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“Because she needed to do what was important for the breed as a whole to ensure our survival,” I replied.
“Why didn’t you go with her?”a handsome man on the other side of the room asked.
“Because I chose to stay out here and witness it firsthand.”I put my hand up to ward off any other questions.“And that’s it for right now.Save your questions for later.I’m hungry and want to eat.”
I jumped off the table and glanced at Corbin, who was observing me without emotion.My gaze slid to Gideon, and he was grinning as if he’d just won a bet.I watched him put his hand out to one of the men, Beck, I think, and Beck dropped something into his palm.I rolled my eyes and grabbed Corbin’s arm.“What’s good to eat?”
Corbin chuckled but helped me decide on food.They had quite an extensive array of things, and I ended up with a steak and potato.We took a seat at an empty table, and shortly after, Gideon and a couple of others came to join us.
“Nice speech,” Gid said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes and shoved my fork into my mouth.I tried to ignore the stares I was receiving, but my eyes kept going back to the man who had called my sister a traitor.It didn’t look like my little explanation had changed his mind any.
Bark, who had joined us, followed my line of sight.“Don’t worry about Vegas.He’s always trying to stir up trouble.He’s been kicked out several times, but he always seems to find his way back in.”
“Yeah, well, next time he does something stupid, he’s out for good,” Zin commented, and Gideon agreed.
I laughed to myself.If Kristin had been here, he would already be dead.She would have used him to prove a point.I pondered that for a moment, but then dismissed any idea of doing that.It wasn’t my place to prove a point here.
While we ate, they shared more about their camp and what they had here.They also told me about how they stayed under the radar and what everyone did all night long.
They took turns searching the areas and looking for others and food.They didn’t venture that far out of this area, but they had enough to go through since it was primarily residential.Gideon said if I wanted to go out, I could join him the next night.I told him I’d consider it.
The more I looked around, the more I thought that maybe I would stick around for a little while.It had most of the comforts of home, and there was a rather large male population.I could use some rest while others watched my back.I’d have to sleep on it before I made my decision one way or the other.A lot would depend on how I felt as I tried to rest.
After dinner, Gideon gave me a tour of the other floors, and I had to admit that I was impressed.Not only with what I had seen but by Gideon himself.He reminded me a lot of my sister, only not as almighty.
As we passed back through the food court, something happened that helped solidify my decision to stay.
Vegas, the traitor guy, was still there, and he was even angrier than before.We weren’t to the stairs when I felt him coming, and I whipped around as he reached for me and picked him up by the throat.
“Are you trying to take me down?”I asked him as his feet dangled off the floor by a few inches.A few people came running toward us, and several of them had blasters.I held my other hand up to stop them from intervening.“Or were you going to try and tickle me?”
“Put me down!”he hissed, and his beady little brown eyes almost popped out of his head as I squeezed just a little tighter.
“Angelina.”Gideon spoke softly from beside me.
I glanced at Gideon.“Oh, ruin all my fun.I was just trying to make friends.”I dropped the man to the floor in a heap.“Did you want to hurt me?Is that why you were coming after me, Vegas?Maybe punish me because my sister is a traitor, huh?”
“I was going to suck you dry!”he growled as he got to his feet.
“Oh, you were?Well, why didn’t you say so?”I stuck my arm out toward him with a wide enticing smile.“By all means, give it your best shot, buddy.”
“Angelina.”Gideon put his hand on my arm.
I smiled at him.“Trust me, Gid, it’s okay.I really don’t mind.Let him have a taste, and he will see just how serious I am.”
I glanced around and found everyone observing us.Good, they needed to see this.I pushed my wrist closer to Vegas.“I’m offering you my blood, Vegas.Are you going to turn me down?Just a minute ago, you were prepared to attack me for it, and now here I am, offering it to you.”
He grabbed my wrist greedily and wrapped his wicked fangs around the bone, biting down hard.I felt my power growing inside of me and stared at him.
“Holy shit!Do you see her eyes?”someone said.I shifted to look that man in the face, and he shuffled back slightly.I turned to Gideon and grinned, the tips of my fangs peeking out, and his lips parted in awe.It was kind of spectacular when my power kicked in and my eyes turned white.Usually, that was when I was breaking compulsion, but my adrenaline ran high, and I was furious at this man and his audacity.
Four swallows in, he began to gag and released my wrist as he staggered back, holding his throat.His beady eyes were bulging from their sockets as people gasped, and murmurs ran through the room when he dropped to his knees.He tried to scream, and my blood bubbled out of his mouth.Everyone was glued to him as he began to shake and seize on the ground, and then after a few seconds, he stopped moving altogether.
“Well, I think that qualifies as down for good.Don’t you think?”I smiled at his limp body and then lifted my wrist where the blood was running steadily down my arm.“Anyone else want a little taste?”
As a collective group, they all seemed to step away from me.I shrugged a shoulder.“Well, okay then.Lesson learned.”I licked my wrist to close the ragged bite and then turned to Gideon, who was wide-eyed and slack-jawed.“I do believe I’ll be needing some new clothes, after all, Gid.I seem to have sprung a leak, and you know how hard it is to get blood out of denim.”
I spun on my heel and headed toward the stairs.The sea of people parted quickly amongst murmurs and stares.I made sure to keep my chin up and my eyes forward.For the first time, I understood the high my sister got when she taught someone a lesson.
Maybe being a leader wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
