Mixed Blood (Turned Trilogy #1)

[ ONE ]

I didn’t think I would be okay with dying, since I’d fought so hard to stay alive. But it was okay. There was a sense of calm washing over my body, no longer did I ache, and no longer did I want to break down and cry. Even then, with blood on my hands, I reached toward the glowing light.

Just take me, just fucking take me, I thought, until…

“No, no, no!” I sat up, pulled away from what I thought was going to be a blissful death. “Is this some sick joke?” I screamed to no one. My voice carried, bouncing off the abandoned buildings in the deserted town. “I was ready! I’m done…I’m…done.”

I lay back down, letting my hands sink into the deep snow. Soaked gloves, pants lathered in blood, and a gash on my head was enough to send me over the edge. I was a lost cause. That bitch, the girl I trusted to be my companion betrayed me, nearly left me for dead. I patted the left pocket of my jeans. She took all my money; she even took his military tags.

Why the hell did I take those off?

“Erik,” I murmured in the freezing air, my breath hitched inside my throat. “Where are you? Why can’t I find you? This is impossible…”

I looked to the left, allowing my cheek to touch the snowy surface. My body froze, but not from the blistering ice particles. One of them, a Turned lay dead a couple feet away from me; only now back in their human form.

Staring, I carefully analyzed the deceased man’s features. His eyes wide, gawking at me as if we were in a competition with who would blink first. I waited, hoping, it wasn’t him. His irises still blackened against his pupil told me he had just died within the hour.

He’s dead, or he wouldn’t be human.

I blew out a breath, watching the fog blur out his face. Scooting my body away, I slowly maneuvered into a crouched position. Swiftly turning on my feet, I move forward with caution. There could be more of them. Walking, I stopped behind a broken down truck. Movement caught my eye from the shattered window in the building adjacent to the truck.

“Think I can’t see you out there?” a voice called out from the building.

I smirked, knowing this was my chance for revenge. “Why are you hiding? Scared I will kick your ass for trying to kill me?" A laugh escaped my lips. I no longer cared if a Turned was right around the corner, I wanted to beat her ass to the snowy ground.

"Fat chance," she said. "Missing something?" Her gloved hand pushed past the shards of glass in the window, and in her fingertips dangled Erik's military tags.

I reached around my back to grab my knife out of the waist of my pants where its usual cool steel pressed against my skin. How had I not noticed? She stole that, too. Fuming, I cracked my knuckles, cringing from the pain that escalated from my frozen joints.

"I hate the cold," I whispered, trudging through the snow toward the building.

The rogue girl stepped out from the store, smiling wickedly. "Looks like you're happy to see me."

I smiled back. "Delighted." My fist plowed toward her nose. Blood spewed all over her face as my knuckles made contact. She stumbled backwards, grabbing at her face.

"You broke my nose!"

"Should have killed me when you had the chance," I said, still smiling.

She holds up her bloodied hands. "Please, don't kill me. We can make this right! I will give you back everything, okay? Just...let's forget about what I did and stick together. I promise I won't try anything like that every again!" Tears spilled down her cheeks, washing away some of the blood. I took a step back, placing my hands on my hips.