Page 140 of Plug and Claim

“She’s been attacked. One of the vampires has bitten her. She was so pale when I found her, and—” Chloe’s voice choked, and the rest of her words were intelligible.

Kira exchanged an alarmed look with Nathaniel as they rushed to follow Chloe to the library where a crowd of students was gathered outside. They were chattering loudly over the top of the librarian, Mrs. Andra, who had transformed into a wolf and was snapping her teeth at anyone who tried to enter the library.

She took one look at Nathaniel, however, and let them pass.

They found Susie in a back corner of the library, lying unconscious on the floor.

“No,” Kira gasped, her insides clenching with dread at the sight of her friend. “Susie!” She rushed forward to kneel beside her, pushing her strawberry blonde hair out of the way. She was pale—too pale, her skin clammy and cool, and tinged with greyness. A streak of blood trailed down her throat and matted her hair. The sight of two puncture wounds, which had torn the skin of her throat in horizontal gashes, made her sick. Whoever had bitten her had not been gentle.

“Susie, can you hear me?” Kira whimpered, too stricken to cry as she turned Susie’s face towards her. “Susie!”

A moment later, Nathaniel was by her side, biting his wrist and pressing it to Susie’s mouth where blood pooled on her lips and chin. He tipped her head back, talking to her, encouraging her to drink.

Kira watched helplessly, hoping and praying with every fibre of her being that she would survive.

“Just the taste should wake her,” Nathaniel said. His voice was reassuring, but he wore a haunted expression. “If it’s not too late.”

Please, let it not be too late, Kira thought, sitting behind Susie and supporting her head in her lap. Please.

A long minute passed where nothing happened. Nathaniel’s blood just trickled out of Susie’s mouth.

And then out of nowhere, Susie’s eyes fluttered open, and she drew a half-breath, choking and spluttering.

“There, there, everything is all right,” Nathaniel said, his soothing tone a comfort to Kira as well. “Drink, and you’ll feel a lot better.”

Susie recoiled, staring at Nathaniel in horror. “N-no. Get away from me!”

“Susie, it’s all right,” Kira said, leaning forward so Susie could see her.

“Kira?” Susie clutched at Kira’s arm, leaning as far away from Nathaniel as she could as she spoke in a high-pitched voice. “Someone attacked me, and…”

“Did you see who?”

Susie breathed heavily, her eyes darting around them at the bookshelves before settling back on Nathaniel. “A vampire,” she finally confirmed. “But I don’t know who. I stayed after the sleepover to clean up. I heard someone come in, but I had my back turned, and I didn’t get a good look at who it was.”

“It wasn’t Nathaniel,” Kira said firmly. “He’s been with me all day.”

And all night.

“It’s going to be all right, Susie,” Chloe chimed in, nodding exaggeratedly as if to reassure herself.

Susie hugged herself and shivered violently. “I’m cold.”

“Let Nathaniel help you,” Kira urged. “It will help, I promise.”

Nathaniel, who had sat back patiently on his heels, held his wrist out in offer.

Susie wrinkled her nose and reluctantly accepted his blood.

“So gross,” Chloe whispered to Kira.

Kira gave a tight smile. She had a feeling Nathaniel had heard what Chloe had said.

Meanwhile, the disgust on Susie’s face had faded, and she lapped at Nathaniel’s wrist eagerly, the colour returning to her face.

“It’s like he’s healing her,” Chloe whispered.

“It is like that,” Kira agreed quietly. Nathaniel? A healer? Who’d have thought?