Free Almost Human by Secret Cravings Publishing

You’ll be weak until you feed, not that I’m
particularly worried about you killing me anyway. You might be a
tad faster and stronger than you used to be, but I still have some
seven hundred years on you.”
    Casey, who had been silent until
now, broke our staring contest. “Don’t blame Alaric, Kori. I asked
him to.”
    I didn’t stop glaring at Alaric.
“Get out. I need to speak with my sister alone.”
    The room dropped about ten degrees
in temperature. His hand clamped onto the back of my neck. He
squeezed, letting me feel his strength. “You will stop ordering me
around.”
    I smacked his arm and jerked back.
He rose smoothly and was at the door before I could blink. “Come
on, boys. Let’s give the ladies some alone time.”
    The door shut softly behind him,
even though I could still feel Alaric’s rage echoing in my head.
What the F? He’d left the room, but for some reason I still felt
his presence. God, I seriously hoped that went away eventually.
Because underneath all that rage was pain and confusion.
    I shook my head to clear it. Now was not the time to
wonder about the vampire.
    I glanced at Casey. She was
staring at me, twirling a long strand of blonde hair around her
finger.
    “How could you let him do this to
me, Casey?”
    She bit her lip and refused to
meet my gaze. “I didn’t want to lose you.”
    “I didn’t want to be a vampire.
You should have respected my wishes.”
    Her gaze met mine. “Do you still
think I’m evil?”
    I pursed my lips. “I was doubting
it, but this incident does make a girl wonder.”
    She stood quickly, knocking her
chair to the ground. “You expected me to let you die? To lose you
like we lost Tahira? Or did you forget that vampires kidnapped my
twin? That we never found a body? Fuck you. You think I can live
without you, too? I love you as much as you love me, probably more.
I clung to you when she was gone. I’d lost my other half and you
wanted me to do that again?”
    She took a deep, shaking breath.
“Even if you hate me, at least now you’ll be alive, somewhere in
the world.”
    She turned and stomped to the
door. Where Alaric had shut it silently, she slammed it with all
her strength. I was surprised she hadn’t broken it.
    I sighed. My sister had to be the only person in the
world who could make me feel guilty about not wanting to become a
vampire.
    Of course I hadn’t forgotten about
Tahira. And could I fault Casey for wanting to keep her only
surviving sister? Probably not.
    “Crap.”
    “You shouldn’t be so harsh with
her. She loves you. That’s how all my brothers ended up vampires.
They would have died if I hadn’t turned them.”
    I glanced up to see Alaric
standing inside the room. How had he gotten the door opened and
closed without me hearing him? The words “silent as the grave” came
to mind.
    “And why did you agree to this?
You hate me.”
    He shrugged. “I would do anything
Casey asked of me because she’s made my brother happy. And you did
save me. Maybe I didn’t feel like you deserved to die.”
    I snorted. “I don’t exactly
consider this saving my life.”
    He smiled. “We have a difference
of opinion, then. I saved all my brothers, and my brother saved
your sweet sister. I wouldn’t have a family if I hadn’t turned
them. They all would have died painful, lingering
deaths.”
    “Is that what you were thinking about
earlier? You were hurting.”
    He snorted. “Right, the link between us. It
will fade. Ignore what you feel. It’s not as if you actually
care.”
    As I felt a sliver of fear go through him, I
realized he was wrong. For some reason, I did care. I slid over in
bed and patted the spot beside me. Alaric’s brows drew together in
a frown. “Sit. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
    He sighed and sank onto the bed. He pulled me into
the crook of his arm. I tensed, and when I discovered that it felt
natural to be with him like this I tensed even more. I could feel
my shoulder blades trying to grind