Bloodlust (The Blood Series #1)

Chapter 1

My head hurts. I wake up but don't open my eyes. I'm not ready to face the sun that is tickling my cheeks and nose. I groan and try not to think about the school day ahead of me. God, I don't want to go. With a headache like this math class is going to slaughter me even worse than usual.

And that's when I feel someone else's even breaths on my hair and realize I'm not alone in my bed.

My whole body goes completely stiff and my eyes fly open. I'm unable to move but my eyes circle the room frantically. I'm not in my bed. It looks like I'm in some kind of fancy hotel room that I don't even recognize. My panic deepens. Where the hell am I? And who is the person sleeping next to me, practically on me since that person has wrapped their arm around my waist and their chin lays on my shoulder?

I feel scared and struggle not to faint. Blackness tries to overpower me but I fight it. I can't lose it now, I need to get out of here. Air leaves my lungs and I can't breathe. I squeeze my eyes shut and concentrate on staying in my senses. Just as I have gotten myself to believe that I'm just dreaming, the person cuddling me nuzzles closer to me and moans in their sleep. I go right back to panicking. My heart is pounding, I can't believe the noise isn't waking them up. In my ears, every beat of my heart sounds like a cannonball going off.

I need to calm down and figure out what the hell happened to me. I try to think back to last night but I can't remember. The last thing I remember is school. I remember sitting in cafeteria, joking and talking with my friends as usual. Then it all goes blank. I try not to freak out even more but blood feels cold in my veins. I carefully remove my sleeping buddy's hand from my waist and slowly untangle myself from them. I get up from the bed and again look around in the hopes of recognizing something, anything. But there's nothing.

"Oh God", I breathe out when I realize that I'm not wearing any clothes except for panties. I hastily go through the floor and find my bra. I put them on and look for my clothes but all I can find is a skimpy little dress. That can't be mine, I think to myself but after carefully inspecting the entire room I finally admit that it must be mine since there isn't anything else to wear. Well, no other women's clothes on the floor. I can't avoid it anymore. I need to know. I then force myself to turn my head and look at the person sleeping in the bed.

It's Blood. Nathan Blood. A member of the Blood crime family and the most dangerous teenager in the city.

As if I wasn't freaking out bad enough already. What the hell is this? Why am I sleeping next to a criminal? When I crouch down to pick up my bag, I feel weird pain... down there and realization hits me. I don't think we were just sleeping. My knees buckle and I have to grab a hold of the nightstand to remain on my feet.

Oh my God. Oh my God. This can't be happening. I couldn't have... I wouldn't have. Would I? A quick look at the recycle bin confirms my suspicions. There are bloody sheets in the trash and I'm pretty sure that the blood on them is mine. My throat closes in. The bloody sheets combined with the pain, I'm suddenly all too certain that I'm not a virgin anymore.

I feel like screaming. Did I sleep with Nathan Blood?

In the hopes of finding answers there, I turn to glance at the sleeping boy. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, I think to myself. When he sleeps, it's easier to forget how many unsolved cases his name is tangled with. He looks like a perfectly normal boy, only a wickedly handsome at that. Dark curls fall on his face, almost covering his eyes. My heart flutters when his muscular tattooed arm reaches for where I was sleeping. Is he looking for me? But why would he be? He doesn't know me, why would he want to hold me when he sleeps?

I grab my shoes and on an impulse take his leather jacket. It may be August but the nights are getting colder and according to my phone's clock it's 5.34 am. I don't want to freeze to death while I'm doing my very first and last walk of shame in a tiny dress. As I inspect the screen of my phone that is filled with notifications of messages and unanswered calls, my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. My phone claims that today is Monday, 29th of August. But that can't be true. Today is Friday and the date is 26th of August. Unless... unless I forgot more than just a couple of hours. What if I forgot... days? Three days, to be exact. How can I possibly forget that much? I feel my head, looking for bumps. I must have hit my head or else I'd never have slept with Nathan Blood. I mean, I barely know the guy! Why in the name of seven hells would I give my once-in-a-lifetime virginity to him, of all people? For God's sake, I have a boyfriend!

As soon as I'm reminded of Troy, a pang of guilt hits me. What have I done? I cheated on him, the boy I've been together with since the first week of high school! Oh, this cannot be happening! I pinch my arm. It hurts and unfortunately I don't wake up. Apparently, I'm wide awake. A huge pit opens in my stomach when the hope that this is just a horribly vivid dream is torn to shreds. What is the matter with me? What have I done?

"Babe, where are you going?" the boy suddenly asks groggily. His eyes are still closed but it's obvious that he's waking up. I need to move and fast. I can't face him, I can't look him in the eye. A part of me wants to stay and shake him until he's also fully awake and ask him what the hell has happened but a bigger part just wants to get the hell out of there. I'm too scared of what his answers might be to find out the truth. I can't have him make all my fears real.

"Haley?" he calls out again and begins to open his eyes. I bolt to the door and then I run, run, run, out of the room and on to the street.