Page 123 of This Blood That Binds Us

“You feel that? That release? It’s letting go of ya.”

The numbness disappeared completely. The empty room came back into view. Somehow, everything looked...brighter. I looked at the chair next to me. Kimberly’s absence felt like agaping hole. But soon, I’d see her again. I couldn’t wait to get out of that godforsaken church.

I wiped my mouth and tried to still my trembling body. “Thank you.”

“You need to get yourself under control. Honestly, waitin’ this long to feed...”

Kneeling beside me, he sighed. “But I suppose I have to give you a pass, considering your idiot brothers turned you themselves.”

“Yeah, they meant well. I know they did,” I said, every muscle in my body aching and fatigued.

“Must you always defend them?”

I shrugged. “I think they did all right with what they had.”

William scoffed. “Well, remember this. When you drink, ya can’t think about the blood. The blood isn’t for you. It’s for that Thing you share a body with. It’s dark and evil. So, you drink, but only to shove it back into the hole it came from. You got that?”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, my body feeling like a truck had run me over.

“This is just the beginning. We have blood bags to help you, but you’re going to need to feed more now for the rest of your life because you let it get this bad. Surely, you’ve learned your lesson, finally.”

I nodded.My mind couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. There would be consequences. That much I gathered.

“You will be weak for a few days. It’s normal to be sleepy. Just rest. You’ll need more blood, but we can help with that,” William said.

He turned his attention to the robed girl with white hair in the hallway.

“They’re causing a fuss again.” She motioned back toward the hallway.

“Tell them he’s fine!” William growled. “Thanks to me.”

William pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. “You guys are going to be a handful. I can already tell.”

“I guess I’ll be seeing you around a lot more.”

He smiled as he placed his hands on his knees and hoisted himself up. “Yeah, guess so. It’s a shame, though. I really wanted to kill you.”

I mustered up the strength for a laugh. “Sorry to disappoint you...psychopath.”

“Goodnight, Aaron.” William smirked, reaching to touch my forehead, and everything deteriorated again. But no pain followed. Only rest.

Excitement bubbled upin my chest as I walked up the sidewalk toward the frat house. The sun peeked through the trees in the most beautiful way. Rays of sunshine painted the bricks. Warmth hugged my entire body, and I danced up the steps with a decadent bouquet of wildflowers in my good hand. My left hand was still wrapped up and would stay immobile for a while. I’d already gotten used to doing a lot of my daily tasks one-handed. As the doorbell rang, I pressed my head against the thick wooden door, listening to the stirring inside. The muffled sounds of yelling and laughter.

Aaron answered the door, wearing his khaki shorts and soft cotton button-down, his socks impressively rolled and complemented his white converse.

He greeted me with a warm smile and grabbed the bouquet from my hand. “Hey! Are you ready to go? Let’s go!”

“Wait! I wanted to say hi to the guys before we leave.”

Little lines appeared on his forehead. “Eh, right now isn’t a great time...”

My curiosity instantly piqued. “Why? What’s happening?”

I pushed the door open, and Aaron led me inside. Zach’s loud yelling was instantly identifiable and coming from the living room. Aaron’s brothers were all gathered there with a scattering of other guys I couldn’t identify. William was leaning over the couch, watching Zach with a bored expression. All of The Legion members had the same clothing aesthetic. Plaid, beige, and trouser pants.

“Fuck you.” Zach’s words echoed in the empty frat house. His shoulders were hunched as he glared at William.

“Hey! Kimberly’s here!” Aaron jumped in front of me.