Annihilate (Hive Trilogy #3)(32)

My heart aching, I grabbed his hand. “Ryder, you can’t do that to yourself. It’s not your fault. Ash don’t have many choices in the Hive. It’s enforcer or some other dead end job, which could also get them killed by a vampire. That’s why we’re doing all this. To give ash a chance at a real life.”

He didn’t seem to buy my words but he did attempt to give me a reassuring smile. One which did not even come close to reaching his hardened eyes. “I need retribution for them. The thought that they were slaughtered like that …”

Shit. He was right, and there was nothing I could say to make this easier. I squeezed his hand and snuggled myself closer, trying to offer him comfort. Eventually, I lost the battle with my eyelids, and surrounded by Ryder’s warmth, I fell asleep. My dreams were filled with blood and loss.



I awoke to screams. Heart pounding in my chest, I was up and off the couch in seconds, completely disoriented and looking around to get my bearings. On the floor close by were Markus and Oliver curled in their sleeping bags, dead to the world.

The screams came again and I grabbed my gun, taking the stairs to the basement three at a time. When I turned the corner and the scene came into view, I cringed.

One of the vampires – number two – was thrashing and screaming, surrounded by a pool of bloody looking vomit. The other vampires were watching with calculated looks. Sam and Ryder had guns drawn, and Becca was frazzled trying to put something together with Jayden.

“It’s a reaction. His version of the cure was too potent and his immune system is going haywire, attacking itself.”

“What did you do to me, you bitch?” the vampire screamed, and his eyes were bloodshot; lines of broken capillaries filled the whites and even some of the silver. Sam took two paces forward and the butt of his gun came down on the back of the vampire’s neck. Lights out. One of the other vampires was watching with a look of unease. He was frowning and … was that fear in his eyes? I peered closer and I could see his eyes were less silver. Subject three was written on his arm.

“Becca, he’s healing,” I blurted out and pointed to number three. Becca looked up from her tray and with her laser-like focus started doing her science observation thing. The silver-black irises beneath her fake glasses were practically glowing. She handed Sam a syringe. “Give this to him,” and motioned to the guy he’d just knocked out.

Subject three backed up as Becca walked closer. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Becca smiled. “We’re going to cure you.”

His mouth popped open and I saw the shock register. “I heard rumors but…”

Becca shifted the camera around so that it focused on test subject three. “How do you feel?”

He rolled his neck. “Achy. Hot. Tired. Hungry…”

Becca and I shared a look. Holy shit, he said hungry not thirsty. I looked at Ryder, hoping to share the excitement, but all I saw was an emotionless face, dark circles under his eyes and nobody home. What was happening to him? I knew he was struggling with the death of his enforcers, but this was really taking a toll. Had he slept at all when I passed out on him? In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen Ryder even go to sleep. I always seemed to crash before him, and he was up before I got up too.

I was distracted for a moment as Becca crouched next to number three. “I’m going to take a blood sample, okay?” Her voice was low and calm. A few of the other vampires were pulling against their chains, fighting whatever was going on in their bodies, but he just nodded.

Jayden stepped up. “I’ll get blood bottles for the assholes and a sandwich and water for the nice one.”

Hilarious. Jayden had impeccable timing. Becca just dismissed his comment with a nod of her head, and he turned to run upstairs.

I slipped in beside Ryder. “You look tired. Get some rest. I’ll take over now.” We had at least three enforcers down here at all times with guns and a Taser. Electricity was a good way to take out a vampire for a short time. We also had some more of that homebrewed AT20. Worst case, we could always break their necks.

Wow, never thought I would say that.

Ryder just shrugged. “I’m fine. I can’t sleep.”

Dammit, I didn’t like that tone. We had been so busy trying to get to the Californian Hive and steal these vampires, I had neglected to see the signs that were wearing Ryder down. His entire enforcer team had been slaughtered and we didn’t even have a funeral for them. Their bodies were probably unceremoniously burned.

Becca was done now and she met subject three’s gaze. “If you’re feeling better by tonight, we can untie you.”

He nodded.

“Untie me too,” one of the vampires said, his voice growly. “I like my blood warm.”

His gaze was making me uncomfortable, and he wasn’t even looking at me.

“That’s not happening,” Jayden said, coming into the room holding the tray of blood bottles and food. “You will drink this cold and bland, just like the rest of us.”

Becca looked at subject one, who had just spoken. “He can’t help it. His oxytocin was practically nonexistent.” That was her way of calling him an asshole. So damn polite. We really needed to do something about that.

Shuffling back so Jayden could get to the vampires, a waft of stale clothes from a zillion hours traveling hit me. Since it looked like they were okay down here for now, I needed to get changed. “I’m going to go shower,” I said to Ryder, and he just nodded.