Blood Crave 2 by Jennifer Knight Page B

dirt.
    “Well?” Julian asked.
    “It’s clear,” Lucas said as the bite mark closed, leaving a line of blood dripping down his fingers. He wiped it off on his jeans and came back to me.
    “That was sick,” Derek said. “You taste like ass.”
    “That’s because vampires don’t eat werewolves. Our blood’s not supposed to mix. You need human blood to take the place of yours.”
    Derek didn’t look convinced. “What do you mean?”
    “You’re dead. Dead people don’t have blood. It dried up when you turned. It’s why you crave human blood—it’s your life force. If you don’t drink it regularly, you’ll go crazy and probably commit suicide or walk into the sunlight or something. At least, that’s how it is for regular vampires.”
    Derek’s expression was blank—he didn’t seem to have heard anything Lucas had said. “Dead?” he whispered. “Did you say I’m dead ?”
    “Vampires are undead,” I said as delicately as possible. What little color left in Derek’s face drained away. “But you’re not all vampire,” I said quickly. “You’ve got some werewolf in you, too.”
    “No,” Derek said. “I’m dead. I know I’m dead. . . .” He began to breathe hard, which made me extremely nervous since he wasn’t supposed to be breathing. Then he gagged and ran out of the door. Lucas and Julian started after him, but the sounds of vomiting made them stop.
    A moment later, my heart broke open as Derek staggered back into the room, his face so gaunt I really believed he was dead. He collapsed onto the couch again. “Water?” he rasped, looking to Lucas.
    “No. Sorry.”
    Derek grimaced and nodded, swallowing hard. “I think ... I think I need to be alone for a little while. I need some time to get my head around all of this.”
    Lucas nodded like he knew the feeling. “We’ll be right outside,” he warned. “Don’t take too long. We only have a few hours till daybreak, and I still gotta find someplace lightless for you to crash.” Then he paused, frowning as though just thinking of something. He stole a look at me and said slowly, “Where’d you sleep today?”
    “Found a cave,” Derek croaked. “Had to fight a bear for it, but it seemed to work. I didn’t die anyway. . . . If I can die anymore.”
    “You fought a bear?” I asked incredulously.
    Derek shot me an uneasy glance. “Just a small one.”
    “We’ll be right out there,” Lucas said again. “And I’ll find you again if you run.”
    “I’m not running,” Derek said. “No place to go.”
    Lucas took up my hand and began to lead me to the door, when Derek said, “Faith can stay.”
    My heart skipped about ten beats, and I looked up at Lucas hopefully.
    “Ah . . . I don’t think that’s smart,” Julian said.
    Lucas glanced from Derek to me several times and then said to Derek, “You even think about touching her and I’ll kill you so fast, you won’t even know it happened.”
    Derek’s eyes burned into Lucas so hot, I had to stop myself from taking a step back. At once, I believed he could rip my throat out in seconds.
    “I’d never hurt her,” Derek swore.
    “Not yet you won’t,” Lucas sneered and let go of my hand with a sharp flick of the wrist. All three werewolves exited the cabin, leaving me alone with my best friend.

7
     
    BLOOD PACT
     
    I stood in front of the hearth, watching Derek anxiously. His gaze swept down my body, freezing me like a winter breeze.
    “Hey,” I whispered.
    I didn’t know what else to say, what to do.
    Derek rose and came to stand before me. I just now realized that he wasn’t wearing much—a pair of too-loose blue jeans and a grungy white T-shirt that almost matched the hue of his skin. He should have been frozen in his scanty attire, but he acted as though the cold that bit at my fingertips didn’t affect him at all.
    As he came toward me, I noticed something different in the way he walked, in the gait of his step. He had always been graceful, but now it was