It took me forever to get home, mainly because Tessa was a dead weight. I ended up catching a cab and putting it on her credit card. She might only be from a one parent family too, but unlike mine, hers had lots of old money. Tessa had a fat trust fund and she wouldn’t mind me charging the cab to her card.

After managing to finagle her shoes off, I dropped her onto her bed. And then, finally, I got to wash that creeper’s blood from my hands, and then remove my makeup before getting into bed myself. Stretching out, I tried my best not to think about all the strange shit that was happening to me lately. Including but not limited to the pull I’d felt to that ash tonight. Ryder. I had no explanation. Maybe, if I’d been a dude, I’d be worried that mom had done the down and dirty with a vampire. I certainly had some of the “poster” symptoms. But there was no such thing as a female ash, and my father had been a human soldier, killed in the line of duty.

Maybe I was just going through a hormone imbalance or some crap. I should probably get to the campus clinic and have my blood work run. Just to be safe.

I drifted off, and for the first part of the night slept like the dead. It must have been in the early hours that a vivid dream engulfed me.

The world was washed in blood. I swam in rivers of crimson, swept downstream as I struggled to quench the insatiable thirst inside of me. No matter how much I drank, it was never enough. I thrashed around, trying to free myself from the nightmare, but I couldn’t wake. Hands grabbed me and I was yanked from the river. The thick, tacky blood coated my body and I swear I could even taste the metallic tang on my tongue. The copper scent assaulted my nose. It was odd … but so good. I was carried, and the world started to cry, and it felt as if my soul were crying with it. I lifted my face to feel the drops, only to realize they were blood also. The world wasn’t crying, it was bleeding.

I startled awake, my chest rising as I gasped, trying to fill my heavy lungs with air. Dream. Holy shit, that dream had felt so real. And so goddamn creepy. A splash of wetness landed on my face, and almost in slow motion I raised my hand and touched my cheek. My heart rate slowed a little when I realized that it was really rain this time, not blood. A second drop landed, and within a blink of an eye I was up off the ground and on my feet. Rain?

Off the ground? My head swiveled rapidly, eyes darting left and right as I tried to figure out what the crap was going on. Was I still dreaming? How the hell did I get outside during my sleep? I knew I had been safely in my dorm room, and now I seemed to be … my eyes alighted on a series of warning signs which were scattered around a tall chain-link fence. Sweet love of the gods, I was halfway across town, outside the gated compound surrounding the Hive.

I blinked more than once, trying to wrap my head around what had happened. I looked down at myself to see I was still clothed. I was either losing my mind or something really serious was wrong. I used to sleepwalk when I was younger, but never got further than the living room. One thing I did know was that I needed to haul ass immediately. I could not be caught after curfew in this area. I’d pretty much be signing my own death warrant. I looked up at the moon high in the sky, and hugged my arms across my chest against the bite of the cold. September seemed to be up and down lately with cold. Tonight, with the rain, I could feel the iciness of winter around the corner.

I didn’t think, I just ran, my bare feet smashing against the gravel road, not even caring that they were getting all cut up. I was still in my sleep shirt, but that didn’t seem to be the most pressing issue right now. Somehow, despite my shock, my body knew what to do. I had never run so swiftly, but within moments I was out of the danger zone and back in familiar territory. I hadn’t consciously made the decision to head this way, but something drove me toward my family home. Toward my mom. Sometimes a girl just needs her mom, especially if she might possibly be losing her mind.

I turned onto my street, large trees lining it. I hadn’t grown up in the best neighborhood, but it was perfect, middle class suburbia, and I needed some normalcy. As I dashed up the steps to my front porch, I didn’t bother to contemplate on the fact that I’d just sprinted across town in under ten minutes. The trip should have taken me thirty at a brisk pace. I ran a shaky hand through my long, tangled hair, and tried to calm my frantic thoughts. My feet stung from my barefooted haul-ass run, and I saw smudges of bloody footprints dotting the porch.

My mom was a surgical nurse and worked a lot of shift hours. My muddled brain couldn’t quite remember what shift she was on right now, so instead of disturbing her I reached down and scrambled beneath the potted plant to find the hidden key. It clicked quietly in the lock and I let myself into the cool, familiar front hall and locked the door behind me.

