I couldn’t even keep track of how many times I’d died since the day I met Isa. Luckily, it had been a quiet night on Central Park West when I jumped off the balcony, and no one had seen my fall. I rolled my shoulders out as I marched toward the subway. I’d been dead and then a few minutes later I wasn’t. A thirty-floor fall had to have broken every bone in my body. And yet here I was, strolling along like nothing. The cool evening air tingled over my skin. The dim streetlights seemed more like high beams. Isa hadn’t been lying. Everything was a hundred times more intense.
I descended the subway steps, and the stench of urine and garbage drifted into my nostrils. My nose twitched, and I held my breath until the subway came. Again, I lucked out because the car I’d chosen was nearly empty. An old man sat at the opposite end, his coat reeking of booze and sweat. It was so sharp it completely masked the faint scent of blood rushing through his veins.
I squeezed my eyes shut for the rest of the ride, hoping to still my racing thoughts. It didn’t really work.
I was a vampire.
How does one wrap their mind around that? Then there was Sofia. I’d have to call the police when I got back to the apartment and report her murder. I cursed myself for not doing it before I was turned into a monster.
I sped up the four flights of stairs to our apartment, not feeling the slightest bit winded. Maybe there were a few perks to this vampire thing. I stopped at the door, my chest tightening. I didn’t want to go in there. Sofia’s blood splattered our apartment, and I was afraid of what that would do to me. My fangs pricked my gums at the thought. I was disgusting.
I held my breath and pushed the door open.
“What the hell?”
The studio was spotless. No Sofia. No bloodied walls or carpeting. In fact, it was the cleanest I’d ever seen the place. I raced around the tiny space searching for any remnant of what had happened, but there was nothing. Even with my sharpened vampire senses, I couldn’t smell a thing. Sofia had vanished.
I slunk down on the couch and braced my head between my knees. Isa must have done this. She sent someone to clean up after her mess. As much as I hated to admit it, a part of me was relieved. I didn’t want to see Sofia like that or deal with the police’s questions. I was a coward.
And I was hungry.
Fire burned in my throat, and only one thing could satiate it. My fangs descended as I envisioned the warm crimson liquid filling my mouth. A growl reverberated in my throat, and I clenched my jaw tight. I had to learn to control this. I leaned my head back, and a small card on the side table caught my attention. Bradley’s busines card. I reached for it and passed my finger over the black letters. I hated calling him again, but he was the only one that knew about all of this supernatural stuff.
I grabbed the phone off the table and dialed the number.
“This is Bradley.”
“It’s Damian. I’m sorry to call you so late, but something’s happened. I need your help.”
“So you didn’t take my advice, huh?”
I groaned. I was such an idiot. “No,” I muttered. I glanced at my watch; it was nearly midnight. “Can you meet me tonight?” It had suddenly occurred to me that in the movies vampires couldn’t go out in daylight. Would I be trapped in my apartment come morning?
Bradley cleared his throat. “Yeah, I can come if it’s important.”
“It is, and I appreciate it. I’ll text you my address. I’m sorry; I have to go. There’s another call coming in.”
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
I stared at the unknown number flashing across the screen. Who was calling me at this hour?
“Hello?”
“Hey sir, it’s Ted. Sorry to call so late, but I wanted to check in on you.”
I suppressed a groan. My over-eager trainee was the last person I wanted to talk to right now. “Check in on me?”
“Yeah. The captain told us what happened to your fiancée. I’m really sorry.”
I paused, my mouth hanging open. What the hell was he talking about?
“Um, I’m actually right outside your apartment. I thought maybe you could use some company.”
No, no, no. Thirst clawed up my throat. My mouth was so dry it felt like I’d been gargling cotton balls. “Now’s not a good time, Ted.”
“Oh okay. My mom baked you some cookies. I guess I could just leave them at your door.”
I could almost picture Ted standing out there, his big green eyes looking like a lost puppy. Ugh. “Hold on a sec. I’m coming, but you can’t stay. I need to be alone right now.”
“Sure, I get it.”
I pushed myself off the couch and marched to the door. Clenching my teeth together and holding my breath, I opened it a crack.
Curious green eyes peered through the opening. He must have run all the way up the stairs. He held out the tray of cookies, and I was forced to open the door further.
“Thanks,” I muttered, scared to talk too much and get a whiff of his blood.
“I’m really sorry again about the accident.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “If there’s anything I can do for you…”
I nodded. My eyes zoned in on the artery pumping in his neck. I cleared my throat. I needed to get him out of there, but I had to find out what Isa had done to cover this up.
“You look okay though—not too banged up or anything.”
“I was lucky.”
“The Captain told me the funeral is on Tuesday. Is it okay if I go?”
Isa had already arranged for a funeral? I tightened my fists at my sides. “Sure, kid. Thanks.”
He reached out his hand to my shoulder and squeezed. The vein in his wrist throbbed in my periphery. My eyes fixed on the light blue vein spiderwebbing underneath his pale skin. It was like time stood still. The rush of his blood roared through my eardrums drowning everything else out. My fangs pricked at my gums, itching to break free. My heart rate quickened, pounding against my ribs.
“You have to go now,” I hissed.
His expression fell as did his arm from my shoulder. “Oh sure, I’m sorry.”
I sucked in a breath. Big mistake. His savory scent filled my nostrils, breaking through every last bit of my restraint. The tray of cookies clattered to the floor as I yanked him by the shirt collar and pulled him across the threshold. My fangs descended and clamped down into his neck.
His screams were muffled by the pounding of my heart. Warm blood slid down my throat, quenching the unending thirst. I sucked harder as the flow began to slow to a trickle. The thrashing stopped.
The bloodlust haze lifted and panic unfurled in my chest. I released my jaw, and his limp body crumpled to the floor. Lifeless green eyes stared up at me. No. I lowered my head to his chest and could just make out a slow rhythm. It was so faint. I was fairly certain that had I still been a human, I wouldn’t have heard a thing.
I dialed 911 and raced out of the apartment.