Forsaken by the Others Read Online Free PDF

she said anything that I realized Wes had been giving me the evil eye. Which,
     when it’s coming from a very old vampire, is pretty disconcerting. “If you’re going
     to hang out in my kitchen, behave yourself.”
    Wes continued glaring at me a moment longer, then eased back in his seat, blinking
     the crimson glow out of his eyes. The crystalline blue that took its place as his
     pupils contracted and darkened was as chill as the red was hot, the sleek lines of
     his carefully trimmed goatee bristling as the muscles in his jaw tightened.
    “I’ll behave if she does.”
    “I don’t have the belt,” I said, suddenly tired beyond measure. “I’m no threat anymore.
     Not to you.”
    “No? You still stink of desperation and sickness under the sex. Did you think no one
     would notice?”
    Analie’s spoon jangled as she dropped it on the counter, her gasp lost in the sound
     of my indignant sputtering. I rose, the chair clattering to the floor. Before I could
     do anything more, Wes was in front of me—I hadn’t seen him move—and his hand had closed
     around my wrist, preventing me from running off or falling as I jerked away from him.
     It wasn’t until I felt warmth trickle down my arm that I realized he’d cut me, too.
    “Look at it. You’re filled with corruption. Tell me that isn’t a threat.”
    It didn’t exactly hurt—the cut he must have made with a fang or a nail when he grabbed
     me wasn’t deep—but he was right. I didn’t bleed red—I bled black.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Wes and I both tore our gazes off of the dark trickle at my wrist to look at Analie.
     She didn’t look afraid or upset, as I had expected. Just curious.
    When Wes didn’t answer the question, I realized he was waiting for me to tell her.
     Like I had any answers to give.
    “I wish I knew,” I said, pulling experimentally to see if Wes would let me go. His
     fingers tightened reflexively, then released me. “Royce didn’t know. He said it has
     something to do with being bound by . . . by having vampire blood in me and the infection
     from a werewolf at the same time.”
    Now didn’t seem like the right time to discuss how Royce had bitten me while we were
     doing the horizontal tango. I didn’t doubt now that he must have known something was
     wrong, though I wondered as to his motivation behind remaining quiet about the illness
     he must have tasted.
    As for Analie, the look she gave me was hard to decipher. She put the bowl down, absently
     licked some batter off of her thumb, and came closer. I didn’t resist when she took
     my wrist, sniffing gingerly at the blood. Her nose wrinkled, and she quickly backed
     away.
    “I doubt it will kill you, but yeah, he’s right. That blood stinks of infection something
     fierce.”
    Bowing my head and pressing my fingertips to my temples, I did my very best not to
     growl something uncomplimentary at them both.
    “Just stay there, keep quiet, and I’m sure we’ll all get through this evening unscathed.”
    I put my hands down and gave Wes the most baleful look I could muster. He stared back,
     clearly unimpressed.
    “Well,” Analie said, her voice full of false gaiety, “you two can stay and keep me
     company. I don’t mind. It’s better talking to you guys than listening to Christoph
     and Ashi complaining about their collars again.”
    So Wes and I stayed at the table, listening with half an ear as Analie chattered about
     her cooking lessons with someone named Jacques. She occasionally pulled out a dish,
     utensil, or a spice and held it up for us to see as she made a point, and we nodded
     along, making obliging sounds at the right times, though I honestly have no recollection
     of most of the stuff she told us. My mind was too busy considering what might be wrong
     with me (aside from an obvious and complete inability to make good decisions) and
     what the rest of the night might hold in store for me once Royce returned.
    After a while, I came out of my