Tiny Bites Page 7

  Even though it's an action-adventure, my overstuffed stomach causes me to fall asleep before the opening scene finishes. I'm barely aware of Genesis' giggles. That's me—the amusing newbie.

  "Hey, sleepyhead."

  I force my eyes open. They struggle to focus on my new friends.

  "You want a tour of the property?" Landon asks.

  "Or do you want to sleep?" asks Genesis.

  I stretch and mumble something incoherent, not making any sense even to me.

  "Maybe you should sleep," Landon says. "But we have to exercise in the morning. We're supposed to do that after letting our food settle, but since it's your first day, I'm sure it'll be fine."

  I groan. The last thing I want to think about—much less do—is exercise.

  They help me up and lead me to my room. I don't even bother trying to look around. I just collapse onto the bed and somehow pull the covers over me. The bed is so soft and comfortable, I can't help but fall right back to sleep.

  When I wake, it's dark. I roll over and pull the ultra-soft comforter up to my neck, breathing in the fresh scent of the linens. I really couldn't ask for more. I still feel full from dinner, though not stuffed anymore.

  I listen to the silence. It's definitely quiet. With as many people that are supposed to be around here, not to mention all the vampires that are supposed to fill the castle, it's strange that everything is so quiet. As in, no noise at all.

  Curious, I climb out of bed. A ray of light shows underneath the door. Someone must be up. Maybe someone who will tell me more about what's going on here. Not that I really have too much reason to doubt. I was the one who agreed to come here. I certainly wasn't dragged against my will.

  Chest tight, I grab the door knob. Slowly, I turn. It doesn't creak, but I expect a monster to jump out. I almost laugh at myself. At least we're more useful to them alive.

  The door opens without a sound, and I step out, suddenly aware that my hair is probably messy. I reach up to fix it.

  Before I touch it, a tall, buff guy steps in front of me. I jump, pulling my hands back to my body.

  His mouth forms a creepy grin. "Good. The new girl is ready."

  The Volunteer

  Three

  My breath catches and I take a step to run, but he grabs my arm. His grip is strong without being rough. He must be a vampire.

  "There's no need to be afraid. Come with me." He stares deep into my eyes.

  "I… I… Okay." What other choice do I have?

  "Do I need to keep holding your arm?"

  I shake my head.

  "Just remember I'm much stronger and faster than you."

  "I get it. You're a vampire."

  "Correct." He leads me down the hall to a corridor.

  "Wait," I say.

  He turns and arches an eyebrow. "Yes?"

  "Where are you taking me?"

  "To test your blood. We need a baseline."

  My heart beat nearly out of my chest.

  "No need to be nervous, dear. You'll barely notice."

  "What? Why not?"

  "You'll be too distracted. You'll see what I mean in a moment." He leads me down the hallway, taking so many twists and turns I'm sure I'll never remember the way. If they want me to come alone next time, I'll never find it.

  Finally, we arrive at a doorway. He opens the door and we enter a dimly lit room. "You have two choices. Video games or spa treatment."

  I stare at him. "I thought you were going to take my blood."

  "Not me personally. Video games or spa?"

  "Uh, video games. I think."

  "It doesn't matter. You can change your mind next time. The gaming room is this way." He leads me down another hall. This one has a sterile feeling. Like going to the doctors.

  My heart continues to race. I can't help but wonder how many can hear it.

  The dude—who never bothered to introduce himself—opens a door. It's even dimmer in there than out here. He turns to me. "We have every game from Pong to ones not even released in human stores."

  "Pong?" I ask.

  "Your parents or grandparents probably played it. I'm just saying we have something for every taste."

  I shrug, less interested in the games than how they're about to extract my blood.

  His face tightens, like I'm frustrating him. "I'll pick something popular with the volunteers your age."

  "Okay." My chest tightens. Suddenly, I wish I'd have just chosen to go on vacation with my family. At least I'd know what to expect, even if it would suck. And it would.

  The dude leads me to a leather chair. "Have a seat."

  I sit, and find that it's softer and more comfortable than anything I've ever sat in. Though, I'm starting to realize that's the norm around here.

