Free BloodGifted by Tima Maria Lacoba Page A

curiosity was at the point of no return.
    ‘Terrifying.’ His voice deepened slightly, and there was a cold edge to it which made me all the more curious.
    ‘Can I see it?’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Are you afraid I’ll run screaming out of here?’
    His eyes narrowed and pierced me with such a stare I wondered if I’d said the wrong thing. ‘Fear is a vampire’s greatest weapon, Laura. We smell it on a human and it acts like a magnet, drawing us to the prey. We love to hunt and the adrenaline rushing through a human’s body intensifies the blood making it thicker, richer and thereby, tastier. If you were to try to run, you’d only be doing me a favour.’
    My throat constric ted as I pictured a scene straight from a horror movie.
    He got up from his chair and circled me where I sat. It was such a gracious, flui d movement, so like a predator, that for a moment I understood what a gazelle must feel like when stalked by a panther. A second later his hands were on the arms of my chair and he was leaning toward me, his eyes pale as near-luminescent orbs, the pupils narrowed into the vertical slits of a serpent.
    I gasped and froze in my seat .
    ‘This is what I am and have been for nearly a century. Satisfied that I’ve been telling you the truth? ’ His voice was like honey over ice; both seductive and cruel at the same time.
    After the initial shock I gathered together my courage, for strangely enough, there was something about his close proximity that excited me. ‘If that’s all it is,’ I said, trying to keep the tremor, which had little to do with fear, out of my voice. ‘Then it’s not that scary.’
    His eyes widened, even in that form. ‘Yo u want to see more?’ He straightened up, ran his hand through his hair and went to lean against the wall behind me.
    ‘It gets worse?’ I swivelled around in my chair to face him.
    ‘Oh yes,’ he warned.
    Ever since I was a child I was incredibly curious—wanting to know how everything worked, where things came from, how, why? I drove my parents crazy. I should have outgrown it by now, but hadn’t.
    ‘Show me!’ I said and hopped out of my chair to stand in front of him.
    Alec appeared to be fighting some inner battle, for his eyes changed back into human form and then narrowed again as I watched. ‘If I do, you must not show fear. Do you understand, Laura?’
    B efore I could answer, a low growl escaped his lips and I found myself pinned against the wall, my hands held securely above my head. Long pointed fangs slid down from his upper jaw. I didn’t have to touch them to know they’d be razor sharp as well.
    ‘Scary enough for you?’ His voice hissed down at me. ‘Never bait a vampire , darling, it could prove fatal!’
    If only I’d bitten my tongue earlier. My body began to tremble and I wanted nothing more than to break free from his powerful grip. The pressure of his hands on my wrists was starting to hurt. His alien eyes bored into mine, while his cool breath fanned my face and the fear which he warned me about, took hold. His nostrils flared and he leaned down toward my throat where I felt the merest brush of his fangs against my skin.
    I screamed.
    ‘Laura!’ Matt’s voice echoed from the nave as well as those of other people, and the sound of approaching feet.
    Alec growled , glanced in the direction of Matt’s voice then abruptly released me and in less than a heartbeat had disappeared down the ramp into the shadows. I remained pinioned against the wall just as he had left me. The realization of what had occurred hit me, my knees turned to jelly and I slid slowly down onto the cool stone floor.
    That’s how Matt found me.

Chapter 5
    Present and past
    ALEC
    From the darkness of the side-entrance ramp I watched as Laura sank to the floor, saw the room fill with humans and the young man who broke through them to sprint to her side. He lifted her into his arms and cradled her tenderly as her body shook with sobs.
    I left the scene and walked