Page 3 of Vivian

CHAPTER 2 – Viv

“Dude, you need to stake her. She doesn’t belong with the hive, and we can’t have a rogue lurking around town.”

Awareness pricked my consciousness, and I began to hear and see the things around me. I was in the backseat of a car. My blood stained prom dress was still on my body.

Jimmy.

Ah, shit, damn, and hell. I ate Jimmy.

“I can’t kill her,” the other voice replied. “It would be like taking out a baby. Did you see those doe eyes? She doesn’t know what she is.”

But I did know. I was a monster. One who craved the blood of other living creatures, which reminded me of something else.

“Did one of you have a steak?” I croaked and tried to sit up.

They jumped in their seats, if you could call it a jump, but I had clearly startled them.

The one with the long, shaggy dark hair was driving and he gave the other boy a dark look.

The one in the passenger side had lighter hair and the greenest eyes I had ever seen. They were both far too good looking for local boys. It was then I noticed the piece of flat board in the passenger’s hands.

“Why are you carrying that around? And where are we going?”

The driver frowned, “You are supposed to be asleep.”

“Drugged,” I nodded, “Right, I have a fast metabolism. I must have burned through whatever you stuck in me. I get it, I mean, I won’t hold a grudge or anything. I know I am a bloody mess and that I freaked you out.”

“My name is Ace,” the passenger said with a crooked smile, “and this here is Brendon.”

Brendon took his eyes off the road for two seconds to scowl at Ace before returning to his driving.

“Hi, I am Vivian,” I said and then yawned loudly. “Did I hear you say that you were able to save Jimmy?”

Brendon’s scowl deepened, “Excellent hearing for a fledgling.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I hoped it was a compliment.

Ace answered my question, “They were able to save him, but it was a close call. I am afraid that he had to have his memory wiped so he won’t remember...” Ace waved toward my bloody dress with a wrinkle of disgust on his face.

I flushed, feeling gauche and stupid.

“Can you tell me where we are going?” I asked, trying to take my mind off of the night’s unusual activities.

“I don’t really know,” Ace said. “You see, Vivian, you are something of an anomaly. We were supposed to get rid of you.”

Fear crept up the back of my spine, “What do you mean?”

“Do you know what you are?” Ace asked.

“Some kind of monster. I didn’t mean to hurt Jimmy. He got a cut and the next thing I knew I was drinking from his neck. It was involuntary; I swear I would never intentionally hurt anyone.”

“You are a vampire,” Brendon interrupted. “A rogue vampire, and therefore a threat to our hive. Who are your people?”

I swallowed, “Well, my parents are Bill and Susan Browning. But I was adopted, so I don’t know much beyond that.”

Ace’s brows rose, “Bill and Susan Browning? That is fucking fantastic.”

By the way, he said it; I knew it was anything but fantastic.

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