Chapter 13 Greyson

V ivian invites Autumn inside, and we make our way to the living room, Lucy jumping up onto my lap and pushing against my hand for pets.

"It's impossible. Are you sure?" Vivian asks, her voice strained and chock-full of worry.

Raising my hand in the air, wondering why no one has yet to tell me anything, I ask, "Should I be concerned with whatever the hell is going on?"

"No." Autumn waves the question away with her hand. "Probably not." She pauses once more, cocking her head to the side. "To be determined."

"Autumn," Vivian scolds her. "Do you really think that's what this is? I mean, the tale of lamia et fatis sanguis is just that, a story. Plucked from the pages of The Book of Destiny . Humans even know of the tale, creating movies and art to represent the two fated souls."

"Not exactly…" Autumn clicks her tongue. "I have a theory I want to test out. To see how deep the connection between you two goes."

"Like a quiz or…?" I ask, wishing for something simple, and Autumn shakes her head. Of course not. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this?" I exhale, dragging my hand down my face.

"Because you probably won't," Autumn murmurs before glancing back at Vivian, a faint, humorous smirk dancing on her lips.

I don't know that I've ever seen Vivian so nervous before. It unnerves me that she's genuinely hesitant.

"How do we test it?" I ask flatly.

"From The Book of Destiny , it says that the two souls will recognize each other's…pain." Her apologetic stare darts my way, and I grimace

Scoffing, I toss my hands up, jokingly enthusiastic. "Great. Let's do it."

Vivian giggles nervously, and I glare at her for laughing at my soon-to-be pain.

"Are you open to trying it?" she asks me, resting her hand gently on my leg.

I'd do anything for her.

Nodding, I wonder if I'm going to regret this. "Yes. What do you need me to do?"

Autumn clasps her hands together, seeming far too excited about this. "Vivian, go somewhere else in the house. The furthest corner from here. And don't use that super hearing of yours."

Autumn disappears into the kitchen while Vivian holds my stare, waiting for my confirmation, and I nod, assuring her that I'm okay with whatever is about to happen. Her shy gaze falls to the floor, and a sweet, delicate smile lifts her lips right before she vanishes.

My heart rate spikes when Autumn walks back from the kitchen, wielding a sharp knife. "Don't freak out."

"What do you mean don't freak out ?" I scoff at the audacity of her question. "You are not stabbing me with that," I protest, taking a step back.

She looks at me like I'm stupid. "Obviously I'm not going to stab you. I'm just going to cut your hand."

Strutting over to me, she seems eerily calm, like this is just a regular part of her day job. But I guess I don't know what a witch's typical day looks like. Maybe a big part of her job is going around cutting people.

"Which hand?" she asks, holding her right hand out between us.

The blade gleams in the light, and I stick out my right one, my nondominant hand. "What's going to happen? Should I be nervous?"

She holds my stare as her eyes brighten, lighting up like a kid's on Christmas. "I know you're new to a lot of this, but if this works and proves that you guys are really lamia et fatis sanguis , it would be the most incredible thing to happen in vampire history. And I would be honored to simply bear witness to it."

Goose bumps erupt down my arms from her tone. "What are you testing with the knife?"

"If she can feel your physical pain or detect it in some way. A deep connection that doesn't exist between vampires and humans as we know it. It would mean that the legend has finally come true. And if she doesn't feel it, then we know that we're back to square one at trying to decipher why I feel her energy intertwined with yours."

Her gaze darts out to my hand, and she lifts my palm up to the ceiling.

Taking a quick breath, I blow it out, steadying and bracing myself. Pain isn't exactly new to me. I have scars scattered across my body from my youth to prove that.

"Do it," I tell her, sharply inhaling and holding my breath.

Carefully, she presses the knife against my palm.

" Shit ." I wince as she drags the sharp blade across my skin, and bright red liquid pools in my palm.

Vivian appears by my side before Autumn even lifts the blade from my wound. "Stop."

Wind blows against us as she slams to a stop, air whipping through the room from her speed.

She takes my hands in hers, concern etched into her features. "Are you okay?"

Autumn turns to Vivian. "Your deep worry is sweet and all, but we need to know. Did you feel it?"

Vivian clutches her hand to her chest, shaking her head ever so slightly. "Not exactly."

"What does that mean?" Autumn's brows furrow.

Gripping my wrist in one hand, Vivian unfurls her fist, holding it open next to mine.

