Read Bite of Envy (Just One Bite #4) for Free Online Page B

you
everything. There's nothing left. Why can't you leave me alone?" She
sipped at her coffee, clutching it with both hands to prevent it from slopping
when she realized her hands were shaking. They were pushing her too hard, she
thought a bit frantically. They expected too much from her, and she didn't know
how to deal with it anymore.
    "Baby, there's more," Diandra corrected her
gently. "What made you feel like you weren't good enough? What can we do
to make you feel better?"
    Lizbeth glared at her, but there was no heat in it.
"Can you make me more powerful? Can you make me a stronger vampire? Can
you make me as good as you, or as good as Eamon? No, you can't, so just back
the fuck off. I've said all there is to say."
    Eamon cleared his throat, trying to avoid speaking to her
silently so that everyone could be part of the conversation. "She might
not be able to, but I know I can. That all depends on you, though."
    Lizbeth stared at him, all her anger gone as surprise filled
her. "What do you mean?" Suspicion was on her face, but he looked
past it and saw through to the cautious hope in her eyes.
    Eamon smiled at her. "You haven't practiced. Not
everyone is a natural like Diandra here. Remember how I acted on her first
day?" Lizbeth nodded. "Well, it was because she was doing everything
one hundred times quicker than I did. It took me nearly a hundred years to get
to the level I'm at, and even now I find myself a little quicker, a little
stronger, and little more powerful. It takes practice, and you haven't
bothered."
    Lizbeth merely stared at him, surprised that it had never
even occurred to her. She had simply assumed that she would be at full strength
right away. If she believed she could do it, then she could. It was like that
for Diandra, so why not for her?
    Eamon whispered quietly in her mind. You were at a disadvantage, seeing Dia just do things instead of having
to work at it. She's special, somehow. No one knows quite why, but I guess it
might be because of the pregnancy. Not all of us take to it as she did. You
don't know you're weak- you may grow to be stronger than me one day. But you'll
never know until you try.
    Continuing out loud, he said, "We don't know what
you're capable of, because we haven’t practiced. And you're not weak- I can't
heal nearly as fast as you can, and you're quieter than I am. I always make
noise when I move, even if no one but another vamp can hear it." He came
around the table and laid a supportive hand on Lizzie's shoulder. "My
point is, we just don't know what you're capable of yet, and we won't know if
you don't practice. So what do you say? Want to get some practice in since you
have the day off?"
    Lizbeth looked around the table at the faces of her loved
ones. She saw nothing but support as they looked back at her. She gazed up at
Eamon last, and his expression was the gentlest she'd ever seen from him. She
smiled at him as she replied, "Well, I'm already dressed for it- why
not?"
*****
    Lizbeth stood on the beach waiting for Eamon's instruction
to begin. She'd begged Adrian and Diandra to stay inside- she just wasn't ready
for an audience just yet. She knew they were gathered in front of the sliding
glass door looking out onto the sand, but she shook that off. She'd done the
same to Diandra, she knew, so she chose to ignore it and move on.
    "First thing's first," Eamon said. "We need
to know how fast you are, so let's start by sprinting to the waterline and
back." Lizbeth took a breath, rolled her neck and shoulders once, and
nodded that she was ready. Without warning, Eamon took off, running full speed
as he kicked sand up behind him.
    "Son of a bitch," Lizbeth muttered as she followed
him. She ran as fast as she could, dismayed when she realized she was still
much slower than he was. Angry with herself, she told herself she was faster
than that. She thought it, repeated it like a mantra, and managed to reach the
water just as he turned around to head back. Kicking up her speed