Dead Awakenings Read Online Free PDF

into a pile of hay. The other man stood motionless, covered in gore from the bag’s contents.
    The hunger took over, and she was on him in a flash. Tearing and slashing and biting at his once white jumpsuit. She remembered the high feeling and the buzz of life she had gotten from feeding just a few hours ago. She needed it back again.
    A voice burst through her fog. “Stop!”
    She shook her head at the buzzing in her ear. In that moment of confusion she found herself dragged backward, the man in white scrambling away from her, terrified. She howled in rage, grabbing and pulling at the arms around her waist, lifting her off the ground and away from her food. She kicked while being carried like a child throwing a tantrum.
    “Let go of me! Let me have him!”
    “Stop it! The hunger’s strong, but you can control it. You’ve already fed, you don’t need any more.”
    Solid arms unwrapped from her waist and turned her, grabbing her by the shoulders. Luca was in her head again. No longer commanding, his voice soothed her, soft as a lover. “Look at me.” He called to her, over and over, until she met his gaze. His eyes blazed, but no longer bright orange. They were blue ice, with sparks of fiery orange flecks in them. She concentrated on his soft, gentle voice. Her head began to clear, and she felt the tingle of his hands through her shirt. Sparks of energy flowed through her body.
    “I know you want the high from feeding again. But believe me, you don’t want to start out your new life by killing people—it will haunt you forever. You have to learn to control your hunger. Control the rage.”
    His words sunk in and like cool water flowing over a fevered brow. She focused on the vibrations of the sound. His tight black T-shirt was stained with blood and torn in several places. Her gaze roamed over his face and his chest, seeing every hole, every mark, every smudge. Luca was a good head taller than her and broad as two men at the shoulders. An unmistakable musky odor rolled off of him and sent fire into her belly. She traced light patterns over the surface of his T-shirt absently with her fingers. He watched her fingertips as they touched him. Fire bloomed inside her in sudden waves of need. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on her skin. The weight of his hip bones on hers as they made love. Embarrassed at her shockingly sexual thoughts of a man she didn’t know, she glanced away.
    He released her and took a step away, still watching her with a rapt interest. The moments passed and she finally relaxed. Luca stepped forward, grabbing her once more, and ushered her toward the front of the house. Behind her she could hear Aron quietly apologizing to the workers for her behavior.
    What happened? Her body ached as though she had run a marathon. She didn’t want to move; she didn’t want to think. One minute she’d been completely fine getting out of the car. The next, out of control, taken over by a rage and her need to feed. And have sex. She sagged, exhausted, sad, and embarrassed. Allowing herself to be drug along, she was so weary all she could think about was her feet. Right over left, right over left. Lift, drop, lift, drop.
    The warm air from the inside of the house whooshed out to greet her as she stepped up the front steps. Luca walked her down an entrance hall over to the side of a staircase. He pressed on one of the wainscoting panels, and it slid inward, exposing a dark hidden passage. Stepping inside he pushed a button on the wall directly in front of them. Silently a door opened and white florescent light poured out. A small elevator, only big enough for maybe four people appeared. The door closed and it pulled them downward.
    A small chirping sound came from Luca’s pocket. He pushed a Bluetooth in his ear.
    “We’re almost down…no, everything’s fine, there was a slight incident topside, but no one was hurt.” Luca looked sideways at her and tried to talk in a lower voice.
    Like she