Cutthroat Carmine (Book 1)(COMPLETE) (Wattpad Featured Novel)

7: [krey-vingz]

***Dedicated to countrygal1323Thank you for being my biggest fan!***

Blake gnaws on his hoodie strings, sucking loudly and with great concentration. He always does this after ritual night, when his craving for more blood is particularly fierce. He visually stalks every passerby with hunger and malicious intent. Like a predator, his eyes are thin slits, focused as they scan for a weak catch.

"Stop, Blake. How are you supposed to go to class like this?" Carmine grabs her brother by the shoulders, gently shaking him out of his reverie.

"But...I'm so hungry," Blake whines, pouting his lips.

While Red's recount of the Redoza family history satisfied Carmine, she knew her brother never fully wanted to believe that he was part human.

Carmine sighs. Ever since he was a child, Blake was always drawn to darkness and shadows. He detested the sun, not only because his skin burned easily but also because he never felt at ease fully exposed to the light. He much preferred cool nights when he could slither around undeterred and with the freedom of speed that his vampire soul granted him.

Of course, he also had impulse control problems. Growing up, he often sought out his sister and complained about his constant desire to sink his teeth into his classmates and teachers (despite the fact that he didn't even have sharp fangs).

All her life, Carmine had to constantly keep her eye on Blake for fear that he would expose their identities and force them to flee the town. And there were many close calls. One of the most frightening instances being when Blake was only twelve and nearly choked his best friend to death during a game of rugby. Blake had been distraught after a particularly chilling Ritual Night and had decided to vent his rage on a fellow classmate.

Since then, he's been attending bi-monthly sessions with the school counsellor.

"One sip every month is not...enough...for me. Carmine. How do you handle your cravings?" Blake cringes, his stomach growling with longing.

"I usually just go on a vegetarian diet for three or four days after the ritual," Carmine replies nonchalantly. It's a lie. A big, fat lie.

Of course she never tells Blake the restless nights, sweat soaked sheets and her excruciating migraines following every ritual. She needs to stay strong. Be his role model. "The healthy diet makes my human blood stronger so I have the willpower to fend off my urges. You should really try it. Have a salad for lunch."

"You're joking right? I am NOT going to eat fruits and vegs. Nice try." Blake rolls his eyes. "I'm just going to vent all my frustrations out by boxing, as usual."

By 'boxing' Blake means pummelling the bags of concrete mix in the storage shed behind the school during lunch and after school.

"Do whatever you need to do Blake. Just remember, if you feel overwhelmed, call me and I will help you. If you can't reach me, go home or go into the forest and eat a squirrel. Whatever you do, don't approach humans."

"Ok, ok. You don't need to give me a spiel every month. I'm not a child."

"I wouldn't need to lecture you if you acted like an adult. It's dangerous now. With technology being so advanced and the media being so omniscient, we need to be careful. If you try to hunt alone and some stupid kid with a smartphone films it and puts it on YouTube, what then? The whole world will know who we really are. The clan will not protect us 'bastard children'. We need to look out for each other."

"Yes mother."

Blake is so arrogant and clumsy, Carmine thinks, If his skills were anywhere close to rivalling mine he could help me hunt. He could help me lure. He could even sneak a few sips and bites without telling Mother and Father. But the lazy boy...all he wants to do is nag and complain when he doesn't get what he wants. Hopeless.