Chapter 20 NINETEEN

MORGIANA'S POV The sight of blood was enough to send my senses to almost numbness. Everything about me was so focused on the packs of blood piled inside the freezer. "I...I feel like I could finish them all and the fact that I am not disgusted by it is just disturbing." He took one blood bag and the way it filled the empty spaces of the bag as he gently shook it made me gulp. "It's not disgusting because. You're a vampire." He tossed the blood bag in my direction and I caught it. It was cold against my palms but my blood warmed at the feel of it. "Drink it." He didn't need to tell me to drink it. Every fiber of my being screams at me to drink it. To devour it. I don't know what would happen if I finally drink the blood. Will it make me an official vampire? Is this some kind of initiation? All those thoughts flooded my brain but they all concluded one thing: I have to drink it. Without hesitation, I tore the blood bag open and put it in my mouth. The first drop of blood ignited something in me, spreading all throughout my body, urging me to drink more. So I did. I drank, and drank, and drank. Until I realized there was nothing left. I finishes the blood in the blood bag and I moaned in relief, closing my eyes as I tipped my head back. I could feel the blood pulsing through me and I could feel some dropping on my chest from my mouth. I could feel my senses heightening and every bit of my being taut. I want to run. I want to slam. I want to move to let out the tension inside me. But what I managed to say to Alaris was, "I need more." I saw the sides of his lips curve up before he tossed me another one. I tore it swiftly and finished it in just five gulps. But even with the second blood bag, I still feel like I needed more. I have to drink more. However, Alaris shook his head. The gesture made my body protest. "Why not? I need more. I feel like I haven't been fed in years. I didn't know I was starving. I-" But Alaris was not listening to me anymore. He turned to get the bag and took some blood bags to place inside the bag. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Taking these. We can't have you biting on some random people and draining them of blood accidentally. The key here is control." He turned to me after placing several blood bags on the bag. "I have seen vampires going violent because they lack control. Vampires are basically ticking bombs if they couldn't control themselves." With my current hunger state, thinking about controlling myself sounded like tough work. Well, it would be tough work. Especially when even the faintest smell of blood could send me to the edge. "A glass of blood could help you not have sudden urges when you see blood. You will have to learn to control yourself otherwise, you're going to get exposed." A glass of that magnificent drink...two blood bags wasn't even enough to satiate her hunger. "What if...what if I get hungry at school? I think I need to stop going to school." "That could be an option but we don't want Mr. Hawthorne to be wondering where you are and then suspect me. Besides, I need you to do something." I swallowed hard. At the moment, I couldn't think of anything else other than those blood bags. I heard Alaris sigh and said, "Let's go. Someone will be here soon. Best we don't get caught." Before I could even protest we both whirled to the door when we heard footsteps coming. There was one door at the back but it wasn't an exit. But with our only exit possibly blocked, we don't have a choice. With lightning speed, we both went for the door and found out it was just a cramped space. Great. Our bodies were too near each other and with my overly heightened senses, I could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. I wonder if he could hear mine because I could feel it thundering inside my head. But when I looked at him, I couldn't see any hints that he heard my heartbeat. Maybe he did hear and just doesn't care. I decided I shouldn't too. The door opened and someone came inside. I could hear the person's heart and smell her perfume. I feel nauseous and perhaps Alaris noticed it. He tipped my chin and I was looking at him. His eyes glowed in the dark and under normal circumstances, that is if I wasn't a hybrid, I would have shit in my pants when I see his eyes. But I feel differently about it now. Looking at it inside this small, cramped space-it was beautiful that I almost forgot where we are and what our situation is. "Don't you dare faint." "Thank you for the concern." He went silent once again. Maybe he realized I am alright. "What happens if they find out we're here?" I asked inside my head and I knew he heard it. "What use are you being a vampire if you don't use it?" "You want me to bite them?" His eyes narrowed at me. "I meant compulsion, Morgiana." Right. The disappointment inside me was alarming and even though I tried to hide, I was pretty sure Alaris noticed it. Although he did not say anything. We stayed there for a couple of minutes and thankfully, the person who just entered the room, whoever that is, did not decide to check behind the door where we were hiding. Once we were out, we did not waste any second. We immediately went to the door and ran out. Having superspeed was quite convenient. The bloodlust I felt earlier eased and somehow, I felt much better. Perhaps getting away from that room full of blood somehow helped And compared to earlier, I felt much more energetic. The blood has something to do with it. "Did you know a lot of vampires before?" I asked him as we walked away. I was very well aware of the number of blood bags he took in his bag but I tried not to pay too much attention to it. We were walking down the streets and I don't like it when we're both silent while we walked. I needed to say something. It was probably a stupid question since vampires are not allowed in this town but I feel like Alaris knows some vampires. "I did," he said and even though I was expecting it, it still surprised me. "And I guess you're not on good terms." A scoff left his mouth. "Vampires and wolves are enemies but that doesn't mean we fight all the time. With centuries of constant war and killings between the two species, the time has somehow dampened the fire, and unexpected friendships were made." My brows raised at that as I looked at him. "You had a vampire friend and yet you wanted to kill a hybrid?" "It's different--ugh. It's not me. It was my father. He once had a vampire friend. Met him too." I couldn't help but get curious. I have only met the wolves and what they're like when they transform. I wonder what vampires look like or even the witches. "So do they transform too? Like the wolves?" "Transform into what?" "I don't know. Maybe transform into something else like wolves do?" "They don't. They look like humans and they can pretend like humans. They're charming and silver-tongued. They're easily well-liked and that's how they lure their victims." "So basically I have to be wary of every charming person I meet." "You're a hybrid, Morgiana. You can tell if you're talking to a vampire or not. Just instincts. But of course, they'd smell you're not human too." "Then it's only a matter of whoever takes out the other first." His brows furrowed as he looked at me. "That's good thinking but also reckless." "Why?" "You may be a hybrid but they have one thing you don't." "That is?" "Years." We turned right down the road. "These vampires have lived decades, centuries, and there are even a few who lived for millennia. The older the vampire, the stronger they are." "And I'm just eighteen." "Exactly. In vampire age, you're just a newborn baby." Damn. "So even if I am a hybrid--" "It won't make a difference once you're faced with a century-old vampire. Or even wolves." I swallowed hard at that. "Bottom line is, I should try to avoid any confrontation of that kind." "There will be a point where you won't be able to avoid it and there is no other choice but to fight. You have to remember that you have the weakness of a vampire and that of a wolf. Use them if ever you're in that confrontation." I wouldn't want to be in that kind of confrontation. My life might have sucked in the past years but that doesn't mean I am not hoping to live it. "Do you think there are no vampires hiding in this town?" I asked because it could be possible that they were just hiding. I found out that they didn't need to kill people to drink blood. They need blood bags. They could easily steal from hospitals and drink it. When I looked at Alaris, he was looking far ahead and then he said, "At this moment, I am not very sure." "What would you do if you found one?" "That's impossible." "You can't be too sure--" "A vampire is never alone. It's impossible. Even if they come to this town alone, they can turn someone into a vampire." "Vampires can turn humans into vampires?" "Making humans drink their blood and then killing them while the vampire's blood is inside the human's body, yes. And they can make the humans drink by compulsion." "Oh my god. Is that...Is that what they always do?" "Thankfully, no. Only the weak vampires turn humans like them. The strong ones, on the other hand, don't share their blood just as easily. Especially to humans. They consider humans their food. They're basically thinking they're at the top of the food chain. That is why your existence is dangerous. It could tip off the balance of their food chain." "Because I would be considered the top predator." Alaris nodded silently and I feel nauseous at his revelations.