Page 6 of Taste of Forever
“Don’t look so scared,” the other boy teased. “I don’t know how many vamps there are in Shadowburn, but we’re way less scary than dragon shifters.”
I wasn’t sure if I schooled my facial features quickly enough, but I forced away the wide-eyed shock with a laugh. “Right. Yes, of course. Well, thanks for your help. You all have a good night.”
The four of them waved and said goodbye as I started down the hill toward the vampire city. Nice kids, all things considering.
When I hit the street below, my hand slapped my thigh, over the pocket where my phone was. “Shit!” I hadn’t recorded a single word of that conversation.
With a huff, I turned on the audio recorder before shoving the phone back in my pocket with the microphone facing up. In all honesty, it didn’t feel right to record kids without their knowledge. But I needed real, physical proof and this time, I’d get it.
My blood pounded in my ears while I tried my best to act completely normal and like I belonged in this world. While vampires of every size, shape, and ethnicity passed me on the street, I fought the impulse to stare at them as I headed straight for the blood bank.
Chapter 2
Heather
The strangest part about walking into the blood bank was how eerily familiar it was. From the reception desk to the tiled floor to the chairs against the walls, it could have been any doctor’s office or walk-in clinic.
A mid-twenties-looking man wearing dark blue scrubs stood at the reception desk. I saw his side profile first, his dark brown hair and glasses making him look utterly normal, even approachable. A human, hopefully.
My nerves relaxed as I approached the desk, but after two steps, my heart crashed against my ribs. He turned to face me, offering a smile that was full of fangs. The whites of his eyes were completely black. His dark brown irises were almost lost among the blackness.
“Hi. Did you have a donation appointment?”
“… What?” The noise he made reached my ears but the question didn’t register. I couldn’t stop staring at his strange eyes.
“Do you have an appointment, or just walking in?”
“Oh… Um, walking in. If that’s okay.”
“Of course it is.” He tapped a button on the computer before angling his head toward me with a small smile. “First time in, I take it?”
“Uh, yes. I’m visiting.” I forced my head to nod, leaning on the same story I’d told the kids on the hill. “From Shadowburn.”
“Ah, welcome,” he said casually, gathering a few sheets of paper and a pen on a clipboard. “Have a seat and fill these out. Then we’ll run a few tests to make sure you’re a good candidate for donation.”
“Tests?” I accepted the clipboard absently. “What kinds of tests?”
“We’ll prick your finger for a small blood sample to check your iron levels and any other abnormalities that may disqualify you for donation.” The man smiled at me in a way that was probably supposed to be easygoing and friendly, but all I could see were those long canines and his black eyes. “If you’re generally healthy, you don’t have anything to worry about. We just want to make sure recipients get high-quality blood during their feedings. Our high standards keep the blood bank in business.”
“Right.” I realized I was staring at his eyes more than was considered polite and jerked my gaze down to the clipboard. “Okay, thanks.”
He gave a slight chuckle. “Don’t see many brusang in Shadowburn, huh?”
“What?” I looked up, once again caught off-guard by his eyes.
“Brusang.” He pointed at his eyes. “That’s what I am.”
“Oh. You’re not a vampire?”
“Not exactly. I was born human and got turned. So I’m a little of both.” He smiled again, turning back to the computer. “Welcome to Sanguine. There are dozens of us here.”
“Oh, I see.” I gave an awkward laugh, unsure of what the appropriate response should be.
“Make yourself comfortable.” The brusang man nodded at the row of chairs. “Let me know if you have any questions. There’s water and juice in the dispensers. No coffee, I’m afraid. It bitters the blood.”
I sank into a chair and scanned the forms he’d given me. The questions were incredibly normal, asking about general health history, diet, drug and alcohol consumption, and any potential blood disorders or genetic conditions. It was strange how normal the form was, considering I was in a hidden, parallel world, about to donate my blood to a freaking vampire.
The second page asked more personal questions, including age, height, hair and eye color, gender, and sexual orientation. I scanned all the questions several times before hesitantly filling it out. The final page was a consent form and an explanation of their anonymity process. At least I had some protection in that regard, right?
