Page 31 of Our Little Monster
By the time they were finally done, I leaned my head back against the cool brick wall behind me and took a few minutes to steady myself before trying to stand.
“Easy,” Nox urged as he reached for me, and I batted his hand away.
“I can do it myself,” I hissed, and Bastian rushed me, pinning me against the wall.
“For fuck’s sake, Serina, you’re going to let us take you to your bike.” He lifted me effortlessly into his arms.
Honestly, I had no energy to fight, so I just scowled at him.
I could feel the vibrations of Bastian’s frantic heartbeat against my ear as he held me. Was he afraid? Worried? He cradled me with an urgency that seemed tinged with fear.
He held me against him, but each step jostled my wounds, sending a fresh wave of agony rolling through me. I wanted to tell him to stop, to let me lie still on the cold floor so the pain wouldn't dance along my nerves with such fervor, but the words were lost, tangled in the thick haze of my consciousness as I tried to breathe through the pain.
I could tell he noticed my distress because his steps became smoother—softer. He held me tighter against him to prevent me from moving too much. I decided to talk to try and distract myself from the pain and from how close he was to me.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, panting through the ache.
“You want the honest answer? Or the full-of-shit answer?” Nox asked from the left side of Bastian.
I huffed, “Both. Enlighten me.”
“Honestly, our house isn’t too far from here, and we heard the gunshots and figured you were up to no good.”
“Full-of-shit answer?” My voice sounded labored the more I spoke.
“We thought this warehouse would make for a lovely stroll, don’t you think, Thorne?” Nox teased, and Thorne huffed a laugh with a shake of his head.
Jokes… The Vampires had jokes.
We made it to my motorcycle pretty quickly, and I pushed out of Bastian’s arms with the little strength I had left. He didn’t fight me.
I started the bike and swung my leg over, feeling my face scrunch as I fought through the pain as I got into position.
“You know, we could just take you to your hotel,” Thorne offered, but I shook my head.
“I think I’ve asked for enough of your assistance tonight.” I kicked up my stand and prepared to take off, keeping my features neutral.
“Have you thought anymore about our deal?” Bastian asked.
“Nope,” I lied plainly, before taking off into the changing skies of the early morning.
9
Serina
Mywoundswerefesteringwith pain. The swelling had gotten worse no matter how many times I tried to clean it myself.
It had been two days since the night at the warehouse, and when I woke up this morning, the nausea and chills started, and I didn’t have a thermometer, but I was certain I had a fever.
Infection was settling in my wounds, but I refused to go to the doctor. I didn’t need to attract more attention to myself, and the persona my ID was under had already been to the hospital more than a normal person. I didn’t want to take the risk any more than I already had.
I reached for my phone with a trembling hand on the nightstand, wincing from the pain radiating through my entire body. I had to hold back from throwing up all over the floor from the small motion.
I quickly facetimed Sam, and she picked up on the second ring.
“Damn, you look like shit, Serina. What happened to you?” she said, worry lacing her tone.
“Went on hunt, hunt went bad,” I coughed, sounding like a groaning caveman. I moved the phone to show her my wounds. “I need your help.” My words were weak and breathy but to the point.
