the less you know about it, the better.”
“How come you get full disclosure then? How come I’m left in the dark like an idiot and you get to know the ins and outs of the undead club?”
“It’s complicated.” I waited for her to press me for more details, unsure how I could answer without implicating myself as a registered member of the undead club (id chip and all!), but her thoughts tumbled in another direction.
“How, how can I be in love with someone like that?” she wailed, hands fisting in her hair as she fell back against the front of the nearest building.
“Someone like that?”
“A ruthless killer. What does that say about me that I never once noticed a single sign?”
“Not all vampires are ruthless killers.” Though he was, in fact, a killer – I’d seen it myself. I didn’t think that was what she meant though, she meant a killer without reason. The Order’s reasons for killing might be stupid and archaic, but they had all kinds of reasons.
“How can you say that? By definition they have to feed off of others to survive.” She wasn’t wrong there, but I couldn’t think how to make her feel okay with it. “Oh , God… he’s fed off of me too, hasn’t he?”
“I… that’s not something we really talk about, but I doubt it, not like you’re thinking. He told me once he doesn’t think of you like that.”
“Oh, he told you once, did he? Well, that makes me feel better. I guess I have nothing to worry about.” She stared at me long and hard. “You’re so naïve, Anja. He’s a vampire. He can’t be trusted. Everything that’s come out of his mouth has been a lie. For all I know he’s been feeding on me from day one and that’s why he wants to move in with me, because he likes my flavor.”
“It’s not like that.”
“How would you know? I noticed you’re not with Bishop anymore. You can’t tell me it has nothing to do with him being a vampire.”
“It doesn’t.” I swallowed uncomfortably. “I told you, it’s complicated.”
“No, it’s simple. I have to be out of my mind insane to have feelings for a dead guy. He can never love me back, he’s not even a human being for chrissakes.”
“I’m one too.” It just came out. Once the words were said though, I didn’t want to take them back.
“You’re what too? In love with a dead guy? Join the club.”
“No, I’m a vampire too.” I waited for that to sink in, speaking when I saw I had her full attention. “That’s why I know all about Mason’s secret, and that’s why I couldn’t tell you any of it . I was protecting my own secret too.”
“No… not you.” Her eyes widened with a different kind of fear, as if she doubted her own sanity. “You’re my sister.”
“I’m still your sister, and I’m undead too.”
“But how…? When?”
“It happened last month.” God, was it only a few weeks ago? Several, at any rate. It already felt like I’d been dead for ages.
“Who did it to you? Was it Bishop?”
“No, it was Jake. Do you remember him?”
“Jake…” she blinked, confused. I was pretty sure she didn’t remember him at all, she’d been pretty out of it the night he’d healed her with his blood.
“It’s a long story, but basically I’ve been a vampire since before you even met Mason. So when I tell you there’s nothing to worry about with him, I know what I’m talking about.”
“That’s why you quit going to school…”
“It’s part of it, yes. The point is, it doesn’t make me a ruthless killer just because I need blood to survive.”
“Don’t say that.” Her brow twitched in distress. “I don’t want to think of you all bloodthirsty and gross.”
“It’s the truth. And it’s part of who I am now. I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s hard not to lose control sometimes, especially for a newbie like me, but it can be done. Mason’s been around
“How come you get full disclosure then? How come I’m left in the dark like an idiot and you get to know the ins and outs of the undead club?”
“It’s complicated.” I waited for her to press me for more details, unsure how I could answer without implicating myself as a registered member of the undead club (id chip and all!), but her thoughts tumbled in another direction.
“How, how can I be in love with someone like that?” she wailed, hands fisting in her hair as she fell back against the front of the nearest building.
“Someone like that?”
“A ruthless killer. What does that say about me that I never once noticed a single sign?”
“Not all vampires are ruthless killers.” Though he was, in fact, a killer – I’d seen it myself. I didn’t think that was what she meant though, she meant a killer without reason. The Order’s reasons for killing might be stupid and archaic, but they had all kinds of reasons.
“How can you say that? By definition they have to feed off of others to survive.” She wasn’t wrong there, but I couldn’t think how to make her feel okay with it. “Oh , God… he’s fed off of me too, hasn’t he?”
“I… that’s not something we really talk about, but I doubt it, not like you’re thinking. He told me once he doesn’t think of you like that.”
“Oh, he told you once, did he? Well, that makes me feel better. I guess I have nothing to worry about.” She stared at me long and hard. “You’re so naïve, Anja. He’s a vampire. He can’t be trusted. Everything that’s come out of his mouth has been a lie. For all I know he’s been feeding on me from day one and that’s why he wants to move in with me, because he likes my flavor.”
“It’s not like that.”
“How would you know? I noticed you’re not with Bishop anymore. You can’t tell me it has nothing to do with him being a vampire.”
“It doesn’t.” I swallowed uncomfortably. “I told you, it’s complicated.”
“No, it’s simple. I have to be out of my mind insane to have feelings for a dead guy. He can never love me back, he’s not even a human being for chrissakes.”
“I’m one too.” It just came out. Once the words were said though, I didn’t want to take them back.
“You’re what too? In love with a dead guy? Join the club.”
“No, I’m a vampire too.” I waited for that to sink in, speaking when I saw I had her full attention. “That’s why I know all about Mason’s secret, and that’s why I couldn’t tell you any of it . I was protecting my own secret too.”
“No… not you.” Her eyes widened with a different kind of fear, as if she doubted her own sanity. “You’re my sister.”
“I’m still your sister, and I’m undead too.”
“But how…? When?”
“It happened last month.” God, was it only a few weeks ago? Several, at any rate. It already felt like I’d been dead for ages.
“Who did it to you? Was it Bishop?”
“No, it was Jake. Do you remember him?”
“Jake…” she blinked, confused. I was pretty sure she didn’t remember him at all, she’d been pretty out of it the night he’d healed her with his blood.
“It’s a long story, but basically I’ve been a vampire since before you even met Mason. So when I tell you there’s nothing to worry about with him, I know what I’m talking about.”
“That’s why you quit going to school…”
“It’s part of it, yes. The point is, it doesn’t make me a ruthless killer just because I need blood to survive.”
“Don’t say that.” Her brow twitched in distress. “I don’t want to think of you all bloodthirsty and gross.”
“It’s the truth. And it’s part of who I am now. I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s hard not to lose control sometimes, especially for a newbie like me, but it can be done. Mason’s been around
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