Neither (The Noctalis Chronicles 3)

“Yeah, that would be great. I'm rushing to get home, because my mom had to go to work and my sister is by herself.” I always made up some sort of sob story. I'd changed them up to see which one got the best effect.

“Do you have AAA?” He stared at my engine. I estimated him at about seventeen. Blond hair, blue eyes. All-American. Fit, too. His blood reached me as he leaned over and checked the battery connections. It was almost spicy, and it reeked of health and activity. Yes, I was definitely going to take this one.

“I don't think so.” Playing stupid also seemed to work. “I just don't know what to do.” All I had to do was get him with me alone in the car and then I'd have him.

“Did it make a noise?” I shrugged and he went to the driver's side. “Let me take a look.” I went around to the passenger's side and got in. My body ached with the need for his blood. My vision sharpened and narrowed to focus just on him.

“You live around here? I've never seen you before. I'm Jamie.” He held his hand out to shake mine and gave me a brilliant smile. For a second, my focus on his blood shifted to his face. I stared down at his hand. Mine leapt forward, and I had to stop myself from crushing his fingers. I must have shaken his hand a little too hard, because he looked at me puzzled. I pulled my hand back too quick. Damn.

“Well, um, let me give it a shot.”

In case this happened, I had disconnected several of the cables that would be difficult to find unless you were a mechanic.

He turned the key and the engine revved, but didn't catch. He tipped his head to the side, listening. I focused on his eyes, trying to keep my gaze away from his neck where his blood pulsed. The human body had, on average, six quarts of blood. I didn't need much, but I usually took all of it. I couldn't help myself. Blood was my drug of choice. When I had too much I'd just lie naked in the sun for hours in a secluded place, just listening to the sounds of the world. It was peaceful. The only peace I got anymore since Ivan was gone.

“I'm Brooke,” I said as he listened to the car. He took the key out and sat back, as if he was thinking.

“It's nice to meet you, Brooke. Let me go ahead and take a look at your engine.”

No, he couldn't get out of the car. I was going to feed on him. I was going to drain him and be bloated with his spicy blood. But I sat still as he got out of the car. What was wrong with me? I'd killed more people than I could count in the past two weeks. I didn't think about it most of the time. I didn't have to. Mortality was not one of my concerns.

He leaned over the hood again.

“Hey, do you want me to just give you a ride? Then you can get home to your sister and call someone to pick up the car.”

“Sure, that would be great.” Yes, get in the truck with me.

He put the hood down on the car and I got in his truck. It was old and smelled of cigarettes, even though I knew he didn't smoke. The previous owner, based on the similar scent to Jamie, was his father.

“Don't you want to lock it or anything?” Damn. What was I thinking? I wasn't, that was for sure.

“Oh, yeah. I'm just so out of it.”

I hopped out of the truck and locked the doors of the car that wasn't mine. I grabbed the purse that had belonged to the previous owner. It was ugly and big, but a teenage girl didn't go anywhere without a purse. I got back in the truck and found Jamie watching me.

“Where are you from?” he asked. I still hadn't answered his question about where I was from and what I was doing here.

“We just moved here from New Hampshire. My mom has a new boyfriend and he lives around here.”

“Oh, what's his name? Maybe I know him.”

I had no doubt that he knew everyone in town. He seemed like the kind of guy that everyone would know and love. His face lit up the truck and I found myself enjoying the sound of his voice. There was a sweet richness about it, like honey. After becoming immortal I'd discovered that most human voices were unpleasant-sounding. His wasn't.

“So, where do you need to go?”

I floundered for a moment. He glanced at me, expecting an answer.

“Do you mind if we stop at the grocery store first? I have to pick up some cold medicine for my sister.”

“Why don't you give her a call and see if she's okay?”

The woman I'd taken the purse from didn't have a phone, but I rummaged around in the purse, pretending to look. “I can't find it. This is the worst day ever,” I said, being the melodramatic teenager.

“Here, use mine.” He handed me a black phone, and I pretended to make a call, making my voice soft and sweet. I hoped he couldn’t hear that I was not making an actual call. I kept it short, just in case.

“She's fine. Just a little stuffed up. Thank you so much for this, Jamie.” I loved saying his name. It felt natural in my mouth.

Jamie turned off the back road onto one that was more populated.

“What do you think of Sussex so far?”

“It's a lot like New Hampshire. Except for the ocean. I've never really seen it before.”

“You've never seen the ocean?”

“Not until I moved here.”

“Wow, I can't imagine that. I've lived here my whole life.”

I had lived in New Hampshire my whole life.

His blood filled the truck, and I had to clench my hands on the seat so as not to grab him and sink my teeth into his neck or any available vein, really.

He noticed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine.” No, I wasn't. “Can you pull over?”

He stopped on the shoulder and I got out, nearly ripping the door off the hinges.

“You're not okay,” Jamie said.

I clenched my knees on the side of the road, pretending I was going to hurl. Why couldn't I just take him? Why was I dragging this out? Cars passed by, but no one else stopped. I couldn't do it now, with so many people around. The only way would be to get him into the woods.

“What's wrong? You can tell me. I promise I'll help you with whatever you need help with. Whatever that is, okay?” He rubbed his hand on my back in slow circles. It wasn't helping my need to kill him.

I turned my head so I could meet his clear blue eyes. I realized that I wanted to kiss him as much as I wanted his blood. His lips were pink, soft and human. I wanted to tackle him in this ditch, tear his clothes from his body and ravage him.

I was a virgin before I become immortal. I had some silly notions about saving myself for the right person. Things were different when I could get pregnant or an STD. Now that I didn't have to worry about that, sex had become a different animal. Ivan and I had shared a few nights together. They'd been wild and raw, and I missed them. I hadn't had sex with a human yet. I was usually too overcome by their blood to think about that part.