Read Online Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Bree Younger - Free Book Online Page A

something that she already knew, deep down.
    It was a hard thing to accept. He knew that. He’d seen people before, strong people who, for whatever reason, had been confronted with the reality of vamp existence. He’d watched them struggle with the idea too many times. It was so ingrained in their psyches that vampires were just some old legend that some people could never accept it, no matter what kind of proof was presented to them. They just lived in a state of perpetual denial. Some even went insane from trying to deal with the—to their mind horrifying—truth. It shook the deepest foundations of their own belief systems. But he didn’t think Libby would be one of those. No, she was too stubborn. She’d work her way around it. He just had to wait her out. He hoped it wouldn’t take too long. He needed more blood and something for this son of a bitching headache.
    The silence stretched between them for several minutes. At last she spoke again, very softly. “Are you going to kill me?” And he knew she’d accepted the truth.
    He released her and stepped back, running his hand along the back of his neck and then turning to drop down in the chair opposite the sofa. He was too tired for this shit. And his headache was pounding against the back of his eyes. But he had to get through it. “Now why would I want to do that, Lib?”
    She shrugged, dropping back down onto the sofa and drawing her knees up against her chest in a defensive posture. “Because you won’t let me go? Because you want my blood? Because I know your secret? Because you’re a crazy bloodsucking monster and that’s what monsters do?”
    Despite everything, he found himself amused. A smile tugged at his mouth. “Really, Lib? How could I kill the woman who saved me from a slow, agonizing death? That would be a piss-poor repayment, don’t you think? Do you really believe I’m some mad monster slavering for any delectable morsel that crosses his path? Is that how I seem to you?”
    She took her time, her eyes boring into his, before she answered. “No. Not really, I guess.” Her voice sounded uncertain, but at least she wasn’t losing it again.
    “Not all vampires are evil, Lib. We’re just like people. Some good, some bad. Most a mixture of the two.”
    He watched as she thought over his statement for a moment. He could almost see the wheels turning. “But you drink blood.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation. Maybe this is just some weird dream I’m having?”
    “Sorry. This isn’t a dream, Lib. It’s real.”
    “And you do drink human blood?”
    “Yes. That’s true. But not to the death, and not without their permission.”
    She opened her mouth but he raised his hand to forestall her.
    “And yes, I know that I took your blood without your permission. But I was not rational, remember? I was in pain and half-crazed from lack of blood. I was out of my skull. I swear it will not happen again.” He looked at her closely. “How are you feeling? Any weakness from the blood loss?”
    She looked surprised at his concern. “Not too bad. Maybe a bit dizzy, I guess. Really tired, but that’s all.”
    “Good.”
    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
    “Like what?”
    “Like am I going to turn into a vampire because you bit me?”
    He let out a short laugh. “No, God, no. There’s no chance of that happening.”
    She searched his face and finally nodded. He wasn’t sure if she believed him or not.
    He was clearly out of his element in dealing with a woman like this one, on any level, much less in a situation so serious. The females he spent most of his time around didn’t spend a whole lot of time talking. But so much was riding on this. He wished Quinn were here. Quinn was smooth and knew how to turn on the charm to get his way. Ty was cut from a much rougher mold.
    “Have you ever killed anyone?”
    Oh. Shit . He didn’t want to, but he