Not even a minute passed. They drank deeply, draining Cleo from arteries in her throat, her arm, and her thighs. Cleo’s charred skin seemed to be pulsing as they sucked the life out of her. Out of
• 260 •
Better Off red
the corner of my eye, I saw what Camila was getting ready to do.
The point of a blade was pressed against her wrist.
Faeth lifted her head, making no move to be discreet as she wiped bits of loose, burnt flesh from her lips. “Now. She’s empty.”
“Just hold on for me,” Camila said, not to Cleo, but to me.
The moment she slit her wrist, I threw up. Moreland must have sensed that I was about to heave because she appeared in front of me with a wastebasket the second the remains of my airline snacks came back up. Andrew took the trashcan from her and held me up as I continued to vomit. And then Camila had me.
“I’m fine,
querida
. Look.” Her healed wrist appeared in front of my watering eyes. “I’m okay.”
I nodded and stopped shaking long enough to take a bottle of water and a tissue from Moreland’s hand. Even if the woman was a total creeper, she was handy in a clutch.
Camila gave me some space to do a little clean up while holding on to a tiny shred of dignity. When I was presentable, she handed the water back to Moreland, then Camila tucked me tightly to her chest.
I looked over her shoulder, shocked at the change that had taken place in the few short moments where I’d been falling apart.
Cleo’s healed lips were latched on to Kina’s slashed wrist. Her eyes were still closed, but her throat was working, rhythmically swallowing every drop Kina gave her. When Kina stepped back from the bed, Natasha’s wrist took her place.
And Cleo was healing, changing right before my eyes. It all happened so quickly. The puckered and drawn skin regenerated and smoothed itself out over Cleo’s arms and legs and breasts. Hair sprouted from her head, longer and thicker than before, but just as rich and curly. Omi was last at the head of the bed, and as Cleo swallowed the final gulps, her now light brown eyes opened.
Omi took her wrist back and licked her wound closed. Foolishly, I’d been expecting Cleo to awake a screaming zombie. I expected her to come tearing across the room, mad with bloodlust, lunging for Andrew. But she simply sat up, as if she’d woken from a long, satisfying night’s sleep, and looked around the room.
• 261 •
reBekah WeatherspOOn
Her eyes fixated on Camila. She frowned for a moment, then bowed her head.
“My Queen,” she said respectfully.
“How are you feeling?” Camila asked.
I almost smiled as Cleo’s expression snapped back to normal.
She scratched her head and tested the tips of her fangs with her tongue. “Fine. It’s bright as hell in here.” We all laughed nervously with relief. Cleo ignored us. “Did someone puke?”
“Yeah. Sorry about that,” I muttered my guilt.
“It’s all good.” The sister-queens made room for her as she slid off the edge of the bed and stretched. “I’m hungry.”
Camila nodded to Moreland. Andrew quickly pulled off his jacket and slipped it into the chair with Camila’s. He was bare-chested under the leather except for the silver barbells that ran through his nipples and his collar. Moreland removed the thick black strap and handed it to Tokyo, then brought Andrew across the room to Cleo’s side. As she approached, Moreland kept her eyes lowered respectfully, the way she’d done with Camila. She didn’t look up as she spoke and Cleo didn’t ask her to.
“The sister-queen Miyoko suggested that you may prefer a female, but all of my female pets are still away for the holiday.
Andrew is very sweet and loyal and he will—”
“Yeah. I don’t care. I’m fucking starving,” Cleo said dismissively, taking the scalpel from Omi.
“As you wish.” Moreland turned and gently lifted Andrew’s chin with her finger. “I release you Andrew Edmond Franklin, Jr.
Serve this sister-queen as you would serve the master himself. As you would serve me.”
“I will,” he murmured quietly. Moreland stood on the tips of her neon green stilettos and kissed him on the lips. Then with a sense of finality, she stepped back and Cleo took Andrew’s hand.
The words Camila had spoken to me months before echoed in my ears in the overcrowded room.
“I thank you deeply for your sacrifice. Will you allow me to bind you to myself and to my sister-queens?” Cleo asked.
“I will,” Andrew said.
