Blood Crave 2 (31 page)
Authors: Jennifer Knight
Tags: #Social Issues, #Love & Romance, #Vampires, #College Students, #Juvenile Fiction, #Paranormal, #General, #Romance, #Werewolves, #Dating & Sex, #Fiction, #Occult & Supernatural
“My mother?” I asked. “What do you know about my mother?”
But he ignored me and said, “Just because you are human, doesn’t mean you are inferior. It just means you must be careful. So be careful, Faith. I’ll be watching.” And with that he was gone, vanished like a ghost.
“You slimeball, what do you know about my mother?” I screamed to no one. “Tell me, damn it!” I rolled over and slammed my fist into the ground, effectively shutting me up. I sat back on my haunches, cradling my hand to my chest. Suddenly, the light popped on, and I heard voices coming in from the living room. It was Derek and Katie, the dynamic doggie duo, complete with wagging tails and drool slathering from their grinning mouths. Man, I was not looking forward to spending two hours locked in a car with those two. I loved them, yes, but chipper was so not me at the moment.
Derek all but stepped on me as he made his way to the fridge.
“Oh—what the hell? Faith?” he asked, stooping down. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I whispered. “I am not okay. Some dude just attacked me and held a knife to my throat.”
“Oh, my God,” Katie whispered and did a quick sweep around the room. “I don’t smell anyone weird. Who was it?”
“I have no idea. I couldn’t see him.” Derek helped me up onto a stool and held a damp cloth to my cheek to staunch the blood flow from the wound my attacker has given me. Derek noticed my swollen hand and quickly got a bag of frozen peas.
“Did you hit him?” he asked.
I swallowed. “Yeah,” I said, not wanting to go with the truth, which was much more embarrassing.
“Way to go,” he said and winked at me. “Well, are you sure you’re okay? What did he want?”
“I’m fine. And he said he just wanted to tell me something—something about you, actually.”
“What was it?”
“He said that the vampires need you. And that they’ll do anything to get you to work with them. He said that they’d use me to get to you.”
Derek appeared worried for a moment, and then he frowned. “Wait—how did this guy know all of this anyway? Maybe he’s screwing with you.”
“I thought that, too,” I said. “But he said he had an insider. And something in the way he said everything ... I don’t know. I believed him.”
“So what does this mean?” Katie asked, handing me a glass of water.
I took it gratefully, realizing as I did so that my hands were shaking.
“Well, I’d say Derek has to stay away from the vampires, but since he’s got to spy on them for the pack, it’s not an option.”
Derek nodded gravely. “I’ll just be careful. Besides, I’m sure this guy is just trying to scare you. It’ll be fine.”
I gave him a flat stare. “Famous last words.”
O
ver the next two weeks, I barely saw Derek at all. The more time he spent with the vampires on spy duty, the less he hung out with me and Lucas. But it was my personal opinion that Derek wasn’t hanging out with them because he had to—he did it because he genuinely liked them. No. Scratch that. He was crazy about them—their money and charms drew him in like blood through veins.
ver the next two weeks, I barely saw Derek at all. The more time he spent with the vampires on spy duty, the less he hung out with me and Lucas. But it was my personal opinion that Derek wasn’t hanging out with them because he had to—he did it because he genuinely liked them. No. Scratch that. He was crazy about them—their money and charms drew him in like blood through veins.
The only thing Derek
didn’t
seem to like about the vampires was their diet. And not just that—he couldn’t really judge them when he had the same needs—but the way that they took it. Their sick little pets.
didn’t
seem to like about the vampires was their diet. And not just that—he couldn’t really judge them when he had the same needs—but the way that they took it. Their sick little pets.
That didn’t stop him from accepting more of their fancy gifts, though. Cars, designer clothes, an expensive phone, and a watch that cost more than my spring tuition were just a few.
Since my mystery attacker had said the vampires wanted Derek for their uprising, I could only assume they were giving him these things to woo him. They wanted him on their team, and they were doing a fine job of luring him in. It seemed that with each gift, Derek released less and less information about the goings-on inside the lair.
He’d been required to give nightly updates since the last full moon, but lately, the information was scarce. In fact, Derek fought us tooth and nail on the very existence of an uprising.