Padding through the parlor, I ended up at the kitchen. Instinct drove me forward. I was so, so, thirsty. Opening up the single door fridge, I knew Mom would have plenty of goodness inside. She was the best cook around. But as I stared at the contents, not even the peach and pecan pie tempted me.

I grabbed a sports drink, wondering if I needed a kick of electrolytes. Flipping it open, I took a large gulp, but before I could swallow it I found myself spitting it all back out. It was disgusting. Tasted like chemicals and salt. I read the label in the dull light of the open fridge. Date was fine, so what the hell was wrong with it?

I sensed a presence just seconds before she spoke: “Charlie baby, what are you doing here?”

Spinning around, drink still clutched in my hands, I held back a sob and threw myself into my mom’s arms. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Words poured from me. I was all out of whack. My thoughts seemed to be going a million miles an hour, and yet I was barely comprehending the simplest of things.

I pulled back a little to stare at my mom. She was still young and beautiful, despite the fact she’d done double duty and raised me by herself. Truth was, I couldn’t have asked for a better parent. And I needed her calm mom words more than anything.

“What happened? Did you run here in your nightgown? Barefoot?” Her gaze roamed over me, the dim lighting enough for me to see concern in her dark brown eyes. We shared the same eye color and general build, but my mom was very blond and I had quite dark hair. Same as my father. Who I only knew from the two or three scattered photos of him around the place.

“Shit, I’m probably bleeding all over your kitchen floor.” I lifted my feet to inspect the cuts. My stomach dropped. No! They were pretty much healed. Just slight pink lines remained.

I couldn’t say anymore; the nausea and dizziness was starting to crowd in on me. Darkness pressed at the edge of my consciousness and weakness invaded my limbs.

“I’m so thirsty, Mom.” Those were not the words I intended to say. I was going to tell her that I’d had a dream and sleepwalked. But the thirst was driving me crazy. If I was so thirsty, why the hell did everything taste like shit?

“Charlie!” Her exclamation was muffled. She sounded like she was miles away from me. I shook my head a few times, fighting back the darkness, but eventually I couldn’t any longer. I slumped forward, knowing at least tonight my mom would be there to catch me when I fell. My last thought was about the plump vein throbbing on her neck.

Loud voices broke through the fuzzy static in my head. I groaned, trying to remember what had happened last night. Images filtered through slowly. I’d gone out with Tessa, and … drank a lot. Was that why I had this craptastic static in my head?

“Charlie, can you hear me, sweetheart?”

That voice was familiar. What was Mom doing in my dorm? I tried to pry open my eyes. It took more than one attempt for me to crack them a sliver.

“Mom…” I croaked out. “What’s going on?”

I felt her cool hands on my face, and I groaned as pain shot through me. I felt like I was burning up. I was sick. Sicker than I’d ever remembered being. This was so not a simple hangover.

“I need you to listen to me, Charlene Anne Bennett. I love you more than anything in this world, and it doesn’t matter what anyone says to you in the next few days, that will never change. Do you understand me?” Her voice was strong and didn’t waver.

Holy shit, she was scaring me.

Fear gave me the boost of adrenalin I needed to pry my lids fully open, and my mother’s worried face came into view. She wasn’t the only one either. Standing behind her, one on either side, were two ash. Both of them had those eerie black eyes with the silver rings locked on me. I realized then I wasn’t in my dorm. I was lying on my mother’s kitchen floor. Why was I in my mother’s house? Actually, more importantly, why were ash in my mother’s house?

“Mom…”

I needed to get her out of here. Ash were dangerous, especially in a private residence with no one around to help us.

“I’m so sorry, Charlie. I tried to tell you so many times. But … I didn’t think it could ever happen. You were a girl, so you had to be John’s.”

I struggled to get up, and with assistance from my mom I managed to get into a sitting position. From this angle, I was suddenly mesmerized by the pulsing vein in the side of her neck. I opened and closed my eyes a few times, but still, when I looked again, the vein was definitely pulsing with blood.