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Better Off red
“Thank you,” she replied. Swiftly, Cleo sliced a deep gash across Andrew’s palm. He shuddered, his head tossing back. It was hard to ignore how aroused he was. His erection was straining through the fabric of his jeans. He shuddered again as she licked the wound closed. Cleo raised her head with a low growl and tossed the blade on the bed, then her hands went to the fly of his jeans. Andrew was pretty muscular and a good six inches taller than Cleo, but she was in charge.
“I don’t care about an audience, but I’m going to fuck the shit out of him. I’m not sure if you ladies want to watch. Of course, my Queen, you’re welcome to,” she said with a dip of her chin in Camila’s direction.
“Thank you, but take your privacy.”
None of us wasted a second following Camila out of the room.
Cleo was safe, but back in the hallway, it was clear that this night, this life for her, had only begun. Camila thanked Moreland again, this time with more kind sincerity, then dismissed her. Before Moreland vanished, I caught a glimpse of the blue tears rimming her silver eyes.
Then, as if she’d called a huddle, the other sister-queens gathered around Camila.
“I’ll get her some clothes,” Faeth said.
“I will go tell Dr. Fountain it’s done, and then I will go to Rodrick and inform our Brothers,” Natasha said.
“And I’ll call Sarah at the precinct and tell her when to release the details of the accident,” Kina added.
“Thank you, my sisters. She’s going to be very angry once she’s fed. I’ll let them stay in my quarters until we sort things out with Andrew.”
“No,” Tokyo said. “I brought him and Moreland into this. Cleo can stay in my place as long as she wants. I’m downtown half the time anyway.”
“Fine. I’ll agree to that, but only because I’m still pissed at you for bringing Moreland into this. Good thing I like you so much.”
“My Queen.” Tokyo flashed her fangy grin before she disappeared. The others were right behind her, going off to their assigned tasks.
• 263 •
reBekah WeatherspOOn
Camila and I waited still under the protection of someone’s cloak. The nurses passed us, completely unaware. We both ignored the sounds coming from Cleo’s hospital room.
Camila pulled me into her arms. “Do you trust me when I say she’ll be okay?” she asked.
“She seems like herself. That’s better than months and years of surgeries and rehab, but her family…”
“We’ll take care of her family. Baby, if they knew what we could do for her, they would want me to save her too. I swear it.” I nodded, not knowing what else to say. Cleo was alive and safe and whole—physically. She sounded pleased with Andrew, but I was worried about her mind and her heart. “Thank you for speaking for her, though. She’ll appreciate that.” Fat lot of good it did, but at least I tried. Camila pulled me closer and rubbed her lips against my neck. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.” But for the first time since we’d started dating, I wanted some time to be alone.
• 264 •
Better Off red
I woke up to breakfast in bed complete with a bouquet of pink short-stemmed roses. On the way home from the hospital I’d considered spending the night at the dorm, but so much had happened, I didn’t want to add to the drama by pushing Camila away without giving myself a little while to cool down. By the time Cleo and Andrew were settled and it seemed like Cleo wasn’t going to flip out, I decided to stay the night. I looked at the tray on Camila’s bed beside me, a little more than confused.
“What’s all this for?” I asked as I rubbed my eyes.
“I’m sorry for last night. I hoped we’d be celebrating our engagement.”
“We still can, just not now. And there’s nothing to be sorry for,” I said before I let her kiss me. The apology was sweet, but unnecessary. The pancakes, juice, and flowers were overkill. The night had been rough on all of us, but Camila didn’t need to make anything up to me. “Have you seen Cleo yet this morning?”
“No. She and Andrew were busy screwing all night. I’ll go check on them in a little while. Eat.”
“This smells great. Thank you.” My stomach growled as I picked up the fork. I hadn’t eaten anything since I’d left the airport in Boston, and that hadn’t stayed with me for very long. “So what now?”
“Now the complications.” My mouth was full, but she continued when my eyebrow shot up. “Kina was in line after me. She’s very powerful, but with my pure blood, Cleo is now third to Dalhem.”
• 265 •
reBekah WeatherspOOn
“Does that cause any problems for Kina?”
“No, and she doesn’t mind the shift, but Cleo is very strong. A young, stubborn vampire with that much strength and power could be very dangerous. I love Cleo and I trust her, I just hope she can handle the responsibility.”
