Page 2 of Awakening the Dhampir

The vampire gave me a look of longing before slipping out the door. I tried not to sigh, then forced myself to think of anything besides the scent of chocolate. Why was it always chocolate? I loved chocolate. It was my absolute favorite. My dhampir would ruin that for me as well.

My dhampir. I could almost feel the separate entity within me. Unlike Mallory or Gale, I’d created both of them myself. The dhampir was more than just my imagination or my need to sort personalities. That distinction scared me. The strength of her hunger would ensure my death. I could easily see why everyone feared the dhampir. She made all my coherent and logical thoughts fly out the window. If I let her win …

I needed to regain control. Now.

I closed my eyes and pictured my parents and their warm smiles. I couldn’t have asked for a better mom and dad. They loved me when they didn’t have to and always made me feel like I was part of their family. I missed them. Would I ever see them again? Or would I have to abandon them the way I’d abandoned Bryan? Yeah, probably. I couldn’t suck them into this danger. It’d kill me if something happened to the only people who ever loved me.

The door creaked, and I opened my eyes. The vampire stuck his head inside and immediately caught my eye.

“The boss says to leave her,” he said, still looking at me even though he was clearly talking to the other woman. A red ring circled his irises, and his tongue ran across his lips.

Maybe I could use him if I could get him alone.

The female jailer stepped between us and pushed the vampire out. Without a word, the two of them left me alone, sitting cross-legged on the floor with my hands tied behind my back.

“Great,” I mumbled.

I really needed to take the time to create a box for my dhampir but doing so would make me vulnerable. Every time I retreated into my mind, I mentally left the real world. I couldn’t leave my body open to whatever abuses they had planned. I didn’t think they’d kill me, at least not right away, or I’d be dead already.

“First things first,” I muttered, then glanced around the room looking for cameras. I’d feel like an idiot if they were watching me talk to myself.

The room was empty. Cinder block walls met a concrete floor with a little drain in the center. The hinges to the metal door were either on the outside or hidden somehow. I tried to look up at the ceiling and only ended up falling over. The move didn’t help my mood or my headache.

Time to get my hands in a more comfortable position, I thought.

I rolled onto my back, pulled my knees to my chest, and stretched until my toes touched the floor above my head. The long stretch actually felt really good, and I put one of my favorite yoga poses to good use. I slipped my bound hands beneath my butt and up the back of my thighs, then held them straight out in front of me. Then I folded my legs at the knee and slipped them through my arms.

Yoga was awesome, and having my hands in front of me was so much more comfortable. Sitting normally again, I looked down at the zip tie wrapped around my wrists, already leaving raw marks on my skin.

“Fricking amateurs,” I mumbled. Hadn’t they seen the video on social media that showed women how to get out of these?

I untied my shoe, threaded the lace through the zip tie and yanked. The plastic dug into my skin, but I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t be completely helpless when the next person showed up in my cell. A little sawing back and forth, then another tug, and I was free. And bleeding. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

I retied my shoe, tore a couple strips from the bottom of my T-shirt, and wrapped up my wrists. Kenrid had only given me the briefest descriptions of the supernatural races, but I had to assume that a fresh source of blood was a huge temptation. And I didn’t want a vampire near my blood. It was the first step to becoming a monster. Not happening.

I tilted my head back and found the only source of light. A recessed light sat flush with the concrete ceiling. I couldn’t tell if a camera was in there or not. Did it really matter if they thought I was a loon for talking to myself? No.

I stood and paced around the cell. Six feet wide by eight feet long got old really quick. I plopped back onto the floor and picked up my broken zip tie. I eyed the door, thinking maybe I could pick a lock—yes, I only had a zip tie—but there was no lock, not even a handle on the inside.

If they’d only left that kitchen knife in my pocket, or my pistol, or my phone … or anything. Nope, it was just me, my blue jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt. And my magic. I could scramble somebody’s brain if I could get close enough. Maybe I could entrance the vampire and scramble the girl, then run. I shuddered at the thought of taking another life.

They hadn’t hurt me. Yes, I was drugged and kidnapped, but that didn’t mean they deserved to die. I thought about the man who attacked me at Maxwell’s, and my stomach twisted in knots. The box in my mind rattled, and I shook my head. I couldn’t do that again.

Even if I could escape, where would I run? It wasn’t like there’d be a handy exit sign blinking over the door to my freedom. I couldn’t do anything until someone opened my cell.

I’d just have to wait. I lay back on the hard floor and stared at the lone light on the ceiling. My mind wandered to Kenrid and our last conversation. How could someone so beautiful offer himself to me? I was awkward, socially inept, and a monster. Why would his magic call to mine when there had to be very eligible fae women falling over themselves for him?

Why me?

The same question could be asked about Damon. He made it clear he wanted me. Why would a demon want the creature who could kill him? Okay, maybe not kill him. I couldn’t imagine anything strong enough to kill Damon. Even though his demon was frightening, Damon had gone out of his way to make me feel safe. I was more intrigued by him than afraid of him.

Regardless, it made no sense.

I had no idea how long I lay on the floor contemplating everything. It felt like days, but it was probably only a few hours. The sound of metal on metal startled me from my musings. The creaking door opened a moment later, and the same vampire slid into the room.

He wasn’t alone. The new arrival was tall and lanky with long locs and dark eyes. His pointed features might have been handsome if he’d put on some weight. But his thin face accentuated a bony structure, making him look like a walking skeleton.

I jumped to my feet and backstepped until I hit the wall. Chocolate, oranges, and some other citrus filled the small room. My dhampir’s hunger roared in my ears. She wanted both men, and she wanted them now. She didn’t care if the newest treat lacked muscle or not. She only wanted his blood. And his friend’s blood. As soon as she drained them both, we could escape and find more.

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