Page 50 of Feeding Frenzy

“How are you awake?” Even now, in this dream world, I struggled to move my mouth.

“Although the sun’s will is a heavy burden, if you work at it, you can?—”

He staggered back and gripped his temples.

“I do not have much time—” His words turned to snarls and he whipped his head toward me with a snarl. Showing me the Bastien I knew.

He came at me.

Wake up.

Up. Up.Up.

My eyes struggled to open. I stared at the ceiling. It felt like I was drugged. It was dark in here, except for a night light coming from the bathroom. It was enough for me to see. I sluggishly turned my head to one side and Asher’s limp body rested at my side, while Ren was on my other. We were still in Tobias’s room and the shutters were still down.

My plan was still the same as before I turned. Heading out of here, but now that I was a vampire . . . did I still need to be part of a Coven? Were there rogue vampires?

Questions I could ask Alistair.

I rolled to my side and my arm flopped on Ren. He didn’t twitch. Using him as a perch, I gripped his arm and pulled myself up with effort. I gritted my teeth and managed to topple off him and land on my knees.

Weight tried to force me back to the ground. I trudged forward, shaking my head. It took three tries to turn the doorknob, but I finally managed. Then came to a stop. The sun was no longer high in the sky, so it didn’t spill across the middle of the hallway. At least there was no direct sunlight.

I staggered to Asher’s door. Moving was getting a pinch easier, but weight still shackled me.

I froze at the entrance. Jax sat in the same spot, his head hanging forward. He was deep in his day sleep. Leaving the door cracked, I dashed to the wardrobe. The clothes swung side to side. The bottom drawer, where my pjs were housed, was semi-cracked, with clothes peeking up from the top. I shucked the silk nighty, pulled on leggings, a bra, and a hoodie. And then dug my hands behind my sweaters, where I’d shoved the backpack.

I hooked it on my back. My skincare! As soon as I thought to go to the bathroom, I was already halfway there. I gawked at my reflection. Right, I no longer needed it. I looked like me . . . but smoother? At least my face. Just like the rest of their skin, smooth, almost poreless. Yet, my hair frizzed. I frowned at myself. Guess that didn’t come with the newly-fanged vamp package. Plucking my frizz-resistant hair oil, I staggered from the room. The low cast of the sun had all but disappeared. Pressure lifted from my limbs and no longer hindered my stride. I had run out of time.

Running down the stairs, I dashed through the hallway.

The clink of gears reached my ears, then a hum as the shutters moved. I had to get out of here. Even though I wasn’t human anymore, they could wrap me in chains and keep me here. My steps could hardly be heard with how fast I moved toward the kitchen. I was across it, through the hall, and past the French garage door next. Metal still littered the floor from the car I’d taken a bat to.

I ran to the sleek sports car closest to the exit ramp. I would feel bad about taking it with me, but they had a garage filled with them. Hopping in, I revved it to life, dropped my bag in the passenger seat, and without giving it a chance to warm up, pressed on the accelerator.

I sped up the incline, taking a sharp turn away from the main garage. A large door blocked my exit. I yanked down the vizor, but there was no button to make it rise. My sluggish heart squeezed, causing my pulse to jump. With each throb, my gums began to sting, like me panicking caused the borrowed blood to burn through me much faster. I only caused more hunger by panicking, but I couldn’t help it. Sounds of birds chirping, the rustling leaves . . . I could hear it.

I stepped on the gas pedal. There was no other choice, I had to break through, hopefully it wasn’t strong enough to stop the car.

I flexed my hands on the steering wheel and squeezed my eyes tightly shut. God, please let me make it. My fangs popped out and I gritted my molars. Metal ripped in a screech as the hood of the vehicle took out the garage door. I peeked through one eye as the tires bounced over wreckage. Taking a sharp turn, I peeled out until I burst onto a side street.

The scent of exhaust and rubber permeated my senses, stinging my nostrils. I coughed. I preferred not breathing.

Zooming past the house, I drove through the streets until I reached the first freeway. I sped up. Getting as far as possible was the goal, then losing this car. Maybe I could take a bus out of town, but I needed money. I sank my teeth into my lower lip. My sharp incisor split into my lip. A hiss exploded from my mouth at the sharp stab.

I flicked my tongue over the blood. Nowhere near as good as Ren’s blood. The base where my fangs pushed out from my gums throbbed. I focused on the next exit sign and just drove.

Forty miles away from Crimson Manor, I slowed to get off the ramp.

I had to stop somewhere I could make a call. Pulling into the first shopping center I came across, I parked. I left the keys inthe ignition and hopped out. I wouldn’t be able to take it with me anyway. It could tie me to them, and I didn’t want to be found.

The hum of voices and chatter melded into a cacophony of overwhelming sounds. I grabbed the car door to brace myself and cinched my eyes shut. A call first, focus on making the call.

I used to distract myself from oncoming panic attacks, so this would be easy. Sucking in one breath, I coughed at the inordinate number of smells singeing my nose. I stopped breathing again.

The noisiness tapered away. I’d grounded myself.

“Miss, are you okay?” I whirled to face an old man. His eyes widened and he reeled back a few steps. A sour scent overwhelmed my nose. I’d spun around too fast. He backed up until he was almost running away.

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