She isn't bleeding, but stretching from one side of her palm to the other is a deep red mark. "I didn't feel the pain like you predicted. It was more like a tingling ache, and then this line appeared in its place."

Autumn jumps up and down, pure joy lighting her face up as she claps. "I might cry. This is the most amazing thing ever."

"I'm glad you're so excited about my pain." I laugh. "I know you're thrilled about whatever is happening right now but what does it mean for us?" I ask genuinely because I have no idea what this means for my future or our future.

She looks between us with a smile that's taking over her entire face. "It means I was right about you two. And it's not a bad thing, unless you view great power and being granted the gift of finding your soulmate negatively."

My body warms at her mention of soulmates, and I want to ask a thousand questions, but I can't even get a word out. I don't know where to begin.

"You said you were reading about it?" Vivian asks Autumn, and I can see the wheels turning behind her eyes. "What else did you find out?"

We hang on to every word she says, "For starters, every time you feed on him, you grow stronger. In ways that no other vampire can. If you're not already, your power will begin to mutate, you'll grow stronger and faster. I imagine it will impact your abilities as well. We just won't know exactly how they're affected until it happens."

"You said we're soulmates?" The question is barely audible as it finally pushes past my lips, my heart stuck in my throat.

Vivian's gaze flicks my way, her stare soft, delicate, and vulnerable. "Do you know what the term lamia et fatis sanguis means?"

I shake my head.

"It's Latin, translating to vampires and the blood of fate. " Her cheeks flush, and it makes me want to grab her face and kiss her senseless.

My nerves are standing on edge as she holds my gaze with her burning stare.

She releases my hand, and I throw my arm over her shoulders, pulling her into my side, right where she belongs.

Autumn's phone chimes, cutting through the tension in the room as she checks the message. "Crap, I have to get going. I have to go to the shop, but keep me updated if anything weird happens. I'll call you after I'm done."

"Sounds good," Vivian says before Autumn rushes out of the door, not even bothering to close it. But a second later, as if a large gust of wind blows through the foyer, the door slams shut seemingly of its own accord.

Silence stretches between Vivian and me as we wait for the other to speak first.

Reaching out with both hands, I tuck her hair back behind her ears, positioning myself toe to toe with her. "What does this mean? For…us?"

She wets her lips, a twinkle gleaming in her stare. "What do you want it to mean?"

Huffing, I bite down on my bottom lip. That was the last thing I was expecting. For her to offer me the control. She likes being in charge, and I don't mind it one bit. But I like knowing she wants my opinion, that she cares for my desires as much as her own.

She's the most selfless and kind person I've ever met. She locked herself away from the world for so long I can't believe that we found each other.

Does she want my reassurance?

Was my confession in the car the other night not enough to show her how badly I want to be with her?

"We're destined for one another, right? Already intertwined together in unimaginable ways?" I murmur, tilting her chin up and forcing her light golden stare to meet mine. I want to be lost in those beautiful eyes when I remind her exactly what I want.

She nods, her gaze searches my face, and she holds her breath as we teeter on the edge of dreamed potential and spoken confessions.

I stroke my thumbs over her cheeks, my fingers sliding into her loosely curled hair.

I want her to answer one question for me before I bare my soul to her, to lead her to the edge of the cliff with me before I dive headfirst, past the point of no return. "Do you want me to leave tomorrow? When we wake and our agreement officially ends, do you want me to go?"

She freezes beneath my touch, taken aback by my question, looking more fragile than I've ever seen her. Like the armor around her is finally cracking apart, and my vulnerable girl steps through.

The second I feel her head shake from left to right in my hands, everything inside of me snaps, like her slightest confession rips the iron bars off my heart, once and for all.

My gaze falls to her lips as fireworks erupt in my chest. I wish I could feel her emotions the way she can feel mine. Does she crave my touch as much as I crave hers? Is she falling for me as hard as I am for her?

Her breathing shallows out, and I don't have to have her gift to know how nervous she is right now. I can see the quickness of her breaths and the quiver of her bottom lip.

" Good . Because I don't ever want to leave." Tilting her head back, I crush my lips to hers, savoring her taste, and the moment my tongue swipes against her velvet lips, she snaps, kissing me back feverishly, like my kiss is what she needs to feed on to survive.

My hands fall to her waist, pulling her into me as I give my heart over with every single kiss and touch.

She pulls away, her reddened stare locking onto mine, but they aren't hazel; they're red.

