Tainted Blood (11 page)

Giggles grew louder as Ashton’s party made their way back to him. It was him, two buddies, and four very sleazy looking girls.
Who wears stripper heals to a pumpkin farm?

“Hey, why don’t you join us,” Ashton called to us, and I saw Carter’s hands ball into fists.

“We’re good,” Zoey called back.

Ashton shrugged and walked away with his posse, wrapping an arm around two of girls’ shoulders as he did so.

Carter, Zoey and I exchanged glances, and Kiera didn’t notice a thing. We waited until we couldn’t hear Ashton and his friends anymore. Once we knew they were a distance away, we continued on.

Kiera picked up the conversation where she and Zoey had left off, and Carter continued bounding over puddles, with much less enthusiasm than he had originally. I lagged behind texting Oliver.

Me: Where r u?

Oliver: Watching you ;)

I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder. He wasn’t there. I turned in a circle and still nothing. When I turned back to my friends, they had just stepped onto another path and out of my sight. I needed to catch up before I got lost, once again. I took a step forward and the corn stalks to my right began to move. Adrenaline kicked in fast, and I tried to bolt but had no traction. Something dark darted out of the cornstalks and grabbed me. I was able to let out one quick scream before my mouth was covered. I struggled and screamed against the hand until I heard Oliver whisper in my ear. I stopped fighting him, and he dropped his hand from my mouth. Then I spun around and smacked him on the arm, hard.

He recoiled and said, somewhat surprised, “You slapped me!”

“You scared me on purpose!”

He smiled down at me, laughing lightly, and said, “You think a slap will stop someone from hurting you?”

I put my hands on my hips, which was a bit of a challenge since I was surrounded by tall cornstalks, and I tried to stand a little taller. “It stunned you,” I said. And if it hadn’t been him, I would’ve kneed my abductor in the boy parts—it was my signature move, after all—then I would’ve ran and screamed.

He smirked at me and pulled me into his arms.

My friends finally noticed I was missing, probably when they heard me scream. I could hear them calling for me. I stepped out of the cornstalks just as they came back down the row I’d disappeared from.

“What were you doing in there?” Carter asked, sounding surprised at the fact that I’d just stepped out of the cornstalks. Oliver stepped out behind me, and Carter made that “ahh, I get it” sound.

They all greeted Oliver, and he responded in kind to them, then their little trio fell back into whatever they’d been doing before I’d been abducted by a black-hoodie-wearing-vampire-cornstalk-monster.

Oliver slipped his fingers between mine, and we wandered our way out of the maze while he asked about my dirty shoes. For once, I hadn’t gotten lost. But I imagine, had Oliver not shown up I would have.

The five of us headed over to the pumpkin launch station where Carter and Oliver got into a “who can launch theirs the farthest” battle.

The pumpkin launch was probably the best part of the whole farm, until Ashton and his clan showed up. Carter and Oliver finished their last launch, Oliver held back some of his vampire strength which gave Carter an advantage and allowed him his first win. Carter celebrated his victory enthusiastically, all of us ignoring the stares from the Ashton clan.

Next we headed across the farm to wait in line for the hayride so that we could pick out pumpkins from the patch and then go home. I was really looking forward to going home. I was cold and filthy and the only thing keeping me happy was Oliver’s presence, and the fact that he had me wrapped in his arms and inside his hoodie while we waited in line.

It was all tingly feelings and kisses until Ashton got in line. He was just a few people behind our group, and it was just him. He didn’t have his cronies with him, which was…odd. Oliver tensed, and Carter got antsy. Kiera didn’t seem to notice any of this, she was too busy watching the cows graze in the nearby field, but Zoey and I noticed, and we shared a significant glance.

The tractor arrived, pulling a long trailer covered in hay. We all crammed onto it, sitting with our backs along the side-rails of the trailer. Ashton took a seat not far from me, of course.

