I glanced across the console.
Her focus was straight ahead, focused and intent as she finished. “I didn’t think I’d see today.”
The words stuck in my throat, until I forced them free. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”
“I appreciate you taking us in like this. Maddy’s going to love it here. Odessa, too. You’ll love her. She’s strange and wonderful all at the same time.”
I reached across and gave her hand a squeeze. “I think you’ll fit in beautifully.”
“Just until we’re rested.”
I nodded and wound the car toward the gate. I hit the button and the gate clunked. In my mind I was searching for reasons to make her stay. I’d take anything.
I rolled the car forward, punching the button before yanking the wheel hard and finding the asphalt once more. Abrial leaned her head against the window, her steady breaths were quiet and soothing. I stole glances. She looked so fragile sitting there. Her breathing deepened. I risked a brush of her hair, running the crimson strands through my fingers.
I wanted to drive forever, listening to her softly snore. But only she knew where the track was that would lead us to her pack.
I reached over and brushed her arm. “Abrial, you need to wake up.”
She jerked awake, glanced around the car, and settled on me. “I’m sorry. How long was I out for?”
I glanced at the clock. “Ten, fifteen minutes.”
She scanned the trees, and searched the horizon. “I think it’s just up ahead. You might want to slow down.”
I slowed, catching sight of an opening in the trees. The front wheels hit the gravel, pinging against the belly of the SUV.
Abrial leaned forward and scanned the track. “It’ll be slow going for a while, but this will take us close to the pack.”
I countered a hole, slowing the car and easing the wheel to follow the trail as Abrial rolled down the window and inhaled the frigid air. We left the fire-trail behind and carved our own track through the woods, skirting fallen trees and inching over rocky mounds, heading deeper into the forest. The seconds felt like hours, I kept the Jeep steady, watching the rear view mirror for Zadoc’s dark blue four-wheel drive behind me. “Keep going. I think we’re almost there. When we get there, I want you to stay in the car, okay? It’s going to get… complicated.”
The orange flames of an open fire flickered through the crowded trees. I slowed the car, pulling to a stop. “You sure you don’t want me to come?”
She never looked at me, only stared out of the window. “No, it’ll only make things worse. The most important thing is for Maddy and her baby to be safe. That’s all I care about right now.”
Her hand lingered on the handle. For a second I thought she was going to stay. Just drive, she whispered in my mind, and I would turn this car around and do exactly as the woman asked.
Then the door was open, and she was moving. I’d never felt loss as I did in that moment. I’d not wanted, yearned for something or someone before. The ache was inescapable. I reached up sliding my heavy hand over the hard mound of my chest, searching for the hole as she disappeared through the line of trees and wondered what in the hell was happening to me.
From the Author
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Hunger's Edge
The sizzling awakening of a new vampire
by Kallysten
A deleted scene from the On The Edge series
About this scene
It was what Brett wanted. After living with two vampires for so long, becoming one was only the next logical step—and the perfect way to make ‘forever’ a reality. Awakening as a vampire, however, is stranger than he ever imagined, especially when it happens earlier than planned. Good thing one of his lovers is ready to offer him her embrace and her blood to make him feel at home.
In this deleted scene, the newly-turned Brett gets his first taste of what his vampire life will be like...
Hunger's Edge
A deleted scene from the On The Edge series
The world had changed.
Objectively, Brett knew that the world was still the same tonight as it had been that morning. Shop windows were still decorated with pink hearts; a few street sellers lingered in otherwise-empty parking lots, offering red roses for extravagant prices to whoever expected to receive a cold shoulder if they went home empty-handed; and more couples than usual strolled through the streets of Haventown.