26. Chapter 26

Chapter twenty-six

Sammy

T he sound of the ringtone is making me grind my teeth. Why won't Lello pick up? I've called him so many times, it has to have placed me in the officially unhinged category. Rationally, I know he must have his phone on silent. Or he has lost it again. But I have to keep trying. It's like a compulsion at this point.

Blue is upset and all alone at the bottom of the pool, and I can't stand it. That evil motherfucking demon, Gray, is refusing to go down there. Sprouting some bollocks about privacy. I nearly decked the little shit. So it's a good thing Mal took him away.

But it means Lello is my only hope. And he is not answering his phone.

Goddammit.

Maybe I can hold my breath and get down there? Gah! No, that's the worst idea ever. If something goes wrong and Blue has to save me, we'll be back to square one and while part of me is deeply and insidiously attracted to that idea. I could never do that to Blue. He has made his decision perfectly clear. He doesn't want me to be his mate.

"Hello?" Lello's voice is all crackly and distorted.

"Why the fuck haven't you been answering your phone?" I yell.

"I was swimming at the lake. What's wrong?"

I inhale sharply. "Have you seen the group chat?"

The line goes quiet for a moment. I think Lello is checking his screen .

"No," he says a few moments later. "Don't have any Wi-Fi out here."

The background noise is deafening. It sounds like he is in a car. He probably only just came within cellphone range.

"Long story short," I say. "Blue is upset and at the bottom of the pool and Gray is being a dickhead and I…" I can't finish the sentence. I can't. I can't say I'm no longer Blue's mate out loud.

"Okay, we are on our way back. Won't be long."

The line goes dead. I let out a little growl and throw my phone onto my bed. Then I flop down after it.

My door opens and Ned walks in. He is holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand and two glasses in the other.

I sit up. "I should…"

What? What should I do? Go lurk helplessly by the pool again? That's stupid as well as pointless.

"You've done everything you can, leave it to Lello," says Ned.

A heavy sigh escapes me, and I rub my hands over my face. The sound of whiskey being poured into a glass echoes around the room. I look up at the vampire and he hands me a glass.

"Thanks," I mutter as I take it and down it in one.

Shit. That was good stuff. I should have savored it more. It probably cost a bomb.

"You're a good friend," says Ned, as he makes himself at home and sits on the end of my bed with me.

I snort. "Are you buttering me up so I'll let you eat me?" Because there really is no other explanation. I'm a terrible friend.

Ned goes very still. "Maybe," he says softly. "I wasn't going to bring it up right now. But I'm not about to deny it to your face."

Oh shit! I was not expecting that reply.

"No pressure. I'll just lay my cards on the table," Ned continues casually. "It would really make my life easier. Hunting is a pain in the ass."

I stare at him. I think I need more whiskey for this conversation. Wordlessly, I hold out my glass. Ned refills it .

"Don't the others help you?" I ask.

"Paranormal blood doesn't go down too well. I need human blood."

Oh, that's interesting. I wonder why that is? Everyone seems so…I guess human is the wrong word. Not so different? Is that the best way to describe it? To me, the boys are simply people with unusual powers. It's strange to think they are actually different on a molecular level.

"Pink, Brodie, Carter and…are human," I say.

I was about to add Mal to that list, but then I remembered that the man who saved me from a violent pimp, and who is the closest thing to a father I've ever had, is actually a half-demon.

Fuck. My life really is all kinds of weird.

Ned takes a deep swig of his whiskey. "Vampire saliva has a sedative in it. One that also acts like an aphrodisiac."

I stare at him.

"Vampire bites make you super horny," he explains.

My mouth opens, but no words come out. I can see how that would cause all sorts of problems.

Ned gives me a strange look. "I figured since you were a sex worker, you might be okay with that." He winces and then continues. "I don't mean to sound like a dick. I was a molly-boy myself back in the day. A sex worker. What I meant was, I know that gig gets you good at separating emotions from fucking."

"You wanna eat me and then fuck me?" I squeak.

"I need to feed. And then I'd take care of you afterwards because leaving you in that state would be cruel," he clarifies.

I'm still staring. I can't help it. I'm not capable of any other reaction.

"I'll pay you, of course," he adds hastily.

Silence falls around us. Thick and heavy. It is as if I can almost taste it on my tongue. Where on earth do I even start with unpacking Ned's offer? It's a lot. How do I feel about it ?

