I frown. "You saw that?"
"Hell yeah, I did. Everyone did. And I tried to run after you to see why that asshat was practically vampire-napping you, but these huge-ass dudes came up and blocked the stairway and wouldn't let me up there. I started freaking out, making a huge scene, and then that Hawk guy came and threw me out of the club. What a freakin' jerk. He flirts with you, but then has the audacity to throw out your BFF?"
I snort a laugh. "Hawk wasn't flirting with me."
Now she's the one to snort a laugh. "Oh, my ditzy vampires, Rave. I love you to death, but sometimes you can be so clueless."
I replay the conversation Hawk and I had.
"We were just talking."
"Yeah, while he looked at you like you were some sort of velvet blood cake dessert he wanted to devour."
"That's not how he was looking at me!" My cheeks stupidly warm.
"He so was."
I grimace, unsure how I feel about the idea of one of my mother's workers looking at me like I'm some yummy cake. I mean, I haven't ever thought of him in that kind of way. Although, now that I think about it, I guess he is pretty good-looking. And funny. And he makes me smile every time I see him …
A thought sucker punches me from out of nowhere.
If I'm only ever supposed to drink the king's-Rhyland's-blood, then how am I ever supposed to be in a relationship with anyone? How is any guy going to be okay with that? They won't be, unless I can find a very understanding vampire. Even if I did, drinking from each other's veins is an important step when a vampire makes a commitment to a relationship, and I'll never be able to do that.
"Well, even if he was flirting with me, it doesn't matter." Tears burn in my eyes as the brutal truth opens in front of me. "I'll never get to be with a guy ever."
"What are you talking about?" Effie asks. "Of course you will. You have so many options, Rave. You just can't see it."
She doesn't get what I'm saying. I open my mouth to explain it to her, to explain that I'm the queen, when fingers wrap around my wrist and jerk me back. The phone slips from my hands and crashes against the ground.
"Well, well, well," a male voice purrs in my ear. "What do we have here? Fresh meat for me to taste." A nose presses against my neck. "Tell me, sweetheart, what're you doing all alone in a place like this?"
The way sweetheart purrs from his tongue sounds so familiar. When he steps around in front of me, into the moonlight, I realize why.
The vampire with the red eyes.
The vampire who was part of the fight that happened in front of my mom's club.
The vampire who was at the school the day the demon attacked.
And he's not alone. At least ten other vampires slink from the shadows of the surrounding buildings and surround me.
Trap me.
And all of them look hungry.
Ready to devour.
9
As I stand there, watching them circle me, licking their lips and nipping their fangs, I wonder what will happen if they drink my blood. That part of being queen was never explained to me.
While my initial instinct is to cower, I remind myself that I am the queen. That I am strong. I just wish I could feel that strength.
"Stay away," I warn, cringing at the tremble in my voice.
A tall, female vampire with long, black hair walks up. "Aw, look at her trying to be brave. It's adorable."
Red eyes steps up beside her and studies me with his head tilted to the side, just like he did in the hallway years ago. Does he recognize me? Because he hasn't acted like it yet.
"It's definitely adorable. She's adorable." The way he says it isn't flattering.
"I'm not adorable. And if you try to hurt me, you're going to pay." I'm all fake confidence as I struggle over what to do.
Either I can attack and hope my queen powers kick in completely. Though, according to everyone, that won't happen yet. Or I can try to find a way to distract them and run.
Figuring my best bet is to run, I rack my brain for a distraction. But red eyes distracts me as he ambles toward me.
"So, Raven, I've gotta say, I'm very surprised to see you again." He stuffs his hands into the back pockets of his blood-stained jeans.
I force down the lump wedged in my throat. "You remember me?"
"Of course I remember you." He steals another bit of the space between us. "The girl who I was told was dead."
I blink in shock. "What?"
His lips twist into a smirk. "He never told you?"
I dare another step back, instantly slamming to a stop as a shorter, male vampire with bright green hair takes a nip at me. "Who never told me what?"