Chapter 12
Twelve
VAUGHN
We play for about an hour, and by the end of the set, I feel like my old self again. All my self-doubt and sense of failure has disappeared. I didn’t realize how much I missed playing until I had the chance to do it again.
As we exit the stage, Nathan throws his arm over my shoulder. “You were bloody brilliant, mate. If you’re looking to join a new band, say no more.”
My stomach coils tightly. As much as playing with Nathan’s band filled my motivation cup, it isn’t something I can even contemplate.
“What about Hub?”
“Screw that wanker. This isn’t the first time he’s left us to hang dry.”
“I’ll think about it,” I say, knowing that if I flat-out say no, he’ll keep bugging me the whole evening.
“Excellent. Now let’s get shit-faced.”
“You go ahead. I have to pee.” I step away from him and get lost in the crowd, having every intention to bail. It’s a pity I didn’t really spend a lot of time with Annabelle, but it’d be hard to pretend to drink in front of everyone.
I need to take the long way to the exit to avoid being seen by them.
Halfway there, I catch sight of the pretty girl I saved earlier.
Her bright blue-and-teal hair is hard to miss even in the dark.
Or maybe it’s just my enhanced vampiric sight that allows me to see her clearly.
There’s a guy all over her space, and I become annoyed out of the blue.
Settle down, Vaughn. It’s probably her boyfriend.
Instead of moving, I stay rooted to the spot, observing them. She has a drink in her hand, but she places it on the high table for a moment and looks for something in her purse. That’s when the douche drops something into her drink.
Son of a bitch.
There’s no settling down now. I head straight to them, but my way gets blocked by a large group of people that moves like a school of fish. By the time I manage to cross the room, the mystery girl and the asshole are no longer in the same spot. Fuck. Where did they go?
Use your senses, dumbass.
I take a deep breath and catch the girl’s scent, a mix of lavender and honey.
I follow it, and it leads me to a narrow corridor meant for employees only.
They aren’t in any of the rooms along the way.
Her scent and his take me to the back exit.
I rush out the door, not caring about stealth, and see them not too far from me.
Her back is flat against the wall, and he’s leaning into her, holding her by the arms. She seems to be struggling.
I don’t think, just run at supersonic speed and yank the man away from her, sending him to the ground.
“What the hell!” he shouts.
I look at her. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes are wide, but she doesn’t seem rattled, only surprised. Maybe she’s already under the influence of the drug he put in her drink.
“Yeah,” she answers, then looks over my shoulder. “Watch out!” She pulls me to the side, and I miss getting hit by a piece of broken furniture that the asshole found.
He ends up hitting the wall, and his weapon breaks into pieces. Then he swings his fist at my face, but I grab his hand and squeeze, breaking his bones before I shove him back. He trips over his feet and falls on his ass.
Cradling his hand against his chest, he yells, “You broke my hand!”
“I’ll do more than that if you don’t get out of my sight.”
My gums ache as my fangs become longer. My eyes are probably glowing red, and I wonder if Isadora’s potion is still working.
The asshole scrambles back to his feet and takes off down the alley. It takes a Herculean effort to not run after him and make him pay. But if I give in, I might not be able to control myself. If I kill a human, even if he’s scum, I’ll never forgive myself.
“Why did you come after me?” the mystery girl asks.
Keeping my gaze down in case the potion is no longer working and my eyes are crimson, I turn around. “He put something in your drink.”
She walks over, making me tense. I look away. “You should go back inside.”
“I will in a moment, but you interrupted something, and I’m afraid I’m still hungry.”
“What?”
I begin to turn, but she shoves me against the wall with extreme force and bites my neck.
The moment her fangs pierce my skin, a rush of pleasure runs through my body, and I forget for a second that I didn’t know she was a vampire until now and she’s feeding on me.
My eyes roll back into their sockets, and a groan escapes my lips.
She jerks away from my neck, then steps back. “You’re not human.”
The euphoria leaves my system, and clarity returns. I press my hand against my neck, which is bloodied thanks to her bite. “You’re not human either.”
“Fuckity fuck. We need to go, Sophie,” something says from inside her purse.
The back exit door opens, and Annabelle steps outside. “Vaughn, are you here?”
Shit. I so don’t need to get busted by my sister right now. I turn around, giving my back to the vampire who just attacked me. It’s not smart, but I don’t want Annabelle to see her.
“Hey,” I say.
“What are you doing here alone?” She walks over.
Alone?
I look over my shoulder and confirm the mystery vampire girl has vanished.
“What the hell, Vaughn. You’re bleeding.”
Fuck my life. I forgot about the vampire bite on my neck.
“It’s nothing.” I cover the wound hastily.
“Bullshit. That looks like a vampire bite. You’ve been attacked.”
I step away when she tries to move my hand off my neck. “It’s nothing. Let it go,” I grit out.
Annabelle gasps, jerking back. “Oh my God. What’s wrong with your eyes?”
Damn it. The potion’s effect must have expired. The High Witch said it would last twenty-four hours. I wonder if getting bitten screwed with the magic. I look away. “There’s nothing wrong with my eyes.”
“Vaughn… were you turned?” Annabelle’s voice cracks at the end.
Curling my hands into fists, I swallow the lump in my throat. This evening sure turned into a clusterfuck exponentially fast.
She touches my arm when I don’t answer right away. “Talk to me.”
There’s no point denying it. I might as well come clean. “Yes.” I look at her, my heart constricted tight, expecting repulsion from her.
Her green eyes are brighter thanks to the unshed tears. “When did it happen?”
“A couple of months ago. I was attacked by a nasty bloodsucker, and if it weren’t for Vivi’s boyfriend, I’d have died that night.”
Annabelle’s eyebrows arch. “Vivi is dating a vampire?”
I nod. “Yeah, it’s a long story. I couldn’t tell anyone. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, Vaughn.” Annabelle pulls me into a bear hug, shocking me for a second. I hug her back, relieved that she didn’t run for the hills.
When we ease off, I ask, “You’re not freaked out?”
“Of course I am. It’s not every day you discover your baby brother is a creature of the night. You need to tell me everything.”
I rub the back of my neck. “I will, but not here. And you can’t tell Mom or Clarissa. It’s not safe right now for them to know.”
“All right. I won’t tell them, but you can’t keep this secret forever.”
“I know.”
She glances at my neck. “The bite is completely healed.”
“Yeah, speed healing is one of the perks of being a vampire.”
She narrows her eyes. “Who bit you?”
“I don’t know, but I will find out.”