7. First Kill
The taste of blood was still on Ethan's tongue
Warm. Sweet. Addictive.
But his stomach felt sick. His throat felt tight. His heart if it still worked felt like it was falling into a dark hole
The dead cat was beside him. Its small weak body was cold and still
He had killed it
His shaking fingers touched his lips. The blood was still wet. Still there
This was not real
It could not be real
But the hunger inside him. The voice in his head. The power in his body. None of it was a dream
He had changed
He was still changing
The thought made him feel sick
He pushed himself up. His legs were weak. His breath was rough. The morgue was quiet. The lights were dim and flickering
He had to leave
Somehow
Some way
His hand touched the door handle. The cold metal pressed into his skin. He held it tight. So tight his knuckles turned white
But then—
A sound
Footsteps
Slow and steady. Getting closer in the hallway
Ethan's body went still. He held his breath
He could smell sweat. He could hear clothes moving. Keys jingling
Someone was coming
His heart beat faster. Panic ran through his body
"You must feed"
The voice spoke. Cold. Empty. Not kind
No
Not again
He would not do this again
A shadow moved across the floor. The footsteps stopped outside the door
Then—
It opened
A man walked in
A janitor
He looked tired. He was middle aged. He held a mop in one hand. His clothes were dirty. His eyes looked sleepy
But then—
He saw Ethan
His face turned white. He stopped breathing
Ethan knew how he must look
A pale boy with wild eyes. No shoes. Standing in a morgue. Blood on his lips
The janitor opened his mouth
He breathed in
A second passed
Then—
He screamed
He stepped back. His hands shook. He reached for the radio on his belt
Ethan breathed fast. His body tensed
"Threat detected"
"Eliminate"
No
His body moved before he could stop it
In one second the man was reaching for the radio
In the next second Ethan had him against the cabinets. His hands held the man's throat
The janitor's eyes were wide. He gasped. He pulled at Ethan's hands
Ethan's breath was wild. His hands were shaking
He could hear the man's heart
Fast. Loud. Scared
The smell of blood filled Ethan's nose
The hunger came back fast
It needed
It wanted
His fangs hurt. They pushed against his lips. His throat burned. It screamed for more
"Drink"
"Kill"
Ethan closed his eyes. His chest moved fast
No
He would not do this
Not again
Not him
But the smell—
The heartbeat—
The fear—
It pulled him in
His hands gripped tighter. His nails dug into the man's skin
The janitor stopped fighting. His eyes were scared. He mouthed words
"P please…"
One word
One breath
And it broke something inside Ethan
His hands shook. His heart hurt
This man was not his enemy
This was not Damian
He was not like them
He was just a man doing his job
And Ethan was about to—
He started to cry. He tried to let go
But he could not
The hunger held him
"Override activated"
Pain hit his head. A sharp blast. It hurt bad. His body jerked. His eyes blurred
Then—
He jumped forward
His fangs went into the man's skin
Hot blood filled his mouth
Warm. Fresh