Page 60 of Shut Up and Bite Me

I warn her, “Autumn, I like you. But please,don’tmake me ask again.”

Her eyes bulge as she sees it, feeling shocked and surprised. “I’ve never seen it done, okay?” She pauses, and I glare at her. “You have to get the venom out of his system. But I don’t know if it will even take his pain or if it will work at all. But it will certainly infect you as if Victor bit you himself. And then you’re in the same position as Greyson, suffering until the venom runs its course. We’ll have to get another antidote. It’s too risky, Vivian. You should wait.”

My mind is already made up. “Go. If you don’t want to watch, then leave. Or go grab another antidote bottle from the living room and mix it with Victor’s blood because I’m going to need it. I’m not going to sit here and let him suffer!”

I can’t. I can’t just sit here and watch this. If there’s a chance I can take his pain away, I’m going to try. I don’t care if it hurts me—I’ll do it a thousand times over for him. But it doesn’t matter what warning she gives me…my decision is already made.

Tears fall down my face, splashing onto his torn and tattered shirt. “It’ll be okay, Grey. I’ll make it all better.”

There’s only one fast way to get the venom out of his system.

Gently peeling his hands away, I give him no time to protest before I latch onto his neck, sinking my fangs into the same puncture wounds that Victor left behind.

Vampire venom is not all the same; we each create our own unique strain, only being immune to the venom our own bodies produce.

My insides burst into flames the second Victor’s venom hits my tongue. It feels like I drank a gallon of gasoline andswallowed a lit match. But I don’t stop. I suck hard, taking every drop of it from Greyson’s veins.

As long as I can get it all out, he’ll be okay. He has to be okay.

My hands start shaking as I cradle his head and grip his shoulder, holding on for dear life. I can take this pain if it means he doesn’t have to. I can stomach it. I repeat it like a mantra. I have to do this.

My brain pounds against my skull, trying to shatter it into a million pieces while the sensation of a thousand knives slices into my body.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to keep going even though everything inside of me is begging me to stop. But looking at Greyson’s blond hair and holding his limp shoulder gives me all of the strength I need to carry on.

I won’t fail him like I failed Genevieve. I didn’t have the chance to save her. She was drained dry, and I know if I hadn’t gotten here in time, Victor would have drained Greyson too.

Time becomes a blur as I swallow the venom, drop after drop. My mind begins to melt, and my confidence begins to waver.

But the second Greyson’s blood hits my tongue, I know I’ve done it. His bloodstream is clear; his body is clear. He relaxes in my grip, every stiff muscle melting to the ground. I release my fangs and sit up, sliding my hands along Greyson’s jaw.

His eyes are more alert, livelier, his stare telling me everything he wants to say without speaking a single word. I smile back at him, tears continuing to flow down my cheeks as the pain becomes overwhelming, stars bursting in my eyes. Resting my head on Greyson’s chest, I know that if they can’t get the antidote to me in time and this is what kills me, I will die in my happiest place in the world, in Greyson’s arms.

The pain begins to fade, but I don’t know if that is my body beating the side effects or the venom paralyzing me.

“Vivian, hold on!” Autumn yells from somewhere in the house.

She’ll do it. She’ll mix the antidote in time. She’ll save me.

When a human is bitten, the venom works slowly through their system. Depending on the amount injected, the side effects will activate slower or faster. But the inevitable outcome is the same.

Because a vampire’s metabolism is so quick, the effects hit us twenty times faster.

Ava announces to anyone listening, “Ethan is doing better. The antidote is already working on him!”

Skylar runs over, coming from who knows where, and gasps when she sees me. “Oh my god, Vivian. What can I do?”

Enough worrying about me. They need to make sure Greyson is okay.

“Take care of him,” I order her, but she stays still.

Autumn’s brows furrow as she desperately tries to understand me. “Tool cup oh fast?I don’t get it.”

What? That is not what I said at all.

It’s the venom—it’s hitting my nervous system and fucking with my speech.

I hold her stare before nodding and flicking my gaze at Greyson, using the only part of me I seem to still be able to use.

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