I turned and left the hallway with Ryder hot on my heels. The night of fun was over, and we were heading back to the Hive. Back to the world of blood and vamps. If I didn’t figure this out soon, how to stop all of this blood-lusting after me, I wasn’t going to survive long past the culling anyways.
The next day I awoke to a loud banging on my door. This wasn’t a friendly, just-stopping-by knock. It was a police-raid I’m-going-to-Taser-your-ass, bang-bang-bang sort of knock. I leapt off the bed, heart hammering and crossed the hallway as Jayden flew out of his room, eyes wide.
“What the hell?” Jayden looked half dead. Ryder and Kyle might have brought me home early from the club, but Jayden and Tessa had stayed out with their men.
“Open the damn door!”
It was Ryder.
I flung the door open and he stepped inside and slammed it behind him.
“The Quorum is on their way.” His words were short and sharp. “They want another blood test after the culling and what happened at the club. They don’t trust Lucas.”
My eyes went wide and Jayden looked confused. I hadn’t told him about the direct descendent thing. Not because I didn’t trust him, but because there wasn’t really anything to say. No one knew what I was, they just knew I wasn’t normal.
“What do I do?”
Would it be so bad for the Quorum to find out I was directly linked to an Original? No one had really explained the end results for me if everyone found out. But since Ryder looked worried and usually nothing fazed that man, there was definitely room for me to start stressing.
Ryder tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck. “Bite me,” he declared.
Heck yes! I mean … what?
I raised one eyebrow as Jayden looked at me, grinning. Okay, I’m not gonna lie, I had fantasized about Ryder saying those exact words, but not in front of Jayden. And not in response to the stupid Quorum. I hadn’t fed directly off anyone before and now really didn’t seem like the right time to start – the freakin’ Quorum was on its way. I closed my mouth abruptly, trying to figure out what he was on about. “You want me to … bite you? Why?”
Ryder grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. “Feed from me and then from Jayden, and when they take your blood it will be a diluted mix. It’s the only chance we have.”
Holy. Shit. Was it man-candy Monday?
Realizing there wasn’t time to ponder this, I slipped one hand behind Ryder’s neck and stood on my tiptoes as instinct kicked in and my fangs slid from my upper gums. I had about a thousand-percent more control over my fangs now than when I first turned, but right at this moment they wanted Ryder. As I leaned in, I barely even noticed that Jayden turned and left the room, giving me privacy. My nose grazed against Ryder – Mmm, he smelled so good. I lightly scraped my fangs against his neck, but paused. I had never fed from a living person. Would I hurt him? Would warm blood be gross?
His hands clamped down on my hips. “Do it, I want you to.”
That was all I needed to hear. I sank my teeth into his deliciously plump vein and his warm blood trickled into my mouth. We both moaned at the same time. He tasted like cinnamon and copper. Holy shit – bottled blood was like old ass compared to this. Ryder’s blood was potent and warm, filled with power and energy. It was like hitting an electrical socket and frying a thousand volts through me, but instead of pain all I got was the huge boost of power.
I gulped greedily as his hands tightened on my hips. I lost sense of time completely, but still sort of knew that he let me feed from him for an extended period.
Finally he halted me. “Stop, Charlie.”
I pulled away gasping, feeling his warmth in my body, and the burning of my cheeks. I knew they would be bright red. When I met Ryder’s eyes I could see desire flashing there.
A bang on the door ripped me from my trance.
Ryder silently grabbed my arm and pulled me into Jayden’s room. My best friend was ready.
“Bite me, bitch – but you better tell me everything later,” he whispered softly. I nodded and sank into his neck without any of the sensuality that I’d reserved for Ryder. It was more uncomfortable without the intimacy. Let’s just say I was much more aware that I was feeding on another person. After a few big gulps, I pulled off.
Ryder nodded and handed me a type-O blood bottle.
“Answer the door,” he murmured as he slipped inside of Jayden’s closet. For some reason he did not want the Quorum to know he was here.
I chugged the bottle, throwing it in the trash as I crossed the space to answer the door. As I opened the door, strong vampire energy flooded through the entrance and I almost took a step back. A group of very pissed, very powerful looking vampires stood before me. My eyes catalogued them, wondering if I was about to find out how strong the Quorum really was.