It's not hunger that changes her eyes this time…it's passion. "I don't want to pressure you into staying."

I inch forward, her warm breath caressing my parted lips. "Baby, listen to me. You would have to drag me away from you to get me to leave." I pause, my forehead falling against hers as I recall everything I said to her in my car. "The night you picked me up from Hale Bar, do you remember what I said?"

She grins, her cheeks flushing that perfect shade of deep red. "I couldn't forget if I tried. But I didn't expect…" She trails off, and I recite her words from that night.

"For what? For me to remember?" I grab her chin and jaw with one hand, my lips brushing against hers, my voice rough with intensity. "I remember it all . I meant every word I said to you that night. Every single one. I'm yours, Vivian. For as long as you'll have me."

She purses her lips together. "And if I want you for forever?"

Claiming her lips with mine once more, I murmur, "If there's a way for me to live forever, then I'll be yours even then."

Her eyes sparkle, squinting at me like she knows something I don't. But my guess is there's a lot that she knows that I have yet to discover about this world.

She smirks, that arrogant gleam in her eyes that I love shining brightly. "Don't speak too soon, Grey. There are definitely ways to make you immortal."

"By making me like you?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

Of course it's crossed my mind, but I don't even know how it all works.

She nods, "Yes, or you can remain as you are, and still be granted immortality. Then I could drink from you indefinitely and we wouldn't have to find humans of our own to feed on. There are a bunch of ways to keep you around forever."

"Tell me about them." Sliding my hands around her side, I cup her ass and lift her to my waist as she yelps. "But first, we have some business to attend to."

She giggles as I carry her to the staircase, heading straight for our bedroom.

"You need to feed," I tell her, slapping her ass as we reach the top of the stairs, palming it in my hand, the sting of the cut pulsing straight to my dick.

As we walk into the bedroom, I can feel the desperation in her stare and the delicate yet intentional touch of her fingers that are trailing down the back of my neck.

She purrs. "Such a thoughtful soulmate."

I was never one to believe in fate growing up. If some powerful entity or source were guiding my life, then why was my fate to suffer at the hands of others my entire childhood?

I didn't want to believe it—until now. Until this very moment. Soulmates. Fated love. Meant to be. I never considered that I would experience it. That it existed at all. If I had been asked a month ago if I thought I would one day find my soulmate , I would have laughed.

But that was before Vivian. It's like everything in my life is measured by her presence. Before and after her. Everything in my life before I met her was cold, calculated, and colorless.

Since then, she's taken over every thought in my head and beat of my heart. She changed everything in ways I never could have imagined, and I never want to go back to the way things were before. I meant what I said…I'm hers. Whether she wants me or not, my heart forever hers.

I don't know if it's because of the fated vampire and blood connection that we latched onto each other so quickly and deeply or what, but I'm not going to question it.

I'm done analyzing every move I make before I take a step forward. To hell with the thought that we're moving too fast—that's the human doubt voicing its unwanted opinion.

All I know is that I love who I am when I'm with her. She makes me feel like I matter, like she sees me in a way no one ever has or will.

When my legs hit the bed, I bend over and lower her down, sucking in a sharp breath. I'm never going to get over how beautiful she is, like every inch of her being was created to be worshiped by me.

Her tongue slides into my mouth before I realize she even moved, and it takes me all but a second to react, kissing her back feverishly.

We become a blur of intense desire and uncontrollable passion. She tears her shirt down the middle, ripping it apart and tossing it to the floor. The rest of her clothes seem to disintegrate from her body seconds later as she moves faster than my eyes can keep up with.

Her hands thread into my hair, my baseball cap falling to join the graveyard of clothes on the ground, quickly followed by my sweats and my shirt. She spins us around, gently pushing at my chest, and I fall back onto the bed, moving myself further back as she drops onto her knees on the mattress.

She crawls to me, swaying her hips back and forth as she moves up my body, my cock pulsing intensely, begging to be set free from the confines of my boxers.

I'm so goddamn hard as her nipples skim my chest and her mouth claims mine. As she pulls away, she smiles, her fangs biting down on her bottom lip, her eyes glowing red.

The sight of her naked on top of me right now, all vamped out, is driving me fucking insane…and she knows it.

Grinding my pelvis up against her bare center, I growl, "Bite me, Vivian. Drink from me while I bury myself deep inside of you, right where I fucking belong."

She lifts her hips in the air, and I shove my boxers down my thighs as my erection springs free, bouncing against her center and making my cock throb with anticipation.

