Page 22 of Bleed for Me

Turning on my heels, I fled. Two security guards blocked my exit that happened to be positioned next to some kind of gift shop. Their words faded into the background before one of them stepped to the side and allowed me through.

SIX

SEVEN

Watching her flee from the room like her ass was on fire excited me. Turmoil was written into her features, tears streaming down her face. Archer was interested in her, and because of that, I hated her. She’d become his new fucking obsession. The way he watched her with concern as she took off was ingrained in my mind. She hadn’t even noticed him, and probably didn’t even know he existed.

Twigs crunched beneath my sneakers as I made my way through the woods, not caring to keep quiet. It was mid-day—nearly time for lunch, but there was something I needed to do first. Stopping, I leaned against a tree, my head spiraling out of control. Fuck that stupid bitch. She’d only shown her face twice now and Archer was already enamored by her. It sent my pulse roaring through my ears. Why couldn’t he look atmethat way?

My hands shook as I brought them to my face, running them through my light blonde hair. A rustling sounded through the underbrush, my head snapping in that direction. After a few moments, a squirrel leapt out, limping as it moved into the opening, its body going rigid when it saw me.

A calculated smirk tugged at my mouth.Yes, little squirrel. You just made yourself vulnerable, and I am that monster.The animal froze, holding its little hands to its chest. It knew, knew that it had just made the biggest mistake of its pathetic little life.

I pushed off the tree, moving forward, closing the distance between me and the rodent. Every step I took had the animal trembling more and more, even as it tried to bolt, the thing couldn’t run. Not with that limp. Right as the squirrel made it back toward the bush it had hopped out of, I reached down and snagged it. The smooth coat of its fur tickled my fingertips as I lifted it up to meet my eyes, my hands firm around its shoulders and neck.

Bloodlust.

The thing that drove me madder than anything else in this world. I’d much rather prefer a human, but Archer couldn’t stop bringing that cunt up and I didn’t want to hear it anymore, and Jordan wouldn’t let me drink from him. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed the knife Archer had let me borrow. Flicking the blade open, I parted my fingers, so I had more access to the creature’s neck.

I wonder what Rosalie’s blood tasted like.

It was probably sweet. Pure. Innocent. I could just imagine sinking my teeth into her, hearing that pain-filled cry fleeing her lips. Then I’d take and take and take until there was nothing left. My cock hardened at the thought. I’d drink from her until she was weak with blood loss, then I’d fuck her body so gruesomely right before I killed her. Just like I did Courtney—my ex-girlfriend. Though, this would be intentional.

The animal squirmed in my grasp, and I brought the blade of the knife to the side of its throat and sliced. It let out a pained whimper before its body went slack. My tongue darted out, tasting the blood that started to trickle down the rest of its small body. A groan tore from my throat and my eyes rolled as itfed the hunger inside of me. Closing my lips around the wound, I sucked until a small stream of blood flowed into my mouth, coating my lips and tongue. Once there was nothing left for the animal to give me, I dropped it on the ground.

The euphoria that sprouted through my limbs was short-lived. That’s what I hated the most about feeding from small animals. That, and the possible diseases they carried, but desperate times called for desperate measures. My tongue slipped out of my mouth, lapping up the excess blood that coated my lips.

My walk back to the building was shorter than I would have liked. My head a whirlwind of unwanted thoughts and the impending reminder that it didn’t matter what I did, Archer would never obsess over me as he did women. Was it a gender thing? Could he simply just not help it? Or was it because we’d been good friends before he realized he was even attracted to me? My hands curled into fists as I made my way through the doors, checking my pocket to make sure the knife was secured and wouldn’t be easily spotted. I could take the knife to Rosalie’s throat, blame it on one of the twins.

When I reached my room, I grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped under the hot spray, bracing my hands against the wall, allowing the water to pelt me and turn my pale skin red. My head was bowed as droplets ran through my hair, slipping through my eyelashes and down the sides of my face. I’d never had to deal with Archer liking someone else before. All the girls who showed him any interest were just a means to pass the time and never anything more. He’d never beenobsessed. Once we started hooking up, he never seemed to want anyone else. Now that he did, I didn’t know how to cope with that.

After my shower, I dropped my dirty clothes off in the basket located near the closet within my room and headed to thecafeteria. Chatter filled the large space, the scent of food wafting throughout the room. Today, lunch consisted of grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, crackers, and a drink of our choice. After receiving my tray, I scanned the room until I spotted Jordan on the opposite side. Alina was seated next to Archer as usual, with Rachel next to Jordan. I rolled my eyes at that. Those bitches couldn’t take a fucking hint. At least he didn’t give them the time of day. Striding across the room, I dropped into the seat between Alina and Jordan and placed my tray down.

Rachel perked up upon seeing me. “We were just talking about throwing a party next weekend,” she began.

“And how do you suppose we do that?” I drawled, my mood killed instantly from the variety of thoughts bouncing around my skull. I lifted one of the saltine crackers, dipping it in the soup before biting into it.

The twins exchanged glances before Rachel leaned forward, bracing her arms on the table. “You come from a rich family, and it’s no secret that some of the guards don’t mind turning the other cheek where there’s money involved.” Her light brown eyes glistened with mischief and excitement. On a good day, I’d tell her to go fuck herself—that if she wanted to bribe one of the guards, she could offer up that worn-out cunt of hers. But all things considered, a night away from all of this bullshit didn’t sound too bad.

“Fuck it. I’m in.”

Archer glanced over at me in surprise. It wasn’t that I didn’t like partying. I just hated asking my family for money. Especially for personal reasons. I was a fucking adult, and it made me feel like a child all over again.

The two girls squealed with excitement, the sound making me wince. As they started rambling on and on about the party, I returned my attention to my food. The cheesy bite of thesandwich coated my tongue, sticking to my lips as I swallowed and washed it down with the juice.

Something brushed against my leg beneath the table—a shoe. I glanced over at Archer, heat shining back at me through his eyes. Slowly, he inched it upwards until his foot was positioned between my thighs, and I parted my legs, giving him the access he wanted. Chancing a glance around the room, I made sure no one was watching us, not that they’d even be able to see anything happening beneath the table. The toe of his shoe brushed against my crotch, and he added more pressure, making my body go rigid.

Fuck.

My breath picked up, laboring out as he rubbed his foot against me. This was dangerous. If one of the twins caught on to what he was doing, it was game over, but that just excited me more. I scooted toward the edge of my seat so that he could reach me more easily. My hands trembled as I traded my sandwich in for another cracker, dipping it into the soup as I’d done before.

God. I wanted to bend him the fuck over and take him right here. My cock throbbed painfully beneath my jeans as he worked his foot over the bulge. Electricity rolled through me forcing a moan to get lodged in the back of my throat. Bringing my mouth to the crook of my elbow, I forced a cough to cover it up. Returning my gaze to his, he smiled at me knowingly.

Dick.

He knew exactly what he was doing, and for that, I was going to tear his ass up the next time I got him alone.

Alina’s voice cut through the trance I was in. “What kind of alcohol are we going to be having?” she inquired, making sure to keep her tone low in case someone overheard.

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