One of the ash picked up his phone, and pressing a button lifted it to his ear. He muttered three words:

“We need Ryder.”

And just like that I passed out again.

This time when I awoke my mom wasn’t there, and unlike the fuzziness from before, I had all of my memories and they were crystal clear. Holy shit. There had been ash in my mom’s house. My feet had healed in seconds. The bloody dream. The vein in my mom’s neck. What the actual hell was wrong with me? Was my drink spiked last night with something … some sort of hallucinogen? A human growth hormone that made my body go nuts? There had to be a medical explanation.

I looked down. I was clothed in a starched, white hospital gown. Mom must have brought me here after I spazzed out on her and lost consciousness twice. But a glance around only raised my confusion. This didn’t look like any room I’d ever seen at Legacy Hospital. For one thing, it was way too big and teched out, and it had a huge glass window, like an observation station, dominating the entire right wall. A shadow darted across the window and I jerked my head a little, trying to see what was there. Was it a doctor creeping around? Or was there some awesome stalker in my life?

A throat cleared behind me. Standing three feet from my hospital bed was him, the gorgeous, deadly-looking ash from the club last night. Ryder. Had he been standing there the entire time? What the hell was in my drinks last night?

My focus locked on him again and the air almost sizzled between us. That strange pull was still there, a connection I sure as shit did not want with an ash. Speaking of … what the fuck was he doing in my hospital room?

There was very little expression on his face; his jaw was clenched. I swallowed hard, my tongue swollen. I was so goddamn thirsty it felt like my head was going to explode. I lifted my arm to adjust my position and found that I was chained to the bed.

Oh hell no. It was becoming startlingly clear that my initial instinct had been correct. This wasn’t a freakin’ hospital.

Ryder hadn’t moved. His dark eyes seemed to be locked on mine. Finally, he shook his head. “It can’t be.” His words were low and muttered, not really intended for my ears.

I pulled against the chains. “Where the hell am I? What have you done with my mom? You need to let me go right now. This is all kinds of jacked up and against the law.”

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, making the words garbled. Ryder moved then, in that preternatural way which suggested speed far greater than a human. He grabbed a small mirror off a side table and approached me slowly.

“Charlie, I need you to stay calm. Your mom phoned the hotline number when you passed out. She saw your eyes, and knew that … well, it’s damned impossible … but we think you’re an ash.”

My mouth dropped open. What did he just say? Before I could verbally react, he was holding the mirror out and shoving it in front of my face.

I froze as my reflection shimmered back at me.

“No!”

I howled. It was low and animalistic. My eyes…

Gone was the dark brown so like my mother’s. In its place was a black iris with a ring around it. The ring was a silvery green, dancing like it contained bolts of lightning. I wanted to tear my gaze from those alien eyes. But I couldn’t stop looking.

Holy fuck! I had ash eyes.

Even in my distressed state, I noticed that something about my eyes seemed a little different from the male ash eyes I had seen. But there was no mistaking the fact that I had the very distinct eyes of a human vampire hybrid. My mother’s words floated back to me. She had been trying to tell me something, to prepare me for this moment. My chest heaved as I fought back the panic that was coming. Ryder held the mirror in place, as if he was trying to force me to stare longer, to acknowledge all of the things I had conveniently ignored over the last few months. It wasn’t just the eyes. There was no denying how flawless my skin was; it had a light glow, and my hair shone like in a Pantene commercial. Not to mention I could run like an Olympic athlete and was thirsty for something no liquid I drank could quench. But still, even with all of that, the eyes were the worst.

I was a freak. How had this happened?

As Ryder lowered the mirror, the dry burning need in my throat and mouth roared to life. Everything was starting to make sense now. If I was an ash, I needed…

Ryder produced a small bag of blood.

No! Not blood. I couldn’t be like them. I wouldn’t.

The moment I had that thought, he pricked the plastic bag, and as the metallic tang filtered into the air, some sort of instinct knocked into me. I jerked hard against the chains and was relieved to hear them snap. There was the slightest burn in my gums, near the canine areas, and I could actually feel the lengthening of my fangs.