"Fuck," I groan, wrapping my hand around my length and pumping myself base to tip, swiping it through her wetness and coating myself in her arousal.

Gliding my tip through her soaked center once more, I ease my tip inside of her, a grunt escaping my lips as I feel her tight pussy adjust to take me.

Sliding my free hand up her side, I pull her waist forward and down, her breasts flattening against my skin. She claims my lips with hers as she crashes forward, arching her back and taking me half an inch deeper. Wiggling her hips, the sensation is nearly enough to make me lose control and slam into her.

She nips at my lip, drawing blood that slowly drips down my chin, before she pulls away, eyeing it hungrily as she wets her bottom lip. Then, she lashes out, licking from my collarbone up to my jaw, lapping the runaway drops up with her tongue and moaning with satisfaction as she swallows my blood.

"Mmm, you taste so good," she whimpers as her nose brushes against mine.

"Take all you want, baby," I whisper into her mouth and turn my head to the side. "And I'll…" I pause, gripping her hips tightly, my fingers digging into the delicate flesh, and thrust upward, filling her to the brim all at once. She cries out in surprise and pleasure as she stretches around me. "I'll get my fill of your pretty little cunt," I grunt. "If that's even fucking possible."

"Don't hold back," she whispers against my neck before pressing a soft kiss against the invisible marks from her previous feedings, sending a warm, familiar shiver down my body.

Without warning, I do exactly what she asks. Grabbing her hips, I thrust upward at the same time I bring her ass down onto me, my dick plunging deeper inside of her.

"Ahh!" she cries out.

Lifting her, I slam her back down onto me, an incoherent moan leaving her lips right before I feel her fangs penetrate my neck.

"Fuck," I grunt at the sudden burst of pain, but it's never felt better as I roll my hips and plunge into her, my cock stroking her insides with every relentless thrust.

Feeling her suck from my neck is an otherworldly sensation, heightening every ounce of pleasure tenfold. I'm fucking drunk on her bite, and I never want to sober up.

With ease, I lift her up and circle her hips as I glide back inside of her. She moans, the sounds muffled against my skin as her fangs continue to draw blood from me.

The sounds of our bodies colliding together, mixed with her muffled moans, fill the room with the hottest sounds I've ever heard.

She starts tightening around my length. She's getting close, and I want to feel her pussy spasm on top of me more than I want to breathe.

"Take every fucking drop, and don't stop," I encourage her, feeling her center start to pulse around me. "Give it to me, Vivian. Right now, baby. I want to feel you fucking explode."

Her fangs leave me for a brief second as her cries, her uncontrollable moans, sing into my ear. "Greyson, Greyson! Oh my fuck!"

"That's it. What a good girl coming that hard for me." Grabbing the back of her neck, I fist my hand in her hair and push her mouth back down against my neck. "Get your fill, baby."

But instead of biting into me again, she sits up, my cock still buried inside of her. When I twitch it, her eyes light up, and her hips buck ever so slightly.

"What? Are you done already?" I ask, my eyes hooded, my tone playful as I smirk.

She shrugs and glances anywhere but at me, her blush and smile giving her lie away immediately. "Yeah, I've had enough."

I thrust my hips upward, and her eyes roll to the back of her head as I sit us up, pressing my lips against her neck. Securing my arm around her waist, I fist my hand in her hair and tug her head down back toward her ass, earning a delicious whimper.

"You might have had enough to drink, but I have a suspicion you haven't had enough of this ." With my fingers tangled in her locks, I tug her hair again at the same time I rock into her, over and over.

Her mouth falls open, and she whimpers as I move inside of her, buried to the hilt.

Freezing, I release her hair and lean back on the bed, crossing my hands behind my head with a devilish smirk on my lips.

Let's see what she says now.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demands, frustration etched in her every feature.

Bucking my hips into her, I playfully sigh as she gasps. "You said you've had enough. I'm a gentleman—I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want to do."

She huffs and grunts, her red eyes squinted with annoyance as she crosses her arms over her perfect tits, pushing her bottom lip out in the perfect pout. "And you said you wouldn't hold back."

"Tell me you want more," I growl and grab her chin, pulling her toward me until her lips are hovering over mine as I roll my hips into her again. "I want to hear you say it."

"It seems someone is gaining confidence." She whispers her quiet observation that couldn't be more true. I'm not afraid to take what I want anymore, and the only thing I want now is her.

