*** This is book two in a series. YOU MUST READ The Prophecy first***
Ariella's life had changed drastically in the last month. Each day seemed to bring a new devastating truth to light. After the events of the last month she's started to change. Th...
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My eyes pop open, and I go from completely out of it, to completely alert in an instant. I recognize the crack in the ceiling above me. I'm back in my temporary room at Dante's house in the woods. Something's different about the crack though, I can now see into the crevice, tiny cobwebs filling the small void. I blink my eyes and tilt my head to the side, studying it, and notice tiny particles of something floating in the air between me and the ceiling.
Sucking in a breath through my nose, my brain goes haywire trying to place so many different scents at once.
"Stay calm. Just relax. The change seemed to be harder than usual, and it took longer, but everything seems to have gone fine. You're okay," Dante's voice says from somewhere to my left, and my head whips in that direction. I stare at him as all the pieces of what's happening start to fall into place in my overactive brain. "It's a little weird at first, but just take your time. Try to adjust to the changes slowly."
Again, I blink at him, nodding my head slowly. Everything feels... weird. Even the air touching my skin feels different. I try to focus on all my senses, letting my mind adjust like Dante recommended, but I'm caught off guard by one particular sense. I tilt my head, keeping my eyes on my father, as a whooshing sound reaches my ears.
I recognize it as a heartbeat, but it's weird. It sounds... wet. As soon as that thought flits through my mind, the wet coppery scent hits me, and chaos ensues. All in the blink of an eye my mouth goes dry, my body goes taught, my gums sting, and my newly developed fangs slam down into place. I lunge off the bed towards the sound, only to be caught in midair by a steel like arm wrapped around my waist.
I turn to glare at the owner of the arm, caught off guard when I come face to face with Everett. I don't care who he is though. The only thing that matters in this instant is that wet sound. Feeling a deep-seated desperation to reach the source of the sound and the scent flowing through the room, I jerk my elbow back into Everett's face. He stumbles back a step, but his arm locked around my waist just pulls me with him.
Turning, he tries to slam me into the wall, but years of training kicks in, and I spin out of his hold. With a hand to the back of his head, I slam him into the wall instead, and dart back towards the sound while he tries to recover.
Before I can reach it however, another arm circles my waist. Just as I rear back to hit Lucien, he throws me roughly to the bed where both he and Dante pounce to pin me down.
"Now didn't I tell you it was a bad idea for you to be in here when she first woke up?" Dante barks over his shoulder. "Once she feeds, she'll be able to tolerate your presence, but for now anyone with a heartbeat needs to go."
"Is it just me? Or was she stronger and faster than Everett?" Lawrence asks from somewhere. "Or does he just really suck in a fight?"
"It's taking two of us to hold her down. What do you think?" Lucien says sarcastically over his shoulder.
