Page 28 of Scorned

This had been the same routine since I got here months ago: every three days they’d come in to do their research, feed us, and leave.

The blood they offered didn’t excite me. After I bonded to Sage, all other blood had become unappealing. The shit tasted like mop water smells after sitting in a bucket for a week. After being forced to drink blood that didn’t come from my mate, I had much more respect for Vivi. She had been dealing with drinking it for a year.

Blood bonds suck.

But sacrifice means the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else, so I’d never regret my decisions.

I traded a life for a life, a soul for a soul, and I would do it again.

The vile taste was a bittersweet reminder of what I had sacrificed to keep Sage safe, so I appreciated the nasty shit. If my bond with her broke, other people’s blood would taste good again. The only thing connecting me to her and the outside world, the bond reassured me of her survival. I wouldn’t trade it for the best blood in the world.

Regardless, the hunger hurt. It gnawed away at my insides, burning through my veins, leaving pain and delusions in its path.

They only gave us a small fraction of the amount of blood we needed—enough to keep us alive. It’s how they kept us weak. Even if I had enough blood to strengthen me, I couldn’t do much in my situation.

The exam table they had me splayed out on had small silver spikes which were buried into my backside, each sharp point stinging. The cuffs on my wrists and ankles that had me spread eagle also contained spikes.

The screams coming from the female vampire in the room down the hall finally stopped. The sounds of her moans now filling the cold air as she devoured her feeding. Which meant one thing: the blonde-haired ‘scientist’ bitch would be here soon.

As I lay buck naked awaiting my turn, my mind brought up visions of Sage’s beautiful face. Her high cheekbones, luscious lips, and perfect hazel eyes—drop dead gorgeous. Sometimes, when I pictured her, it was blurry, and I was unsure whether the lack of blood or the extreme exhaustion caused it.

My biggest fear was her dying. My second, forgetting what she looked like. Especially since I wouldn’t likely see her again.

Click. Click. Click. Click. The sound of high heels resonating through the hallway like a death knell brought me from my thoughts.

Here she comes. Fuck.

Six beeps sounded when she entered her code, then the door unlocked and she sashayed in like she had the best job in the world.

“Morning, Luka.” Her cheerful voice had a sweet and optimistic tone to it. Like a song of illusion. A symphony of lies.

Dr. Amy Ishman.

A forty-seven-year-old unmarried woman with no kids, by choice, who earned a Master in Philosophy, a PhD, a Doctorate, among other prestigious awards, and she spent her time torturing vampires for the United States government.

I liked to call her Dr. Cuntface.

And I abso-fucking-lutely hated her.

“As always, Doc, fuck off.”

She strolled up to the table and leaned into my view, her blonde hair falling forward, blocking the bright lights and casting a shadow across her face. “As always, this is going to hurt.” She grinned before turning away. “You should be more grateful. Few people get to be involved in ground-breaking research.”

I snickered, my eyes following her every movement as she grabbed her torture cart, or at least that’s what I liked to call it, pulling it over to a metal supply cabinet.

“I mean it, Luka. Because of the virus you carry, we’re able to do wonderful things. American soldiers are already faster, stronger.”

“How long do you think you can keep this up?” I asked, watching her load the cart with her favorite instruments.

“As long as the funds are there we will stay in business. And with some of the biggest billionaires backing us, I’m certain we’ll be around for a long time.”

“I mean, how long do you guys think you’ll be able to maintain this before someone shuts down the entire operation?”

She dropped supplies on the tray before turning toward me with a scowl. “By who?”

“You’re eventually going to piss off the wrong people.”

She shook her head, a cackling laugh leaving her. “This research has been going on for over two hundred years. We have had enemies and will continue to have them. Because only a small number of elite members know the locations of the research facilities, we have managed to remain secret. It’s impossible for someone to get in here.”

---