Page 77 of This Blood That Binds Us

That’s when I remembered the thing I had forgotten. Only I hadn’t forgotten. William made me forget. He made Aaron forget. The reason Aaron and I suspected Danny. The very person who made us suspicious of William. William compelled us.

With a new fire under my feet, I said, “Because of you! Aaron, we were right. He is the vampire.”

“I’ve gathered that one, Kim.”

“No! We figured it out! At the dance. But he made us forget. He wiped our memory. You still don’t remember?”

William clapped a long, slow clap. “Wow, I’m impressed. I knew it wouldn’t last long on you. You’re too strong-willed and too smart. Aaron, on the other hand...”

“I still don’t remember.” Aaron looked back at me.

“You will, eventually. I can’t place permanent blocks on your long-term memory. I’m guessing you won’t remember our little conversation at the top of the stairs for a while, either.”

“Why are you here?” Aaron’s voice was cold.

William moved forward, advancing with a calculated shuffling of his feet. “I’m just having a bit of fun . . . enjoying . . . nature.”

With a flick of his fingers, his lit cigarette flew to the ground, and he stomped it out with his foot. Aaron grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him. My heart was beating out of my chest. I could sense something shift in Aaron. His whole body was shaking.

“You know, I’m curious about you, Aaron. You didn’t tell your brothers about this secret you’ve been keepin’. That’s an interesting choice for someone like you.”

A brief silence followed, and I squeezed Aaron’s shoulder.

“Come on, you don’t want to talk? It’s not fun that way.” William chuckled, his jaw set and serious. Hatred flashed in his eyes with the flames of the fire.

Aaron scoffed. “I’ll answer you if you answer me.”

“Why am I here? Isn’t that obvious...vampire. She’s got blood.” He pointed to me. “Come on. Ask me a hard one.”

“You’re not going to touch her.” Aaron snarled.

William took another step forward. “Do you think you could protect her from me? Don’t you think, if I wanted to take her right now, that I could?”

Crunching the leaves with another step, I flinched, and my heart leaped in my chest.

“Wanna bet?” Aaron moved away from me, taking a step toward William, until they were inches away from each other. He was acting like another person, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

William smiled with his black eyes shimmering in the light of the fire. “Can you feel it? Your blood is boiling and rising to the occasion.”

Aaron glanced down, looking at his hands, watching them silently.

“Aaron . . . you have so much to learn,” William said.

I couldn’t see Aaron’s face, just his clenched, shaking hands. His eyes locked with William’s. I stepped back toward the tent.

An aura wafted off of Aaron, tarnishing the fresh air. It wasn’t fear...It was dark, sinister, pure evil.

The feeling made me quiver. William emitted the evil, too. The menacing aura radiating off of them tainted the air, and everything around me grew colder, darker.

“It’s because you know you can’t fight me. You cannot win. So, you let thatthingtake over.” William’s lips pressed together. “You don’t look so good, Coleman.”

“Stop.” Aaron’s voice sounded far away.

“What are you doing to him?” I clenched my fist.

For the first time, I couldn’t think, fear seizing my thought process. I was frozen like a frightened, cornered deer.

“I’m not doin’ anything. This is all him.” William had a grin plastered on his face, and he turned back to Aaron. “You can’t control it, can you?”