Precipice (Tribe 2) by Audrina Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

bag beside me.
    “You didn’t.”
    “ One pint was enough.  I only healed her a little, like a promised.”
    “Yeah, but healing severe traumatic injuries, even a little, is a much bigger deal than healing a twisted ankle.”
    “I feel fine.”
    “Ember, knock it off. You’re emotionally spent, you’ve slept half the day away, and you’re snarling like a beast.  You’d be handling all of this better if you weren’t so energetically drained.   You drank enough to stave off bloodlust, yeah—but not enough to fully heal yourself.”
    “Maybe I don’t deserve to heal.”
    He rolled his eyes.  “So you lied to him.  What are you supposed to do?  Tell every guy you meet on the first date that you’re a Healer, and you drink blood?  No!  That would be stupid.  Look, no one likes it when someone keeps things from them, but anyone who isn’t a complete ass is going to understand that you’re protecting your family.  Alex isn’t an ass, so he’ll come around.  In the meantime, stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Mom and Dad are out of their mind with worry for you.  Can’t you feel it?”
    I stopped for a moment, “listening” to the vibrations in the house.  How had I missed it?  I had never felt such a surge of agitation before. 
    “Has something happened?”
    “Well, let’s see…you healed a dying kid, then you healed his mom, then Mom screwed up and announced that we’re blood-drinkers, and if Alex loses it, he could tell the wrong person and get us all hauled off to some medical installment somewhere… is that not enough for them to worry about?”
    “They aren’t talking about the plan, are they?”
    River’s brow furrowed.  “Dad brought it up, but nothing has been decided yet.  Mom wants to wait a day or two, then contact Alex and see where his head is at.  I’d be worried, but I really think Alex is trustworthy.  I don’t think anything will come of it.”
    But River didn’t know about the call Alex had gotten from the curious doctor.
    I sighed, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my head against them.  “I’ve really screwed things up.”
    “Maybe.  But I don’t think so.  I think Alex will come around.”  He pointed at the blood bag beside me.  “In the meantime—drink.”
    “I will.”  I picked up the bag.
    My brother stood up and walked toward the door.
    “River?”
    He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
    “Thanks.”  I managed a weak smile.
    He smiled back.  “No problem.   You may be a pain, but you’re my favorite sister.”
    “I heard that!” came Meadow’s voice from downstairs.
    We both rolled our eyes. River closed the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
    River was right—Alex was different.  And as long as Alex understood our family, he’d never turn us in.  That meant it was up to me to make sure that he did understand.  I opened the pint of blood and drank it down quick. 
    Drinking blood when you weren’t in bloodlust was pretty gross.  During the lust, blood tasted like a divine , sweet nectar—like the most pristine, delicious water on the tongue of a parched desert survivor.  Blood always tasted better when warm and fresh, but cold was just fine, too.  But once the hunger had been satiated, drinking blood was just plain nasty .  And cold blood?  It always made me a little queasy, just before I drank it.  But my brother was right—I hadn’t had enough the night before.  And I needed to be in top shape.
    I was going back to the hospital. 
     

Chapter 23
     
     
    “I’m sorry, Miss, but only family can visit Gina Baxter, at the moment.”  The nurse at the surgical desk eyed me over her wire-rimmed glasses.
    “You don’t understand.  I’m looking for her son.  He’s the one I’m here to see—but he’ll be in her room.”
    “Oh.  Well, then, you’re in luck.  She was just transferred out of ICU, and she’s in a private room now.  One floor up.”  She looked up the information in