But I was too far gone in the blood haze to care about that.

I popped up on two feet and stood on the bed looking down at Ryder. He looked only mildly surprised by my rapid movement as he tossed me the bag. He then reached for a long stick which had been resting near the end of my bed, with some type of metal electrodes at the end.

The blood bag was cool to touch, and as my eyes zeroed in on the dark red within, my stomach churned. This was gross. I was not doing this. No, no, no…

Before I could stop myself, the thirst within roared harder and I lifted the pouch, bringing it to my mouth. The fangs, over which I had no control, slid out again and punctured the plastic. I began sucking the glorious blood into my mouth and down my throat. Pleasure exploded on my tongue and I moaned. I had a fleeting thought of Tessa. I would have to tell her that touching an ash had not done shit, but drinking blood was most definitely a mini orgasm. Even though my head was still saying gross, the rest of me was in heaven. For the first time in forever, my thirst was contained. Vitality poured into my body. My heart pounded in my ears and my muscles tightened. All too soon the bag was empty.

“More,” I growled at Ryder.

He slowly pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt clip. “We need to put the south ward on lockdown.”

What the fuck? He wasn’t producing the blood I wanted fast enough, so I leapt down from the bed, ready to rip his pockets open in search of more of that liquid orgasm. But before I could get within two feet of him, his arm snaked out, grabbing me by the neck and slamming me back down on the bed.

I froze as both shock and arousal poured through my newly sensitized body. He leaned down close to my ear and I could smell him – cedarwood and other spices, not to mention that something decidedly male and enticing. Of course he would smell yummy too. I could not catch a break. His breath tickled my ear.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

My thoughts of Ryder were distracted by a heady scent of metallic deliciousness wafting toward me. That smell – someone had more blood nearby. My leg kicked out hard, launching Ryder off of me. I got two steps to the door when I felt a massive surge of electricity rock my body and I fell backward.

Strong arms wrapped around me just as the blackness took me.

It felt as if the jolt knocked me out for only seconds, but it must have been longer. I awoke in a different room, and even though I should have had the mother of all headaches after taking that much electrical pulse, I felt amazing. My senses seemed to be on overdrive, and it took me only moments to catalogue the area. I had expected to be chained to the bed again, but in this room there were no chains. A tugging sensation had me focusing on the IV in my arm. I followed the cord to find a large bag of blood slowly dripping into my vein. I ran my tongue over my teeth. The canines were short again, and for the first time in days my mouth felt wet and hydrated.

Movement and a scraping sound caught my attention – two figures stepped into view. The pair, who had not realized I was awake yet, were across the other side of the large room, but I could hear them perfectly.

“She needs more blood than most ash. Nearly the same amount as a vampire in the midst of the change. If you keep her hydrated, you shouldn’t have any more outbursts.” A short-haired, strawberry-blond woman wearing a white lab coat was speaking to Ryder. On instinct I inhaled. Her scent was different to the male ash and humans. She was a vampire. Somehow I knew this already, like I had an inbuilt radar that told me human, ash, or vampire.

My eyes fell then to the stick Ryder still held in his hands. I had a distinct flash of burning pain as I recalled how that bastard had electrocuted me.

I was an ash. Shit. I knew newly-turned ash could be dangerous. Something about needing large influxes of blood for the cells to adjust to the virus as it finally released and took root in your body. I could have killed my mom. Maybe I should be a little more grateful to be here and not out there hurting someone I loved. Though what I really needed was an explanation. How could this even happen? A female ash. I always wanted to be unique, but this was not exactly what I’d had in mind.

I stared down at my hands, only to find that they looked slightly different, the skin tighter, paler, baby soft. Holy hell on wheels, I did not know how to process this. I was legit a damned ash. What did this even mean for me? Would I ever see my mom again? Tessa? What about college? I was not ready to give my life up and live in the Hive.

My tumultuous thoughts were cut off as the lab-coat woman left the room and suddenly Ryder was back by my side. His eyes locked in on me as he stopped about three feet from my bed. He didn’t seem surprised to see me awake. Probably he’d known the entire time.

