Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I would always wonder. I would always regret it. Besides, being a vampire isn’t that bad. I mean, just look at the Malus family. But then there’s Mabel…she didn’t want to be a vampire and it’s quite clear. But it’s not like she’s unhappy.
I squeeze my eyes shut, unable to quiet the voices. Instead, they become louder and louder until they’re yelling in my ears, each word reverberating off my skull since the voices are inside my head.
“Wren.” Xavier’s hand lands on my shoulder and suddenly, the voices stop all at once. Blinking, I look at him, only hearing my own heartbeat thumping along inside my chest. For a split second, everything fades and I badly want to relent to him.
The OR doors swing open and the same nurse comes back out. Her face is flush and I’m sure she’s going to get in trouble for just walking into an operating room in her everyday scrubs. Xavier takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. His strong arm wraps around me, holding me up.
“He has a partially collapsed lung,” the nurse begins, still looking confused as to why she’s breaking HIPAA rules by telling us about a patient. She has no idea who we are in relation to Devon. “The arrow hit right below the clavicle and damaged the subclavian artery, which resulted in the rapid blood loss. The artery has been repaired and a chest tube put in place to help the lung re-expand.”
Her tone is soft and matter of fact, but each word hits me like a slap to the face. Lung damage. Chest tube. Rapid blood loss.
None of that is good.
“Currently, his heart rhythm is stable and they’ve started a transfusion, but he is in critical condition.” She blinks, not looking away from Xavier. “They will keep monitoring for internal bleeding and shock.”
“Is he going to be okay?” I ask, voice trembling.
“Answer her honestly,” Xavier orders.
“I can’t say either way,” the nurse begins. “Best case scenario is that he wakes up, but it wouldn’t be without permanent damage. Mobility issues, chronic pain, weakness. The chance of organ failure or infection is high.”
“And the worst case?” Theo asks.
“He doesn’t make it through the night,” the nurse answers.
“Thank you. Now go on your way,” Xavier tells her and the nurse scuttles off, shaking her head.
“He could be okay,” I whisper and Theo scoffs.
“Where the fuck did you hear anything about him being okay?”
“Watch it,” Xavier warns again, squaring his shoulders.
“That’s the problem with humans,” Theo goes on, turning and balling his fingers into fists. “The way they cling to the selfish delusion that everything will be okay so they don’t have to be faced with a hard decision.”
“He could pull through,” I argue, fully aware that I am being delusional.
“He could,” Theo says, almost mockingly. “And be a deformed, weakened version of himself. Is that the life you think he’d want to live?” His eyes sear into mine and I just shake my head as the voices come back.
This was the plan the whole time: Devon gets turned. It’s what he wanted until I came along, and I haven’t known him very long. We haven't had a chance to really dig into this, to fully play the tape through on our little fantasy of running away. He might have a real chance to escape and live a life without persecution, but I won’t. I think we both knew that.
Still, it was fun to think about, but was it only fun to think about because we both knew it wasn’t really going to happen? I blink and now I see him rushing toward me in that parking lot, face pale and eyes wide with terror.
What had he found out? What was so bad we had to run away? Does that mean he didn’t think his brothers could protect us? What’s worse than a vampire mafia?
“We don’t have much time,” Theo says to Xavier.
“I know,” Xavier agrees and paces across the hall. If I wasn’t here, I’m sure it would be an easy decision: turn Devon, take him home, and wake up tomorrow as a new, normal day. “He’s still in surgery.”
“And could die on the table,” Theo counters.
“There was stuff he wanted to do—as a human!”
“It isn’t that simple,” Xavier tells me, putting both hands on my shoulders. “I know this is hard—”
“It’s not just hard, it’s wrong!” The lights hum and flicker again and I close my eyes, pushing tears out. “It’s wrong to…to…” To choose who lives or dies. But I can’t say it. Because only moments ago, I realized that choice was mine and I felt no remorse when I gave Xavier Dale and Randall’s names, fully knowing what would happen. “This…this isn’t fair.” I bring my hands to my face and Xavier pulls me to him, cradling me against his chest.