Chapter 38 — Not a Vampire

Vanessa’s POV:

Vanessa had felt fine the entire day. Food tasted better than ever, and she was enjoying it to the fullest. She didn’t even realize Rylie had stepped out and didn’t seem to care. Suddenly, nothing was sitting right. The worst nausea had come over her and she barely made it to the toilet. What came up was not food, not any normal color of fluid excreted from her stomach. This wasn’t bile, not even blood. It was as though she swallowed liquid tar and she was throwing it up. It felt grimy in her throat, like throwing up wet sand.

“Vanessa?!” Rylie screeched as she rushed into the bathroom.

Vanessa looked up at Rylie, black sputter was all the way down her face, “What’s happening to me?”

“I think you’re throwing up venom. Listen, don’t be mad, but Malik is on his way. I didn’t know who else to talk to.”

Vanessa spit out some of the grimy fluid, “You called him?” her tone wasn’t angry. On the contrary, it was more on the hopeful side.

“Actually, he called me to ask about you.”

If Vanessa wasn’t throwing up the weirdest and most surreal thing she’d ever thrown up, she might have had butterflies and a smile on her face. She wasn’t sure when the vomiting would stop, but it did. Thank God.

It wasn’t even five minutes before Malik came pounding on the door. Rylie let him in, and he whooshed into the bathroom, “V? Are you okay?”

Vanessa looked up at him, she looked like a horror poster child with the black mess all over her. “I don’t know…”

“May I?” Malik asked, gesturing the desire to examine her.

She nodded.

Malik grabbed a washcloth and wet it down in warm water. He knelt in front of her and carefully dabbed her face. It wasn’t perfectly clean, but at least she didn’t look as bad as before. Their eyes met as he began to feel her pulse under her jaw line. “What happened?” he asked softly.

“You…or imposter you bit me.” She said, her eyes never leaving his. She wanted to sit there and get lost in them. It was a relief to see her Malik and recognize the soul behind them. To feel the touch that was so comforting. It was everything she wanted to feel the night before, but it was all replaced by negative vibes that stung into her very core. Being with the real, true Malik made her want to jump in his arms and never leave. Somehow, despite the crappy night she had, and the horrific thing she was experiencing now, she learned a very important lesson. She could trust him. And she hoped that he would trust her too.

“I’m going to bite you; I have to know what’s going on in your blood stream.”

Vanessa didn’t hesitate to tilt her head to the side. Malik’s bite was going to be…well…his. The way he bit her never hurt. Malik smiled and bore his fangs, sinking them into her neck. He fed softly, tenderly, then slowly extracted his teeth. “Your blood is clean. I can’t be a hundred percent, but I have a theory of what might have happened.”

“What is it?” Rylie asked as she came into the doorway.

Malik kept his eyes on Vanessa but explained everything to Rylie. “Vanessa is a hunter. She is her own supernatural being. Just like your body fights foreign substances, Vanessa’s body recognized the venom as something that’s not supposed to be inside her. So, she’s throwing it up.”

“So, what you’re saying is I can’t turn into a vampire?” Vanessa asked, sadness in her tone.

Malik blinked in confusion, “I don’t think so. Why they were even trying to turn you is beyond me. Why wake the hunter if you wanted a vampire?”

Rylie shook her head, “Honestly, that makes a crap ton of sense. The rejecting of the transition and all. Why Alec injected her, I’m just as lost as you are.”

“I really can’t turn into a vampire?” Vanessa asked.

Malik looked at her as though her repeated question was the confirmation, he needed in order to answer it. “Is there a problem with that, V?”

“Well, I mean…” she started to answer then shook her head. “No, I’m just so relieved I can’t be one.” She forced a chuckle.

Malik eyed her suspiciously, “It sounds like a huge relief. I’m honestly relieved.”

“Why are you relieved?”

It was Malik’s turn to sit in the hot seat, and as usual, he made himself the hot seat. “Because if you turn into a vampire, it’s because I make you one. Not anyone else.”

“Oh…” Vanessa’s face turned red. She suddenly grew nauseous again. “I’m going to barf!” she hollered as she doubled back over the toilet.

Malik stood behind her and held her hair back. Vanessa would normally be mortified that a man as sexy as Malik Cromwell is standing behind her while she pukes her guts out, holding her hair back. But because this was Malik, she didn’t feel ashamed that he saw her like that. It’s as though there was a silent communication between them that these were the moments Malik wanted to be there for her, and if he had moments like this, she would be there for him too.

“How long am I going to be throwing up?” Vanessa groaned as the episode came to a dry heaving close.

“Well, the venom went through your whole body. You could be down for a couple days. It always takes more time coming out than it does going in.” Malik said as he rubbed her back.

“I feel like I’ve been thrown from the ceiling to the floor. Hard.” She groaned.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could make it go away.” Malik frowned deeply.

“How are we going to go forward from here?”

“Byron still has time.” He assured her. “Not much left, but there’s some wiggle room.”

“I hope you’re right, because we don’t have time for a setback.”

Malik shook his head, “No, we don’t, but we’re going to get through this. Now come on, let’s get you to bed.”

Vanessa looked up at him, her eyes pleading. “Are you going to leave me tonight?”

Malik’s eyes softened more than they already were, “Isn’t that what you want?”

Vanessa shook her head, “Please stay. I’ll feel better knowing that you’re here.”

“Of course.” Malik smiled. “I’ll help Rylie clean up the bathroom, you just shower and get some sleep.”

Vanessa stepped into the shower and Malik and Rylie went about cleaning up the bathroom from her gut explosion. She saw through the blurry curtain the silhouette of Rylie and Malik discreetly taking a sample of her vomit and he left with it.