"What the fuck is she doing here?" I almost sneer, stepping out of the elevator and immediately getting in the face of the Vampire before me. She grins in my face, amusement lining her features in a way that has my knuckles turning white.

    "Aw, little hunter mad?" Yasmin mocks, fake pouting as she looks at me. 

    I laugh bitterly, almost immediately lifting my clenched fist in the air in an effort to throw it against her cheek. Before I get the chance to, Thomas's chest appears in front of me, blocking my view of Yasmin. 

    "She's here to help," Thomas tells me, staring me down as if mentally begging me to just be quiet.

    "Help?" I scoff, shaking my head and looking over his shoulder at Yasmin, "She's the reason he's like this in the first place!"

    "Listen, Reid-"

    "You think you're so smart, Michaela," Yasmin shakes her head, cutting Thomas off as she pushes him aside to get a better look at me. "I saved his life. He was... hurt,"

    Her words regretfully make me pause. I blink once, and twice, trying to focus. Alex was hurt before being turned? Hurt badly enough that being a Vampire was the only thing to save his life? Why would she ever save his life?

    "How awfully convenient," I roll my eyes, looking towards Thomas for any indication of truth. I almost instantly make eye contact with him, his eyes stuck on me before I turn my head.

    "Go see for yourself," She smiles bitterly, stepping aside with her arms out for me to walk past. "There should be a scar across his abdomen. Deep one,"

    I clench my jaw, my hazel eyes flicking between Yasmin and Thomas before storming down the hallway. I make sure to purposely bump shoulders with Yasmin on my way, making her scoff and laugh bitterly. 

    Shoving Alex's door open, a shocked Levi greets me. I steadily ignore him, rushing towards Alex's bedroom where I know he'll be bunkered up. 

    Except, the second I get to the door, I freeze with my fingers grasping the door handle. 

    I can't show weakness, not in front of the three Vampires now standing behind me. But, I also don't know if I can open the door and face him. He'll be almost fully turned by now. 

    Almost as if he can read my mind and chooses to save me from myself, I feel Thomas brush past me, gently grasping the gold door handle and turning it until he hears a soft click. 

    My face heats, my embarrassment plastering itself across my face in a public way. I have no doubt he can hear my blood rushing to my face, but I still avoid eye contact with him and instead shove into the room before me. 

    The room I enter is nothing like how I remember it. The walls are plunged into darkness, none of his lava lamps or retro desk lamps are illuminating his space. Everything in here is torn up, his wallpaper and the furniture that he spent so long collecting. Nothing from the room is like it used to be.

     Including him.

    A dark lump on the bed grabs my attention. He curls himself up, his back to me with his blanket over his body. He turns, clearly sensing me enter the room.

    Suddenly, he's jumping up quickly from his bed and appearing in front of me within seconds. Before I have time to react, Thomas's dark figure appears and stands in the middle. He sticks his hand out, Alex's fast movements halting once he meets the older Vamp's strong palm. Alex bounces back from the force, his body hitting the wall.

    I take a step forward, my instinct being to go to Alex and check on him. Thomas sticks his arm out, stopping me from moving. My hands grab his bicep, looking up at him to see his red and darkened eyes. 

    "Be careful, all he sees when he looks at you is food," He explains, refusing to move his eyes from Alex as he slowly pushes himself up. 

    "Enough of this little show," Yasmin's voice enters the room. She strolls past Thomas, approaching Alex with a sickeningly sweet smile. She grabs the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up to reveal his tanned abdomen. In the middle of his stomach, a deep slash spreads across the skin.

    Yasmin turns, smiling at me, "See?"

    "How do I know you didn't do that to him?" 

    Yasmin huffs, her annoyance clear as she angles her body to the side and lifts up the bottom of her crop top. Over her ribs, just below her bra line, a similar scar sits across her skin. She quickly yanks the material back down, looking away "Trust me, I wouldn't do this to myself,"

    Thomas drops his arm, seemingly trusting Yasmin to stop Alex from attacking me. Alex stands weakly beside Yasmin, his body not used to the transformation yet coupled with his toss across the room drains his strength. I look away from Alex, my stomach turning.

    "How did you become a vampire?" I ask, directly the question to any of the vampires in the room. Yasmin looks beside me, making eye contact with Thomas. Her expression glints with something weak and vulnerable, something unlike her.

    "Those aren't the important questions," Yasmin changes the subject. She finally turns from Thomas, strapping on her mask of toughness once more as she smiles and tilts her head, "I'm having another party this weekend. You should come,"

    "Yas," Thomas warns, glaring at her.

    "Yeah, no offence Michaela, but, those parties aren't ideal for..." Levi joins in, trailing off as if he's scared to remind me of my mortality.

    "Humans?" Yasmin finishes. She steps away from Alex who swiftly falls back onto his bed. She maintains eye contact with me, walking until she's close enough to me to inspect every detail, "I'm sure she can handle it. Don't worry, Tommy. I won't let anything happen to your pet,"

    "Pet? Last I checked, I've kicked your ass each and every time. Care to add to the tally?" I taunt, stepping closer to her with my arms crossed over my chest. 

