Outcry - Completed

Chapter 9

Rayne stood at the massive island in the middle of the kitchen, staring down at the amazing omelet Camden had made her. It was absolutely delicious! She hadn't eaten that well in a while. She took another bite and watched as he used a hand towel to dry the dishes he'd just washed.

It felt right. Two people, friends, hanging out in the kitchen, bantering back and forth with sarcastic remarks and comebacks. They joked and laughed. There was no awkwardness at all, and it almost made her forget all the chaos that was happening around her.

Almost...

She didn't know what was different. Maybe it was the peace of mind after realizing that she was meant to be there for whatever reason. Things were going to happen as they were meant to, one way or another. She wasn't going to worry or avoid certain circumstances or situations that may or may not ever happen. Life as she knew it was already over, anyway. There was no going back to normalcy once you had learned the things she had.

Vampires do exist...

She'd battled with the notion all morning, fighting all logical sense that told her it couldn't be. She wrestled with fact over fiction and while her mind told her there was no possible way, she could not deny the bulletproof evidence that was sitting right in front of her. It was irrefutable, so she might as well accept it and run with it.

If it turned out badly, well, then she would either be a better person for it or she wouldn't be around to regret it.

Rayne popped the last bit of her eggs into her mouth and pushed the plate toward him. "So, when are you going to answer my questions?" she asked, coming around the counter to grab the sponge to wash her plate.

"Ask away," he said, and turned to place a pan in the cabinet. He came back to the counter and crossed his sculpted arms over his chest, leaning against the island as he watched her.

"Ok. How did you meet my grandfather?"

Camden inhaled deeply and thought for a moment. "Remember when I told you that some of us vampires feed by getting close to people or places that have access to blood?"

She nodded and began rinsing the plate. She kept her focus on the dish, unsure of what answers she was going to get and whether or not she was going to like them. She had this image of her grandfather in her mind, and she didn't want it to change because she learned of some inside deals with the wrong crowd. But she wasn't going to let it stop her. She clenched her teeth and prepared herself.

"Well, that's what I did. A few years before all of the stuff with the formula went down, I heard about an opening at a pharmaceuticals lab for a night guard. I figured that would be a good place to get blood samples, so I took it."

Rayne raised an eyebrow at him as she turned off the water and grabbed the towel. She dried the plate and handed it to him. She shook her head. "If you had all this money, why didn't you just buy blood from someone? I'm sure there are people out there who would gladly sell blood for a handful of cash. Just seems like that would be easier. Why take a job if you didn't need the money?"

Camden shrugged and moved to put the plate away. "Remember, this was almost thirty years ago. Vampires are still hush-hush now, but it was even worse then, not nearly as many knew about us." He shrugged. "Now it's not a problem. I've paid lots of money for blood."

She cringed. Just the thought of the metallic taste in her mouth made her stomach churn. How could anyone ever actually crave the stuff? Rayne leaned against the island where he'd just been and Camden moved to the counter across from her, mimicking the cross-armed pose. He was silent for a moment as if debating the best way to tell her.