Free Blood Awakening by Jamie Manning

how this is gonna work, you know?” It only took a second for me to realize what he was talking about:
    Blood.
    Chance was about to face what I had only a few months ago: a thrumming, pulsing epicenter of teenage veins. My heart broke for him all over again.
    “Don’t worry,” I said, moving to stand next to him. Right away, I noticed that the heat normally radiating off of him was gone. My heart broke a little for me, too. “I’m here if you need me.” He opened his mouth to speak—probably to tell me that he didn’t need my help, that I had done enough already—but instead began walking toward the main building. I couldn’t help but notice the stares from some of our classmates and peers. I wasn’t sure if they were looking because Chance’s suddenly pale skin and lack of confidence screamed “vampire,” or if it was because for the past month, the two of us hadn’t been seen together. I dropped my eyes to the floor in a lame attempt to avoid all the judging eyes.
    “You okay?” I asked as we drew closer to the building. I could no longer sense Chance’s anxiety or stress, the comforting lull of his heartbeat, or the sweet scent of his blood I had grown to love. I wanted to scream and cry and punish myself for taking that away from him—and from me, if I was being honest—and leaving him this way, this empty shell of the wonderful guy he was before. I had hated myself before, but never more than at that moment.
    “I think so,” he answered, his words catching in his throat. I knew he wasn’t telling the truth, at least not completely. Because I could smell it, too, that alluring, blinding scent of flowing blood that for the past several months had practically ruled over me. I could smell it—and it was hard to resist—so I could only imagine how powerful it was to Chance. I looked over at him, those beautiful eyes swirling frantically and the tiny muscles running the length of his defined jaw curling back and forth. He was terrified.
    Without even thinking, I reached over and laced my fingers into his. At first, I wanted to pull away—his hand was so cold and lifeless—but I held a firm grip, letting him know that he wasn’t alone, and that I would be there always. Even though I could no longer feel his heartbeat, I knew he calmed down. The tension that had been holding his shoulders up disappeared, and his large, muscular frame relaxed a bit, though not entirely. I could still see nervous energy behind his eyes, an energy that scared me.
      What if he vamps out and begins eating the student body, Ava? What are you gonna do then?
      I virtually bitch-slapped my inner voice. The last thing I needed was to second-guess myself. I would never let something like that happen. After all Chance had done for me, I would die before I let him do anything to jeopardize his life—or unlife—I’d already done a bang-up job of that. As we made it to the steps leading into school, Chance let go of my hand, my fingers instantly missing his.
    “Okay,” he said, trying to sound upbeat. “This is it.”
    “Don’t worry,” I repeated like a lackluster mantra, “you’ll be fine.” Chance stood still for a moment, simply staring up at the large metal doors that housed his new Biggest Fear. I thought for a moment that he wasn’t going to go through with it, that he was having the same thought I’d had a moment ago: Turn and run. But he finally took one step, then another, making his way into the school. As I followed close behind, I suddenly realized that for the entire walk across campus—when I was fighting the urge to wrap myself around him and whisk us away to the past—he hadn’t even looked at me.
    Maybe he wasn’t as over it as I had hoped.

    M OVEMENT

    Chance’s first day back at school was uneventful. He managed to avoid biting anyone, though he did tell me during lunch that he could smell each person’s blood, and that it was killing him to be there. I tried to reassure him that it would