It was after they’d given him VIP concert tickets to see Paramore—one of my favorite bands—that I finally confronted him about it.
We were walking to his room after one of his oh-so-fantastic nights with Calvin, Melissa, and Silas. It was close to five a.m., so I wasn’t in the best mood anyway, but when he pulled out the tickets, it was like he rubbed my nose in his smelly socks.
“There are two tickets,” Derek said. “We can both go if you—”
“I don’t give a crap if you have a thousand tickets!” I exploded. “Can’t you see that this is all a ploy? They’re being way too nice to you!”
“What?” He let out an exasperated noise. “Can’t you just be happy for me? I have some friends again. I’m not going to apologize for wanting people to talk to besides you.”
“I’m not asking you to. I understand you wanting to have friends, but if you’d open your eyes, you’ll see that you already
do
have friends. What about Katie? She’s been calling me and asking where you are. She says she hasn’t heard from you in weeks and you barely speak to her in your classes.”
do
have friends. What about Katie? She’s been calling me and asking where you are. She says she hasn’t heard from you in weeks and you barely speak to her in your classes.”
Derek’s jaw tightened, and he looked away.
“Did you guys have a fight?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “Katie is just ... the werewolves aren’t like me. I don’t fit in around them.”
My heart sunk. I think part of me knew it was true.
“You just have to spend some time with them,” I said, as I put my hand on his arm. “They’re actually really nice ... some of them.”
“They only want me to spy for them,” he said dismissively. He shook his head with an eye roll. “For a second that night ... for a second, I actually thought they wanted me around.
Me
, not my powers. I thought helping them might be my way to finally connect with the pack. But then Rolf made it clear that he’d have me killed if I didn’t help. He said that because I have the crave on the full moon, I’m too dangerous to have around. But if I proved useful, they’d be willing to take the ‘appropriate cautionary measures.’” He sneered.
Me
, not my powers. I thought helping them might be my way to finally connect with the pack. But then Rolf made it clear that he’d have me killed if I didn’t help. He said that because I have the crave on the full moon, I’m too dangerous to have around. But if I proved useful, they’d be willing to take the ‘appropriate cautionary measures.’” He sneered.
“You see, Faith, they’re all like Lucas. They can’t stand to be around me, want nothing to do with me because I’m not a pureblood werewolf. I’m just a dirty mutt to them. And I know you think I haven’t but I’ve
tried
to connect with them, feel something when I’m around them, but it just doesn’t click. The only time I feel anything like them is when I change. Then ... like when I run with Katie.” He swept his hand through his hair and sighed. “Man, it’s like we’re the same person. Like we have the same heartbeat. I’ve never felt closer to anyone in my life.” His smile was far away as though he saw some unseen vision I could never understand. But in a breath, it disappeared. “Then I turn into me again, and it’s gone. I can’t connect to anyone.... I’m like one of them. A vampire.”
tried
to connect with them, feel something when I’m around them, but it just doesn’t click. The only time I feel anything like them is when I change. Then ... like when I run with Katie.” He swept his hand through his hair and sighed. “Man, it’s like we’re the same person. Like we have the same heartbeat. I’ve never felt closer to anyone in my life.” His smile was far away as though he saw some unseen vision I could never understand. But in a breath, it disappeared. “Then I turn into me again, and it’s gone. I can’t connect to anyone.... I’m like one of them. A vampire.”
Derek sniffed bitterly and flopped down on the bench outside his building. I stood between his feet with my hands in my pockets. He was so desperate to connect to someone that he was latching onto the only people who were nice to him, regardless of the fact that they were murderers. I had to make him see that they only wanted to use him as a weapon in their uprising and that siding with them would pretty much mean the end of civilization. I’d tried repeating my mystery attacker’s warning, but he didn’t seem to believe that guy. Frankly, I wasn’t sure if I did either, but I didn’t want Derek around the vampires anyway, so I’d use whatever ammo I had.
“Have you heard them mention anything about their plans?” I asked. Since the massive raid had been a total bust, the pack was more desperate than ever for info. If they didn’t get it, I worried they’d come after Derek. He didn’t like when I pried into what he called “his business” but I didn’t have a choice anymore. It was either annoy him or risk the pack’s fury.
