Page 14 of This Blood That Binds Us

“Do your brothers know about me? That you saved me? Did you tell them anything?”

“No. It’s not something theyneedto know.”

She seemed to accept that answer, but I doubted she believed me.

“I can’t believe this is happening. It doesn’t feel real. How do I know this isn’t some kind of fluke, and you’re not just some guy that calls himself a vampire and goes around biting people? I’ve seen the forums. I know it exists.”

“Good point.” I couldn’t hold back my laughter this time. “I can show you one thing. I might be able to get away with it in broad daylight.” I took a quick look around, making sure noone was intently paying attention to us. “What’s your favorite flower?”

She eyed me suspiciously. “Peonies. Why?”

I was thankful she’d chosen one of the few flower names I knew. I took in a breath, and on the exhale, I let my instinct take over. I turned toward the stone archway at the garden entrance a few feet away and watched for my opening. The garden was a decent size, with tall hedges and stone statues that made it difficult to look clear across. I noted where everyone’s line of vision was facing. Luckily, our campus wasn’t completely open. Trees casting shade widened my window of opportunity. Once I had found my opening, I went for it. After running, I hid between tree trunks and dashed to the furthest end of the garden to pick her flower.

Within seconds, I was back, holding the pink delicate flower between my fingers for her to take.

Her eyes widened in fear, and the breath hitched in her chest, but her shoulders slackened from her ears, and she took the flower. Her mouth stayed open as she analyzed every inch of the flower.

“I know . . . it’s weird, huh?”

Nothing I said would help. Nothing had helped me when I found out, certainly nothing my brothers said.

Her eyes were full of curiosity. “What else do you know?”

“Only what my older brothers have told me. Which isn’t much.”

She was eerily quiet. Her face was hard to read.

“Where did you come from? I’ve never seen any of you here before.”

“Um...we are new to the area. We moved from Brooklyn two months ago.”

“How were you able to start in the middle of the semester?”

Her voice sounded distant, but her eyes stayed trained on me.

“Kinda an unusual situation,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t push the subject.

“What do you mean by that?”

I didn’t know what I was going to tell her, but I didn’t want to lie. Not when I owed her the truth. The truth being: why her. Why I had moved was directly connected to why I showed up in Blackheart and attacked her in the nature reserve. Neither should have happened. But it did. Because of my brothers.

“I, uh . . . there’s a reason we left.”

She raised her brows, waiting for me to say more.

“You see, the thing about that is...I can’t tell you because I’m a little in the dark about it myself. My brothers didn’t tell me anything, really. They just turned on me and our little brother, and we left. They pulled some strings and got us set up here. I don’t even know how they pulled that off, either.”

The familiar punch of anger hit my gut. It was a definite sore spot still aching two months later. My older brothers and I had countless fights that went unfinished on the reason. Why did they change us? Why were we running? Why wouldn’t they just tell me more? It ended the same way every time. They’d never budge, and I’d always get angry.

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

Her tone didn’t match her words. Her words were pointed, but her voice was patient.

I wanted her to have the answers, unlike me, who was left worrying and wondering about what goes bump in the night. Maybe she could have the freedom I’d never have. She could have her answers—at least the best I could muster—and maybe she could move on and have a good life. Just like I’d imagined she’d have. “I didn’t expect you to trust me, even after we talked...All I know is, it’s dangerous, and I think I’ve already subjected you to enough of that.”

She didn’t miss a beat.

“Let’s assume for a minute that I believe you. What kind of danger? Be as vague as possible without lying.”