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“You killed your boyfriend?” one of the terrifying, spindly females to Gabriel’s left asks with reluctant admiration. “That’s kind of badass.”
I have no idea what they are, but there are two of them. Their bodies are thin and tall, as though they’ve been stretched, and their skin is so pale, I can see the blue veins beneath. Their fingers are long and wickedly sharp, and instead of hair, there are tall, pale protrusions. Honestly, they look like winter branches reaching up to the sky. They have sat eerily still for the entire meeting, only now moving to acknowledge me.
That isn’t the reason they terrify me so much though. Their eyes appear to be missing, and in their place are two black voids, yet they seem to notice everything.
“No, we are not encouraging this reaction,” Cyril interjects, waving a finger in reprimand like he’s telling off naughty children. The female who just spoke bares a row of jagged teeth and hisses, not appreciating being treated that way.
Good, I wish she had bitten him.
Bitten.
Bite.
Blood.
I want to groan at the thought. My fangs burst from my gums as I think about glorious, hot blood sliding down my throat. It’s been days since I fed, and it seems that it doesn’t take much for my mind to jump straight to the source of my obsession—blood.
Cyril frowns at my fangs, looking faintly disgusted, but before I can call him out on it, he waves a hand in the air.
“You were obviously taken by surprise by all of this, which is why you are here and not rotting in jail. That’s where murderers usually end up.”
Ouch, that was harsh. Sure, it’s true, but he didn’t have to call me out on it in public. I’m starting to think he doesn’t like me, and while I don’t care if he wants to be buddies with me or not, he could tell my assessors that I’ve not been participating like I should be.
“We need to make sure that you’re given the right advice so you can feed properly. Being on top of your feeding regime is one of the best ways to stay in control,” Cyril explains, and his advice is actually useful. Glancing around the circle, he opens up the discussion. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”
“Don’t have sex with humans, they are too breakable,” Merrin, my chair neighbour, chimes in, sounding as though he’s learned this through experience. We’ve not discussed his crime yet, but I wonder if it has anything to do with his comment.
“I hear that new vampires’ sexual urges are pretty fierce,” Gabriel remarks, sending a shiver down my spine. “I would suggest she find a lover who could handle her needs,” he continues as I meet his gaze.
“Are you volunteering?” The words escape me before I can stop them. My eyes widen in horror, and I can do nothing but watch as he laughs and tilts his head to one side.
“I don’t know, princess.” His voice is deep and mellow, seductive and rich, drawing me in with each syllable. Smiling slowly, he leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, those gorgeous wings fanning out slightly with the movement. “I’m not sure you could keep up with me.”
Clapping his hands together once more to get our attention, Cyril looks as though he’s about to lose his temper. “Okay, that’s enough flirting. Sex can actually be pretty dangerous with a new vampire, as it is easier to lose control with those feelings racing through you.” Giving me what I’m sure he thinks is a stern look, he crosses his arms over his chest. “While I can’t stop you from having relations while you’re here, I suggest you think it through pretty hard before you do anything.”
“It’s okay, Cyril, the more dangerous something is, the more it’s worth in the end,” Gabriel says to our leader, yet he continues to look at me as he speaks, causing my cheeks to flush red.
“We have digressed.” Voice tight, Cyril walks through the circle until he reaches the chair he abandoned. Taking a deep breath, he slowly sits down and glances around the room. After a moment, a tranquil smile floats across his face. “Let’s talk about how to rein in our temper when it begins to spiral.”
The rest of the class passes in a blur, and I do as little as possible to avoid getting into trouble. Really, I’m trying to keep my eyes off Gabriel and stop playing his words over and over in my mind.
I don’t manage to get my teeth to retract for the rest of class.
Chapter Eight
Aimlessly wandering around the corridors, I attempt to find the room that the receptionist told me to go to. She wasn’t exactly very forthcoming with information, and this place is a maze, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m going in the wrong direction. I pause as I come to the end of the corridor and am faced with the decision of going left or right. I swear I’ve already been this way. All the white walls look the same, and my sense of direction has always been horrible.
“Emmy!”
Hearing my name, I glance over my shoulder to see Merrin, the vampire I met in class yesterday, walking towards me.
It’s a new day, and I was promised that I would be able to feed—if I can find my way to the room, that is. It’s early, the sun is only just starting to peek above the horizon, so most of the denizens here are still in their rooms. Seeing Merrin brings a sense of relief. I may not be friends with the male, but he has been helpful to me so far, so I have no reason not to trust him. One of the things I like about him is that he keeps to himself, not falling into any of the groups or cliques around the centre.
“Where are you going? The donors from the centre have arrived,” he calls and waits for me to hurry over to him, smiling quizzically. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I wring my hands nervously as I fall into step beside him. “I don’t really know what I’m doing. The only time I did this, I lost control and killed my boyfriend,” I confess quietly, attempting to take note of the corridors we take.
“It’s pretty simple,” he says with a shrug, keeping his gaze off me and on the route ahead. “It’s staying in control that’s the most difficult part, especially for new vampires.”
