asked, not understanding.
“You actually laughed. No one has heard you laugh in a long time.”
“Oh, yeah,” I bit my lip as I looked down at my hands, “I’m really sorry about that. I guess I’ve been a complete nightmare to be around lately.”
I opened my mouth to explain to Aoife what I had learned about Amun sharing his soul with me and how his rage had been effecting my emotions, but a swift kick to my shin stopped me. I looked up at Archer with wide, surprised eyes as he very minutely shook his head once.
“Your blood is ready,” Trey sang happily as he walked up to the table. I eyed Archer for a second longer, confused and wanting to ask why I couldn’t say anything to Aoife, when suddenly the metallic scent of my first meal drew my attention.
Trey set a wine glass down on the table in front of me and carefully poured half the bag of blood into it. It smelled downright delectable. My fangs descended with a familiar pinch as I stared at the now full glass. I didn’t know whether to wrinkle my nose in disgust or lick my lips. My former human self would have been appalled at what my new vampire self was about to do.
“Well go on, honey,” Trey encouraged. “Take a sip.”
“That wine glass doesn’t hold much. Why didn’t you just put it in a regular glass?” Hunter inquired in his deep southern drawl. “She’s going to be ripping the rest of the bag out of your hand in two seconds flat?”
Aoife and Archer chuckled knowingly as Trey defended his decision. “I wanted her first meal to be a sophisticated experience,” he shrugged one shoulder with a coy smile.
I heard movement behind my back and jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Hagan and Oleif standing behind me.
“Take it slow, Morrison,” he frowned as he nodded to my drink. “Your first meal as a newborn can send you into a frenzy of bloodlust if you let it. Prepare yourself now. Breathe deeply; know you can handle any excitement you may feel and overcome it. Remember who you are and most importantly where you are.”
His warning to me was received loud and clear. If I lost control and let the part of my existence that was fused with Amun’s came forth, Oleif would probably kill me on the spot. “Yes, sir,” I nodded to Hagan, my eyes meeting his and hopefully conveying that I understood the seriousness of what I was about to do. “I will.”
The house was eerily quiet as I turned back to my glass. Not a breath was taken by anyone as I picked it up and looked across at Archer. “Well, here goes nothing I guess.”
Chapter Five
I tentatively brought the glass to my lips and felt the warmness of the thick blood as it passed my lips and hit my tongue. The coppery thickness first coated and then exploded on my taste buds. I was expecting the most amazing thing I had ever tasted based on the smell of it but was sorely disappointed as I swallowed. The blood tasted old, like the dried blood on my fingers had. I was also picking up heavy notes of plastic and some sort of… anticoagulant agent maybe? It was hard for me to know since I had never drank blood before, let alone bagged blood. But I can tell you one thing, it was absolutely disgusting and definitely undrinkable.
After I swallowed my first sip, I carefully put the glass down and dabbed at my lips with the napkin Trey had so thoughtfully put down next to me. “How do you guys drink this crap?” I asked, meeting Archer’s anxious eyes.
A light chuckle sounded around the room as Archer smirked. “It’s not the best, but it meets our needs. You’ll get used to it in time.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, scooting my glass to the center of the table and further away from me. “I’m not drinking that shit again. It’s revolting. It tasted like plastic and it’s just…wrong. It’s seriously disgusting.”
Archer’s brow furrowed as he picked up the bag the blood came in and studied the label. “It was drawn three days ago, so it’s still relatively fresh. It’s O negative, maybe we should try another blood type and see if you like that one better.”
I sighed, not thinking it would help, but nodded my head because I was willing to try