Chapter 8

“Well, if you’re certain Quin isn’t home, then I should go.”

“You can’t.” The man answered almost immediately.

“And why not?” I turned on him, growing irritated. I didn’t like this man and I didn’t like the idea of staying in the house with him any longer than I had to.

“You have to wait for Quin to come back.”

“To what end?” I pressed. “He can just call me when he comes back. It’s not a big deal.” I told him, even though I was wondering why Quin had run off. Why hadn’t he stayed in bed and waited for me to wake up before leaving?

“Because you’ve been marked. If another vampire catches the scent of you, you’re as good as dead.” He said as if it were common knowledge.

“What do you mean?” I was skeptical of his words. It just sounded like some weird excuse to keep me inside the house. “And how many vampires are in this city anyway?”

“You’d be surprised.” He said, running his fingers through his black curls. He sighed and straightened himself out, fixing his jacket so it was properly aligned with his shoulders. For a second, I felt strange standing in front of this elegantly dressed individual wearing nothing but a bathrobe.

“I don’t believe you.” Without another word, I walked down the hall and back into the bedroom. I gathered my clothes. As I did, I found a note hidden under my pants like someone had wanted me to find it once I got dressed. It was a piece of crumpled notebook paper with black, rushed handwriting on it.

Kyla,

“Had to go, no time to explain. Speak to Elroy.”

Quin

I tore the piece of paper, annoyed. This was all ludicrous. I had already spoken to Elroy, or at least that’s who I guessed the other vampire was, and he was of no help. Why wouldn’t I be able to go outside? Would vampires hunt me down just because I slept with one of them? That didn’t make any sense.

Finally getting dressed, I exited the house. Outside, the cul-de-sac looked just as quiet as last night. I knew it was all just a trick. Still, I couldn’t understand why Quin would try to keep me trapped in his home. I couldn’t wrap my head around it so I just put on my helmet and mounted my bike. I looked up at the house one more time, seeing a shadow in the second-floor window. Elroy was watching me. Without further hesitation, I backed out of the driveway and sped away, allowing the rumbling of my bike to echo through the area.

The morning was quiet as I zipped through the sleepy neighborhoods. Wanting some time to clear my head, I took the back roads, letting the long winding drive take my mind off everything. Maybe I should just forget about all of this. Deem it a one night stand. Yet, deep down, I knew that I couldn’t abandon Quin. I knew too much and maybe that’s why I wanted to see him again. I nearly turned around, but I was already halfway home.

As I was approaching my apartment, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked around, but my helmet didn’t give me a very wide range of vision. I peered into the forest that surrounded the streets, but all I saw was blurring tree trunks and foliage. In front of me, a little red Toyota drove well below the speed limit until I could not handle tailgating it any further. I sped past it and dashed ahead, making a turn that was a little too sharp for my comfort.

Seconds later, a beautiful woman in a striking red dress appeared in the center of the road. I slammed on the breaks, my bike nearly flipping over. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I steadied the bike and yanked off my helmet. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” I demanded. “What are you doing just standing in the middle of the road?” I asked, but she just looked at me with a vacant expression.

Her long, blood red hair hung over her eyes, obscuring them. Sighing, I put down the kickstand and walked over to her, leaving my helmet behind. “Are you alright?” I asked, reaching out, thinking maybe there was something wrong with her. The moment I held out my hand she grabbed it, her tongue running along my palm.

I was frozen in place almost instantly. My body wouldn’t obey my commands to run away, no matter how hard I tried. All I could do was watch as her fangs grazed my skin, eventually reopening my champagne glass injury. My fingers trembled as her ruby lips moved closer to the blood now seeping from my hand. At this point, I had no doubt that she was another vampire. Had Quin and Elroy been telling the truth?

I tried to yank my hand away, but I was powerless in her grasp. I gulped, making her stare up at my neck, her head tilting as she noticed the mark Quin had left behind. “A marked one.” Her voice was a slither of syllables as she grinned, her tongue running along her lips. “All the sweeter.” She smirked about to lean down and feast on my flesh.

But before she could do so, Elroy dashed out from between the trees, tackling her to the ground. My eyes grew big and I stepped away, hearing the woman scream, her hands reaching out in my direction. I shuddered, watching Elroy wrestle with her, trying to keep her at bay. Quickly, I got to my bike, about to mount and drive away, but I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Nausea washed over me and the last thing I remember before my head hit the asphalt was the sound of the woman’s agonizing, ear-piercing scream.