Trying to catch my attention, Ashton said, “That was a nice party Kiera threw you last night.”

I just nodded in response and looked elsewhere. Like to Oliver. I leaned against him. His sunglasses shielded his eyes but I knew he was trying to keep all of his focus on me. His body was still super tense, but he gently brushed my hair off of my face and tucked it behind my ear. Then he kissed my forehead, and I rested my head against his chest and tried to focus on the sound of his heartbeat and his arm wrapped around me. The trailer bounced along the bumpy path, and only the small children that were along for the ride were talking, excited to pick out their pumpkins.

Finally, the tractor came to a stop, and everyone began unloading. Oliver held my hand as we wandered the pumpkin patch looking for a decent pumpkin. Carter found his right away and hefted the massive pumpkin back to the trailer then waited for the others. Oliver and I wandered off a bit farther.

There was an orchard on the other side of the bumpy, muddy path. Checking to see if anyone was watching us, Oliver quickly pulled me across the path and into the orchard. We stopped behind a tree, out of sight from the others. I pressed my back against the trunk as he came in close.

“What are we doing over here?” I asked in an almost breathless tone as he took his glasses off, revealing a look I recognized all too well.

He didn’t answer. He just rested one arm above me, leaning in really close, his lips just a breath away from mine. As I looked up into his pools of green, I noticed something different in them, and it made me squirm thinking that he was probably, and accurately, picturing me naked. I felt his cool breath on my lips and wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me, and he did. He pressed his body against mine, and his mouth worked its way down my neck to my collarbone. His hand slid up my side until he was cupping my left boob. I ran my fingers up into the back of his hair and kissed down his neck. He rumbled deep in his chest.

“Oliver,” I breathed.

“Mmm-hmmm?”

“Take me home,” I breathed against his neck.

He pulled back, and his eyes met mine. He instantly knew what I meant. He took my hand and pulled me away from the tree. We stopped dead as we came to the edge of the orchard. There, just in earshot of us was Ashton. He was trying to slink away but he’d been caught. Oliver tried to drop my hand and go after him, but I wouldn’t let him. I pulled on his arm with all my might as he tried to pry my fingers free.

“No, Oliver, not here,” I begged.

I saw Ashton glance back, pick up his pace, and head toward the tractor. Zoey was standing near Carter with her pumpkin when she caught sight of me struggling with Oliver. She caught Carter’s attention and directed it toward us.

I pleaded with Oliver to calm down. It looked like Ashton had been trying to spy on us, and Oliver was so angry that he was losing control. But I refused to give up. Every time he pried one hand loose I grabbed another part of him.

We’d made it back to the pumpkin patch, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold him back much longer. I’d made my way to his chest and wrapped myself tightly around him just as I caught a glimpse of my friends quickly heading our way. Oliver kept growling at me, telling me to “let go” under his breath, but I wouldn’t, I didn’t know what else to do but hold on.

Zoey kept Kiera distracted as Carter made his way to us. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Oliver was breathing heavily but he seemed to be trying to regain control. “It’s Ashton,” I said quietly.

Carter looked in the direction where I’d nodded, and we could see Ashton leaning arrogantly against the trailer; he looked like he was scanning through photos on his phone. For all I knew, he could’ve actually been spying on us and had snapped a few pictures. I was pretty sure that the person who had taken those pictures of Carter and me at the club was at it again and only a few yards away. I was also beginning to think that he was determined to ruin my life. Not that pictures of me making out with my boyfriend would do any damage, but he was still interfering in my personal life for unknown reasons. A little voice in the back of my head said, “Oh, you know the reason.” I mentally told the stupid voice to shut up.

Carter shifted his attention back to us. His eyes met mine and then focused on Oliver. “This is not the place, man. Save it.”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed on Carter’s. “Do not think that
you
can give me any sort of orders,” he spat.

“Whoa, dude! Don’t redirect your anger to me,” Carter told him, putting his hands up in defense and taking a step back.