Derek dragged his hands down his face and regarded me flatly.
“I haven’t heard anything. But that’s because there
is
no uprising, Faith. You’re being paranoid, I’m telling you. The vampires aren’t interested in the werewolves aside from staying away from them.”
is
no uprising, Faith. You’re being paranoid, I’m telling you. The vampires aren’t interested in the werewolves aside from staying away from them.”
I kicked his shoe absently. “What if there
is
an uprising, but they’re just not telling you about it because they want to use you?”
is
an uprising, but they’re just not telling you about it because they want to use you?”
Derek made an aggravated sound that sounded suspiciously like a snarl and stood.
“Using me for what?” he asked. “Half the time I don’t think they even want me around. They think I’m a freak. They tell me every night what a wuss I am because I don’t kill people to satisfy my crave; they laugh at me when I get upset and tremor. They don’t want to use me; they probably want to get rid of me.”
Derek started walking toward his building.
“Derek!” I shouted after him.
He blurred through the door, leaving me looking around to make sure nobody saw him moving at the speed of light.
I thumped down on the bench, reeling. He was like a bratty child, fit to explode at the first sign of upset. I supposed it was the split magic affecting him again, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. And worst of all, he seemed hell-bent on staying with the vampires.
I kicked a pinecone across the yard, cursing to myself.
Why was he being so stubborn? So—I puffed a laugh. So like a werewolf.
It was clear he was not going to listen to me or my mystery attacker’s warnings, so that meant I had to somehow prove that the vampires were, indeed, using Derek for their upcoming revolution.
But how can I prove it to him?
But how can I prove it to him?
The answer came to me in a rush of terror and, oddly, excitement: I had to make them admit it. Which meant I had to get closer to the vampires and work it out of one of them. I could use my gift the way I had with Lucas when we interrogated that vampire in the barn so I’d know what information was true and what was false. Plus, now that I was getting better at picking out actual thoughts from peoples’ heads, sneaking out information would be even simpler. I could even get info out of them for the pack.
If Derek wasn’t going to spy for the werewolves, I would. Only when the time came to hand the pack information, I’d make sure Derek still got the credit. They needed to know that Derek was upholding his side of the bargain. If everything worked out and the pack was able to eradicate the vampire brood, they might be more willing to accept Derek.
But I couldn’t just go up to the vampires all willy-nilly and start spouting questions. I had to have a game plan. I had to be slick—not my strong suit.
And I had to break the news to Lucas.
So, with the moon waxing over my head, he and I sat on the very bench where I’d first seen him those many months ago. The massive evergreen loomed over us, blocking the snow from reaching our heads. We sat in silence after having returned from a date in Old Town. We went to see
Cursed
, this ridiculously scary horror flick, which made me feel even antsier than I already was. Lucas began humming something that sounded vaguely like an Incubus song. I listened, jiggling my leg frantically as I tried to get up the guts to start this harebrained conversation, even though it would probably lead to a fight and maybe the loss of one of my arms.
Cursed
, this ridiculously scary horror flick, which made me feel even antsier than I already was. Lucas began humming something that sounded vaguely like an Incubus song. I listened, jiggling my leg frantically as I tried to get up the guts to start this harebrained conversation, even though it would probably lead to a fight and maybe the loss of one of my arms.
“You’re shaking like crazy,” Lucas said, putting his hand on my knee. “Nervous much?”
“Sort of. The movie got me all spooked.” I tried to smile up at him, but my face felt stiff. I might have looked psychotic.
“You’re such a wimp.”
Again, I tried to act normal and laugh, but it really sounded frightening, so I stopped. Apparently nonchalance was not my strong suit, either.
I sucked in a deep breath, trying to make my voice even. “Lucas?”
“Yeah, baby?” He hugged me close and kissed the side of my head. Would I ever
not
get chills when he touched me?
not
get chills when he touched me?
I’d already decided it’d be better to ask Lucas if he minded me going with Derek rather than telling him. Giving him the illusion of a choice might make all the difference. Although I still resented the notion that I had to ask permission to hang out with my friend.
“I have a question,” I said, wincing.
“Well, don’t sound so low about it. Like you can’t ask me a question?”
“I just—I don’t want you to get mad when I ask it. It’s something you won’t like.”
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