Looking at the window, she had a vague memory of . . . standing on the roof.
"Did we go somewhere?"
"Yeah, you were getting cabin fever-needed to sort of test your wings. You did good, too."
Suddenly, she recalled moving at amazing speeds and feeling the wind in her face. What was real?
Her stomach growled. "I'm starved," she muttered.
Chan pointed to a big plastic cup with a straw. "You didn't finish your breakfast."
She reached for the drink and sipped. A thousand different flavors exploded in her mouth. Berries, dark chocolate, tangy melon. Flavors she didn't even recognize, but somehow knew she couldn't live without now that she had sampled them.
"What is this?" She licked her lips and immediately started drinking again.
His right brow arched. "It's what you'll be living on from now on. Blood."
She almost gagged, then stopped herself. She'd bitten her tongue before. "Blood don't taste like this." She yanked the top off and stared at . . . at what looked like blood.
"How can . . ."
"Nothing will taste like it did before. Don't you remember gagging on the Chicken Soup your mom brought you?"
She looked at her cousin and vaguely remembered trying to eat the soup. "Tell me you're lying."
"Sorry. Everything is different now. No use in me trying to sugar coat things. Just accept it."
She stared down at the thick red substance in her cup. "This can't be real."
"It's as real as it gets."
"Oh, God!" She put the cup on her nightstand and stared at it. "What kind of blood?"
"AB negative. O is better, but I couldn't find any."
"That's . . . that's human blood?" Her stomach churned.
He nodded. "Animal isn't nearly as good. But you'll learn about that in time. I have a lot to teach you."
She cupped a hand over her mouth and stared at the cup. But even as the thought of drinking blood sickened her, even as a part of her vowed not to become this monster, her mouth watered for another taste, another swallow.
She hadn't ever known real hunger or thirst, but this . . . the feeling that said if she didn't finish what was in that cup right now she might die, had to be closest thing she'd ever experienced.
Chan went to grab the cup. Before she knew what she was doing she lunged, knocked him across the room and grabbed the cup. He laughed. "I figured as much."
She finished the drink, and looked up at Chan. "I need more."
"I know. Right after you turn, you're ravenous. I think I put down fifteen pints my few first days. But you're going to have to wait until after your parents go to bed."
"I want it now," she hissed, not even recognizing her own voice.
* * *
"They didn't card me?" Della said, following Chan into the club several hours later. The place was dark, lit up by only a few candles, but amazingly she didn't have much trouble seeing. Or hearing. Noise, crowd noise, the chattering of different conversations, and people shifting in their chairs, came at her from every direction, but somehow she could shut out parts of it that she didn't want to listen to. However, the ambience didn't stem from the noise or the lighting. Energy vibrated in the place. Della felt it, felt it feeding her, like some forbidden drug.
"The only card you need for this place is right here." He touched her forehead.
Immediately, Della remembered the weird things she's been seeing on everyone's forehead. She grabbed his arm. "What is that? The forehead thing?"
He grinned. "It's your ID. All supernaturals have the ability to read brain patterns and eventually you'll learn to tell who is what. And if you concentrate just a little bit you can get behind their shields and know if they're friend or foe."
He pointed across the room. "Look at the guy in the green shirt. Tighten your eyes, and stare at his forehead and tell me what you see."
Chapter 5
At first all Della saw was his forehead and then . . . "I see . . . swirly lines.
"Now look at my pattern. "Do you the similarities?" Chan asked.
"Yes. But they're not identical," she said.
"Not identical, but he's vampire. Brain patterns are like tracks in the snow, sooner or later, you'll be able to know what kind of animal made that print."
She nodded and glanced around the room.
"Look at that big guy's pattern in the black coat," he said.
She did. The pattern was completely different. Horizontal lines and . . .
"Now look deeper. Keep staring. Open your mind."
She concentrated and what she saw was black and dark and gave off the impression of danger. She took a step back.
He laughed. "It's okay. He's not going to hurt you. Not here anyway. But meet him in dark alley, and who knows."
"I wasn't scared," she insisted, but she knew it was a lie and she heard her own heartbeat speed up as if punctuating the fib.
"You should be. He's werewolf and not someone you want to associate with."
Della remembered. "The doctor. He was a werewolf and he didn't seem . . . bad."
"They are all bad." He looked around. "There's a fae, the pretty brunette in the pink dress. Well, she's half fae, half human."
Della tightened her brows and recalled the pattern of the nurse in the hospital. "I think I sort of understand. But if these people don't get along how come they come to the same bar? And why would they work together?"
"Because some supers think we should live as one big happy family. Like humans who want to live alongside lions. And I admit I've had my fair share of fun toying with a few breeds." He wiggled his brows. "Especially humans. It's fun to play with our food."
Della took a step back. "You're human. How can you . . ."
"I told you earlier, I'm not going to sugar coat it. I'm not human anymore. Neither are you. You need to start looking at humans as prey."
Della put a hand over her mouth. "The blood earlier, you didn't . . . hurt anyone."
"Got it from a blood bank." He glanced away, almost too quickly as if lying. "Oh, see the little guy in the black shirt. Check his pattern out, but . . . if he looks this way, glance away, quick."
Emotions swirled around Della's chest. She stared at Chan.
"Look at him, Della. This is important. You need to know this shit."
"Why?"
"Because he's a shapeshifter. You need to be able to recognize them so you can stay clear of them. They are one pissed-off breed. All that changing forms messes with their psyche. Most of them would just as soon kill you than speak to you in passing."