Page 54 of Shut Up and Bite Me

Winding along my driveway, my legs carry me to the steps with powerful strides, leading me up to my front door.

Autumn was right about the power increase for sure. Every day, I feel stronger.

I clear my mind, readying myself for the task at hand as I open the door and step inside, immediately spotting Greyson and Ethan across the foyer in the living room, sitting on the sofa, Ethan sound asleep, snoring.

Greyson quietly rises to his feet and crosses the open space. I meet him halfway, sliding my arms around his waist and squeezing him tight.

His arms embrace me, and I breathe him in, smelling my own personal heaven.

He wheezes. “Baby, you’re squeezingreallyhard.”

Releasing him, I step back, an embarrassed flush spreading across my lips. “I’m sorry.”

He smirks and takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us once again. “If you missed me that much, you could have just said so instead of trying to crush my ribs.”

Lightly, and I meanlightly, I shove his chest. “I missed you. This whole thing with Ethan has me lost in my thoughts.”

He tips my chin up, and that pretty baby blue stare, perfectly framed by his glasses, entrances me. “About what?”

“You. Me. Us.” I take a shaky breath, sliding my fingers up his waist. “Greyson…” I take another breath for confidence. He’s human, and although there are ways to grant him immortality, time is fleeting, and I don’t want to hold my feelings back any longer. “I lov?—”

Sporadic, wet coughing cuts me off, coming from the living room from Ethan. I speed over and suck in a sharp inhale when I discover he looks worse.

Our venom’s effects work slowly through a human, prolonging their pain, and right now, we need all the time we can get. But because he’s been fed on so much and mercilessly, there’s so much venom in his system, speeding up the process.

“Has he talked to you at all yet?” I ask Greyson as he approaches. He shakes his head, heart-aching concern pouring off him.

“Only once, at school. I asked if he knew me, but he said he didn’t. After what he’s been through, I don’t blame him, obviously,” He sighs, sitting down by Ethan’s feet.

His mind is clearly suffering more than just the bite can give. An idea flutters in my mind. Grabbing Ethan’s shoulder, I lightly nudge him awake.

He opens his bloodshot eyes, silently staring straight at the ceiling.

“Help me sit him up,” I tell Greyson, contemplating if what I’m about to do is a good idea.

This won’t hurt him physically, but I’m nervous about messing with his mind at all if it will permanently harm him since so much damage seems to have already been done. But we don’t have too much of a choice right now. We need answers.

Greyson helps without question, guiding his feet to the floor as I lift his torso, leaning him against the back of the couch.

Standing between his legs, I cup Ethan’s face and take a deep breath, forcing him to look at me while releasing my power, stretching it out from my mind and latching onto his.

Forcing my question into his consciousness, I demand an answer. “Tell me who did this to you.”

Ethan’s voice is scratchy and raw, emotionless. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

He pauses before robotically answering, “I-I don’t know. But I can’t tell you.”

My suspicion was right—someone tampered with his consciousness, the same way I can alter other’s minds. I can feel it in him, a block standing in the way of my connection to Ethan like a brick wall.

Mentally, I try to push past it, forcing my power against the block, but it doesn’t budge.

Everything about my abilities has intensified thus far. Maybe it’s time to test this part of it out.

Taking a steady inhale, I close my eyes, envisioning the blockage falling away, the aura of my power breaking it down.

Surging my energy through the tether, I gasp, sensing the wall beginning to come down in his mind.

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