Crap, Charlie, get your ass off him. He’s already tried to kill you five times today. My pep talk wasn’t doing its job either. I had to touch him, I needed to taste the skin on his neck. God he smelled so good. The way he stared up at me, before he raised his hands to my hips. His grip tightened and I almost moaned at the strength in his hold.
He leaned up, and as our faces moved closer together, he shifted his shoulders and … lifted me to the side. Disappointment flashed through me as I lowered my head and fought for composure.
“I’m going to the feeding room,” I blurted, stumbling to my feet and basically racing from the room. I glanced back just before I crossed out of the gym, and noticed that Ryder had moved across to one of the large bags hanging from the beams. He was already smashing the crap out of it, in a series of attacks that were controlled and smooth, leaving me breathless with jealously. I would never fight like him.
He snarled then, and in a show of unprecedented power drove his fist all the way through, completely destroying the bag and letting the seeds inside run out onto the floor.
That was all I got to see before I was out of sight. I’d never seen Ryder lose control like that before. He was always contained, but the pure fury as he ripped through that bag just then had my pulse racing and my heart stuttering.
I knew I frustrated him. But for some reason that had seemed more like he was fighting himself and his own control. I didn’t understand Ryder very well. He was this strong, powerful enigma, and I guess I had never stopped to think about his story. How long had he been an ash? I knew we aged very slowly, not quite immortal like vampires, but there was a long life in front of us. I had never seen Ryder much in social situations. From the little I knew of him, he mostly hung around the other enforcers in the sexy six, trained me, and went out on missions – though they dialed that back during the culling period. They only contacted Ryder now when it was something the rest couldn’t handle.
He was strong, he was their leader, and I was starting to find it hard to tear my gaze from him when we were in the same room together. I needed to get back to working on that getting laid thing. I wasn’t easy or anything. I could count the number of guys I had slept with on one hand, but lately I was having a hard time dialing down my hormones. Tonight, right after I got me some blood and Tessa time – my bestie was scheduled on the feed tonight – I was heading out to the underground club, Base Level. It was embedded deep into the Hive on level three. Tomorrow might be my last day on Earth – if I was called to the early culling fights – and I was not going to spend it alone or crying in my bed.
Screw Ryder and his hot and cold bullshit. I was a strong, independent, bloodsucking ash. I did not need his sexy butt in my new life. It was confusing enough already.
I slowed my run as I finally made it to the elevator, taking it to floor eleven. I only visited the feeder room to see Tessa and stock up on blood. I still wasn’t cool with sucking on a living person’s neck. When I entered the double doors, I went straight to the fridge and grabbed three bottles, before ducking into my usual feeding room. Tessa was sprawled back in the chair, her skin clammy and pale – though she jumped up straight away and threw herself at me.
“Friggin’ hell, Charlie, I’ve missed you so much.”
She stumbled a little in my arms, and I grabbed at her to keep her on her feet, pulling back to see her better. “What’s wrong, Tess? Are you sick?”
She waved me off. “No, nothing like that, just…” She held a hand over her neck to cover the right side.
I must have been slow or something tonight, because it was more than a few moments before I clicked in to what the hell had happened.
“Who?” I demanded, my hands gripping her biceps a little hard. “Who fed from you, Tess?”
No vampire or ash was allowed to just randomly feed, which meant she had signed up for this shit – additional feedings. Her round eyes widened a little and she dropped her gaze. I knew my own eyes would be a blaze of silvery green, so I closed them to try and regain control.
Placing my friend, with her overly pallid skin, back in the chair, I ripped into the top of my blood bottle. I was not going to be able to deal with this on an empty stomach.
She watched me warily as I prowled across the floor. “Why would you sign up to be a second feeder? You’re going to get hurt, Tess!”
Her lips crinkled into a smile. “Babe, you worry too much. It’s not like you actually feed from me, and maybe … well, you know, I might actually have a shot at being turned into a vamp.”
The bottle fell from my fangs and smashed onto the floor, spattering out the remains of blood. My jaw hung open. “What … why … I don’t… ” I was spluttering away, trying to figure out what to say to her. “Why would you want to be a vamp?”