  "We'll get you set up with the controllers, and then you'll play for a while. You won't even notice what we're doing."

  I seriously doubt that, but keep my mouth shut. He appears in front of me and hands me a controller. A screen comes on in front of me. He sets a headset on my lap.

  "You can start playing anytime. Any questions first?"

  "Is it going to hurt?" I hate sounding like a wuss, but I don't really care at this point. I'm in too deep to leave and I have no idea what they're going to do to me. Stick me with a needle? Use a vampire to get it out? Everything else seems modern and normal—well, as much as it can considering where we are—so I hope it's nothing scary.

  The dude sighs dramatically. "You won't notice anything."

  My skin is on fire. How could I not notice blood being taken from my body?

  "You need to relax. We don't want to feed vampires blood from scared humans. It could whet their appetites for hunting, and some are actively trying to avoid that."

  "Kind of like AA?" I ask.

  He doesn't look amused. "Just start playing." He sniffs the air. "Once you're relaxed, we'll start."

  That could be a long time. I pull the headphones on and push buttons on the controller, trying to figure out what they do. It doesn't take long. It's similar to other ones I've used. Before long, I'm in the head of the main character, a military assassin, who is after the drug lord who killed his best friend.

  After a while, I feel something warm on my arm. I turn around. A guy who doesn't look like he can be any older than me, wearing a lab coat, is rubbing something on my arm. It has kind of an interesting smell. It's like a mixture of sweet and sour. I kind of like it.

  "What are you doing, Doogie?" I ask, more curious than upset. I feel like I should be upset, but I'm totally not.

  He arches a brow. "Name's Fausto. And I'm rubbing vampire venom on your skin."

  My skin is warm and tingles. "It feels nice."

  Fausto flicked a nod. "It prepares the skin. You won't feel a thing. Go back to your game."

  "I want to watch."

  He sighs. "Newbies. Did you ever watch a human doctor draw your blood?"

  "Yeah. Who doesn't?"

  "Normal people."

  "Guess you got me there."

  "I'd really rather you just play your game. It'll be easier for both of us."

  I shake my head. "I won't be able to concentrate knowing what you're doing."

  Fausto frowns.

  "Next time I'll probably just play a game, but this time I want to watch. Isn't that okay?"

  Flecks of red dance around his irises. "Whatever makes you comfortable. Just sit still. Can you do that?"

  "No problem."

  Fausto pulls out a needle and presses it into my flesh. It takes me a moment to realize I hadn't felt a thing. Not even the smallest prick.

  His eyes turn red as he watches my blood flow through the tubing. He pulls out a small bag which is already nearly full. Once it reaches the top, he pulls out the needle and licks the drop of blood. His eyes close for a moment. He seems to be savoring the taste.

  So weird.

  "Is that all you're going to take?" I ask. I had imagined him taking so much more.

  "We need to
test this batch. It won't take long. If you're ready, I'll come back for more. Otherwise, we'll send you for more food and some exercise."

  "Okay." I don't know what to make of that. "Are people not always ready?"

  "Well, you've just come from the outside world. It may take some time to flush contaminants out of your system—if you have any."

  "Whatever." I turn back to the game and get lost in that world for a while. I go through a few levels before feeling another warm sensation.

  Fausto is rubbing more venom on my arm.

  "No contaminants?" I ask.

  "You're good to go." He glances at the screen like he wants me to go back to the game.

  I already know what he's going to do, so I turn back to it, completely unaware of Fausto and the needle. My eyes grow heavy and I can't keep playing. My fingers move slowly, and eventually, I lose the game. I close my eyes, not caring anymore.

  "Done," Fausto says. "I said we're done."

  I try to say something, but can't.

  "Newbies," he mutters. "Can't handle a simple blood draw."

  "Hey." I force my eyes open and see five large bags full of blood. "Is that all mine?" I ask, my voice slurring.

  "It's not mine," Fausto says.

  I'm aware of his sarcasm, but I don't care. My eyes close again. I don't bother fighting them.

