Scarred Warrior (Dark Warrior Alliance #7) - Brenda Trim Page 0,20
You will get there,” Zander added, crossing his arms over his chest, standing with his legs braced apart. Shae wanted to believe that with all her heart, but hope was a fragile thing she didn’t dare cling to too tightly.
“You’re right,” Jessie chimed in, surprising Shae, “I wasn’t taken with him when he disappeared and for that I am grateful. I’m sorry about what you and the others went through, but we are more alike than you think. Have you mastered the infrared vision? That took me forever to learn how to turn it off.”
Shae raised an eyebrow at that. “You can turn it off?” With further contemplation, jealousy burned through Shae that this female had it so easy. On top of everything else, she didn’t even have to deal with the blinding headaches the new eyesight caused.
“Yeah. I can teach you,” Jessie offered, with a warm smile. Shae sensed every one of the other females were listening intently and knew this was something they all would want. She had to be careful in how she responded because the other females would follow her lead and benefit, or not, based on what she said.
“I’d like that, we all would. It’s been giving me headaches for months. It would be a huge relief to get rid of them. Can I ask you something? How do you feed?” she asked tenuously. She didn’t want to reveal her uncontrollable bloodlust, figuring it would help her cause, but at the same time she needed help getting control of it.
“I recall the headaches, although the scientists believed it was the archdemon trying to control me, not the change in my vision. I eat food like I used to, but I don’t think that’s what you’re asking. I drink blood about every other day or so. And, can I say that for a human to go from not knowing anything about the supernatural to craving blood was enough to make me believe I had lost my mind. In my world, this wasn’t real, so, at first, I thought I had really gone insane. Thankfully, Zander and the other Dark Warriors helped me cope and get through the transition.”
Shae considered Jessie’s words and wondered if she was right. The thought of either of those assholes trying to influence her had her ready to tear through the walls to get to them. She didn’t want to continue living if they were able to manipulate her mind.
The other part of the female’s statement sunk in. “I haven’t eaten actual food in so long. I miss shrimp and scallops,” she said wistfully. “What happens to your victim when you feed?”
Jessie looked at Zander then back at her and Shae realized she’d given away more than she’d intended. She tensed, ready for whatever may come next. “We doona consider our donors victims. You know this, Shae. And, Jessie most often consumes the bagged blood that Jace brings back from the hospital.”
“But, the times I did feed from a person, I wasn’t overcome with bloodlust. It was easy to control my hunger and take only what was needed.” The other female held her gaze, but there was no censure there. Only, understanding. “I may not have gone through everything that you guys did, but I do understand the changes you’ve gone through. In fact, they didn’t even have a name for me and I refused to be associated with skirm, so I decided to be called a dhampir. And, Zander has taken me in as one of his own.”
“Dhampir,” Shae tried it out. “I like it.” She had been torn up over where she belonged now. She was no longer a vampire, but she agreed with the female, she wasn’t a skirm. Titles were important in their society. She had been a female vampire, a loan officer, a daughter and sister. It was comforting to have a way to talk about her new identity. She hated being left in limbo.
“Can you tell me anything aboot Kadir’s plans? You may no’ know this, but he used a vampire to kidnap my mate and I need to know if she, or any others, are in immediate danger.” Zander asked, changing the subject. Shae reared back in shock. They must have kept this a secret from the realm because she’d had no idea that the same scumbags had kidnapped his mate. That was, after all, her Queen and her heart went out to the female. She knew all too well what being tortured was like.