Everafter Series 1 - Everafter by Nell Stark, Trinity Tam Page A

curious to hear Helen’s answer. “This is a nonissue!”
    They both ignored me. “We have observed a few cases in which the parasite’s transformation process was halted—for a time—when the vampire in question fed regularly and exclusively from their…mate.” Helen appraised Alexa with an evaluative stare. “A few romantics among us claim that it is a mystical process—the power of true love. Our scientists, on the other hand, believe that the phenomenon has something to do with pheromones: that the chemical composition of the partner’s blood is, in these situations, more appealing than the blood of the host.”
    Alexa was fascinated. I watched the emotions sweep across her face like a summer storm: confusion, surprise, interest, determination. At no point did she look afraid. I ground my teeth in frustration.
    “You said ‘for a time,’” Alexa pointed out. “What’s the catch?”
    “A human is capable of giving up a pint of their blood each week, but not without a price,” Helen said. “Your body will constantly struggle to regain what it has lost. In some ways, your quality of life will diminish: you will feel tired almost constantly, and weak. And you will only be able to sustain giving that much volume for a set number of years. By the time you reach your fifties, you will be struggling to meet Valentine’s needs. Eventually you will become too frail to offer what she requires, and the parasite will revert to feeding from her own blood.”
    “But you’ve seen it work,” Alexa pressed. “Between two people who are romantically involved.”
    Helen nodded. “One of my colleagues fed exclusively from his wife for thirty-two years before she was no longer able to sustain him.”
    Alexa turned back to me then, hope illuminating her face. “We can do this, Val.”
    Her beauty pierced my heart. I looked away, watching Darren the wolf lick clean the bones of his prey. Never had I felt more conflicted. On the one hand, Alexa was telling me that I could have it all: her presence in my life and her blood satisfying my thirst. The mere thought of drinking from her made my throat ache more fiercely than it ever had. But I would hurt her. I would make her weak. She would suffer. I could not, would not do it.
    “Didn’t you hear what Helen said?” I asked, trying to keep my voice quiet and even, instead of yelling like I wanted to. “You’ll be perpetually exhausted. How much energy will you have left for your career? For hobbies? For building a family?” I clamped my jaw down hard when I realized that I was betraying my own grief. We hadn’t ever talked seriously about the possibility of starting a family, but in my head, I had seen a child: a girl, with pale hair like mine and eyes like Alexa’s. But that dream was lost, now—now that I was a monster.
    I kept staring straight ahead as she slipped her arms around my waist and pulled my reluctant hands around her body. Once I was touching her, of course, I couldn’t stop. She knew me so well. I pulled her closer and buried my face in her neck. The rhythmic sound of her pulse was soothing and arousing, all at once.
    “I’m not taking no for an answer,” she murmured against my chest. “You are my family, Val. I need to be with you.” She pulled back just enough to look up at me. “You’re the one who’s always saying that we can do anything together. So practice what you preach.”
    I stared down at her intently, trying to find a hint of uncertainty or fear. But I couldn’t. She meant every word. And suddenly, I knew exactly what I was going to do with the rest of my life. My brain was sharp, my focus formidable. This entire situation was preposterous. I refused it. I would bend all my will to the quest for a solution. For as long as it took.
    “I’m going to find another way,” I whispered. “There has to be something, medically—some other way to stop the parasite. I’ll figure it out. I promise.”
    Alexa stroked the tense muscles