  "Help over here!" he yells.

  "I'm not dying."

  "Obviously, but I can't carry you out. I need to prepare your blood. Some important dignitaries are on their way in, and we need a full stock."

  Hands grasp my shoulders.

  "You need to stand." It sounds like the dude who brought me here to the blood draw place in the first place.

  "I don't think I can."

  "Try."

  "Sleep."

  His hands squeeze my shoulders. I'm aware of being out of the chair.

  "Stand," he orders.

  I can't even feel my feet. I fall toward the ground. His arms catch me before I hit.

  "Next time Stanley gets the new human."

  Something cold splashes my face. My eyes open. Yep. Definitely the same creepy dude from before.

  "You need to walk."

  My head rolls to my shoulders. "I don't think that's going to happen."

  He scowls and then turns toward Fausto. "When will you learn you can't take as much blood from the new ones?"

  "I had my orders. There are nearly a hundred dignitaries coming, and we're low on stock."

  Stock? They may as well be talking about staples. If I wasn't so sleepy, that might be funny.

  "Can't she stay here until she regains her energy?"

  "Stop griping and take her to her room. Or feed her. I don't care. I need to get blood from all the volunteers."

  "Even the ones who just gave blood yesterday?" The dude picks me up and flings me over his shoulder.

  "We have no choice," Fausto says. "Supply's low."

  "Better tell Sergio to find more humans," the dude says. "We can't overdo these humans. They have limits."

  "You talk to him. I'm up to my shoulders in work today. Bring in more people."

  The dude groans. "We need a lot more than we have. The king and queen are talking about a war. We're going to need a stockpile. A big one. They're going to want fortified blood, too."

  "You know that," Fausto says. "I know that. Tell Sergio."

  "He says willing humans are harder to come by these days."

  "He's going to have to work harder, then. It's not my problem."

  "It's a problem for all of us, Fausto. It's our heads if they don't have enough blood."

  "Then you better take care of her and then bring in more humans. I've got three empty chairs in here."

  "Fine." I feel the sensation of moving.

  My stomach is a little queasy, but I'm sure I won't throw up. I'm okay.

  "Do you want to sleep or eat?" the dude asks. He sounds even grumpier than he did a moment earlier.

  "Food," I mumble. My eyes open without a struggle. We're in the dining room from the night before.

  Landon and Genesis are at a table near the end of the room.

  "I'll sit with them." I gesture in their direction.

  Dude puts me in a chair next to Genesis.

  "She looks horrible," Landon says. He turns to me. "No offense."

  I shrug. How could I argue? It's a struggle to keep from falling face-first into a dish of mashed potatoes.

  "You shouldn't do that to new kids," Genesis says. She glares at the dude.

  "Orders. You two are going to have to donate today."

  "Two days in a row?" Landon exclaims.

  "Not my call. Eat up. I need to send in more volunteers and then find Sergio." He walks away, muttering to himself.

  "Is it always like that?" I ask.

  Genesis frowns. "Usually, they take it slowly. Start with one bag, then next time is two, then three. They work up to, like, six or seven."

  "I'm at nine." Landon sits up taller, puffing out his chest.

  "We all know how studly you are." Genesis rolls her eyes.

  I hold in a laugh.

  "Better eat up," Landon tells her. "They might take nine from you today if they're desperate."

  Genesis turns pale. "The war hasn't even started, and I can't wait for it to be over."

  Eaten By Wolves

  "She was eaten by wolves."

  I whipped my head toward Emma, getting bonfire smoke in my face. Coughing, I stared at my two friends. "What?"

  "Tanner, Alexis was eaten by wolves." Hailey pulled a burned marshmallow from a stick and shoved it in her mouth as if nothing was wrong.

  My stomach churned as I recalled my harsh last words to the love of my life, Alexis.

  I'm done with you.

  "What's wrong with you?" Emma asked, eyes wide.

  "Me?" I jumped from the log. "What's wrong with you? How can you be so callous?"

  People stared, but I didn't care.

  "Calm down," Emma whispered. "She was only eaten by wolves."

