This Blood that Bonds Us (This Blood that Binds Us #4)

25. Twenty-Five

Twenty-Five

Aaron

Two minutes in and I regretted my decision. Presley and I posted up outside a bar without a single working sign. All of them were missing letters. My jacket kept the cold out, but my body shook for a different reason.

“Shoulda just asked your new besties to come with you,” Presley grumbled.

“You wanted me to come with you, remember?”

He responded with a puff of smoke in my face before pressing his cigarette to his lips for another drag.

He was trying to pick a fight with me again. Presley and I fought in Brooklyn too. This was worse. He just liked to be angry at me. I offered to be his punching bag, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed his animosity.

I needed to feed again and didn’t want to keep taking from Kimberly. It was hard to compartmentalize it as an okay thing even though she didn’t mind. If I could make things normal again, that would be ideal. I had mentioned none of it to Kilian yet, and I didn’t think I would.

“You’re still coming this weekend, right?” I asked.

“As long as you keep your end of the deal.”

I’d been trying to get Presley to come to Kilian’s for weeks. That’s where Kimberly and I spent a lot of our time learning and training. Even if he didn’t want to train, I wanted to get him out of the cabin. It wasn’t good for him to be stuck alone all day, but it didn’t matter how much I begged, he refused. I didn’t like what all that alone time was doing to him.

“Of course, but you have to be nice and try to listen.”

“I won’t be nice to Kilian.”

“I meant me.”

“Fine. And you’ll be less of a fun suck and let me enjoy the city a bit?”

I sighed. Presley wanted to go to Fairbanks—the biggest city near us. He talked about a few bars and things he wanted to do and see. I’d promised we’d go together if he agreed to at least see what we were doing with Kilian.

“Yes. Now let’s play the quiet game.”

“Fine by me.”

Presley didn’t talk again as we waited. It was strange. I’d always hated his carefree spirit when we hunted in Blackheart, but now I just wanted him to smile and crack jokes again. Granted, I asked him to stop talking, but usually, he wouldn’t listen.

He finished his cigarette and was on his way to another until a group of guys left the bar. I didn’t get the smoking thing. He’d done it a few times in Blackheart in social settings, but he never chain-smoked. When I asked about it, he shrugged.

“Hey!” Presley moved his way into the group. “You guys look like you need a ride.”

“We could use one. We were just going to walk home across town,” one said while falling into me. They reeked of smoke and sawdust.

“Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.” Presley motioned to the other one, and I flanked him.

“I don’t know. I could probably drive. Where are my keys?” the one next to me said, his large fingers fumbling in his jacket.

“Nonsense. We can take you home.”

I hated being bait.

Something in my brain wouldn’t let me talk to people I was going to bite. The guilt got to me. I’d feel sorry for them and let them leave or it ended like last time when I practically took a chunk out of a guy’s neck. It was easier to let Presley take the lead.

The pulse next to me was so achingly close. I was afraid to drink human blood again, but the voice was quieter than ever, and having Kimberly donate to me occasionally was working. Still, how long could we do that for? Was it even sustainable?

I needed to test my theory. Maybe drinking Kimberly’s blood helped, and I could go back to my somewhat shitty normal.

There was only one way to know.

Presley led them to an empty parking lot covered in snow. I couldn’t even find the sidewalk. Everything in Alaska was empty and barren. In California, there were people everywhere and it was normal for people to walk places.

“Which one’s yours?” the tall one said.

“Sorry, dude. This is probably gonna hurt in the morning.” Presley pushed the taller one in my direction while he went for the shorter one.

I pulled him by the collar, not giving myself any time to think any harder on it, and sank my teeth into his neck.

The blood hit my throat, and I pushed him off with the remaining strength and sanity I had. Because The Thing in my head practically grabbed me from behind and pushed itself into my body.

I couldn’t feel my hands.

It wouldn’t let me move my feet.

I was drowning again and didn’t know if I’d be able to find my way back to the surface ever again.

You’re mine.