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Just as Cross reached the car with Cordelia's body, someone shot at us, the bullet ricocheting off the car's hood, but not before slicing through my ear.
I knew right away that it was a vampire hunter's bullet because it hurt like hell and my ear was still bleeding as I yelled at Cross, "Quick, get in the car!" Any court vampire that went out in the human world had bulletproof glass for this exact reason. Hunters could attack any time, any where, and apparently now they realized they'd failed at killing Rook and Cordie they were gunning for us. Literally.
"No. Get Rook out of here," he shouted against the chaos which had erupted around us. More shots were fired and I wasn't about to argue with the guy. I'd known Cross long enough to understand that when he gave an order, he meant business. Plus those bullets meant business. After all, he was in charge of protecting the rightful heir to the throne.
I slammed the shifter into drive and sped away, leaving Cross and Cordelia to fend for themselves. Glancing in the rearview mirror I saw Cross holding Cordelia and running full tilt. Hopefully, the four of us could get out of there alive, without the vampire hunters shooting us all through the head.
26
Cordelia
I gasped for air as light flooded my eyes, blinding me at first, but then I had the most acute visual clarity. I could’ve seen the structure of a mosquito if one dared land. All of my senses were heightened, and I suddenly remembered being stabbed in the chest. Grasping at my chest, I rubbed my skin, across my chest, down my belly, searching for the wounds. There were none.
Someone was hovering over me. I focused my gaze and realized that Cross was kneeling next to the cot. Was I still a captive?
Before Cross could explain his presence inside the cell, I stood quicker than I thought was humanly possible. For someone who had just been stabbed, maybe even died, I felt like a million bucks.
Flexing my fingers, I looked down at my hands. They were so pale, yet I had a deep desire to grab something. Anything. Devour it. What was happening?
Confusion filled me as I tried to remember everything that had happened, but it was all a blur. I observed my surroundings and came to the realization that I was no longer in the tiny cell where I had been held by...someone, nor was I in the abandoned house where someone had…killed me.
I remembered their rage pouring through the dagger into my chest and pain and grief, but I couldn't remember what caused it all. The only other thing that filled my mind was getting to Rook. He'd been coming for me, I knew that, so where was he?
My gaze flicked to Cross so quickly that it made me slightly dizzy. “Where’s Rook? What’s going on?” I demanded.
Cross slowly stood and walked toward me, one hand out in front of him like he was placating a wild animal. And maybe he was. Maybe I was watching from somewhere else.
Everything felt...sharper than if I was standing in front of him. “Cordie, I need you to calm down.” He raised his hands as if preventing me from making some type of mistake. “We had to turn you. When we found you in the house, you were dead.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut and I clambered backward, my legs hitting the bed before I scrambled further back and my spine smacked against one of the white walls.
No, this couldn’t be happening.
Yet, somehow, a part of me knew he was telling the truth. The dreams had come to fruition and I was now one of them.
Cross was in front of me once more. “Rook is across the hall. Don’t worry, he’ll be okay, but he needs some time to recover.” He gently pushed a strand of hair from my face and his gaze held mine. “We almost lost you, Cordie.” The anguish in his gaze told me more than his words ever could.
I tried to shove past him, to get to the door. “I need to see him.” Cross grabbed me by the shoulders, stopping me from leaving the bed and another man I’d never met stepped into my line of sight, blocking my view of the door.
“No, Cordelia. You can’t be with him, yet. It’s not safe,” Cross explained.
I looked between the two of them. Something was familiar about them. Obviously I knew and cared for Cross, but this man was a stranger and yet I felt attached to him.
“I’m Ash,” the other man explained as he came over to the bed and held out his hand. When I looked at it like I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, he pulled his arm back. “I’m Rook’s advisor. Trust me, you don’t want to see him until you feed.”
Feed? That word struck a chord deep within me, and a sudden ravenous sensation enveloped me. It was powerful enough I started breathing faster as needed surged through my veins. Ineededblood and I needed it now.
It wasn't just blood I needed though. It was blood and sex. I needed to feed and fuck, and the compulsion was so strong that my whole body ached with it.
“I don’t want to drink some random person’s blood,” I blurted out, my eyes darting back and forth between the two men. Turned out, I was picky.
“That’s okay. You can drink from us,” Ash offered, stepping forward.
Without a moment’s hesitation, not even a conscious thought, my vampire instincts took over. I gripped Ash’s hand and twisted it to the side, exposing the veins on his wrist and allowing my fangs to dig deep into his skin. The immediate rush of energy was euphoric as my vampire self emerged, taking over.
A tiny part of my brain told me that I shouldn't be feeding from a stranger. Especially not as my first time as a vampire, but I couldn't stop myself. The craving was too overwhelming.
After a few moments, Cross tugged at my shoulder to turn me away from Ash. “Not too much, Cordelia. Here, feed from me.” He handed me his wrist, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I shoved Cross against the bed and ran my fingers through his hair. He turned his head to the left, allowing me to partake in his blood. As my fangs punctured his neck, he let out a deep sigh. He was enjoying this, and I wanted more.