Then why did you change her?
“But I wanted to talk to you about Benny.”
I thought back to all of the times I’d watched them together.
“She’s in love with Cleo, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is. She will be back on campus in an hour and I think it would be better if she talked to you first. Her world is full of vampires and she lives with a full demon. I think having another human she trusts on her side through this will help”
“How did she find out?” I asked.
“Dalhem told her, but he said there was no reaction. That’s why he’s worried.”
“He didn’t read her mind for any ‘general feelings’?”
“No. When he married her mother, he vowed never to read Benny’s mind except in the case of a life-or-death situation. Benny is fairly honest with him so there’s never been a need to.”
“I guess details about your daughter’s crush aren’t a risk to vampire national security.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Well, at least now Benny can feed Cleo.”
Camila frowned. I rolled my eyes in frustration, trying to remind myself that sharing this information with Camila was important.
“Benny wanted Cleo to change so she could feed her. I don’t know if Cleo feels the same way about her, but I’m guessing feeding Cleo is something Benny will suggest. How do you not know any of this? Some powerful vampire you are.” I nudged her shoulder playfully. I had to offset the annoyance that was building inside.
“I don’t have to tell you to keep this to yourself, but Benny knows how to block me.”
“She does?”
“She’s not invincible by any means, but Dalhem has taught her a lot of tricks to protect herself. I can breach her mind, but she would be able to tell.”
• 266 •
Better Off red
“Like I can?”
“Exactly. And that’s why I’m worried. Cleo is the only one she opens up to, and now that she’s not human anymore…”
“I get it. So what now? What happens with Cleo and Andrew?”
“He’s hers. She can do whatever she wants with him. She can give him back to Moreland if she wants to. She can keep him. If she does, I may have to move them out of the house. I don’t know.”
Camila sat back on the bed. “I have to talk to her. I’ll have to assign her two more feeders as well. At this rate, she’ll drain him by tonight.
I’ll give her Benny if that’s what they want.”
“And what about her family?”
“The hospital contacted them last night. Florencia will let me know as soon as her family decides to come pick up her things. And her remains. We have a cadaver prepared.”
“This is so weird. Because she’s…”
“Not dead.”
“Exactly. I mean, she’s different, but even in the car last night it was obvious she was still Cleo, just more potent. I guess. If that makes sense.”
“She is superior to everyone but me and Dalhem, and she knows it. Even Rodrick will have to bow to her.”
“All because of your blood?” I asked still amazed at the power it carried.
“Yes. Because of me. I’ve never changed anyone for this exact reason. Dalhem and I and even Rodrick are very careful about that.
I should have let her drink from Moreland instead. I couldn’t.”
“I think if she’d had a choice she would have picked your blood over Moreland’s. I would have. I know it might throw off the power structure around here, but no one can blame you for making that call. What did Dalhem have to say about it?”
She made a slightly annoyed, dismissive noise. “Nothing. I think part of him is glad I saved her, for the sake of her friendship with Benny. He had some jokes about having to raise a teenager and then reminded me it was my responsibility to keep her in line.”
“Are you worried she’ll go on vampire pantie raids with Moreland?” I asked.
• 267 •
reBekah WeatherspOOn
“I’m worried that she’ll do something stupid. If she breaks the law, I have to put her down,” she said bluntly. I could see where that would be a problem.
❖
The cold air helped me clear my head as I walked back to campus. I respected Benny’s private nature, but I needed to leave polite at the door and get her to be honest with me. I had to share Camila before I even knew what she truly was. Even though our relationship had been full of surprises, she had always been a vampire to me. If Benny felt for Cleo a shred of what I felt for Camila, there was no way she was handling the news of Cleo’s accident very well, even if it meant she could finally feed her. And if it was simply a matter of deep friendship, I knew Benny would still need some time to mourn what they had just lost together.
I texted her on my way over. She texted back telling me she’d wait for me in the lobby of her dorm. We didn’t bother with any small talk as we made our way to her room. It gave me a few minutes to think of what exactly I was going to say and time to wish she hadn’t been wearing one of Cleo’s ABO hoodies, one with her name stitched into the arm.