Inching forward, I kiss her before biting down on her bottom lip. "What can I say? I feel fucking invincible with my cock this deep inside of you."

"I don't think you could stop if you tried," she murmurs, challenging me.

I knew she would fight me head-on; she likes the control. As much as I love her having it, I want to see her lose it. To willingly hand it over to me.

"You doubt my willpower," I accuse, continuing to grind my hips into her.

Fuck, I'm doubting it right now too. But I can't let her know that. Even if she can sense it. I've already gotten this far.

Releasing her hair, I wrap my hands around her round ass, slide my legs off the bed, and stand up, her arms circling around my neck and her legs wrapping around my waist.

"Ahh," she softly moans as I lift her up before dropping her back down on my cock.

"You don't want anymore? Really ? " I bite the words out as I hold her in place, roll my hips back, and plunge back into her, stretching her and taking her deeper than before.

"I don't want anymore," she murmurs breathlessly, gasping for air while she lies through her teeth.

Her hooded gaze locks onto mine as I hold her stare and whisper, "Are you sure about that?"

Her eyes drift shut as I ease out of her to the tip, her ass hanging in the air between us.

"You're going to beg me to come this time," I groan, meaning each and every word.

Slamming back into her, I dig my fingers into her hips as I secure her in place, pounding into her over and over, my grunts and pants mixing with the moans leaving her bloodstained lips.

" Greyson ." She whimpers my name, and it's nearly my undoing.

Sweat beads down my temple as I deliberately thrust into her, my balls slapping against her ass as I edge her closer to the brink of ecstasy.

She tightens around my cock, her fingernails digging into my back as I fuck her relentlessly, and I can't wait to see the marks she leaves on my skin. A piece of art.

Right as I feel her about to come, I slow down, almost coming to a complete stop. "Beg me for it, baby."

She huffs and sighs, fighting the urge to give me what I want and telling me to shut up and fuck her.

Easing out of her, I roll my hips, sinking an inch further before stopping again.

"For fuck's sake! Greyson!" She slaps my back in frustration, and I hate to admit how much I like the sting of pain.

"Did that sound like begging to you?" I ask her mockingly, my tone raspy and low as I slide a few inches deeper inside her.

Her head rolls back, and she wiggles her hips, desperate for any friction, but I hold her still. Being completely airborne isn't helping her right now. But it's sure as fuck helping me.

She cries out, "Please, please, please. Fuck! Please make me come. I'm so close I'm going to lose my min?—"

In one swift move, I thrust into her, cutting her pleas off. I need this as badly as she does. I've been fighting my own orgasm this whole fucking time, and I'm done.

Her gasping moans bring me to the edge as I relish every pump into her, feeling her tighten around me once more. "That's it."

She rolls her neck up and meets my stare, her eyes still red as sin. She's close, and I'm right behind her.

Her gaze holds a silent question, flicking to my neck, and it takes me less than a second to answer. "Do it. Drink my fucking blood while I come in you."

Her fangs are sinking into my neck before I even finish my sentence. And we lose all control together.

She moans against me as I feel her greedily take from my veins. Her orgasm tears through her, clenching my cock as it pulses in intense waves.

Her release is my undoing.

"Oh, fuck," I whimper, crying out as I spill inside of her, coming harder than I ever have before. If I ever doubted it, I sure as hell don't now; I'm never going to get enough of her.

Walking onto campus this afternoon feels foreign, like I've never been here before. But in a way, that's kind of true, at least in terms of perspective. I'm not the same person I was when I last stepped foot here; it feels like that was a lifetime ago.

I have to turn in my laptop that I rented from the school—the last thing on my to-do list before I'm officially done with college.

The plus side of Saint Eldritch University offering classes online is that I can work ahead. I've technically been done with all of my schoolwork since before the Culling. I just had to wait for the due dates to submit everything, which I already did.

I don't know if pride is the right word to describe the feeling in my chest. I've completed such a big chapter of my life. But now I doubt that I'll use that degree anytime soon. I have no reason to. With the money Vivian gave me, I could go without a job for years. Although a twinge of guilt sinks into my chest for accepting the money, knowing that we are far more than vampire and bloodling now.

I might be good at math, and I respect the black-and-white way it works, but it seems so insignificant in my life right now. Look at how much of my life has changed in the last few weeks. Pursuing a career in finance sounds like the last thing I want to do.

Who knows what two months will look like from now? I certainly don't. Besides, I'm done wasting time on things that don't matter to me. I'm focusing on what I love from here on out.

