Revenant in Training (Blood and Snow series) (6 page)

He sucked in his breath, and pulled me to him. His lips claimed mine. I allowed it, and returned
his kiss
with
fervor
.
My lips
parted
at his
soft, insistent
movement
.
It was my first real kiss, and if I could’ve popped a foot, I would have. As it was I sighed
,
pressing my body into his firm chest.

He groaned, and said my name. “Snow.”

That’s when
it hit me I’d kissed
a guy I didn’t even know. The word
easy
came to mind.
Oh my gosh, what’s
with
me? What about Gabe? I pulled away
, shoving
him.
Mostly mad at myself.

“How dare you?”
I
pushed off him, working
to control my jagged breathing.
“
I need to get out of here
.
”

He
stood
,
and came toward me, this time with confident determination.
I sensed
the hunter in him.
It was tangible.
Taking my face in his h
ands, he tipped my head so
he had access to my neck.
Like before, I w
atched
his fangs grow. My heart beat so fast I thought it’d come out of my chest.

When his teeth met my neck
I responded eagerly. His groan
urged me on, and I touched his arms, his back, and up to his hood. With a little effort, I focused on tugging it off. A laugh
rumbled
deep in his chest. And then I heard his voice in my mind.

Seek
out your
true love.
You
, beautiful Snow,
are the key to
defeat
ing
the Queen.

Chapter 6

I
knew I was back in the girl’s bathroom even before I opened my eyes. And someone was in the bathroom with me. There was a knock on the stall door.

“Snow, are you alright?”

It was Dorian.

I picked up my backpack; thankful he’d found me. Opening the
door,
I took in his face. Concern plastered
his features
. “I’m fine,” I answered, trying to reassure him. “What are
you doing
?” I pushed past him, and walked to a sink, casually pe
ering at my neck in the mirror. Newly healed scars glared back.

“I
watched
you go in
. After ten minutes I thought I’d better make sure you weren’t drinking the blood of some poor, unsuspecting female.” His eyes gleamed with amusement.

“D-Do you see anything
on my neck,” I asked, tilting
slightly
.

He shook his head
. “Did… something happen again?”

“Yes. I went into the other realm. He
, The Hunter,
was there.” I washed my hands, and patted a wet paper towel over my face. “I don’t know if it
’s a good idea for me to be at school
.”

At
my words
, his eyes grew wide in mock terror, and he circled his
neck with his hands. “T
hi
rsty?
Do you vant to suck my b
lood?”
He spoke with the
lively
silliness
of an old-fashioned vampire
, but the worry in his body was evident.

I
sighed. The uncontrollable feeling
vanished. “I a
m worried I
might bite someone. Y
our blood
pulls
at
my bloodlust
, but not too bad
,
”
I said impulsively.

His face fell. Dorian actua
lly seemed sad. “Oh,” he
step
ped
closer
, his features changing from teasing to seriousness. “If you ever do need some. Blood, I mean. You’re welcome to mine.”

I gasped. “Do you even know what you’re off
ering?” Anger flashed. How dare he tempt me?
His naiveté made me want
to bite him, inflict a little pain, a little reality check, but I
speculated
he’d enjoy it the way I had.
There’s one way to find out, I thought. Professor Pops hadn’t told me not to bite humans, and Dorian offered.
I decided to give
my new fangs
a whirl. “Come here, then,” I said.

He
gulped
, and
his heart pick
ed
up speed.

“N
ervous?” I asked,
a smidge
glad.

“A little,” he admitted, but
saw he would hold true to his word.
I placed my hands on his
appealing
neck and pulled him down, much the same way I’d handled Christopher not too many minutes ago.
Tentative, at first, I touched my lips to his neck. H
e
let out a
groan
. Whether it was from fear or pleasure I didn’t know, and
in the next moment
I
didn’t care. My fangs grew
, pricking
his neck.

And the door flung opened. Dorian tucked me into his chest. “Just a minute,” he said, his voice heavy.

I quivered in fury at being interrupted, but I didn’t want anyone to see my fangs so I took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious guy smell that was the handsome Dorian. My fangs retracted. Peeking up, I searched Dorian’s eyes. A tight smile sat on hi
s lips.
I smiled back before gazing
around him
, at who’d so rudely interrupted.

“What the hell
is going on, Snow?” C
omplete shock packed her face
, and I laughed.

“Hey, Cin,” I said with
choked
amusement
.
It wasn’t that I found the situation funny so much as I had all of this anxiety
stored up, and it was finally coming out.

Dorian recovered
, and swung around. “I was ma
king sure she was okay. Our Snow
needed a hug, that’s all.”
H
e
regarded
me. “You’re good, right?”

“Yes, thank you, Dorian.”
I closed my lips, trying to hold in the laughter, but that didn’t help.
My conscious gnawed with guilt. I’d kissed Christopher, and nearly drank Dorian’s blood. But I liked Gabe.

Hussy
, my mind screamed.

Dorian
escaped the bathroom without a backward glance.

Cindy huffed, and stopped her foot. “What
’s gotten into you?”
She walked to the mirror, and checked her reflection.

I faced her, my image still taller.
“Oh, Cin. It’s a long, crazy story.”

She gave me the eye, the one that questioned my motives, the one that got right to the center of me.
“
I want to hear all about it. First
,
Mr. Wallace wanted me to tell you you’re supposed to go to the office for a tardy slip. He said you’re not allowed in class without it.
I’ve go
t to get back.
” She ran her hands through her ponytail.
“Chace see
med concerned. He even took off
after you
did
. For a minute there I thought you were in his arms.” She let out a sigh. “
See you in a few. Au revoir,” she added as the door closed behind her.

I straightened my shirt, and picked up my backpack.
Cindy’s strong perfume lingered, and i
t dawned on me
.
Cindy’s blood hadn’t inspired even a little bit of hunger. “Huh.”

In the office I called Professor Pops, and explain
ed in
brief details what’d happened—the
way my fangs
grew
, and how
I’d
gone to the other realm where t
he Hunter, Christopher,
bit
me again. I
left out
Dorian offering himself
.
The confession would be pointless
, and I didn’t want
what he’d done
getting back to Gabe, or the other brothers.

Professor Pops
spoke with the
school’s
secretary
, excusing
me from
the rest of my classes
.

He picked me up in the front, his distinguished face lined with worry. In the cup holder
between the seats
sat a carafe. “Bloodlust tea?” I guessed as I buckled my seatbelt.

“Drink up.
I made a double dose
in the hopes that will help.”

I took a sip, and grimaced.
It
was strong, b
ut I
finished
. When I
placed the empty container back in the holder
, Professor Pops
mumbled
his approval.

After clearing his throat, he said.
“I’ve heard of the Hunter
, Christopher. He is
very good at what he does.
I’m sorry I must say this, but at this point, propriety be damned.” He gave me a quick look, probably to determine my level of
shame
.