Max
I could feel her eyes on me the moment my gaze met hers.
Dakota Mitchell’s blood continuously calls out to me, but I feel protective of her than I did before.
Before those other vampires got ahold of her, her blood had become a siren’s call.
A desire to thirst upon that lovely slender neck and burrow my teeth deep against her smooth skin.
Now, I am her protector and right now she doesn’t look terribly good.
Maneuvering around the desks while the screen lights up behind me, I venture closer to where Dakota sits. I crouch down beside where she’s sitting. Some of the students around us glance our way but don’t seem to really think of what it could mean.
“What’s wrong?” My voice is low enough for her ears only.
Dakota reaches up and gives a swift tug at her necklace. My eyes land on the chain. The metal seems to pinch her neck and appears to be cutting off circulation.
Interesting. This is not an ordinary necklace.
In a fluid motion, I’ve gathered the necklace in my grasp, and jerk it forward. The chain breaks, and she let’s out a gasp. Dakota covers her face with her hands, trembling in her seat.
Stuffing the necklace in my pocket for later, I straighten up from where I’d been beside her. “Get up. Let’s get you some water.” I say it loud enough for the others to think she’d only been nervous about the exam.
I can’t have them thinking otherwise. Humans will do anything in their powers to make things difficult for one another. Something I detest in them for sure.
Dakota doesn’t move even as I bend forward so that my lips are near the curve of her ear. “Do you need my assistance?” She gives a nod, unable to speak.
Reaching out, I place one arm beneath her legs, and the other I wrap around her waist, pulling her up and into my embrace.
The students begin to whisper as I carry her out of the sanctuary, the lights flickering on behind me as the rest of the teenagers prepare for their exams.
Once alone, I slow my pace as I wander down the empty corridors.
I prefer having Dakota in my arms, much to my dismay. I feel compelled to hold her, as if the world seems right whenever I’m in close proximity to her.
“What are you doing?” She croaks.
My gaze lands on her face. “I’m taking you to the infirmary. Ms. Evergreen should have no problem looking you over.”
Tears stream down her cheeks. “What happened to me?”
Cradling her with one hand, I use a free hand and gently wipe a tear away from her face. “You were hexed. Someone put a spell on you. Rest easy, you’re safe.” I press my lips to her forehead and when I pull back, Dakota’s eyes have fluttered shut.
Pulling her closer to me, Dakota’s head tucks under my chin and she feels like she’s been molded to my chest.
Not that I would dare to complain, for I quite like the feeling of her in my arms.
Hearing voices, I crane my head to stare over my shoulder. Two older women, both teachers, are whispering in unison. Speaking in a language that I’m not familiar with.
Surprisingly enough, beyond the women is Valdine. How she managed to get behind us I have no clue, more than likely a spell I reckon.
“Max?” Dakota sounds petrified.
I blink a couple times; I’d been staring down at the main artery in Dakota’s neck. The idea of feeding on her flesh and blood sends my body in a frenzy.
My teeth sharpen past my lips as I open my mouth, leaning down to get just one taste…
“Max!” She’s shouting as I trip, coming to my senses. I drop her and she lets out a hoarse cry.
Whirling on my heels, the two women have stopped but I know what they are. They’d given themselves away by hexing me into almost killing Dakota. They’d used her blood against me, and they will die if I have any say in the matter.
“What do you want with her?” I snarl.
The woman to the left, Ms. Hale waggles a gnarled finger at me. “Her blood swims in your veins. She cannot be allowed to live!”
Ms. Greenfield is off to the right, the skin on her arms sagging as she raises her hands. “You’re smitten with the girl and that’s not allowed!”
“Max!”
I turn sideways to find Dakota has two fairly large pythons circling around her. They’re poisonous and if I don’t act fast then she could die. Her death does not set well with me.
Whipping back around, I snap at the witches. “I’ll leave her alone. I swear on the blood I was turned from. Just leave her alone.”
Hale and Greenfield, both women eyeball me, then disappear in a plume of black smoke.
Valdine sags against the wall, having just been beyond them. I can tell she’s exhausted, and as I turn to gather Dakota up in my arms once more, the pythons are gone, and I know that Valdine had them disappear as their masters had.
Dakota has a hand to her neck, her eyes swimming with tears. “M-Max?” She croaks out.
I stop cold when her hand peels away. There is a scar, it’s wrapped around her neck like a necklace.
Except it’s not a necklace, but a mark to symbolize what I promised to those witches by staying away from her.
They want me to be sure to uphold my end of the deal.
The scar looks raw, and bloody as if she’s had the top layer of flesh peel away from her skin.
“I—” I swallow hard, unable to form the words.
How could this have happened?
“My dream…” She trails off, staring up at me as if in a trance. “It came true.”
“Dream?” I give her a puzzled look but then it dawns on me.
Dakota has told me from the very beginning that there was a reason she kept having the same nightmare over and over about myself, but she hadn’t mentioned it including her.
“You never spoke of yourself being in it.”
“I didn’t know. I couldn’t have known. The dreams don’t work like that.”
“Dakota! Are you okay?” Valdine comes to stop beside me.
For whatever reason, I can’t bring myself to help Dakota up off the floor. Valdine does it for me, and soon is inspecting her neck, turning the girl’s head from side to side. She doesn’t give Dakota a chance to respond, gesturing for us to hurry to the infirmary to do further inspections.
I go to reach for Dakota, but she let’s out a cry, and I withdraw my hand immediately. All I had done was place a hand on her shoulder, but it had been enough to cause her alarm.
“Max…you can’t touch her.” Valdine says once she shuts the door behind us, telling Dakota to take a seat on the bed.
I scowl at the witch. “Why can’t I?”
“The mark. You made a bargain with them. This is their promise that you’ll keep yours.”
Dakota reaches up to touch her neck. “What does it mean?”
Valdine gives a forlorn sigh as she shakes her head in dismay. “You’ve been hexed, I’m afraid.”