First Bitten by Samantha Towle Read Free Book Online Page B

you a fighting chance of staying as near to human as you possibly fucking can.”
    “ You swear too much,” I observe, coolly.
    A smile ghosts his face. “Yeah, and you’re impossible to talk to.”
    I look down at my hands. Deep down I know this is real and what he’s saying is true, and not just that I’m impossible to talk to, but that he’s only trying to help me.
    Also, knowing I have no way out of this horror that is now my life, I tilt my chin up and force myself to ask, “What will I happen if I don’t have ... blood?”
    “ You’ll turn on people to feed. You’ll kill, without meaning too.”
    My stomach drops through the bed. “And ... how long before that would happen?” The words shiver out of me.
    “ Not would, will . It’ll be about another day max. Soon the hunger will start to take over and you’ll turn into someone you would never wish to meet, worse than the fucker that did this to you because it’ll be your first feed and you’ll be hungry. You’ll be like a junkie searching for a fix who will do anything to sate that need. But unlike the average junkie, you’ll be stronger, quicker, sharper and driven purely by the hunger. In the end you’ll be out of control, unrecognisable. And that’s when I’ll put you down.” He links his fingers around his knee and leans in close to me. His hot breath scorches over my skin. “It’s something I’d rather not do, Alex, so it’ll be easier all round if you just listen to what I’m telling you and drink this.” He reaches down, retrieves a flask from the floor beside him, and holds it out for me to take.
    Ignoring him, I close my eyes and start to massage my temples in a rhythmic motion.
    I don’t want to do this. I feel trapped. I hate feeling trapped. I’m in this whole other world now, a world I have no comprehension of, a world I don’t want to have comprehension of. But what other choice do I have?
    I open my eyes. Nathan still has the flask in his hand but now it’s resting against his knee.
    I reach out and take it from him. “What’s in here?” I ask, nerves apparent.
    He sighs impatiently. “Blood.”
    I look at him sharply, tired of the sarcasm that comes naturally with him. “I know it’s blood, I’m not a complete idiot,” I snap. “I meant whose blood?”
    He raises an eyebrow.
    “ Yours?” I cringe.
    He throws his head back and laughs, a slow, dry laugh. “No. I should have said it’s animal. Even though human blood is your natural craving, you can survive on animal’s blood, it’s just not as good for your needs. You’ll require to feed more often than you would with human blood.”
    My body goes rigid with anger. “Should have mentioned!” I shriek. “Are you having a fucking laugh?! I think it’s a pretty important thing to tell me!”
    He leans back on the bed, levelling our eyes. “You swear too much.” A pirate smile lurks around the corners of his mouth.
    I hunt for a smart reply but take too long and lose my chance. I’m caught somewhere between hot and cold, with no comeback. I can feel the anger reddening my face.
    Biting on the inside of my cheek, I look down at the flask in my hand. Knowing there’s animal blood inside has calmed me a bit. Don’t get me wrong, the thought of drinking animal blood is disgusting, but not as disgusting as the thought of drinking blood that has come from another human being.
    “ So ... this is animal blood?” I lift the flask up.
    “ Pigs.”
    I cringe. The poor pig.
    “ You’re lucky we live on a farm,” he adds. Getting up, he goes over and switches the light on, flooding the room with brightness. “You’ll have an endless supply of it for the duration of your stay.”
    “ I’m on a farm?” I ask, my eyes following him as he sits down in the only chair in the room.
    Oddly, I hadn’t even thought about exactly where I am, but then. I have had other things on my mind.
    Nathan’s eyes roam my face curiously. “You couldn’t tell from the