In Plain Sight (A Hunted Rose)

Chapter Thirty-Three

I woke up to my entire body throbbing with twinges of pain and voices arguing. I didn't open my eyes; that would have taken entirely too much effort than I was capable of exerting at that moment.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" I recognized that voice. It was River, and he sounded mad. I stifled a groan as I tried to take inventory of my healing injuries. I had been riddled with bullet wounds and other painful injuries, causing my "death" while I healed. Thankfully, the attackers were all dead or knocked out by that time, and also hadn't realized I was a vampire, therefore needing to be decapitated to die. And, y'know, Liam would never let anyone who attacked me live. So, even before they got to chop my head off, he would have killed them. It's one of the things I loved about the big oaf.

"There's nothing I can do." I also recognized that voice. It was accented, and after living with him for months, nothing would make me forget Liam. He was trying to calm the guys down, but apparently they weren't having it. They continued to argue about me, and I picked out their individual voices. Cameron, Seth, Ryder, Jason, River. They were all there, surrounding me.

Liam must have picked up on my deep inhale. I felt his power pulse around me, he must have been sensing for other injuries, minus the one that had killed me - if only for a short time. I sensed him squat down next to me and reach out to brush some hair away from my forehead.

"Oh, Rosie-girl," he said on a sigh. "You just had to go and get killed, didn't you?"

I ignored the fact that the guys were still there, mourning me, and because I really did not feel like faking my death, I replied, "Yeah. But at least it was only a bullet. Could have been worse. I could be without a head right now if they knew."

I was met with silence. Well, now they had been informed of my biggest secret. Or, at least, they were on their way to figuring it out. Right now they were probably just shocked to hear my voice. I decided to brave reality and open my eyes, pulling myself from the safe world of darkness that had protected me for a little bit.

I felt the sticky blood covering me, some of it mine, most of it not. I knew I would kill people today, I had done it before, but this time, people had seen me do it. People I cared about... and it did not feel good to know they had glimpsed that side of me, the one that revels in the bloodshed. It was a side that was normally deep inside me, covered under layers of self control, but today, she had come out. And all but ripped out a few throats as well.

With help from Liam's gentle hands, I sat up. I saw five males standing in front of me, and one crouching down by my side. Despite the soreness in my limbs, I reached for Liam and pulled him into a hug. We were both covered in blood, the smell tempting me in ways I had not been in a while. He rubbed my back reassuringly while I squeezed him as if my life depended on it - as if I would fall apart without his support. It actually seemed like a very real possibility at the moment.

I finally pulled away from Liam to look at the guys. They had some blood on them, but they were not nearly as caked in it as Liam and I were. I had caught glimpses of them as they were fighting, and had seen them opt to use their powers to knock out their attackers rather than kill them. I understood. They still had morals.

I gave them a timid, pained smile. "Hi."

"Rose," River said, "we checked for a heartbeat when we saw you fall. You didn't have one." He tilted his head to the side and was quiet for a few seconds. "You still don't."

"Funny how you didn't notice that until now."

It was Jason's calm, quiet voice that broke the silence. "You're a vampire."