Page 61 of This Blood That Binds Us

The voice seeped into my skull, making it harder and harder to think clearly.

“What’s he talking about?” Luke had a grip on my forearm, but I couldn’t feel it with the heat pulsing through my body. “Kimberly? The girl you’ve been hanging out with?”

William tilted his head, laughing at me. “Maybe I just like messing with you.”

Killhim.Killhim.Killhim.Killhim.Killhim.Killhim.

The voice was getting louder and louder.

“You shouldn’t have brought big brother, Aaron.” William sighed. “Now I have to complicate this a little.”

I wanted to comprehend what he was saying, but I couldn’t get a grip. Every time I tried to hold on, it felt like a rope pulling me out to sea. My body was rigid, writhing with anger.

“Aaron, what’s wrong with you?” Luke’s voice sounded faint.

William’s eyes locked with mine. “She tasted good, too.”

I lunged forward, letting rage take me. William moved toward us. A millisecond later, I found myself on the floor. Luke had pushed me behind him, and William was standing in the middle of the floor, bathed in crimson light. Luke stumbled backward slowly.

As quickly as it came, the rage and the voice were gone. I rushed to Luke’s side, with my heart in my throat. His eyes were hazy and confused, just like Kimberly’s, only they were cloudy and black. He looked right through me, as if I weren’t there.

William’s eyes stayed locked on Luke. “Now that was interesting. Just when I thought there was nothing you boys could do to surprise me.”

“What did you do to him?” I said.

“He’ll be okay. Just needed to jog his memory a bit. Oh, and I did you a favor. He won’t remember any of this. Neither will you.”

William grabbed my wrists. His face just inches from mine. “You’re not ready yet. But you will be soon, and when the time is right...you won’t be able to save her.”

He let go, and the world fell away. The floor opened up, and blackness took over.

KIMBERLY

Waiting for Aaron was impossibly long. Every minute passed like an hour. Presley was getting more drunk by the minute, and I felt less and less secure. I had no view of the stairs, and all I was left with was a worried pit in my stomach.

My brain didn’t feel right. I replayed the formal over and over again in my head to try to find the hole. But there was something I missed. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Had I found out William’s true identity? Was he actually dangerous? Signs still pointed to him being the vampire, but I had no clue why. I was missing something crucial.

The stairs were still empty, and my manicure was trashed. I had chipped off almost every single speck of paint in the span of five minutes.

“So, Kimberly, seen any good vampire movies lately?”

I turned my attention back to Presley, who was casually swaying with a drink in his hand. His date, Ellis, was at the bar, getting them more drinks.

“W-What? That’s really random.” I scratched my neck.

A smile spread across Presley’s face. “Is it? Come on, tell me your favorite!”

“Uh, I’m not sure. I don’t like vampire movies.”

“Hmmm. That’s interesting because you’re into my brother, and he’s one, so I figure you must have a thing for vamps.”

A lump caught in my throat. “He’s...what? I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Presley’s curls bounced when he laughed. “Come on. Cut the shit. I know.”

Terror filled my body in a way I never felt it before. My mind went over anything I might have done to reveal the secret.