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.