Page 14 of Fang Girl

In my few years as a vampire, I’d grown to trust Basil completely. Maybe he was right? Was Ari’s easy acceptance of who I was just a sham?

I swung open the door to the feeder room, and my fangs instantly elongated. The smell of blood was thick in the air.

“Kylie!” Ari screamed, pushing past me and rushing over to her friend.

Kylie lay on the floor, her wrist splattered with blood where fangs had been ripped out.

Riggs stood over her, his face a mask of bewilderment. Blood – her blood – stained his mouth and chin. His fangs were still extended, but his rock-star confidence had vanished, replaced by something almost childlike in its confusion.

"I don't..." Riggs stammered, taking a stumbling step backward.

Ari

"Ididn't know, man," Riggs said to Victor, running a hand through his short hair. "She said she was a friend of yours, so I thought—"

I checked Kylie's pulse, relief flooding through me. "She's alive."

"Of course she's alive," Riggs growled. "She just freaked out—"

“Let me seal the wound,” Victor said, spitting into his hand.

I shook my head, wrapping my scarf around Kylie’s wrist and placing pressure to stop the bleeding. I reached to try to pick her up, but even my friend’s petite frame was too much for me.

Victor pushed me aside and lifted her in his arms.

I glared at him. When I turned to follow him out of the room, the metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air as I surveyed the area. Humans lounged on velvet couches, half-naked and dazed, fang marks scoring their pale skin. None appeared dead, but the scene sent ice through my veins. I'd been naive about this wholevampire thing. These weren't just sexy immortals from romance novels—they were predators.

I had been too cavalier about this whole vampire thing. They were monsters. They’d attacked an innocent like Kylie for no reason.

My hands shook as I ordered the Uber. Would Victor have hurt me too? He already had, hadn't he? That bite during our lovemaking... had it really been passion, or just hunger? The memory of his tender touches warred with the sight of Kylie's torn wrist.

Victor carried her out of the ballroom and through the lobby, and waited with us on the curb.

I didn’t say a word to him. I couldn’t.

He helped me get Kylie into the cab. She was coming around with the fresh air. Then he stood on the curb and watched us as the Uber drove away.

***

I paced in our dorm room, watching Kylie sleep off whatever vampire mojo Riggs had used on her. Matilda hovered near the window, her ghostly form more solid than usual.

"You're being stupid," Matilda said, tossing her translucent hair. "Running away never solved anything."

"He's a vampire," I hissed. "They attacked my best friend."

"From what you told me, she went with him willingly," Matilda pointed out. "Just like you went with Victor."

I stopped pacing and glared at her. "Whose side are you on?"

"The side where you don't throw away the first guy who's ever made the ghosts shut up." Matilda floated closer. "You told me this is what you always wanted. No constant ghost chatter, no desperate spirits begging for attention."

"That's not—" I started, but Kylie stirred on her bed.

"Ugh, my head," she groaned, pushing herself up to sitting.

I rushed over. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I had way too many jello shots." She rubbed her wrist where my scarf was still wrapped. "Did I... did Riggs..." Her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, vampires are real!"

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