I ripped away from Morrigan, startled by the voice in my head thatshouldhave been my own but… wasn’t.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes flickering between both of mine in concern.
“Yeah…” I shook my head and smiled. “Shall we go for a ride? It’s beautiful out today.”
The dimples on the outer corner of her lips crinkled as her cheeks blushed. “I would love that.” She walked past me, grabbing my hand and leading me toward the doors. “Let me just go and?—”
I lost my footing and stumbled into one of the desks, a sudden headache aching behind my eyes.
“Cass!” she yelled, lowering herself to wrap an arm around me. “What’s wrong? What’s?—”
“Nothing.” I waved her off and began to stand again. “I just moved a little too quickly.” I took a few confident steps before I faltered again, this time bracing both hands against the desk.
“Cassius, what’s going on? Should I go get Harley?—”
Her words paused when I looked up at her, and her eyes went wide in what looked like horror. “What’s wrong?” I asked before a wave of nausea twisted in my stomach.
No. Not nausea…hunger.
“Cass,” Morrigan’s voice shook. “Cass, your eyes… they’re… black.”
Black? Why would they be black?
“Go—” I swallowed, trying to ignore the ache that continued growing in my chest. My gums felt like they were being torn apart. “Go get Har?—”
I let out a scream as I felt a tearing sensation in my mouth. When I lifted my fingers to feel it, my skin scraped against something sharp.
“Oh, gods,” Morrigan cried, clasping her hands over her mouth. “Your teeth…”
Quickly, I swept my fingers against my gums and felt small pricks above each of my teeth. But… it wasn’t possible… the only things with fangs like those were…
“Morrigan,” I warned, and felt a chill from the sound of my own voice beginning to change. It was… deeper… frightening. “Morrigan, you need to leave.”
No, that voice in my head began again,You don’t want her to leave.
“Cass, what’s happening?” Morrigan trembled as she slowly backed toward the doors. “You're scaring me.”
I’m scaring myself,I wanted to say to her, but the other voice continued to pry within my mind.
Taste… Just a taste…
My nose twitched, and my lips peeled back in a sneer as I tried to hold on to my control. But I couldn’t stop staring at the veins in her neck. I could practically feel her pulse on my tongue.
“You need to—” I groaned, feeling myself slip away, unable to withstand it much longer. “Get?—”
The moment she turned to run, instinct snapped into place. I raced after her, making it to the doors before she could escape, and grabbed her arm. With a hard yank, I ripped her away from the doors and slammed her into the wall. I wanted to stop; I tried so hard to stop, but it was like my movements were no longer my own.
“Cass!” she screamed. “Please! You’re hurting me!”
“I’m—” I grunted. “I’m… sorry.”
Before I could stop myself, I lowered my head and tore into her throat. I could feel the skin tear beneath my teeth, and her screams were muffled in my ears, the sound of her pulse drowning them out.
Feed.
Feed.
Feed.