I cleared my throat, unsure of what to say. “I’m a woman,” I blurted out stupidly.

His cheeks lifted then, the sides of his mouth quirking into a sexy smile, full of dimples and straight white teeth. Until this point I had not seen the man crack even so much as a smirk, and now I was assaulted with that much sexiness all in one go. He was lethal in more ways than one.

The gods hated me today. I did not want to be attracted to an ash. I couldn’t be.

His smile faded then, morphing into an expression that was part heat and part curiosity. His eyes drifted down my body. “Yes, I see that.”

Well, eff me. “No, I mean … how can a woman be an ash?”

He took another slow step toward me, his hand still gripping his torture stick. Whether I deserved it or not, I really wanted to get him back for that one. Although, as I scanned his huge arms and graceful stalk toward me, I doubted I could take him on.

“We’re all a little mystified at your presence here. But there’s no doubt … you’re an ash.”

As fear flooded me, so did anger. “So I just give everything up and join your bloodsucker gang?” I spat the words out. There was nothing I hated more than losing my freedom, my choices. Sure, I probably wouldn’t have found the cure for cancer, but that wasn’t the point. The point was I could have, and now that chance was gone.

He lowered the stick to his side and I noticed his ankle was in a walking boot, like he had recently been injured.

“You will have to abide by our rules and live here in the Hive, yes.”

I had guessed I was in the Hive, but now it was confirmed. Wait! I was in the mother-effing Hive! Of course I was. My skin crawled at the realization of how many ash and vampires were around me right then. Thousands. I forced myself not to think about the only other time I’d been on these grounds. This time would be different. Yeah, sure. This time I’d probably have hundreds of the bastards trying to hurt me.

My eyes darted again to his firm grip on the torture stick. “You can put that thing down. I think I’ve had my weekly intake of electric shock, thanks.” I glared.

He didn’t budge. “My broken ankle would seem to disagree with you.”

My mouth dropped slightly. I did that? Shit. “Oh. Whoops.”

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “It will heal in a few hours.”

I leaned back on the pillow. Maybe for now I needed to just shut the hell up and do what this guy told me. I clearly didn’t know anything about this place, and there was no returning to the human world for me. My entire life was going to change. No more Tessa, no more Mom. Curfew, blood thirst, fighting. Shit … I had forgotten about that part. The fighting. The rumors of the fighting match required to earn your place here. I felt the heat behind my eyes then, the pressure which had me pressing my tongue to the roof of my mouth. But there was no stopping it. Big hot girly tears tumbled down my cheeks and I rolled over and faced the wall as sobs wracked my body.

I heard the soft click of the door as Ryder left to give me privacy and I let it all out. I needed to process this shit and get over it, because if the rumors were true, I would soon be fighting for my life. The Hive was overpopulated. If you wanted to live, you had to earn that right.

After crying it all out, I pulled myself together. That was my one moment to fall apart. Now I would deal with this shit the same way I had dealt with every bad thing in my life – by fighting back. I got out of bed, wincing as I pulled out my IV and the tape which had held it down. Noticing a pile of clothes on a nearby chair, I crossed over to pick up the first item. I felt my brows draw together as I stared at the shiny material. I wasn’t happy about wearing something of theirs, but I had no choice. I also noticed boots and underwear, which surprisingly enough looked to be my size. I slipped into the cotton underwear and followed this with the skintight black jumpsuit, which had silver panels on the side. Everything fit me like a glove. The back and front right pocket of my suit had “#46” on it.

Had they custom made this outfit for me or something? How long had I been out of it? Surely not long enough for them to measure and fit me with an outfit. Ugh, did those creeps take my measurements while I was unconscious? I really shouldn’t even be surprised by that.

Dressed and nervous, I was just deciding whether or not to try and open the door when I heard voices on the other side. I pressed my ear against it.

“There has never been a female ash. She’s special. The rules are not the same for her and we shouldn’t have her fight with the others. What if she’s killed?” Ryder’s voice was low, controlled, but I could hear undercurrents which made me nervous. I couldn’t tell how far away he was, but I could hear him as if he was right next to me. Ash perk.

