Page 99 of This Blood That Binds Us
“You don’t have to protect me. I’m not scared.”
I surprised myself with how true that statement was. All the fear I’d been slowly working through, since figuring out I was being stalked by a vampire paled in comparison to the thought of losing who Aaron was.
The world needed people like Aaron, someone who could find the good in any situation, someone who risked everything to save me twice. I couldn’t let his light go out.
His eyes never left mine. The hints of warmer lighter brown had blown back into his irises. It was comforting, just like his presence always was. He shook his head. “You’re never afraid.”
“That’s not true. I get afraid all the time.” I cupped his shaking hands in mine. “I need you. You have to get better.”
“Okay.” Aaron’s voice was stronger. “We’ll tell them. We can still fix this.”
Relief washed over me as the color returned to his face. Everything that had once fallen into the darkness had come back to the light. We could fix this. We still had time to save Aaron and keep his brothers safe. After all, there were four of them and one of William. This nightmare could soon be over, and I could experience the relief of coming forth.
“Come on, let’s go back to the campsite.” I pulled away, but Aaron had a firm grip on my forearm. I tried again to break his rock-hard grasp. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He stayed silent for a moment, his gaze settling on my hand. “You’re bleeding...”
I looked down at my hand, only then realizing I had taken off my makeshift bandage. My wound had reopened, and the tiniest bit of blood smeared onto his hand.
“Aaron . . .”
My heart leaped into my throat as the color drained from his face. In the blink of an eye, his skin was lifeless. Hollow. The whites of his eyes black. Gray rings glowed around his irises. Void of any color. His canines sharpening into fangs.
He tilted his head, licking the tinge of blood from his fingers. It was quick, so quick he thrust me into the tree with a hand over my mouth before I could scream. The bark tore through my clothing, and I groaned in pain. Every part of my body vibrated. Aaron was shaking uncontrollably.
I shook my head, my muffled screams of protest hidden with me in the shadow of the trees. Aaron bit down on my wrist, and a white-hot searing pain tore through my forearm. Every attempt to wiggle made it hurt worse, but I managed to free my mouth.
“I know you’re still in there. You have to stop.” I winced as the pressure increased on my wrist. “Aaron, let me go!”
Without warning, the pressure and pain was gone. I fell against the tree and pulled my bleeding wrist to my body, holding it with pressure. The surrounding area was still, save for my staggered breath. In a matter of seconds, it was over. Aaron had disappeared into the night.
I crumbled to the forest floor. Every movement made my wound sting, and the throbbing wasn’t letting up. Inhaling through my nose, I took in a long breath and let it out slowly. I knew what I had to do. Getting back to the campsite as quickly as possible was imperative. For me and for Aaron.
My adrenaline helped me get back up to my feet, but the dizziness had taken over. Taking another deep breath, I attempted again, only this time, I flew forward into a tree, knocking the air from my lungs.
It was completely dark out, and I found myself walking around in circles. My head was spinning, and the more I walked, the more turned around I felt. I stopped, my eyes darting in every direction, everything unfamiliar.
“Can anyone hear me!” My voice wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be. Nothing but silence followed. I made my way to the ground and cried out at the pain in my wrist. Blood trickled down my wrist and hugged it close to my chest. My rapid breathing was the only sound in the quiet trees.
Rustling leaves and cracking of twigs broke the silence.
“Aaron? . . .” I said.
A dark silhouette emerged through the trees. It took a few seconds for me to make out the face in the dark. My heart dropped.
William was standing in the clearing, looking at me with black eyes.
“I’m afraid not, love.”
A strange ringingfilled my head. It wasn’t just loud. It was everywhere. I grabbed my head and pulled my hands down over my ears. Incessant ringing filled every corner of my mind. The pressure that came with it was intense. Internally, I screamed for it to stop.
Just like that, the ringing was gone. I blinked a few times and tried to get my bearings. The area didn’t feel familiar to me. I was walking through a clearing in the trees. It was dark, the glow of the fire casting silhouettes on their trunks. It was a campsite. No. It was our campsite.
The fog in my head lingered. I blinked, trying to focus. Somehow, I still felt like I wasn’t in reality.
“Hey, Aaron!” Presley jogged toward me. He met me with a smile, but it quickly turned to a frown. “Where’s Kimberly?”
My body moved in slow motion. “Kimberly?”
