Chapter 2: Blood is thicker…

Chapter 2: Blood is thicker…

Rowan

              It’s way too early in the morning for me to be sneaking up the stairs to my apartment. Head pounding like a hammer, I carefully open my door and slip inside. Thankfully, my brothers are not up yet. Rubbing my gritty eyes, I lick my dry lips and head to the kitchen. My studio apartment is not very big, but it’s comfy. The walls are all exposed brick, the small kitchen by the door has red appliances, and there are large picture windows near my queen-sized bed.

              Unfortunately, I’m too hungry to pay any attention to anything but the refrigerator. Opening the door, I reach inside and pull out a bag of blood. I almost spill the bag when Mikhail’s husky voice breaks the silence.

              “Where have you been, Rowan?” Closing the refrigerator door, I turn around and face my angry brother. I must really be exhausted that I didn’t notice that he was in my room. I have to work on that from now on. The last thing I need is to be caught unaware by an enemy.

              Mikhail is sitting at the foot of my bed, wearing his trademark black jeans, black t-shirt, and all-stars. He no longer wears the faux hawk he used to sport in high school. Instead, his raven hair is styled with a hipster comb-over.

              “Hey, Khail,” I mutter evenly. Mikhail’s eyes narrow into thin slits as he rises from the bed and faces me.

              “Hey? Is that all you have to say after disappearing for days? What the fuck Rowan? I was worried sick about you.”

              I shake my head with an irreverent sneer. “We can’t get sick, remember? And I texted, letting you know that I was all right.”

              Khail’s face tightens with fury. “Fuck you, Rowan! Sending me that text was bullshit. You should have called me. What’s going on with you, man? You were never like this before?”

              Fury rushes through me at his words. “What the fuck do you know, Khail? I’m actually surprised you noticed, considering you’re always up Nevaeh’s skirt.”

              Mikhail steps closer and gazes intently into my eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong?”He mutters softly.

              I shake my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, bro. I’m the same as I always was.”

              Mikhail shakes his head. “No, you’re not. You never used to skip class and disappear for days. And you were never this damn morose. You were always the irreverent, cocky one in our group. Is this a vampire thing? Are you having problems? Are you still worried that you’re going feral? Because I told you to talk to Alex.”

              I shake my head at my brother’s question and scoff. “No, man. It’s nothing. I guess I’m just getting older and doing my own thing. I swear it’s nothing like that. I’m all right.”

              Mikhail crosses his arms in front of his chest with an assessing frown.

              “Fine,” he mumbles skeptically. “Are you going to the Halloween party?”

              “What party?”

              Mikhail rolls his eyes with an annoyed sigh. “The one Azazel and Zoe are throwing at the Garden of Eden.”

              I run through my mental schedule before I respond, “Sure, I’ll go.”

              Mikhail’s lips curl into a wry grin. “Maybe you can dress as a vampire. It shouldn’t be too hard to do.”

              I roll my eyes with a bemused scowl. “And maybe you can dress like an ugly, asshole demon/angel hybrid. That shouldn’t be too hard to do either.”

              Mikhail scoffs. “I can do the hybrid, but I don’t know if I can do the ugly asshole part. Maybe you can show me how since you’ve gotten so good at it.”

              We both chuckle in unison as our brotherly camaraderie returns.        “So, who’s going to be there?” I slip off my shirt and toss it on the floor.

              “What do you mean, who’s going? Everyone is going. Listen, let’s drive together to class. Nev doesn’t have class today, and I can use the company.”

              Reaching into my dresser, I remove some fresh clothes and stride to the bathroom. “Okay, but let me shower first.”

              Mikhail walks to the door with a dismissive wave. “Yeah, that’s cool. I’m going to go check if Nevaeh needs anything. Just come over when you’re done.”

              He stops at the door and looks back at me with a serious frown.  “You know I’m here for you, right?”

              I nod my head. “Yeah, I know.”

              I close the bathroom door behind me without another word. As I let the soothing water of the shower rain down on me, I think about our conversation. I lied to my brother. There is something wrong with me. There’s been something wrong with me since the end of our senior year. It began with a terrible hunger that has been haunting me night and day. Being a vampire is not easy, but for me, it was. That is until we got closer to graduation. I just kept getting hungry. I’d drink double the amount of bags just to keep from starving. It was during our Freshman year of college that it became almost unbearable. The bags weren’t enough. I began craving human blood from the vein.

              I even bit a girl I was on a date with. Thankfully, I was able to stop─ but just barely. I had to mesmerize her into forgetting. Unfortunately, the craving got worse, and I began having problems squelching my vampire instincts. The most significant change was the color of my eyes. My eyes used to glow blue, but now they glow an odd color. That’s how I know I’m suffering bloodlust.

