Page 42 of Life Blood
“She’s just a bitch,” Logan’s voice was oddly lethal, “Elle has school work that your stupid ass is preventing her from doing. So get the hell out of our way.”
“You know what?” I was sensing these guys trying to run my life again. Val seemed sincere, and it wasn’t something desperate in me that made it seem that way. She was right. I could use some female companions in this crazy new life I had to live. “Maybe a bonfire night will be fun.”
“You sure?” Cole’s eyebrows shot up.
“Positive.” I smiled, “Maybe we can all start getting to know each other that way.”
“Hell yes! Let’s do it,” Logan said excitedly. “Tell Lucas we’re about to kick his ass tonight in beach football.”
Val grinned, “Then it’s on!”
I glanced back at the group. “I’m going to study in my room. Let me know if I can help cook dinner or anything before we leave.”
“Um,” Braden chewed on his bottom lip, “Cole giving up control in the kitchen? Not likely.”
Cole rolled his eyes, “You’re more than welcome to join me in cooking, but I might run you over in the kitchen. I move pretty fast,” he said with a wink.
“How about just let me know what time we leave.”
“Someone will come to get you.”
I watched the three vamps study Val before forcing smiles on their faces. “See you later, then,” Logan said. “You know you can study in the library too. We do our research there.”
“I’m fine in my room.”
I turned and walked up the stairs to my room. I wasn’t sure what had gotten into Val, but I wanted to trust that my instincts were right.
Chapter Seventeen
Ihad my legs pulled into my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, enjoying the warmth of the jeans and cozy hoodie I wore. The bonfire was blazing and hot, but I stretched my beanie tightly down over my ears so the chilly, salty ocean air wouldn’t make me shiver.
As bundled up as I was, the guys were dressed like it were a hot summer day. All of them were shirtless, wearing either jeans or shorts. It was like a chiseled ab festival out on the sand while they all loudly laughed and played a very aggressive game of football.
The other vampires were very easy on the eyes, but my four vampires stood out the most. They were taller and faster. I smiled out at them, Logan intentionally tripped some dark-haired vampire—on his own team—as they set up for the next play. Zac was smiling for the first time since I seemed to have ruined his immortal, perfect vampire life. His laugh was louder than everyone else’s, and I was content just seeing him having a great time.
Braden was unstoppable, to say the least. Two vamps at a time couldn’t even successfully tackle him to the ground, and that was if they could catch him. Cole looked like a young, very hot college quarterback. Every play he made was done with precision and a dose of cockiness. I could easily see how these four were the most powerful vampires in existence.
They were all so impressive, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Braden. I studied him. The way he pulled his hand through his wavy, dark hair as he concentrated. His eerie smile when provoked by the other team. His tall, muscular stature that made my heart flutter every time I thought of his bare chest pressed against mine.
“So how are you dealing with this whole vampire thing?” a sweet voice said from the group of female vampires I sat with. “I’m Sarah, by the way. We didn’t get the chance to meet the other night at dinner.”
Her sky-blue eyes were friendly, and her cheerfulness made me smile in response. The other girls were relatively indifferent to my presence, and I supposed that was a good thing. Elizabeth—the chick with the burgundy highlights who hated Logan—was the only one who seemed irritated by my presence. Val was acting cool, and Sophie and Olivia—the two other girl vamps—were also surprisingly calm.
“I’d say she’s adjusting pretty well,” Elizabeth sneered.
“I am.” I pulled my eyes off the guys and back to the group of vampires I sat around the bonfire with. “It’s strange that once I opened up more to it, I ended up feeling a little bit more connected with the cousins.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Val’s black eyebrow shot up in humor. “You know, it isn’t common for male vampires to share their females. I still can’t believe it happened, and especially with those four.”
“I’m not theirfemale,” I muttered in confusion.
Olivia laughed and patted my arm, “Let’s just say that once you fully open up to them, your relationship is going to dramatically change from what it is now…just a Life Blood being protected by the four most powerful vampires we know.” She tossed her red hair over a shoulder and leaned in. “Vampires mate for life, and once that bond is complete, nothing can come in between the two. Your unique situation is that not only are you human, butfourvampires have chosen you. Those four will never feed off of another vampire sensually again, that is, if they feed on another vampire at all.”
I rubbed my forehead, “Are you trying to say that one way or another I’m going to end up…” I looked back at the vampires and chewed on my lip trying to put it together.
“Yes,” Liz, the bitchy vampire, spoke up, “you and all four of our vampires. Somehow yourspecialblood has lured them in, and now, they won’t so much as touch our blood.”
“Oh, shut up, Liz,” Val snapped. “You know damn well this is really none of our business. They aren’t ours like that anymore. It’s time we all just move on. You act like Logan was your mate. He was using your ass, and you know it.”
