Destined for a Vampire (Blood Like Poison 2)

“Go eat, goofy.”

Savannah grinned and headed into the kitchen.

“Ridley,” Mr. Grant called before I’d even taken my second step.

“Sir?”

“Why don’t you come for dinner Wednesday night? We’re having tacos.

Surely I can’t screw up a taco.”

Savannah coughed pointedly and I had to smile.

“Come on, Ridley. Put the poor guy out of his misery. Maybe he’ll quit trying to be a chef if he hears the sounds of someone besides me puking after dinner.”

“Well, since it’s for a good cause,” I said, agreeing.

“Alright. We’ll eat at 6:00. Come as early as you want. Maybe you can keep this one from sulking,” he said, tipping his head toward Savannah, who then stuck her tongue out at him. Or at least in his general direction.

“I can try.”

Savannah turned and stuck her tongue out at me, too.

On the short drive home, I pondered Savannah. And Devon. I couldn’t help but wonder what Savannah was seeing. Was he just a figment of her imagination?

A manifestation of her intense desire not only to see again, but to see Devon again as well? Could she be seeing a ghost or some other type of otherworldly being? Or, was it possible that Devon was a vampire and Savannah was somehow seeing him?

Leaving my right hand on the steering wheel, I rubbed at my throbbing temple with the fingertips of my other. Too many questions, not nearly enough answers.

I pulled into the driveway, leaving plenty of room for Mom to slide her car in beside mine, and turned off the engine. The house was dark and empty and I thought of Savannah’s warm home with longing. Maybe I should’ve stayed for dinner.

“Too late now,” I said to the empty car as I opened the door to get out.

Inside, I put my things away, changed clothes and went to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich. I took the plain ham and cheese back to my room to munch on while I read over some Chemistry notes for an upcoming test. As I bit into the cold meat, I thought again of Savannah’s family. Even though it was just her and her dad, there was so much more normalcy there. I felt guilty for the wave of envy that washed over me.

A while later, when I’d become firmly ensconced in the amalgamation of gold and mercury, I heard a noise at my window. My stomach lurched in response.

I’d been so absorbed in my homework that Bo had managed to sneak up on me, which wasn’t easy considering that my body seemed to continually search the environment for any sign of him, for any indication that he might be near.

I slid excitedly off the bed and hurried to the window and threw it open. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. Someone was already standing inside my room, only it wasn’t Bo.

CHAPTER NINE

My heart was slamming around inside my chest like a pinball gone wild. My breath shuddered in and out through my trembling lips. My mind scurried frantically over a thousand less-than-helpful things.

“Drew.”

Even if he hadn’t gotten into my room so fast that I could barely track him, I would’ve known he was a vampire. He was different. I could feel it. I could smell it, too. He reeked of pine, something I’d never smelled on him before tonight.

If none of my other senses had worked, though, I would’ve been able to see the changes. His skin was ghostly white with a dark webbing of veins visible underneath and his lips were ruby red, looking almost stained. I realized with a start that there was blood on them. And it appeared to be fresh.

My stomach roiled with nausea and I looked up to meet his pale, milky-green eyes. They were trained on me and they looked ravenous.

My one coherent thought was that he couldn’t have been the one to attack me in the woods the night of the bonfire. Drew must’ve been turned sometime later.

The question was: by whom?

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the cheater,” he said in a low voice as he approached me.

I hated myself for stumbling backwards, but I did. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being anywhere near me.

“What do you want, Drew?”

“What do you think I want, T?”

The use of his pet name for me reminded me that this was, in fact, the guy for whom I had once harbored a true affection. Though that thought gave me a bit more compassion for him, it did little to put me at ease. There was something in his face that said he was here to take what he wanted, whatever he wanted.

“It doesn’t matter, because you’re not staying.” I took another step away from him.

“And I suppose that you’re going to make me leave. Is that it?”

He advanced two steps, bringing me within his long arms’ reach.

“I shouldn’t have to, Drew. You’re not this guy. Come on.”

“What if I am? I thought you liked ‘this guy’?”

“I liked you just the way you were.”

“Just not enough.”

“I can’t help the way I feel, Drew.”

“Well, neither can I,” he said softly, reaching out to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger. “Did you ever want me, T?”

His eerie pale eyes were focused on the curl that he held, but there was something about the way he asked the question that gave me a rush of fear.

“Drew, I-I. You know I- when we—”

“You were always a terrible liar, T,” he said. And when his eyes met mine again, I had one instant of warning before he grabbed me. Not that it mattered; he was a hundred times faster than me. There was no way I could have avoided him.

Steely fingers wrapped around my upper arms, squeezing so tight I thought my bones would snap. I gasped in pain just as Drew’s lips smothered mine.

He forced his tongue through my half-parted lips, bringing with it the metallic taste of blood. I used mine to try and push it back out, but he was very forceful. I raised my hands to push at his chest, but it was like trying to move a two-ton boulder. He didn’t budge. He was stronger than anyone, any thing I’d ever encountered. Even though I was sure Bo was stronger, he had never tried to force himself on me.

One hand let go of my arm to palm the back of my head, tilting it slightly so that he could deepen the kiss. I couldn’t pull away; he held my face snugly to his.

I made noises of objection in my throat, noises he completely disregarded. It wasn’t until I felt his other hand at my breast that I really started to panic.

I slapped at it, but it was no use. He was so incredibly strong that I felt like a child struggling to fight him off.

Something sharp grazed my lip and I tasted warm, fresh blood. Mine. That’s when Drew’s reaction, and his intention, changed.