Confusion. I was so confused.
What is that?
I jerked up in bed. My room was dark, the blinds pulled. My mouth tasted like…I smacked my lips, my tongue sticking against the roof of my mouth. My mouth tasted like… copper?
Taking a deep breath, then exhaling, I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
The pounding at the door became a distant background noise as my fractured thoughts pieced themselves together. I went out last night. Where did I go? To the balcony.
My gaze shot to the closed doors where the long curtains were pulled tightly across the glass. I didn’t remember…
Pain. So much pain. There was someone there. Someone in the shadows. They…no, he…
My hand shot to my neck, rubbing the area where—yes, yes. I remembered now. He sank his teeth into my neck. Images of blood trickling, trickling, trickling into my mouth.
Hunger.
So much hunger.
Then darkness.
My door banged open, startling me. Who was that? Where was I?
“Ego! Why the hell haven’t you answered your phone? Where the hell have you been?”
Delaney. It was Delaney, my manager and assistant, my friend. We were on tour. This was my hotel room. Okay…but…
“What?” I stared at her in confusion, throwing my arm over my eyes in pain as she flicked on the overhead light. I hissed, the sound tearing through my teeth.
“Shit,” Delaney mumbled.
I knew she said it low, but that quiet whisper reverberated in my mind like she’d shouted at me.
She flicked the light back off and rushed to my bedside. “Oh, Ego.”
Dropping my arm, I blinked up at her. “Delaney, what’s happening?”
She shook her head. “Lay back down.” She said it almost tenderly.
We had an amazing relationship. Outside of my best friend and cousin, Skyler, she was the person I was closest to in the whole world. But she was a tough-as-nails businesswoman, not usually so gentle and kind when she spoke. Once I rose in fame, she’d let go of her other clients, focused on me, and became my Girl-Friday because she didn’t think anyone else was up to the task. She’d said managing my career was easy compared to managing me.
With a huff, she stroked the hair that had fallen onto my forehead back, tucking it behind my ear. “Come on, Ego. Lay down.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Okay.”
Lying back, I snuggled under the covers as she drew them up over me.
“Are you hungry? Do you need to feed?” she asked.
Well, feed was a curious word choice, but this wasn’t a normal morning, was it? Checking in with my body, I felt…satisfied. That made no sense. I hadn’t eaten since last night. I always woke up starving or, at the very least, craving caffeine, but I felt…fine.
“Delaney, why did you ask if I need to feed? What does that mean? Nothing’s making sense.” Horrified, I sat up again. “What time is it?”
She patted my cheek. “It’s five thirty. The sun went down a few minutes ago, which explains why you didn’t hear me knocking at first.”
Then she pushed me back, and I settled against the pillow.
“But I had an interview tod?—”
