEN

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Trembling from lust and fear,I gingerly felt my raw, bleeding throat. My body was giving in even as it craved. The rancid scent in the cave burned my nose and I blinked, trying to make out more than just rocks and shadows in the cave.

I hated the darkness.

His heavy weight shifted, large, boney fingers flexing around my thigh. My heart slammed against my chest.

He would kill me soon—drain me dry. Pressure settled on my lungs, and I struggled to draw in breaths.

I shot up in bed, clasping my chest as my other hand scrambled at the nightstand, hunting for my medicine. My fingertips grazed it and relief drooped my shoulders as I put it to my mouth.Puff.

A throb started at my temples. The encounter with the vampires were making my attacks more frequent. I hadn’t had to use my inhaler this much in months, which checked out considering it was stress induced. The sun hung low in the sky. Last night, I’d paced around, cleaned, mulled over how to come up with the money to leave, but after my bath, my eyelids had grown increasingly heavy. I’d meant to sit for a second, but I’dslept through the entire day. I looked to the thrashed bedsheets, seeking out my cell phone. But the spot remained empty.

I couldn’t find it at all, not just now. I’d turned my things upside down, but it was nowhere to be seen . . . it likely fell out in my van miles away from here. And I couldn’t use my laptop because there was no WIFI.

I had no way to get out of here since my car was still in the parking lot and I’d had no way to call for a ride, even if Icouldafford the expense. I scrubbed my fingertips through my hair.

I felt helpless and tears pushed to the surface. The vampires would likely kill me, and I’d leave Peter behind, but I didn’t want to disappear on him without a word. Not again.

When that vampire took me and I was gone for a little more than a month, Peter had to fend for himself. He got himself to and from school, fed himself. All of it. When I’d gotten back from the hospital, he’d told me it was because he didn’t want to go into child protective services—he didn’t want to be taken from me.

My heart throbbed at the memory of his young tear-filled eyes. I’d kept him with me for a few months as I kept on moving, but eventually I’d recognized how I was hurting him more than anything. And I’d wanted him away from me if the vampire oranyvampire ever caught up to me. Looked like my instincts were right.

So I’d sent him to boarding school in Mexico despite his pleas not to. I’d figured, since we had some extended family over there, he could always fall on them if something happened. If anything, my brother was taken care of if I died.

They couldn’t find out about him. I would rather die than have them get their evil hands on him.

I groaned and scrubbed my face. Enough melancholy, time to figure out how to run from these fanged monsters.

Shuffling out of the bedroom, I went directly to the Keurig and smacked it on. I’d set everything up last night so that wasall I had to do in the morning. I’d learned it was my best bet in waking up, since I wasnota morning person. Not even a little bit.

Using the pads of my fingers, I drummed on the counter as the brown liquid sputtered into the mug. The curtain hanging before the window fluttered, exposing my phone on the sill. I hurried to grab it. It hadn’t been there yesterday . . . or had it? I frowned, wracking my brain. I was pretty sure I’d looked, but then again, it’d been dark since the electricity was scheduled to be turned on today.

Now I felt like I was gaslighting myself.

My coffee machine beeped to tell me it was done, and I wrapped my palm around the warmth of the mug and shivered at the heat. It felt good in the chilly weather. Opening the front door, I studied the area. It was quiet and empty. I stepped out onto the porch, breathing in the crisp late evening air. There was nothing better than this and once the coffee kicked in, I would figure out my game plan. With their threat hanging over my head, I didn’t want to chance them catching me, so I had to be one hundred percent sure I could disappear without a trace.

Birds were the only sound as my eyes slid closed and I inhaled deeply. A desk set up out here would be perfect for evening writing sessions. At least that was what I would have done if I hadn’t moved in next to a bunch of vampires.

Turning, I frowned at the envelope in the mailbox. It must have been delivered while I slept.

I plucked the envelope from the box, read the sender address, and groaned. The boarding house worked quickly. Didn’t even give me a week to settle in, as soon as they’d gotten my new address, they sent over next quarter’s bill. I stuck my phone in my armpit and using my nail, I ripped it open while balancing my coffee.

My eyes rounded, my hand holding the mug growing limp. I didn’t hear the crash of ceramic with wood as brown liquid sprayed across the porch. Another tuition raise?

I whimpered, leaning against the wall and sliding down until my butt hit the slats of the porch. A chill crept into the bottom of my cheeks at the lack of coverage from my shorts.

My phone vibrated and I lifted it to my ear without looking at the caller.