Veso Read online

  She turned her head and he watched her face. Shock was easy to read as she got a glimpse of her hand. “It’s gone!”

  He let go of her wrist. “I told you. My blood heals. Remember your cut finger? It was a small injury and you’d been injected by that master with my blood.” He sniffed. “I don’t smell any other cuts on you. Do you have any? I’m serious about infection. You’re a species prone to getting ill.”

  “I’m good.” She inched over on the rock, almost falling off.

  “Don’t fear me, Glenda.” It bothered him that she did.

  Her gaze held his. “Could your blood cure cancer and stuff?”

  He shrugged. “I’ve never tried that. It’s possible.”

  “You really could save so many lives if you donated blood to humans.”

  His anger stirred and it reminded him why he didn’t like her species. “And we would become the cows. Or more like rats. Hunted, trapped, and used to death. They wouldn’t care how many of us died to save their own. We’d become extinct. Your kind kills countless animals in laboratories and for what? So your perfume doesn’t give you a rash? So you can see if the drugs you make will kill you? You cause yourselves harm and innocent creatures pay the consequences.”

  He stood, storming away.

  Chapter Seven

  Glen kept replaying his words in her head. Veso had a point. If anyone found out about his ability to heal with his blood, she doubted many people would care if he were willing to donate or not. They’d want to capture him and just take it. She watched him hide the rope and the other supplies they’d brought in bushes around the area, placing them out of sight.

  “What are you doing?”

  He didn’t look her way. “What does it look like?”

  It was a dumb question but she just wanted him to talk to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply your life meant less than others. It just came as a surprise and that’s the first thing my mind went to.”

  He faced her. “There are billions of humans on this planet and so few of us. We keep our numbers low to hide our existence. Our survival is based on secrecy to prevent your kind from wiping us out.”

  She rose to her feet and tried to hide the grimace when her ass and legs protested. “I said I’m sorry. This is all new to me. I’m going to blurt things out before I can think it all through.”

  Veso inclined his head. “I understand.”

  “Thank you.”

  “It doesn’t make it any less annoying.”

  She actually smiled. “Probably not. I babysat three kids last summer for a cousin of mine and took them to the zoo. It amazed me what lame things they asked but they were all between the ages of four and seven. He’s a widow and works too much to take them to too many places. I guess I’m like a child to you. Why is that monkey in the tree and why do they put those tigers behind glass so we can’t pet them? Why? Why? Why? That was one word I really came to hate by lunchtime.”

  He grinned.

  “I’m just so curious,” she admitted.

  “I’ll try to be more tolerant of your questions.”

  “And the stupid shit I blurt out?”

  “That too. If it makes you feel any better, most deadly diseases that kill humans are something that could only be cured if a Vampire turned them into one.”

  She opened her mouth, wanting to know why, but then didn’t speak.

  He seemed to guess her thoughts. “A small amount of blood can cure injuries that aren’t too severe. Cancer mutates cells, from what I understand, as well as a lot of other human diseases that kill. Genetics also play a big part in most diseases.” He stepped closer. “Humans would have to be completely changed over to combat something like that. Think of a world full of Vampires. They have laws so they don’t turn even their own friends and families. If they all did, the Vampires would hunt humans to extinction just to survive. It would be the end of your world, and eventually theirs, since once the blood was gone, they’d eventually die out from starvation.”

  She understood what he was trying to say. “They’d kill all the people, then feed off the animals, until nothing would be left except bugs. Those would be hard to drink from.”

  He nodded. “That’s a worst-case scenario. Think of the issues from using their blood to heal. Some would want to cure dying children with Vampire blood. Imagine being trapped in the body of a four-year-old forever. I’ve heard stories of ones like that, and all of them went massively insane. They had to be hunted and killed. They were cold-blooded killers without remorse. They mature in their minds but not in the flesh, denied adult needs because they’re trapped in the bodies of small children. It depraves them until only utter madness remains.”

  She shivered, horror movies flashing through her head that she’d seen involving child monsters.

  “You’ve had to deal with Vamps while you were captured. Most lose any sense of humanity when they’re turned. It’s in the Vampire nature, so they can feed without remorse, but they’re smart enough to wish to survive. That means following basic rules to hide what they are from your kind. Ones who don’t are considered rogue and killed to protect the others. You believe your world is harsh now? Imagine what it would be like if Vampires ruled.”

  “I get it.”

  He turned away, staring at the setting sun. “We need to lie down soon. Go to the bathroom again if you must. You won’t be moving around after it’s dark. Your heat signature will glow to Vampire sight.”

  She was glad she’d already emptied her bladder. “I’m good.”

  “I’ll be right back.” He walked off into the trees.

  Glen approached the grave-like hole he’d dug. It was lined well with the tarp so they wouldn’t be lying on dirt. She swallowed hard, not prepared yet to climb in. Veso returned fast and stopped next to her. She turned her head and peered up at him.

  “Don’t worry. You’re tired and will sleep. I’ll keep guard.”

  “Do you really think we’ll be safe?”

  “We didn’t travel as far as I’d wished, but we’re a long way from the road. They’ll have to really work for it if we’re found.”

  That didn’t ease her worry much. “I’ll help you down. Try not to tear the tarp. We’re going to need it to stay dry if the weather changes. It’s that time of year, when rainstorms hit. We won’t see one until it’s almost upon us with these mountain ranges.”

  “My socks.” She turned her head, staring at the rock where she’d left them.

  “I’ll get them. Go in first.”

  Her gripped her by her hips, lowering her with ease. He released her as soon as she stood on the tarp then returned to the rock. He collected the pairs of socks she’d removed and brought them back, dropping them into the hole.

  She backed up, expecting him to climb in with her, but he moved away again, returning with the packaged blanket. He hopped into the hole he’d dug and opened the bag. “I won’t need this but you might.”

  She accepted the blanket, looking down at the tarp. “I wish we had a sleeping bag with padding.”

  “It’s the best we can do for now.”

  It would make for a hard, uncomfortable bed. She lay down on her side, shoving her back against the tarp-covered wall he’d dug. “This won’t collapse onto us, will it?”

  “I’ll dig us out if it does. Don’t panic by screaming. Sound carries.”

  “You were supposed to comfort me by just saying no.”

  He chuckled as he stretched out next to her. It was a tight fit and he twisted onto his side to face her. That helped, putting a few inches of space between them. “I’ll remember that.”

  It surprised her when he helped her unfold the blanket and covered her with it. She wasn’t cold yet but the sun was going down. “We’ll be trapped if Vampires just suddenly appear above this hole. You know that, right?”

  “I have good hearing and sense of smell. They won’t see our heat signatures unless they’re right on top of us. I’ll know they’re there before they find u