11. Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Luka
Blood gives vampires their strength. Being the only thing that sustains us, we rely entirely on it for survival. It fills our muscles, our bones, and our veins with power. It fuels our bodies in ways a human can’t even imagine.
Blood can also be our weakness. Our kryptonite. Like a car without fuel, a vampire becomes nonfunctional without enough blood—devoid of energy, power, and eventually life.
With minimal blood, our muscles go rigid, causing sharp pains to shoot through them. Our brains become clouded with only hunger. And after a while, when the hunger is too much to bear, the anger sets in leaving us dangerous to even the people we love.
That was the state I was currently in. Complete vexation.
Pure, unadulterated fury.
Click, click, click, click.
The doc’s high-heeled shoes hammered in my ears like the beat of a drum at a funeral. Every time they tapped against the white marble floor, I wanted to rip her throat out and drain her dry. Visions of me bathing in her blood wavered in my mind as she made her way to her rolling cart.
Am I in hell?
Abso-fucking-lutely.
I glared at Dr. Cuntface, watching her scroll on the computer, skimming through research data.
Amy glanced over her shoulder at me with an eager expression on her face. “I got great news on my research today, Luka. One step closer to Venezuela.”
“Only great for you.”
I thought how satisfying it would be to shove my thumbs in her eyes when she rolled them.
“It’s great news for everyone when we have a medical breakthrough.”
I snickered. “The doctor says to the lab rat.”
With a heavy exhale, she rose to her feet. She had her blonde locks tied up in a high ponytail today, and it annoyed me watching how much it swayed when she made her way toward me. Between that and the sound of her heels, I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming obscenities at her.
She stopped next to the table with tight brows, which caused a big fat crease on her forehead. The egotistical part of me wanted to remind her she made an anti-aging cream using vampire blood, so maybe she should think about using it for herself . . .
“How can you not have any concern for healing others? Or children, for that matter? How can you not care about them?”
“I do care about human disease and would donate blood or anything you need for research, but on my time. Not like this.”
She crossed her arms. “That’s not how it works.”
“Fucking obviously!” I snarled through gritted teeth.
Her eyes darkened, narrowing on me. “Did you scream at me?”
After enduring months of torture with barely enough blood to keep me alive, I’d reached my breaking point. If it were possible, I’d rip her throat out to keep from hearing her talk.
My anger took over, causing the sensation of veins being filled with blood to scurry across my face. A large hiss left me, my hungry fangs elongating at the thought of draining her dry.
“I’m fucking tired of listening to you run your mouth about how amazing you are while ruining people’s lives! Ruining my fucking life!”
She showed no emotion while I had my first meltdown since being here, but inside those evil blue eyes was a small twinkle. A darkness brewing which said if I didn’t shut the fuck up, I was going to regret it.
She uncrossed her arms and raised her hand, pulling the examination light closer to me. “Say you’re sorry.”
“Fuck you, cunt!”
Her eye twitched for a split second at my insubordination before she quickly regained her composure. “I don’t appreciate the tone.”
She flipped the light switch and instead of the super annoying bright light she regularly worked with coming on, torment silenced me.
The UV light sent searing pain through my eyes and I closed them tight. The horrendous smell radiated into my nostrils seconds before a loud scream broke free from my throat, drowning out the sound of my sizzling flesh.
What felt like an eternity later, she turned off the light and the pain stopped.
Dr. Cuntface let out a huff. “Next time, choose your words carefully.”
“Leave him alone!” Carmen screamed so loud it echoed through the halls. The frantic tone of her voice indicated that she had been crying. “What’s wrong with you people?”
“Stop talking,” I told her in Spanish. “They want you to react. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
“What did you say to her?” Amy asked.
Peeling my eyes open was similar to pulling the lid off a Pringle can. Every tiny piece of skin stuck together when I painfully ripped them apart. “None of your fucking business!”
Her nostrils flared this time, and I knew the light was coming back on, so I slammed my eyes shut again, bracing myself for the pain.
The flip switched, and my screams echoed throughout the room, the smell of burning flesh filling my nostrils once more.
Despite the unbearable torment, I knew the value of enduring it. Anything was worth knowing Sage was safe.
The doctor flipped the light off and I gasped for air. With a lack of blood in my system, my wounds were healing at an extremely slow rate.
She made her way to the door, her high heels clicking against the floor. “I hoped you were different . . . not like the others.” After putting in her code, she took a deep breath and let out a disappointing sigh. “I guess I was mistaken.”
The door shut with a click. Small sobs filled my ears as they left Carmen. I stayed quiet, hoping Amy wouldn’t bother her. When her walking stopped, and the beeping started, I knew she’d entered her code into Carmen’s door.
Shit.
“Stay strong,” I said loud enough for Carmen to hear, but not the doc.
Minutes later, Carmen screamed, now being punished for sticking up for me. My chest became heavy and I closed my eyes tight, attempting to drown out the sounds of her pain.
My brain went to the only comfort I had. Sage.
I thought about her beautiful face.
Her dark hair.
Hazel eyes.
Sensual voice.
A single tear stung when it exited my eye and rolled down my burnt face.
I was far from a godly man. After my parents were taken from me long ago, I stopped believing in heaven and hell. To me, earth was the only place where hell actually existed. People resorted to immoral actions to gain an advantage or sometimes just for fun.
As visions of Sage played in my mind like an old VHS tape rewinding itself over and over, I started believing in heaven.