  "Yeah, didn't you hear?" asked someone from the other side of the fire.

  I grabbed my letterman's jacket. "I've had enough of this." I slid on my coat and ran through the woods, not even caring where I ended up. All that mattered was getting away. My throat closed.

  It couldn't be true. There was no way. Everyone had to be lying. What else would explain no one caring about her death? When I could no longer hear conversation or music from the party, I stopped and leaned against a tree. I gasped for air, feeling light-headed.

  Maybe they didn't believe it? Or they were playing a prank on me?

  I closed my eyes and flashed back to the night—not that long ago—when Alexis and I had fought off a pack of werewolves in a forest not unlike this one. Saving her had nearly killed me, and then getting me the cure had nearly done the same to her.

  Why had I been so stupid to let us part on such painful terms? She was the best thing ever to happen to me. We had ended up being "just friends," and I thought I could handle that. Turns out, I couldn't. Now I would have eternity to regret that decision. And I would never forget the look on her face, either.

  Fury tore through me. I felt the pressure of my eyes turning red. I would kill those werewolves if it were the last thing I did. But first I needed confirmation. I pulled out my cell phone and sent a text to Brad, Kayla, and Eric.

  Meet me. Field. Five minutes.

  I took a deep breath and burst into a full-speed run, passing the party so fast, no one could see me. I made it to the field across town in under a minute. My friends were already there.

  "Did you hear about Alexis?" I asked.

  "You mean that she was eaten by wolves?" Kayla asked.

  My stomach twisted in knots. "Not you guys, too. Come on!"

  "Chill," Eric said.

  "No!" My eyes turned red so fast they felt like they would explode. My fangs shot out, dripping venom.

  The three of them backed up.

&nbs
p; "Tanner," Brad said. "It's not that big of a deal."

  "Hailey and Emma I could almost understand. But you guys? Really?" I hissed at them.

  They exchanged confused glances.

  "Forget it. I'm outta here." I ran away. It was even harder to think now. How could this happen? Torn apart by werewolves—and nobody cared.

  My phone went off, alerting me of a text. I ignored it, figuring it was only Brad. There was no way I would talk to any of them.

  Another text.

  I groaned and pulled out my phone. They were from my mom.

  Charlie and I are at the Ferguson's. Join us?

  They were at Alexis' home? Her parents would be the ones to clear this up. Surely, they wouldn't have company if their daughter had been killed.

  Be right there.

  Hope pulsated through me. My eyes returned to their normal color and my fangs retracted. I barely stopped to knock when I arrived at their house.

  Her parents answered. Both had dark circles under their eyes.

  My stomach dropped to the ground. "Is Alexis…?"

  Mrs. Ferguson sniffed. "Eaten by wolves. And just after being kidnapped, too."

  I stared at Mr. Ferguson, who nodded. My mom came behind them.

  "Mom. Alexis? Did you know?"

  She frowned. "She's gone. I'm sorry, Tanner."

  "I need air." I stumbled back and ran off, anger renewed. There was only one person I needed to see right then, anyway—the werewolf pack leader. I didn't even care if it killed me. Or that he'd helped save my life after I'd been bitten by one of his dogs. It didn't matter if the wolves who had killed Alexis had been from his pack or not—he would pay. Just for being part of the wretched species.

  I sniffed the air. The faint stench of werewolf came from the east. I followed it until I reached the most expensive neighborhood in town. The trail led me to one of the mansions. I crept around back and heard a conversation. Their odor nearly overpowered me, but I stayed strong for Alexis. I would avenge her untimely end.

  Judging by the sounds of the conversation, I could enter the yard unseen from where I stood. I pressed my hand against the wood, and as soon as it slid through, I pushed the rest of my body through.

  I held my breath and tiptoed alongside the enormous house. Too bad that wolf wouldn't be able to enjoy it after tonight.

  Foley sat in a circle with two younger wolves, about my age, speaking in hushed tones. Probably about how they would cover their murder. My eyes reddened again and sour venom dripped onto my tongue as my fangs emerged. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the attack.