Pheromonal: One Night With the Alpha-Chapter 81: Bloodlust

The fluorescent lights suddenly seem too bright, the air too thick. I force myself to breathe, to move. Mechanically, I finish my shopping, barely registering what I’m putting in the cart.

At the checkout, I fumble with my wallet, nearly dropping it twice. The cashier gives me a concerned look, but I manage a weak smile. I can’t get out of here fast enough.

Somehow, I feel as though I’m being chased down. Hunted. All because of an unsettling encounter with a creepy vampire.

The parking lot feels exposed. I hurry to my car, constantly glancing over my shoulder. My hands shake as I load the groceries into the trunk. Each rustle of a plastic bag sounds like footsteps approaching.

Finally, I slide into the driver’s seat and lock the doors. The silence inside the car is deafening. I lean my forehead against the steering wheel, trying to calm my racing heart.

What the hell was that about?

I fish my phone out of my purse, fingers trembling as I scroll to Penelope’s number. The phone rings once, twice, three times. Each unanswered ring ratchets up my anxiety.

"Come on, Pippa," I mutter. "Pick up, pick up, pick—"

"Hey, Nikki!" Penelope’s cheerful voice floods the car. "What’s up?"

I open my mouth, but the words stick in my throat. How do I even begin to explain?

"Nikki? You there?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah, I’m here. Listen, something weird just happened."

"Weird how?" Her tone sharpens, all traces of cheerfulness gone.

"I ran into Officer McFlirty at the grocery store."

"McFlirty? The creepy vampire who hates McSexy?"

"The very same." I recount our encounter, my voice growing tighter with each word. When I finish, silence hangs heavy between us.

"Pippa?" I prompt. "You still there?"

"Yeah, I’m here." She sighs heavily. "Shit."

My stomach drops. "What aren’t you telling me?"

"It’s... complicated."

"Uncomplicate it," I snap, then immediately regret my tone. "Sorry, I just... I’m freaked out, Pippa. What’s going on?"

Another sigh. "I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve got enough on your plate with Logan and everything else."

"Worry me about what?" My free hand clenches into a fist. "Pippa, please. Just tell me."

"McFlirty’s been coming around pretty regularly. Every few days, he’s here. Asking questions, flirting, that kind of thing, right?"

I nod, but of course she’s on the phone and can’t see me. So I clear my throat and say, "Okay. And?"

"Anyway, last week he came around with a few of his vamp friends, I guess. They don’t seem like work buddies, but you know, they paid a lot. It was a good night. Didn’t think anything of it. They were pretty respectful."

I grip the steering wheel tighter as Penelope sighs on the other end of the line. My heart pounds.

"One of the vampires got a little too handsy with one of the new girls," Penelope explains, but every word comes out slowly. Too slowly.

I make a soft sound, urging her to continue, while biting back the urge to demand she speak faster.

Finally, she groans. "Look. We had to pull him off the girl in the back room. He was in a frenzy."

My stomach plummets. "What kind of frenzy?" The words come out barely above a whisper, dread coating each syllable. There’s no good answer for this question, and we both know it.

"I, uh..." Penelope hesitates. "Bloodlust. And I kind of got bit a little."

My vision darkens, and for a moment, all I can hear is the rush of blood in my ears.

"Had to get a few units infused at the hospital overnight," she continues, her tone forcefully casual. "But I’m fine. The wound healed up in half an hour. Been going in for a checkup every two days. All is good."

I sit in stunned silence, my brain struggling to process her words. The implications hit me like a freight train, and suddenly, I can’t contain myself.

"What were you thinking?" I explode, my voice rising with each word. "Getting near a vampire in bloodlust? Are you insane?"

"Nikki, calm down," Penelope says, her tone maddeningly reasonable. Too fucking reasonable. "My blood levels are being monitored. I’m fine."

"Fine?" I repeat, incredulous. "You got attacked by a vampire in bloodlust, and you’re telling me you’re fine?"

"I’m getting regular doses of Anti-Turn," she counters. "You know, the only medication proven to lower the risks of being turned? I’m fine. Everything’s going to be okay."

I close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. Of course I know about Anti-Turn. Everyone does. It’s the miracle drug that’s changed how we deal with vampire attacks. But knowing it exists and hearing that my best friend needs it are two very, very different things.

Bloodlust is the one reason why vampires weren’t always welcome around humans. When they aren’t in control of their bite, there’s a much higher chance of them injecting their victim with their unique toxin. It’s usually newly turned vampires who succumb to bloodlust, but that’s not always true.

"That’s not the point, Pippa," I say, my voice shaking. "You could have died. Or worse."

The ’worse’ hangs between us, unspoken but understood. Vampirism. The permanent, irreversible condition that’s technically fatal. After all, you die in order to turn.

"I know the risks," Penelope says softly. "But it’s my job, Nikki. I can’t just abandon my staff when things get dicey. That’s not who I am, and that’s not who I’ll ever be."

I want to argue, to tell her that no job is worth her life or her humanity. But this is Penelope. I know her fierce loyalty, her protective instincts. It’s one of the things I love most about her, even when it scares me half to death.

"I just..." I trail off, unsure how to express the fear gripping my heart. "I can’t lose you, Pippa. And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. This is serious stuff. It doesn’t matter what I’m going through. I should know all of this."

Her voice softens. "You’re not going to lose me. The Anti-Turn has a 95% success rate, remember? And I’m tough. A little vampire bite isn’t going to take me down."

I want to believe her. I need to believe her. But the image of Penelope, pale and lifeless, rising as a newborn vampire, haunts me. The thought of it happening to Penelope is unbearable.

The rate of bloodlust attacks are extremely low, and turned victims are even lower. There are medications vampires can take to keep themselves stable. Supplements for those who drink animal blood. So many options that make vampires and humans able to coexist in peace.

Between that, and the invention of Anti-Turn, vampires have become accepted members of society. For the most part.

"Promise me you’ll be more careful," I plead. "No more heroics."

Penelope chuckles, but it’s a hollow sound. "I’ll do my best, but you know I can’t promise that. It’s not who I am."

I know she’s right, but it doesn’t make it any easier to accept. "At least promise me you’ll call if anything like this happens again. No more keeping secrets, okay?"

"Deal," she agrees readily.