Shadow Touched: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (A Touch of Vampire Book 1) by Becky Moynihan (great reads TXT) 📕

12

My shock and elation at knowing we weren’t moving was cut short.

A headache had been pulsing behind my eyes all afternoon. It was now throbbing incessantly, pounding at my temples. Probably due to the little sleep I got last night.

I laid down for a nap, but my mind wouldn’t rest. Eventually, I grabbed my phone and typed in a search for vampires. The internet lagged, eventually spitting out a slew of disturbing images and articles. Words like undead, evil, and demon caught my eye.

But Lochlan didn’t seem evil—well, most of the time. He’d man-handled me earlier today and might have attacked August and drained his blood though. Gross. Okay, so he wasn’t Prince Charming, that was for sure.

A terrible idea came to me then. An extremely dangerous one. I’d be stupid to ever consider doing such a thing, but apparently my need for answers still outweighed common sense.

Besides, what if I was wrong? What if Lochlan was nothing more than a human guy with a glove fetish?

There was only one way to find out.

The following morning dawned cold and bleak. I awoke with a groan, blaming the weather for my lingering headache. But it was the fevered flush to my cheeks that gave me pause. I couldn’t pretend away Lochlan’s warning from yesterday. He had seemed fairly certain that I would fall ill in the next twenty-four hours, and I had.

I took a cold shower and did my best to conceal the dark smudges under my eyes. If I didn’t want answers so badly, I would have skipped school and stayed in bed all day. But the not knowing was driving me batty, so I pushed aside my weariness and headed downstairs.

“Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?” Aunt Tess called chipperly from the kitchen, her voice expertly masking any strain between us.

“Sorry, I’m running late. Bye!” I replied back with equally fake cheeriness before exiting the front door. I wasn’t hungry anyway, especially not for burnt toast and overcooked eggs. I also didn’t want her probing eyes to notice how unwell I felt.

Getting through the school day was a whole lot harder than I thought it would be. I was pretty sure Lochlan noticed the signs of fever right away, but I kept my gaze carefully averted every time we crossed paths. By the time the final bell rang, the fever had spiked and I wanted nothing more than to rip my clothes off. Absently waving to Isla as we parted ways, I headed for the girl’s bathroom.

I waited in a stall until the last girl left, then waited some more. If I wasn’t currently half-delirious with fever, I might have abandoned my plan. I was being reckless and a touch crazy, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about it. About him. I had to know what he was before this became a full-blown obsession.

When the bustling sounds outside the bathroom dimmed, I emerged from the stall and walked to the exit. Then shoved a wooden wedge beneath the door, essentially locking it.

The small action sent a wave of heat through me. I felt like a roasted marshmallow. Sweat slid down my spine and I grimaced, wrangling off my jacket and long-sleeved shirt. It was a struggle to leave my tank top on, I was that hot. I turned on the faucet and splashed cool water over my face and neck.

Letting the water run, I stared at my reflection for a beat. “Just get it over with,” I muttered to myself. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Except the last time I’d said that, two mysterious guys invaded my world and I’d been struggling to cope ever since. Hardening my resolve, I reached for the paper towel dispenser and aligned my wrist with its sharp metal edge. I breathed in and out a few times, preparing myself for the pain.

Then dragged my skin along the edge.

I choked back a scream as fire burned up my arm, hotter than the fever. After another second of cutting, I withdrew my arm and hazily blinked at the damage. Bright red blood was seeping from a two inch gash on my right wrist. I briefly wondered if I’d need a tetanus shot after this, but the thought vanished as another wave of feverish heat barreled through me.

With a gasp, I doubled over, clutching the sink. I paused a moment to catch my breath, then placed my wrist under the water. Only for a moment though. Just long enough to wash away some of the blood. I turned off the faucet and picked up my jacket, slowly pulling it back on with a moan. I hated the thought of blood staining the sleeve, but it was a small price to pay for answers.

Unless I was wrong. Unless—

The door burst open, and the wooden wedge I’d placed beneath it ricocheted off the wall like a useless toothpick. I turned from the sink, equal parts startled and pretending to be as Lochlan’s frame filled the doorway. He swept his dark gaze over my body, nostrils flaring. My heart pumped triple time.

Gulping, I managed to say somewhat calmly, “Do you mind?” and twisted the faucet as if to wash my hands. I glanced down, noting the way my fingers trembled. Not from the fever or even the pain, but from having him at my exposed back.

My plan had worked, but I almost wished it hadn’t. I couldn’t run from the truth now. There could only be one reason why Lochlan had barged in here like this.

He could smell my blood.

I had planned for this moment, but I hadn’t thought of what would happen next. I silently cursed myself for not coming up with an escape plan. I mean, I hadn’t believed it possible. That Lochlan could be a—

“Are you injured?”

I yelped and whirled to find him inches away. Backpedaling, I stumbled against the counter behind me. He reached out to steady me, then froze with a hand midair. His eyes locked on my right jacket sleeve.