I gulp down my remaining whiskey. The burn down my throat feels good. And you know what? Fuck it. Why not help Ned? It can be as simple as that. There is no need to pick holes in it.

"Fine," I say.

Ned's eyes widen. Then he grins at me. He refills my glass and we clink them together before downing them.

"Shall I come back tonight?" he asks.

I nod. And then laugh. Jesus fucking Christ. This isn't even the stupidest thing I've ever done. And doesn't that just say everything there is to say about me and my car-crash of a life.

O kay. Now it's actually night time. I'm nervous. Ned will be turning up any minute. And despite that, most of my thoughts are still with Blue at the bottom of his pool. Lello has been down there with him for hours now and the kelpie promised to update me as soon as possible. There literally is nothing else I can do.

So I should be turning all my attention to the fact I'm about to be sucked on by a vampire. Probably in various ways.

A gentle knock on the door has me jumping out of my skin. Shit! I need to get my act together. Ned can't know I'm nervous, that would be insulting and cruel. But hey, he can probably smell it or some shit like that. So whatever. Trying to hide my nerves is probably a lost cause.

"Come in," I say, and my voice only shakes a little.

Ned steps in and quietly shuts the door behind him. There is a strange look in his eyes and it makes me shiver.

He takes a step towards me. I thrust my hand out in a jerky gesture. I don't want to talk anymore about it. I want to get it over with .

Ned takes my hand. He turns it over. His thumb rubs lightly over the inside of my wrist. I shudder. He lifts my wrist towards his mouth.

Suddenly, my door is flying open, and Blue is yanking Ned away from me. The vampire turns around and growls at Blue.

What the actual fuck? I'm standing between them before I've even thought about it. I open my mouth to yell something, but then my gaze meets Blue's, and the devastation and hurt I see in his eyes, freezes every last bit of my anger.

"Ned, would you please give us a minute?" I say softly.

"Sure," drawls Ned from behind me.

As he leaves, I see a glimpse of his face and I swear I catch a smirk. The fucking prick. If he orchestrated all of this to make Blue jealous and force us to talk, I'll flipping kill him. I don't care if he is already dead. I'll find a way.

"Why?" Blue says.

And fuck does that feel like a knife to the heart.

"Why not?" I shrug coldly.

Blue winces. Round one is over. The score is one all. We have both struck painful blows. Might as well get this match over with.

"You didn't want me," I say. "No one ever does." Oops, that last bit slipped out.

Blue's eyes grow large and glassy. "I wanted you!" he protests.

"Then why did you want to break the mate bond?" I snap.

"Because I'm no good for you!" Blue all but snarls.

What the actual fuck? What absolute horseshit nonsense is this? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in all my life. But all that comes out of my mouth is a strangled,

"Why?"

Blue runs a hand through his hair and tugs on it. "I can't do sex."

"Blue! Are you really such a fucking idiot? Do you really think I care about that? And what we did counts as sex in my book!"

My frustration is coursing through my veins. It's swelling my heart and filling my lungs. Blue simply blinks at me as if I'm speaking gibberish. Gah! This man is the most annoying man on the planet, I swear!

"Sex doesn't just have to be penetration. And even if it does, lord knows I've had enough of that for five lifetimes. I don't mind never doing it again. So how about instead of deciding I can't go without, why don't you try fucking asking me!"

My angry words bounce off the walls. Blue flinches as each one hits him. Guilt flickers beneath the fury in his glowing eyes.

"You were going to let Ned feed from you. Clearly you do need sex, and you can't have been that devastated over us if you are jumping into his bed so quickly!"

My mind takes a moment to process what he says. And then all I feel is white hot rage. Blue ripped my heart and soul out. He tore them up and stomped on them. He left me so lonely and feeling so unwanted that I was willing to give a vampire my blood just so I could pretend that someone wanted me.

And here Blue stands, accusing me of not giving a shit. Of moving on too easily. As if he wants me to suffer from his rejection.

"Get the fuck out of my room and never come back!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

The force of it frightens me. Blue pales. I blink and he is gone. Vanished, as if he was never here.

Fucking paranormals.

I throw myself onto my bed and cry. Again.

And at some point I'll run out of tears. Hopefully. Otherwise, I will be crying for the rest of my life.