Page 26 of Life Blood
I walked to my bathroom, turned on my shower, and peeled off yesterday’s clothes. When I stepped in, the warm water rained down onto my skin, and it was invigorating. I thought of Braden and Logan, and I smiled at the fact that we had seemed to bond last night.
It should have been enough to send me into hysterics, but this morning, it wasn’t. For the first time in my life, something felt real. Being with them felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was as if my entire life had always been a disaster because they weren’t in it. They were the missing piece of my existence. Nothing felt more right than to be with them.
It shouldn’t have been so easy for me to accept, but it was.
Wait…
A sudden realization hit me, practically sending me tripping over my feet while walking to my room. How could my feelings have changed so fast?
I gripped my head, everything around me began to spin, and I collapsed to my knees.
“Elle,” my mother’s usual raspy, annoyed hangover voice called out from my doorway. “What the hell is going on here?”
I looked up at her worn face, bloodshot eyes, and tangled messy brown curls. “Sorry, I tripped,” I snapped.
“Get your ass up and get ready for school. I thought you’d be gone by now.”
“Go back to bed, mom,” I flatly returned as I stood. “I’ll be out of here as soon as I’m dressed.”
She groaned and turned and left the room. I hated this. I hated that I despised her. I could live in this house alone and be happier than dealing with this shit.
I snatched a tank, jean skirt, and a pair of wedges and dressed in record time. I raced down the stairs, snagged a bagel, and grabbed my backpack. I was dreading the bus ride to school. I felt that if I were alone too long with my thoughts, eventually my panic from the night before would consume me, and not in a good way.
A knock at the door brought me out of my pity party. I opened it to see two turquoise-bluish eyes and a smile that displayed dimples on each of Braden’s cheeks. “Ready to go?” he asked, eyes probing mine. “I hope you’re feeling well this morning after last night,” he slightly smiled and cocked his head to the side. “If you didn’t, Logan’s going to get his ass kicked for lying to all of us,” he finished with a laugh. “Elle?” he questioned when I didn’t respond.
“After what happened last night?”
“Yes. How are you feeling?” he asked carefully.
“The beach, the vision, you…my blood.” I felt lightheaded again.
“Damn it,” I heard Braden mutter after I collapsed into his arms. “How are you still fighting this?”
“I feel comfortable again. I feel you,” I stammered as I felt his persuasion wash over me.
“Good,” Braden said, relief in his voice. “Elle, you can’t go to school if your mind wants to keep trying to overpower the truth of who you are.”
“What’s the problem?” I heard Logan’s voice.
“Apparently, you’re a fucking liar. She’s overwhelmed by all of this shit again.”
“What the hell?” I heard Logan say in shock, “There’s no way that should be happening. She—I felt her accept it wholeheartedly last night.”
“Come on, let’s get you in the house,” Braden said.
I pushed off of him, “Stop!” I ordered both dark-haired, statuesque vampires. “I did accept it. I woke up feeling blissful for god’s sake, but I still have a human brain, and that brain tells me I’m a fool for acting like everything I learned yesterday is normal.”
“You have to find a way to accept this or we’re going to have to work overtime to keep you safe, staying with you around the clock,” Logan said with a shrug.
“Wait!” I held up my hands, “What the hell? Is that really necessary?”
“I had a feeling you might resist what Logan managed to open up in you last night,” I heard another deep voice say, approaching from around a black car parked on the street.Cole.
“So this is how it’s going to be, then?” I planted my hands on my hips. “All four of you following me around like puppy dogs?”
“I hardly think that analogy fits what we’ll be doing,” Logan said. It was obvious he was annoyed his super vamp tricks didn’t stick with me. “Listen, for us to protect you from the supremely sadistic asshole who wants to turn you into his personal blood bag, you need to at leasttryto listen to what your gut tells you.”
“Shut up, Logan,” Cole said, looking at his cousin with disgust. His copper highlights glistened in the sun, bringing out the emerald-green hue of his eyes. The dark, fitted tee he wore helped accentuate his muscular frame and struck me with desire right then and there. He wasn’t as tall as Braden and Logan, but damn, he was gorgeous, and I loved the authority that exuded from him.
