Read Online Bite Me! by Melissa Francis - Free Book Online Page A

facilities, that is. I’m the blood bank goddess around these parts. How much do you know about hemoshake production?” she asked me.
    â€œUm. I know they’re packaged like V8s or tomato soup. That’s about it.”
    â€œI suppose that’s all you really need to know, huh? Well, if you ever want a tour of the hemoshake plant, let me know,” she said. “It’s located beneath the hospital and I can get you the VIP tour.”
    â€œOkay,” I said. “I had no idea the plant was here. That’s kinda cool.”
    Octavia leaned over and patted my knee. “You also have no idea why I’m here, do you?”
    â€œNo, ma’am,” I answered truthfully.
    â€œI’m here because your momma knows I can tell if you’ve bitten someone. I have a gift.”
    Hope blossomed in my chest. “Awesome! Because I really need to know what happened.”
    â€œI know you’re worried; I felt it all the way in my office when you stepped into the hospital.”
    She reached into her bag and pulled out a box. “Let’s get this going. I’m going to do two things with you, okay? The first thing I’m going to ask for is a venom sample.”
    â€œSeriously? But I just gave one to Mom.” I looked over at Momma.
    â€œHow much do you need, Tave? I’ve got a vial, but I’m still planning to run a test against the venom in the boy.”
    â€œJust a couple of drops.” Octavia opened the box andpulled out a stick that looked amazingly like a pregnancy test.
    â€œDo I have to pee on that?”
    Octavia’s laugh was deep and full of warmth. “No, honey. I’m working with the Vampire Commission to get a patent for this little test. If you bit Noah, there will be some of his DNA residue in your venom. But this test is only about seventy-five percent accurate, so I have to continue to develop it until I get much more precise results. I think we’re going to call it Clearbite Easy. Clever, huh?”
    â€œUh, sure. The Vampire Commission?”
    Tave stared at Mom.
    â€œLizzie, have you not told this child anything about our world? Shame on you.”
    My mom just laughed as she handed Octavia the vial. “Don’t blame me. This child is much happier pretending that vampires are just a myth. I’ve given her the history, and I promise to tell her more in the future. It was just easier to let her pretend, until now. It felt safer that way. You know, with Clive going back to the Serpentines and all.”
    Tave waved her hand dismissively. “Your husband was weak. Good thing you had me to get you through. Now,AJ, I need you to close your eyes and hold out your hands, palms up. I’m assuming your mother has taught you how to focus on the white? I need you to do that for me now. And I have to warn you, whatever you start seeing I’ll see as well. Are you ready?”
    â€œI guess so.”
    I did exactly as she instructed. Octavia held my hands in hers, and I focused on the white.
    It took a few minutes to get the canvas behind my eyes to go blank. I’m sure some part of me was resisting. Part of me didn’t want to know if I had bitten Noah. A very strong part of me.
    But finally the white appeared, and I relaxed a bit. My palms grew warm. The heat spread from my hands, up my arms, into my body.
    The white sparked bright, and suddenly it was Saturday night again. I was watching myself with Noah. I saw his anger when I stopped things. The more I watched, the more alive my own anger grew.
    My mind flashed forward. But the only thing I could see was darkness. I felt only fury. Fierce anger like nothing I’d ever experienced before.
    Suddenly, I was no longer standing in the dark; I was running through the woods—crying. My shirt was soakedwith blood and I was hysterical. Where was everyone? What had happened?
    Octavia released my hands, startled.
    â€œAJ, AJ!” she said.
    She and my mom were