Page 16 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

If Annie could...

Aha! I wrap my fingers around a blood bag that has been discarded here. It is mostly empty, but there is some blood still in it. I grab it and rush back into the bathroom before I am caught.

I am almost feral as I tear through the pouch, licking every single drop I can find.

I feel my chest cave and then burst into flame as a renewed vigor rushes through me.

“Everything okay in there?” Annie asks from the other side of the door.

“Mmmh!” I groan with my tongue still lapping at the bag.

Even as I swallow, I know that this is a mistake. My decision to stop drinking human blood was difficult. It took years to wean myself off of it. And now, as it settles deep in my bones, I can’t remember why I ever stopped.

Once the bag is completely dry, I toss it into the trash.

I can feel all my senses return to normal as I right myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

I watch as the cuts and bruises that Mia inflicted on me begin to heal.

I feel my broken ribs begin to mend.

I feel reborn.

I also feel Annie pacing on the other side of the door as she waits, worrying.

I am almost heady with the need to drink more human blood, but I steady myself.

Instead, I fake a heartbeat, forcing that old, tired muscle back to work.

Then I slap my cheeks a little to bring color back to them. Once I am satisfied, I rinse my mouth with sink water to take away the smell of blood before opening the door.

“There you…” Annie begins but stops mid-sentence.

I know that I look like a completely different person than I was a couple of minutes ago.

I am more myself now than I have ever been.

“What is it?” I fake a smile.

“You look… I swear I must be crazy, but you look healed.” I watch as the corner of her mouth works into a small crease. She cocks her eyebrow in confusion.

“I told you I was doing fine…”

“But…”

“I’m okay, Annie. This is what I was trying to tell you. I had taken some Tylenol before you got home, and I was waiting for it to kick in. Now that it has, I’m feeling much better. I’m good to go.”

“Selene…” she runs a hand through her cropped wavy hair. “Are you sure you are okay?”

I know I have to trick her into believing me, but what other option do I have? I need to get out of this place as soon as possible.

If I stay here any longer, I might pull her in and tear into that stupid carotid artery that keeps pumping freaking blood through her body, and despite me being a monster, I don’t want to hurt her. Annie is actually nice.

“Listen, why should you use up that favor the doctor owes you if you can skip it altogether and use it when you need it? There could be a shift you need to skip…”

I can see the moment her eyes begin computing my suggestion. “But I just need to make sure…”

I take her hand in mine, holding my breath so I cannot smell her blood pulsing through her veins.

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