              I’ve tried everything I could to keep it from my family. I know that if Alex finds out, he’ll have no choice but to report me to the Council.

              Desperate to find a solution, I spoke to Mathias, the head of the Supernatural Council. I didn’t tell him about my bloodlust. I just said that I wanted to meet other vampires because I felt alone.

              Mathias was cool enough to direct me in Tristan Valarek’s direction. Tristan is a six-hundred-year-old vampire who runs a local Vampire Halo. That’s where I go when I disappear for days. In exchange for becoming part of Valarek’s Vampire Halo, I work as an enforcer.               Mathias is the only one that knows I’m part of the Halo. And he has been pretty cool about keeping it to himself. Valarek doesn’t know about my bloodlust, either. So far, I’ve been able to control it. Another thing about being part of the Halo is that I can use their extensive library to research my bloodlust and feelings toward a “certain” female. I still haven’t found much, but I hope to soon.

              Halos take care of their vampires by providing willing donors. They also make sure the humans are safe. A Vampire Halo is the vampire’s version of the Supernatural Council. We still abide by Council rules, but Vampires prefer to dole out their own justice. We’re not very trusting of outsiders─ even supernatural ones. Let’s just say vampires don’t have a good reputation in the supernatural world. Vampire Halos have been around for thousands of years. The royal vampire family was in charge of all Vampire Halos before they died.

              Unfortunately, nearly twenty years ago, an evil faction of vampires murdered the last living royal. All of the Halos fractured after that.

              Now, you’d think it would be good to get out of what outsiders view as an imperial autocracy, but vampires are not like that. Vampires need a hierarchical system for several reasons. Three of the biggest are; to maintain order, amplify their powers, and for their protection.

              The Royals were the most powerful beings in the world. They were also the center of power for all vampires. And when the last one died, the power weakened. It wasn’t easy to kill them either. The elders believed they were betrayed by someone in their inner circle. It’s a sad story.  

              I was initiated into Valarek’s house last year. Ironically, I’m in charge of hunting and killing rogue vampires who have shirked vampire law. The first law being, don’t kill humans. My bloodlust is still difficult to control, but it’s easier when I get fresh blood.

              I first noticed that my bloodlust worsened when I met her─ Juliet Romanis. I didn’t really know her very well in high school, but I saw her around. It wasn’t until Kell and Amara brought her home that I became aware of her. Her beautiful hair is what sticks out most in my mind. Some people think it’s dyed, but I know better. Her hair is long and silky, with various colors of blond.  It’s white, gold, strawberry, and ash blond. It reminds me of a lions’ mane. She’s not very tall, but her creamy skin and curvy body, along with her stunning blue eyes, make an alluring package.

              Something about her draws me like a moth to a flame, and I don’t understand why which irks me to no end. The bloodlust worsened when I kissed her in the forest the night of her Senior Prom. I remember being tied to a tree and stabbed with a stake through the heart. Thankfully, it was a wooden stake. Born vampires can’t die from being stabbed by wooden stakes. Even though my chest aches from simply thinking about it.

              I’ll never forget how stunning she looked in her crimson red prom dress and the sadness in her eyes when I asked her why she didn’t have a date. The kiss we shared before she was taken was fantastic.               Unfortunately, she was so traumatized by what she saw that the Council had to mesmerize her into forgetting the night’s event. I’ve stayed away from her since. Not because I thought she’d remember, but because of how out of control she makes me feel. I almost bit her that night.

              I wanted to hold her down and drain the lifeblood from her body, but I also wanted to make love to her. Having those mixed feelings is the real reason I stay away from her.

              Closing my eyes, I lean my elbows on the shower’s wall and let the water wash away my turbulent thoughts. I know that Mikhail means well, but he will never understand what it’s like to be a vampire. I understand why it’s so difficult for him to see me act differently. For years, it was just Mikhail and me. We were both orphans trying to stay alive until Alex took us in. A hybrid demon/angel and a vampire. We were pretty good at surviving too. Unfortunately, this is my road to travel alone.

              Once I’ve dressed, I go next door and knock on Mikhail’s apartment door. Nevaeh and Mikhail live in the apartment to my left, and Amara and Kell to my right. Haley and Carrick opted to rent a house near the Arcata woods. It’s easier for Carrick during his full moon changes, and Haley is the adventurous type. They’re perfect for each other.

              Nevaeh opens the door with a scowl. “Well, look who finally showed up? Had a nice vacation, Ro? Because I have to tell you it was great having Mikhail make himself sick with worry for you.”