A cold, hard voice cut him off. “There are eleven open beds left in this hive and forty-six new ash. She will fight with the others and earn her place like everyone else.”

“Sir, I respect your position, but—”

“But you’re not in my position, so do your job and follow orders. Find her a trainer and a sponsor and be done with it!” Loud footsteps retreated.

“Dick,” Ryder muttered, and I smirked.

The door opened suddenly, cracking me in the side of the face.

“Ow!” I rubbed my cheek as Ryder stood before me.

He let out an exasperated sigh. “Do you make it a habit to listen behind closed doors?”

His eyes locked in on me and I was struck by the notion that, like my own, his were a little different than the others. More silver.

I stepped back a few feet. “I might be guilty of doing that on occasion.”

He had no cast on his leg now. He hadn’t been kidding about the quick healing. And, thankfully, he no longer carried the torture stick. He gestured for me to follow him.

“If you can keep from attacking everyone, I can allow you to join the rest of the new ash.”

“No promises.” I pursed my lips. I wasn’t kidding either.

The smallest hint of a smile crossed his face as if he’d heard the extra thoughts I didn’t add. He picked up his walkie-talkie. “I’m taking new initiate number forty-six out into general population. Be advised.”

My eyebrows shot up. Seriously? What else had I done in my blood craze?

I followed him out of the long hall. We passed a dozen doors. My pretty cool, black ass-kicking boots clanked against the black and white checkered linoleum floors. At the end of the hall, Ryder opened two double doors which led into a nice waiting room. A beautiful, extremely well-coiffed female vampire sat a reception desk, talking on the phone. There were closed-door offices scattered to the left and right.

Ryder led me to a door marked “Orientation.”

He opened it and I glanced inside. It was empty of people. Just a few desks.

His expression was unreadable as he gestured for me to step inside. “This is where I leave you,” he said. “I will send Jose along to get you acquainted and give you a tour.”

Oh. I tried to school my immediate disappointment. Ryder was the only somewhat familiar person I knew here. Along with disappointment, there was also panic and nerves fighting to spill from me. Guess I couldn’t rely on Ryder any longer. It was probably best he left anyway. It would just make things easier all round if I didn’t go all Stockholm on this ash, and start falling for my captor. He was lethal in more ways than one.

“Thanks for…” Not letting me kill my mom. And so many other things.

He stared into my eyes again and I saw him inhale deeply, the silver of his eyes pulsing. Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Welcome to the Hive, number forty-six. Try to stay alive.”

He turned on his heels and left. Number forty-six? Asshole. I let the door slam behind me before turning to sink into the closest chair.

An hour later and I was still getting the tour of this crazy place. Jose, the Hispanic ash who had been my guide thus far, was like a robot on crack. He spoke rapidly, mostly about all the Hive facts I was supposed to give a shit about.

“So, like I said, the Hive is a master of ingenuity. Eighty stories. Twenty are dug deep into the earth. The other sixty tower high above, as you have seen from the city. There are shutters on all the upper levels so the vamps don’t burn up. They stay closed at all times during daylight hours. As soon as night hits, then the entire Hive opens up and comes to life.”

I was following him aimlessly, trying to ignore the crazy stares I was getting. Apparently the rumor mill was already in full swing. They all knew a freakin’ unicorn mythical ash creature was amongst them and they all wanted to get a look. A few full-fledged vampires had passed us – and I’m not gonna lie – when their strange energy brushed against me, my heart started hammering in my chest. Those bastards were so creepy. They barely walked – more like floated.

“This is the floor.” Jose stopped and I walked into his back.

“Ooof.” Whoops.

He glared at me and then went back to robot mode.

“This is the most important floor of the Hive. Level eleven, feeder and blood storage level. Every vampire and ash has a feeding schedule and a preferred feeder. Or if you like the bottled stuff, that’s fine too.”

He pulled out a tablet and looked down. “You’re O-negative. I’d suggest for pure taste you stick with that blood type, but you can drink any sort. Hmm, I see here you have been cleared for six feedings a day. That’s a lot.” His brow creased. I craned my neck to try and see what else the tablet said about me. He shifted it out of sight, turning it off and slipping it away.

