Ash(11)

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.