Read First Bitten for Free Online Page B

family.”
    I rub my runny nose with my hand. “I wouldn’t tell them it was you that saved me,” I utter meekly. “If they found me, I wouldn’t tell them.”
    He lets out a sharp laugh. “Trust me when I say this, you really don’t want them to find you. And yes you would because you wouldn’t have a choice. They are evil motherfuckers and can be very, let’s say ... persuasive when they want to be, and I don’t want my family put in harm’s way because of a rash decision I made when I saved your life. So for now, you need to stay here and out of view, until I can figure out what to do with you. I know this is the last thing you want, and honestly I don’t want you here either, but we don’t have a choice. I know it’s hard to hear, but to your old life … you’re dead. You can’t go back, ever.”
    Everything closes in on me. It’s like I’m free-falling into a cavern of darkness and I’m never going to hit the bottom. It’s never going to stop. And I know unequivocally, from this moment on, I’m never going to know peace again.
    My legs give out on me and I slump down to the floor. I pull my knees up to my chest. My eyes are blurring up with a fresh batch of tears.
    “ I … I just can’t believe Carrie’s g … gone,” I choke out, “and all of this that’s happened ... it’s too much ... I can’t c-cope.”
    “ You’re gonna have to find a way to,” he says stonily, sitting down beside me, “because you don’t have any other choice.”
    The grief returns to hit me with the force of a tsunami hitting land. I drop my head onto my knees, bury my face, and cry.
    I have no idea how long we sit here for, side by side. Nathan doesn’t move. He doesn’t touch me. He just sits here silently with me while I attempt to cry this ache from out of me.
    Eventually, when the tears begin to dry up, I lift my head.
    “ You okay?” He glances sideways at me.
    I push my hair off my damp face and shake my head. The tears may have momentarily subsided but the pain will never go away.
    Nathan gets to his feet and swiftly exits the room, returning a moment later with a handful of tissues. He crouches down in front of me and hands them over. “Probably should have got you these a while ago.”
    He smiles a weak smile. I can’t muster anything up to return it.
    “ Thanks.” I take the tissues, wipe my face and blow my nose. I scrunch them up in my hand knowing I’ll need them again soon.
    “ Do you feel hungry?” Nathan asks.
    I shake my head. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat again.
    He looks at me for a moment longer than necessary. It makes me uncomfortable. I look away.
    “ Why don’t you try and get some rest,” he suggests. “We can talk more later.”
    I nod my assent.
    Standing, he holds his hands out for me. I take them and let him pull me to my feet. Exhaustion suddenly burns through me. The room spins, black dots dance before my eyes and my knees buckle.
    “ Hey, take it easy.” Nathan scoops me up into his arms and carries me over to the bed. I rest my head against his shoulder. He smells earthy and something about it momentarily fills the hollow places inside of me. He lays me down and pulls the cover over me. The moment he lets me go, the hollow coldness creeps back into me.
    “ Nathan?” I utter when he’s at the door.
    He turns back, giving me a questioning stare.
    I roll onto my side, facing him. “Thank you for saving my life.” I realised I haven’t said that, and all things aside, he at least deserves my thanks.
    He shrugs. “No problem.”
    “ How do you know all this stuff, about these ... Vârcolac things?”
    I see something flicker behind his light eyes. “We’ll talk about it later. Just rest now.” He turns away and pulls open the door.
    “ Nathan?”
    He doesn’t attempt to disguise the sigh and he doesn’t turn around, he just stands there, back to me, a foot out of the room. “Yes?”
    “ What will happen to me ... if the Vârcolacs find