I grabbed Oliver’s face with both hands and pulled it toward mine. His eyes focused on mine, his pupils larger than they should’ve been. “Please,” I begged in a whisper. “Please, calm down.” I stared into his eyes, pleading silently. I’d never seen him so irate, so agitated that he couldn’t relax. Eventually, after several minutes, I felt his muscles loosen under my touch, and he pulled me against his body, holding me tight against him.

I didn’t want to risk another confrontation with Ashton, so Oliver and I waited for the next tractor while Carter and the girls headed back on the one we’d come in on. The one with dumbass Ashton.

I took Oliver’s hand once they were gone, and we searched for the perfect pumpkins. While we were looking he asked, “Why are you guys afraid of him all of a sudden?”

I stopped and looked up into his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I felt it. I was watching all of you when you were in the maze. When
he
was talking to you guys, you were afraid of him, all of you, except Kiera. Why?”

“Didn’t Felix tell you?” I asked, surprised he didn’t already know what was going on—or what might be going on.

His brow scrunched, and he shook his head slightly. “Uh, well, Felix and I were pretty busy last night. He didn’t mention anything about Ashton. Why, what is it?”

So I told him. I explained that we thought Ashton might remember everything about Carter’s
were-attack
and might know Oliver’s a vampire. I watched as every word soaked in. I was surprised Felix hadn’t told Oliver about our concerns with Ashton and wondered if maybe it was because Oliver was already anti-Ashton, and this information might push him over the edge, putting Ashton in danger. I was fairly certain Ashton already was.

“I think Felix is right. All of you need to keep your distance from him.”

“And what about you? You need to also.” He tried to laugh me off. “What if he does know what you are? What if he knows how to hurt you?” His laughter died. “What if he tries to take you away from me?”

He shook his head. “I won’t let that happen.” He pulled me against him and held me tight.

“Then don’t let your anger toward him get the better of you, okay?” I said with my head rested against his cool, firm chest. He let out a long sigh, and I stepped back as he nodded in agreement. His cool lips pecked mine, and we continued our search for the perfect pumpkins.

I gave Carter the keys to my car when we met up with my friends after the hayride. Thankfully Ashton was nowhere in sight. I told Carter and the girls that I was going to ride home with Oliver. We stashed all five pumpkins in the back of Oliver’s SUV then headed home. I received a text from Kiera just before we got home saying that they had stopped by Zoey’s to grab some newspaper from her grandmother to place out under the pumpkins.

In two trips, we’d lugged the pumpkins up to my apartment, and while we waited for the others to arrive, we snuggled on the couch. I asked Oliver about work, but when it came to asking him about work,
I’d made it a habit not to ask
him
how work was, but
rather, “Everything go okay?” He’d simply answer by
saying, “Yes,” or “Things could’ve gone better.”
This time, it was “Things could’ve gone better.” Although I was extremely curious, I suppressed the urged to ask more. I’m sure I really didn’t want details and was certain he didn’t to share them with me. He kissed the top of my head then asked about the conversation I’d had with my grandparents.

When the others arrived, we got busy spreading newspaper over the table and getting the pumpkins ready to carve. I drew an old fashion jack-o’-lantern face on mine. Oliver drew a similar face but gave his fangs. He winked at me, and I giggled which made him laugh.

As soon as the knife slid into the first pumpkin and the pumpkin aroma was released, Oliver gagged. I was the only one to notice, at first, and then I saw Zoey push herself away from the table and wretch. Carter and I exchanged a quick look as Zoey rushed for the bathroom. Then Oliver, his eyes watering and hand over his mouth, headed for the front door. My stomach suddenly felt a little uneasy but I figured it was because I always got a little queasy at the thought of others throwing up. I hurried to the door to make sure Oliver was okay. He composed himself enough to tell me that the smell was overwhelming, and he needed to excuse himself from pumpkin carving.