Opening the door of the student affairs building, I walk straight ahead and take a right to the tech office.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the lady at the front desk greets me, and I take a sharp breath at the pain that aches in my chest.

She reminds me so much of Cheryl. God, I wish she could be here to see me graduate, to see her love and hard work pay off.

I couldn't be anywhere close to where I am without her. She was the closest thing to family I ever had, and I miss her so fucking much. Part of me kept this grief at bay, pushing through and focusing on following the dreams we built together that I didn't even allow myself the time to heal.

My eyes sting as I embrace the warm memory of the greatest woman I've ever known.

Stepping forward with a full heart, I slide the laptop across the desk. "Here to turn this back in."

She accepts it and smiles, scanning the barcode on the side and typing into her computer. "Were there any issues with it?"

"Not at all."

She stows it on the storage shelf with a hundred other devices. "Perfect. Thank you so much. You'll receive an email confirmation of the return in minutes. Have a good day."

"Thanks, you too," I respond before spinning on my heels and walking out of the room, running straight into some guy and knocking him sideways.

Holding him upright, I apologize, "Sorry, man. Are you okay?"

He nods eerily slow, staring straight ahead. His cheek twitches as he takes a step forward, but I stop him, not fully understanding why I'm doing it. But there's something so familiar about it.

He freezes, still staring soullessly ahead as I brush the overgrown brown hair from his face, sucking in a sharp breath.

Holy shit.

"Ethan?" I whisper, and his head lifts to mine, his dead stare locking with my eyes. "Oh my god. What happened?"

No wonder I didn't recognize him right away. His tan skin has paled drastically, and his eyes are sunken into his face, dark purple and blue circles outlining them.

"Have we met?" His voice is as cold and lifeless as his movements.

"Do you not remember me?" I murmur, my stomach twisting in confusion and fear.

His eyes well with tears, but no other part of him shows emotion, his stare still stone-cold. "No, I don't know who you are."

He turns, trying to step forward, but I stop him, securing my hand around his wrist. I'm getting to the bottom of this.

His condition can't possibly be something humanly possible, and it can't be a coincidence that until this morning, he was still under the contract of the Culling.

Digging my phone out of my pocket, I call Vivian.

"Hello?" she answers on the first ring.

"Hey, how fast can you get here?" I ask her, panic laced in my voice. "Something's wrong."

I know I don't know Ethan well, but he was kind to me and seemed like a genuine guy. He definitely doesn't deserve whatever the hell happened to him. No one does.

She ends the call, the phone beeping in my ear. Stowing it back in my pocket, I know she'll be here soon, so I guide Ethan to a bench in the hallway, helping him sit down. He lets me move him any which way, like a puppet to my command. A disgusted, rage-filled chill races down my back.

The air electrifies, and the hair on the back of my neck tingles right before Vivian appears before us, crouching in front of Ethan. "What's going on? Do you know him?"

Looking at Ethan, I murmur, "I met Ethan at the Culling. He was joking and having a good time. Said he's done it for years. I barely recognized him when I bumped into him just now. It's like he's a shell of himself. Have you seen this before?"

Glancing at her, I suck in a breath. Her eyes are glazed over, like a memory is playing behind her eyes. But her face contorts from worry to anger a second later.

"You know, don't you?" I whisper. "Is he going to be okay?"

She nods, her jaw clenched tightly.

"What is it?" I study Ethan's empty gaze, wondering where his spark has gone.

She tugs at the side of his hoodie, and my stomach churns at the image on the side of his neck. Two blackened, open wounds sink deep into his neck. Bite marks.

From the edge of the holes, jagged, bruising spider veins bulge beneath his skin, the red, black, and yellow lines disappearing beneath his hair and clothes. It almost looks like it's spreading further and further.

"What the hell is that?" I scoff.

" That is what our venom does when a human isn't willing to accept the bite and the vampire does it anyway. Whoever did this nearly drained him. I don't know how he's still walking." Rage is rolling off her in dangerous waves. "We need to find whoever did this and as fast as possible. The venom will continue to spread." Her words fall off, and I know she's holding something back from me.

"What happens if we don't find the one who did this?" I ask, demanding to know.

She meets my stare, her hazel eyes flickering with red as she struggles to control her rage. "We need the blood from whoever bite him. We have to mix it with the antidote. The venom will continue to invade his body until there's more of it than there is of him, and eventually…it will kill him."