              I manage not to roll my eyes at her sarcastic tone because I know she’s genuinely concerned. She and Mikhail have been mates for nearly three years, and they’re still going strong. It’s almost sickening how in love they are with each other and how fiercely they protect each other.

              Lowering my head in a repentant bow, I pull her stiff body into my arms and kiss her temple. “I’m sorry, Nev. I just needed some space. I know I worried you and the others, and I promise not to do it again.”

              At my words, her body relaxes, and she wraps her arms around me with a sigh. “You better not, you asshole. I thought Mikhail was going to send out the cavalry to find you. If it weren’t for your text saying that you were fine, he’d have dragged you home.”

              My smile widens at the thought. Mikhail would try, but he’d fail at that.

              Nevaeh pushes back from my embrace with a chiding glare. “Just remember─you  make him miserable; I make you miserable.” Chuckling at her attempt to sound mean, I take a step back and salute her. “Yes, mam. I hear you loud and clear.”

              Mikhail’s voice breaks into our standoff. “I suggest you take her seriously, bro. Nev may look like a princess, but she can be a force to be reckoned with when she’s pissed.”

              Nevaeh snarls in reply before she punches me in the shoulder. “Yeah, so watch your back, jerk!”

              Mikhail takes her hand and wraps an arm around her shoulder with a chuckle. “You’re a wildcat princess, I should know.” Both their eyes glow with love as they gaze into each other’s eyes, making a kernel of jealousy spark in my heart. All of my brothers and most of the men around me have found their mates. Alex and I are the only ones who haven’t found ours.

              That would not be an issue for human males, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow for a supernatural being. It’s rare to find a mate so early in our lives. My brother’s matings are unique to the supernatural world. It’s possible that I won’t find mine for centuries─if ever. Azazel has been alive for thousands of years, and it wasn’t until recently that he found Zoe. Who knows how long it will be for me?

              Vampires are different than other supernatural beings when it comes to finding mates. Obviously, you have to be attracted to your mate. However, the only way you know if it’s fated is if you bite your mate and bond. The vampire bond is similar to a chemical reaction. I don’t know exactly how it happens, but mated vampires describe it as sealing two souls together. It’s not just a human’s love; it’s beyond such mundane emotion.

              Clearing my throat, I shift uncomfortably in place. Leave it to these two to forget I’m in the room. “Ready to go?” I grit out.

              Mikhail rolls his eyes with a smirk. “I’m coming, grandpa.”            Without another word, we both step outside of the apartment.

              “I’ll drive,” I call out, pushing my brother playfully out of the way. It feels like old times sitting with my brother and teasing him. I’m feeling calmer than I have in a long time. Even my bloodlust abates.

              Unfortunately, my reprieve doesn’t last very long. Once class is over, I give my brother a fist bump and head to my next one. I’m half-way down the sidewalk when a slight figure bumps into my chest and coffee rains down on my shirt. The coffee stings as it scalds my skin, but all I can do is stand there as the object of my obsession clumsily apologizes and wipes at my shirt. God, she’s beautiful is all I can think as I get an eyeful of her form.

              Unable to bear the coffee’s burning liquid any longer, I remove my shirt and wipe my chest.

              I try to play it cool as she apologizes and hopes I give a proper response. But I almost roar in hunger when I see that she’s staring dazedly at my chest. God, this girl, I think with amusement as I snap my fingers in front of her and mutter. “Hey, my eyes are up here?”

              Her blush is cute, and my body instantly reacts with hunger. Trying to get ahold of myself, I tell her that I don’t have time to change my shirt or I will be late for class.

              Of course, Jules is not stagnated by that fact. Thankfully, she finds a solution and buys me a stupid shirt. Taking the shirt, I dawdle for a moment. I want to stay and talk to her so badly, which is not a good idea for so many reasons. So, before I do something stupid, like ask her to kiss me, I give her one last look, slip on the shirt, and walk away.

              I almost falter when she calls out and tells me that I forgot my shirt. But somehow, I find the strength to continue walking as I call out for her to give it to me after she cleans it.

              It’s only when I get to class that I release a breath that I didn’t know I was holding.

              For months, I’ve been fighting with the need to be with her. From the first moment I saw her, I’ve been hooked. I haven’t been with another girl since.

              Unfortunately, I’ve had to stay away from her since my brother and her best friend had her memory erased after the prom incident.

              I’ve never wanted anyone so much in my life, and it’s killing me. I tried to convince Kell and Amara to tell her the truth, but they’ve balked. And I know I can’t do it because I can’t bear to see the look on her face when she discovers that I’m a monster. The look she gave me the first time she saw me in my vampiric form still haunts my dreams.

              Yet, I know that something has to give because I’m at a breaking point.