Sneak Peek
Read on for an exclusive sneak peek at the first chapter of the second and final installment of the Blood series, Bloodstained.
“If you want to talk about anything — if you have any questions — please feel free to…”
“I’m fine.”
Sebastian walked next to Leona, hoping she didn’t continue to press him about what had happened. He was still processing things himself. His senses were overwhelmed with all the new data they were taking in. Perhaps New York City wasn’t the greatest place for a new vampire — a reluctant one at that — to learn the ropes of immortality.
“Homeless might be the best option. There’s a camp not far from here, near Queens,” Charlotte explained as they navigated side streets and alleys together.
“A mass murder might not be the best plan,” Piper chimed in. “Let’s just focus on getting Sebastian fed. We can all get our own later. He’s the priority right now. And we need to stay together anyway. We don’t know who could be lurking and if… he is currently on the hunt for us.”
Sebastian scoffed under his breath. “Something you’d like to add?” Piper snapped.
“I think it’s pretty fucking likely he’s hunting for us. Namely me,” Sebastian said. “I’m surprised you didn’t have a wooden stake waiting for me when I woke up. How long did it take you to come up with that bullshit story about me being some chosen vampire hunter?”
“Sebastian,” Leona sighed, a pained frown on her face. “It’s not bullshit. You were going to die if I didn’t… if we didn’t…”
“I don’t care,” Sebastian interrupted. It felt as if his throat were closing in on itself. This hunger — or thirst, more accurately — wasn’t like what he felt as a human. His stomach didn’t turn into knots or rumble, he just felt… irritated, dry, parched. He wondered if he’d forget what things felt like as a human as time went on. Had Leona? He would never be able to experience sunlight again, or alcohol, or sleep, or any of the things he enjoyed on a regular basis.
“Stop,” Charlotte said as she put her hand out, making everyone halt in their tracks. She pointed forward, a small light illuminated in the distance. Sebastian could see movement. His eyesight had never been so crisp. They were at least a hundred yards away. “That’s the homeless camp,” the blonde said, looking at them. “I’m sure we can find some that have broken off from the group for Sebastian.”
“Let him hunt,” Victor said nonchalantly. Heads turned to him and he folded his arms, shrugging his broad shoulders. “He’s already pissed off. Let him do what he wants. We can clean the mess up later.”
“Need I remind you we’re depending on an element of discreetness?!” Whitney hissed, her eyes flashing angrily. “Letting Sebastian run wild is going to draw unnecessary attention to us. If Gid—” she paused, swallowing at the looks she received. His name had garnered too much power in their group. “If he catches wind there’s vampires here, and he shows up, it won’t take him long to sniff us out. We need a plan. No more reckless behavior.”
Victor lolled his head to one side, keeping his arms crossed. “Fine. You know best.”
“Thank you,” Whitney said, before turning to the space where Sebastian was. Her face blanched and her eyes erratically began scanning the area. “Where did Sebastian go?!”
Sebastian was lurking on the outskirts of the camp, watching multiple people gather around a fire, laugh, talk, enjoy life together. He frowned to himself, then rested his head against the wall he was standing by. These people were normal. They were innocent. They hadn’t hurt anyone. They didn’t deserve what his ‘friends’ wanted to do to them.
He felt like a hypocrite. He had been fine to turn the other cheek to Leona and the rest hunting, feeding, killing, but now that he was faced with it, he felt disgusted with himself.
Though, he understood now the pull of his thirst. Even in his horror, he was having to physically restrain himself from walking toward them and ripping each of their throats open. Was that what life would be now? Misery until he couldn’t take it any longer? Leona had mentioned feeding off animals, but that their blood wouldn’t fully satisfy any healthy immortal, and that craving would always be present.
If only his father were still alive. He’d gladly travel to the bottom of the country and drain every drop from his worthless body.
“We don’t have to do this here.”
Sebastian quirked his head, seeing Leona’s flaming locks out of the corner of his eye. Turning his attention back to the people, he didn’t respond.
Leona approached him, then carefully placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to ignore the slight flinch from him, and chalked it up to him just being in shock. She couldn’t afford to think any other way.
There was no way she could lose him, not after all this. He was angry, rightfully so, and she wanted to make things better. She wanted to nurture him and give him whatever he needed, no matter how long the transition process took. He wasn’t even turning to her, which broke her heart into a thousand pieces. She had barely gotten to touch him since he woke up. He hadn’t wanted her near him. The entire walk here was awkward, and if it wasn’t silent, it was filled with a snarky and resentful quip from him about how he hadn’t asked for any of this. About how she’d betrayed him.
“We can go somewhere else. But you do need to feed. Your head will clear and we’ll be able to talk about everything. I know this is a huge change — one you never asked for — but this is the hand we’ve been dealt. You’ve been dealt. Let me help you. I know exactly how you’re feeling. And I wish I had had someone who had my best interests at heart holding my hand to guide me,” she said, trailing her hand from his shoulder, down his arm, to his fingers.
Sebastian stayed there for a moment, then pulled his hand away from her. “You’ve done enough.”
With that, he went back to the group, who had caught up nearby. Leona closed her eyes and resisted crying out. There weren’t many times in her life she’d felt so damn helpless.
She more than understood why he was angry, and she knew she didn’t have a choice but to let him work through it, but a part of her worried that he never would work through it. She worried he would despise her for the rest of their existence.
She felt incredibly selfish for worrying about that at a time like this.
“Charlie,” Sebastian said, eyeing his best friend. “I want to go with you.”
“We’ll all—” Victor started, but stopped at Sebastian’s expression.
“No. Just Charlie. I just want to be with her,” Sebastian pressed.
Charlotte looked between them, her gaze landing on Leona. At the redhead’s slight nod of permission, the vampire’s light eyes went back to Sebastian. “Okay, Sebby. Let’s go.”