He straightened, and continued the tour. As he opened the doors on the feeder room, the distinct copper scent assaulted my nose and I felt that burn in my gums again. Somehow I knew my fangs had lengthened. It felt like when my chocolate addiction kicked it. Blood now smelled as delicious as melted chocolate, the kind humans dipped their strawberries in.

Humans. Oh man. I was already drooling over blood and separating myself from humans. Not good.

Jose checked me in with the ash receptionist, a large, beefy, black-haired male, with really dark caramel skin. Beautiful like all ash.

“Well, this is the end of the tour. By the time your feeding session is done, I will have your room assignment ready.”

I was trying not to salivate as I looked at the open glass refrigerated cases behind the guy at the desk.

“Feeding session?” Shit, just hand me a few of those bottles and I was good. No session required.

“Your requested feeder is waiting in room seven,” front desk ash told me.

Requested feeder? Had Ryder set something up for me already? No way was I actually ready to feed from a human – I wasn’t sure I was ever going to actually bite into a person like they were a freakin’ apple. I was just opening my mouth to give a definite “Hell no” to the guy behind the desk when it hit me, a familiar scent. Under all the liquid chocolate was my bestie. Right … my requested feeder. Tessa, you crazy bitch.

“Thanks!” I opened the fridge, moving along the shelves until I found the O-negative shelf and grabbed a bottle.

“For later,” I said, before bolting down the hall. The doors were all numbered, and as I dashed toward number seven, I lifted the blood bottle and inserted my fangs into the two holes perfectly placed in the lid. The burn in my mouth increased as the canines fully extended, piercing through the seals. It was like they could sense the blood. I chugged the liquid down as fast as I could. I wouldn’t talk to Tessa thirsty. She would not heal like Ryder. As the splash of deliciousness coated my tongue, I tried not to moan. Moans were strictly for chocolate and orgasms. Not blood.

I slowed as door number seven appeared, and after removing the bottle and making sure all the blood was gone from my mouth, I burst through. My body immediately gravitated toward the warmth in the room – I was a damned predator now, and already my body was attuned to stupid blood – but I forced myself to focus on the fact that this was my best friend. I drank in the sight of her. Finally, something that felt familiar and like the old Charlie.

Tessa looked like shit. Her makeup was smudged, her blond curls wild.

She stood as I ran to embrace her, but when we were about two feet apart her eyes widened and a rich, cloying scent wafted from her. I halted a foot from her. I’d smelt this heavy scent before, when I had been afraid. Tessa was scared of me.

Her eyes scanned over me rapidly. She was cataloguing all the changes. The blood I’d just downed was working its magic, and I knew my eyes would be shooting out all kinds of swirly ash vibes.

The smile slid off my face. I wasn’t sure what to do. You know shit’s real when your best friend for most of your life is afraid of you.

“Hey,” I finally said. My eyes fell. I stared at my shiny boots. I really, really needed Tess to be my normal and annoying best friend right now. I was pretty sure I couldn’t handle one more disappointment this week.

As if she’d sensed that need, I felt a hand touch my cheek, and as I raised my head, a smile spread across her haggard features. This time she didn’t hesitate to pull me into a bone-crushing hug.

“Sorry, your eyes freaked me out. They’re kind of really fucked up, Charlie.”

I relished the brutal honesty this girl could dish out. “You don’t look so hot yourself,” I countered.

She pulled away. “Yeah, that’s what happens when your best friend turns into an ash and gets taken to the Hive.”

I sat down and took a deep breath. “Tess, I am so, so happy I got to see you this one time, but that’s all this can be. It’s not safe here. If you sign up as a feeder, others could use you.”

She sat next to me and threw across her biggest bitch game-face. “I’m coming here every week. Every. Single. Week. If I get fed on, then so be it.”

She was daring me to counter her. I couldn’t. I was selfish enough to know I needed her.

“I might not last a week,” I whispered, thinking of the rumors.

She put an arm around me and said, “Tell me everything.”

And I did.