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It appears that Gabriel doesn’t have those instincts though, or perhaps he has a death wish, because he simply mirrors the movement, stepping closer until the two of them are almost chest to chest.
“I think that our little vampire is perfectly capable of making up her own mind.” Gabriel cocks his head. “Right, Emmy?”
Everything in me does somersaults at him calling me “our little vampire” and conjures images of me pressed between the two of them. Taking a deep breath, I use every ounce of willpower I possess and push those images from my mind so I can deal with this before the two of them get out of hand.
“Look, I have no idea what’s going on between you, but I won’t be dragged into your pissing match.” My frustration makes me bold, and I point my finger first at Zane, then Gabriel, my expression full of warning. “Getting out of here and trying to live a normal life is my top priority, and if either of you get in the way of that, then I will plant man-eating plants around your houses and laugh as you get eaten.”
Both of them look at me with surprised amusement. I mean the threat, yet they seem to find it funny, causing my anger to boil.
When I’m about to lose my temper, Gabriel whistles. “Bloodthirsty. I like it.”
Just like that, I’m blushing again, his words a compliment. Zane sighs and shakes his head, his expression weary as he gestures down the hall.
“You’re going to miss the chance to feed if we wait any longer. The centre won’t wait around for you.” He clearly doesn’t want to be around Gabriel anymore, but I don’t want to risk losing my chance to eat. As if in agreement, my stomach rumbles loudly.
“Enjoy your meal, little one,” Gabriel says with a half smile, turning away and stalking down the hallway. Darkness seems to follow in his wake.
I’m so stunned by his sudden disappearance that for a moment, I just stare at where he had been. When am I ever going to get used to the speed that most paranormals seem to possess? Thankfully, Zane doesn’t rush me, and I am able to focus once more.
Walking side by side, we continue through the maze of corridors. For a while, we stay in companionable silence, our thoughts busy spinning in our minds. All of a sudden, I spot a sign on the wall pointing to a long hallway on our right, marked “Feeding Room.” It’s one of the only signs I have seen, so I’m a little surprised to see it. This corridor is different to the others, as one wall is made up almost entirely of windows—tinted of course—and they show off the beautiful garden in the morning light.
A pang of sadness goes through me. I miss my job, and I miss my flowers. I was so proud of myself when I managed to land my dream job as a florist, and my plants are my babies. Nessie, the owner of the shop—You had me at Aloe—will take good care of them while I’m away, but will the job still be waiting for me when I finally return home? Tina will do her best to look after my plants, but she has the unfortunate talent of killing almost every plant she touches. My orchids are going to be dead for sure.
“Apparently you have a sponsor now,” Zane comments, bringing my attention back to him. “We’ll be meeting with them later to go over our plan for your assessment tomorrow.”
Excitement flips inside me like a thousand butterflies at the thought of seeing Jack later. I also can’t deny that I’m relieved to hear that Zane seems happy to be working with him. Jack already knew that Zane was my mentor, so I knew he accepted that fact, but I worried that my vampire mentor would refuse to work with the police officer.
“I’m glad you’re okay working with Officer Hart. When I met with him, I hadn’t realised that you would be involved in the meetings too. This makes it much easier though,” I prattle on, smiling through my nerves.
“Wait.” All signs of humour and positivity flee his face as his expression becomes harsh. “Jack Hart is your sponsor?”
Uh-oh. My big mouth has done it again.
Wincing, I clear my throat, a cold chill travelling through my body. “Yes, didn’t you—”
“No, I didn’t.” His jaw tenses as he clenches his mouth together. Biting down on my lower lip, I try to think of something to say but come up with nothing. He presses his fingers to his temples in frustration. “I think the universe is playing a joke on me.”
“I’m sorry, I—”
He waves off my apology. “No, don’t worry, I won’t let our dispute get in the way of making sure you have a fair assessment.” Rolling his shoulders back, he flashes me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Come on, you must be hungry.”
I’m bloody starving, pun intended, but I just nod slowly and follow him.
At the end of the corridor is a set of double doors. They are closed, but a delicious, tangy smell reaches me that has my mouth watering and gums aching—blood. My fangs are still extended from before, and a pull in my stomach threatens to drag me forward, but I dig my feet into the lino and breathe through my mouth in an attempt to stop myself from smelling the blood on the other side of that door.
“Emmy.” Zane’s hand lands on the small of my back, trying to guide me forward, yet he quickly stops when he realises that I’m frozen. “Are you okay? What’s happening?”
I look stupid, a vampire frozen in place and unable to go into a room containing blood, yet I can’t shake the fear that’s creeping through me, gripping onto me like a vice.
“What if I can’t stop?” I ask in a hushed whisper, my stare locked on the double doors. “What if I kill someone else?”
From the corner of my eyes, I see understanding flash across his face, and he steps into my line of sight so I’m staring at his chest. “You didn’t know what you were doing then or what you were. Knowledge is power, and you are strong,” he reassures me, putting a finger on my chin and lifting it so our eyes meet. “Besides, I’ll be at your side the whole time and won’t let anything bad happen.”
“You mean it?”
“Of course,” he promises, his expression completely serious.
Taking a deep breath, I nod and ease away my fears, his hand on my back offering comfort as we walk into the room. It’s surprisingly large, considering there are only five cubicles. Large lounge chairs are positioned equally along the back wall, with a small side table and stool next to each. Hanging curtains like they use in hospitals create makeshift walls between the chairs to give a sense of privacy.
