Page 9 of Blood Sport

His eyes widen as he takes a step back. “What the…”

I use the brief moment of shock as my getaway car from the situation. Being in Jaylen’s presence is suffocating and tense, especially when he looks like this—bloody, sweating, and still somehow stunning—and images of him drinking blood flash in my mind, the memory of his sharp fangs, that are now seemingly gone, a reminder of the gravity of the situation at hand.

“You’re right, I need to leave,” I say quickly, my head swarming with too much information for my tipsy ass to handle.

As swiftly as I can, I turn on my heels and begin running down the long hallway until I reach the top of the staircase. I don’t hear Jaylen’s footsteps behind me or hear his voice telling me to stop, so I continue down the staircase and rush to the front door. I can’t face my friends after what just happened, so the easiest thing for me to do is get the hell out of here and explain everything later.

Once I’m out on the sidewalk, the warm air sticking to my skin, I pull out my phone to send a text message to Rylee.

Evie: I had to leave because I’m not feeling well, but I’ll see you at home.

I called a taxi so please don’t worry about me.

Shoving my phone back into my side bag, I swing it over my shoulder and begin the walk home. I could use the fresh air on my face, despite how humid it is, and allow it to clear my head because God knows I have too many thoughts swirling around up there.

As I walk with my arms wrapped around my waist, all I can think about is Jaylen and what the fuck just happened back there. When Jaycee said this club was exclusive, I now know why. It’s potentially a place for… vampires to feed off humans. And if that’s not the case and I’m wrong, then it’s just a club that allows people with a blood kink to let off some steam.

Growing up, I used to read about vampires in novels that my mom would buy for Miles and me; although, I was more into it than he was. I learned all the myths and lore that there was to know, and even read Dracula by Bram Stoker too many times to count. But that’s where it ended. I never thought that they existed in the real world, much less know someone who might be one.

I pinch myself to make sure that this isn’t another one of the many fucked nightmares I’m used to having.

A hiss leaves my lips at the sharp pain caused by the pinch, my skin slightly torn from my nails.

Yep. This is fucking real.

I kick at a rock on the sidewalk, watching as it rolls along the cement before rolling off into the gutter. Does Miles know about Jaylen and what he likes to get up to at Black Rose? I don’t want to outright call him a vampire if this is something else entirely, but that’s essentially what I saw.

If I were to let Miles in on Jaylen’s secret, I just know he would grill me about why I was even searching for Jaylen in the first place, and how I stumbled upon the incident. I would rather not have to explain to my brother that I was looking for his best friend because something deep within me was too curious not to know what he was doing.

And that’s not a conversation I want to have with him.

Okay, so maybe keeping Miles in the dark might be my only option while I figure out what is going on myself. Do I even want to know more about this? My head is screaming no and telling me to run as far away from Jaylen as I can, whereas my heart—and lower regions—know I can’t stay away from him. I hate to admit it but seeing him like that with that girl made my core tingle more than it should’ve.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I exhale sharply and shake my head, wrapping my arms tighter around my waist. The rest of the walk is silent, both around me and inside my head. I want to think about what to do next from here, but my mind is blank as I stare at the ground. Maybe it’s better if I keep my thoughts to a minimum so as not to overwhelm myself.

By the time the sorority house comes into view, I’ve probably been walking for about thirty minutes, but it doesn’t feel like it. I could’ve kept walking, getting lost in the nothingness, but my legs are beginning to grow tired, and my skin is slick with sweat. All I want is to have a warm shower, crawl into bed, and forget that tonight ever happened.

Only I can’t forget when Jaylen is sitting on the front porch, his eyes trained on me.

I stop in my tracks and pinch the bridge of my nose. “For fucks sake.”

Jaylen takes this as his opportunity to walk down the stairs and meet me halfway down the driveway. He pulls his lip ring between his teeth and folds his arms over his chest, the ink embedded in his skin straining against the slick fabric of the buttoned-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Specks of blood stain the edges of the collar and the base of his throat.

I lick my lips at the sight of him but try to stay focused because he's standing here, right in front of me, and seems to have been waiting for my return.

Now that’s not something that was on my bingo card for tonight.

“Evie,” he says lowly, his eyes never leaving mine. They’re intense, and thankfully, not red.

I sigh at the way he says my name, purposely pronouncing each syllable slowly and deliberately. It makes my heart race. “Jaylen, what are you doing here?”

“To see you, of course,” he answers, shoving his hands into the pockets of his chinos. “I need to talk to you about what happened tonight, and what you… saw.”

“What is there to talk about?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “You told me to leave and pretend I didn’t see what I did, so that’s what I’m doing.”

“But you didn’t forget, and that’s the problem.” He shakes his head, running a hand through his tousled hair. The muscles in his arm ripple with the movement, making it hard for me to focus on his face.

---