Aria’s POV
The next morning, I woke refreshed. I had the best sleep I have ever had. Rolling over and stretching, I notice Reid’s side of the bed is empty. Sitting up, I looked around and listened, but he wasn’t in the room or bathroom. Getting out of bed, I grab a pair of tights and a singlet, before walking downstairs. I run into Wendy as I enter the rec room.
“Where is Reid?”
She looked around nervously.
“Where is Reid?” I repeated using my Alpha Voice. I could tell she has been told to hide whatever is going on from me. Wendy tried to fight my command off, I have to give it to her. She lasted longer than Zane. Sweat started to form on her face, her skin losing colour as she fought against it. The pain becoming too much she blurted it out like rapid fire. “They went to see David, to see what he put in your drink because you have slept for over twenty-four hours” I stepped back flabbergasted. Twenty-four hours, I have been asleep for thirty-six hours. Grabbing my phone, I dialled Reid’s number, he answered after the second ring.
“You’re awake?”
“Come home, David didn’t put anything in my drink. I told you this.”
“Then why were you asleep so long?”
“Well, I don’t know; I have no idea, I was just tired.” Reid seemed to think for a second before I could feel through the bond, he was getting closer to me.
“Where are you?”
“We didn’t even make it down the street when you rang.” I hung up knowing he would be here any second, I walked out the front just as his car pulled up. Zane was first out followed by Reid. He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around me, kissing my temple.
“Sleeping beauty awakes.” He chuckled. “You had me starting to worry, and Mavis is stuck in surgery at the hospital so couldn’t come until tonight,” he told me I just nodded my head.
“Well, I am starving; I am going to look for something to eat,” I told him, turning my back on him.
I walked into the kitchen where Wendy and Christine were with the girls. They were eating happily and drawing. I walked over and kissed Lily’s head, before helping myself to the bacon that was on the bench piled up for everyone. Taking a bite of it, I swallowed quickly, not wanting Wendy to think I didn’t like her cooking. The food tasted bland, like eating paper. I struggled to swallow it down. Reid, feeling my reaction through the bond, walked over and bit off what was left on my fork. I heard his voice through the link. “What? It tastes fine.” Him being so close overwhelmed my senses. I could feel and hear his blood moving through his veins. I was starving; I thought I needed food. What I actually needed was blood, and I was absolutely ravenous.
I didn’t realise how hungry I was until I could suddenly hear every single person’s blood pumping around me, hear the soft thrum of their heartbeats calling out to me teasing me. I growled completely lost, I could only focus on the sounds of everyone’s heartbeats calling me, enticing me to rip their throats out and feed. The chatter in the room stopped, creating a deafening silence as everyone’s eyes went to me. I could taste my own blood running out of my mouth and down my chin, as my teeth protruded going through my bottom lip. I was crazed with bloodlust, I tried to shake it off, but everyone’s startled emotions made their delightful scents stronger. Fear sweetened their blood as it ran through their veins. I turned towards them when suddenly strong arms wrapped around my own. I threw them off like they were nothing. Mitch and Zane jumped to their feet, taking a protective stance in front of their mates and the girls. Lily and Amber started crying, they cowered behind Christine, who shoved them behind her as soon my growl ripped through the room, hunger taking over completely.
Then I smelt it, fresh blood. I turned in the direction of it. Reid’s hand bleeding dripping onto the tiles, I was in a trance as I watched it drip onto the ground, so bright so tasty, my mouth watered, I could hear shuffling behind me, but I didn’t care, all I could focus on was the blood calling to me. Reid moved closer.
“Focus on me, Hun.” I glanced up to him, my eyes catching his worried one’s, he was scared of me. It shocked me, I turned when I heard the doors leading outside open, I saw Lily run outside with everyone else. That’s when I realised I was about to attack them, hurt my family. Holding my breath, I ran from the room. I could feel Reid catching up behind me as I took off up the stairs. I nearly hurt them, even Reid was scared of me. Now that I was holding my breath, I could feel his fear coming through the bond. He was scared, I was going to hurt them, not himself but everyone else in the room. He was scared for them. Closing the door, Reid’s hand reached out, stopping it from shutting.
I looked at him, then at his hand, which was still covered in dry blood. Noticing my eyes drop to his hand, he walked into the bathroom and washed his hands with soap and came back out.
“What’s going on with you?” he asked sitting beside me on the bed, he didn’t sound angry, more worried.
“I don’t know. I need to speak to my father he might know,” I told him.
“Your father? He is dead, Ari.”
“No, he isn’t, David said he is alive.” Reid turned me, so I was looking at him. His face showed confusion, I hadn’t told him yet that my father was still alive.
“Marcus, my friend from the diner, is actually my father. I found out the other day. Alpha David, he recognised him. I don’t know how? They look nothing alike, but I am assuming there is a reasonable explanation as to why” Reid thought for a second before speaking.
“Glamour, he used his glamour so you couldn’t recognise him maybe?”
“Glamour?” I asked, my eyebrows raising slightly, I have no idea what that is, but Reid seemed to.
“Glamour – when they use a sort of mind compulsion to get people to do what they want or see certain things.” I nodded in understanding, I wondered if I could do that.
“You do it every time you use your Alpha voice, I have noticed it the last few times, the more blood you drink, the stronger it gets,” he stated. I just thought my Alpha Voice was stronger because of the Lycan blood running through my veins, not some Vampire voodoo. Reid mentioning blood brought my hunger back, Why was I suddenly craving blood so much?