    Yasmin only grins wider, scrunching her nose up as she flicks her eyes to Thomas before landing back on me, "I like you, you're fun,"

    "It's not happening, Yas. Not this weekend," Thomas warns, saying the last two words in a way that implies there's context behind them. Something important is happening at this party, something they don't want me to see.

    "I think we should let her decide for herself, Tommy," Yasmin argues, not leaving room for any arguments. 

    I open my mouth to reply, looking between the three vamps without a word coming out. Of course, I'm going to that party, even with Thomas staring at me with a silent plea. My curiosity will never let me miss out on something like that. 

    "Mic?" Alex's voice breaks the silence. We all turn to face him just as Alex leans over his bed and vomits a stomach full of blood. The crimson liquid splatters everywhere, the spray of it coating anything within reach.

    "Shit," Thomas curses, all four of us rushing over to him as he continues to spew red liquid. "He hasn't fed yet,"

    "You haven't let him feed yet?" Yasmin gapes, pulling a bucket under him to catch some of the blood. 

    "You didn't exactly show up with a blood bag yourself!" Levi protests, defending himself and Thomas.

    "Michaela," Thomas turns to me, his eyes wide. It feels weird to hear him say my name, he only ever uses my last name. I don't want to say I like it but, it's different. "You need to leave, you're not safe here when he's like this. Fledglings are too strong when hungry,"

    Turning away from him, I make eye contact with Alex. Blood drips from his lips, his cheeks the same colour from the straining that accompanies his vomit. I brush past Thomas, dropping to my knees in the blood in front of him. The liquid soaks into my black jeans, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I thank myself for not wearing a skirt like I usually do. I watch as Alex's sad eyes meet mine, a piece of his humanity surfacing as he shakes his head.

     Alex has always been able to tell what I'm thinking, even now, even like this. 

    I nod, pushing his hair back to see his blue eyes. He's not too far gone yet, "It's okay, Alex. I trust you,"

    "I'm scared, Mic," Alex whispered, his eyes welling up with tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you-"

    "You didn't," I shake my hand, my thumb rubbing his cheek to try and soothe him as well as keep him grounded. "I'm fine, you didn't hurt me,"

    "He's right, you should go," Alex tells me, looking over to Thomas for a brief second.

    "Never," I tell him. I angle my arm, palm still against his cheek as I hold my perfumed wrist up to his face. "Drink,"

    "No," Alex protests, closing his eyes tightly as Thomas calls my last name from behind me. 

    "Alex, don't be stubborn. If you go too far, one of them will stop you," I tell him, knowing deep down that the three vampires need me, they won't let me die here. "It's okay,"

    I see Thomas in my peripheral, looking like he wants to object, but forcing himself to stay quiet instead. He drops to his knees beside me, catching Alex's eye, "It's okay, man. You need to feed. We'll stop you when you've had enough,"

    Alex turns his head, my hand still on his cheek meaning his lips meet the skin of my palm, brushing against it ever so slightly. His whole body tenses, showing how unsure of this he is. A heartbeat later, he moves down until his teeth are grazing the skin of my wrist. I hold my breath, knowing from my research that being fed from can hurt depending on the person. I don't show him my nerves and he doesn't notice, being too occupied with my pulse under his growing fang.

    I feel a tap on my thigh, turning to see Thomas looking at me with a hardened expression. He nods, checking to see if I'm still sure of my decision. I nod back, showing him how sure I am just as Alex sinks his teeth into my wrist and begins drinking from me.

    My face screws up, a whimper of pain leaving me without my consent. Alex doesn't seem to notice, too focused on gulping mouthfuls of my blood. 

    My wrist stings, a feeling like a venom coursing through my veins and down my arm. I feel my body get weaker, falling back onto my calves. My skin warms at the sides when the male beside me quickly grabs onto my waist, holding me to prevent me from falling backwards with Alex's fangs still in my skin. 

    "Almost done," He whispers to me, his shoulders tense as if he's counting down the seconds until he can rip me away. 

    My vision becomes blurry, my head feels like it's growing in weight as it falls back onto Thomas's shoulder. Just as I feel myself about to pass out, all three Vampires spring into action. Levi and Alex grab a side of Alex each, holding him back as Thomas pulls my wrist away and sweeps me up into his arms.

    Through my daze I feel him carry me bridal style out of Alex's room, my blurred vision blocked by his shoulder as the door swings shut, blocking what little view I had of Alex. My heavy head drops back, falling against Thomas's chest as he moves me away from the hungry fledgling, his cologne engulfing me the way it did the night he covered me in his scent. 

    It's slowly become a familiar scent to me now, hints of pomegranates and cherries. Despite the coolness of his skin, his scent reminds me of a gentle warmth. 

    "Such a stupid, human thing to do," Thomas mutters, probably not expecting me to hear him.

    "Such a human thing to care," I whisper, my eyes fluttering close.