"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling all signs of life drain from my body as fear took over. I'd heard that people could do things they never imagined when they were afraid—I wondered if it was the same for vampires too.
My dad was pacing up and down the room, making me dizzy. I could tell he was trying to avoid my question, maybe because he didn't want to scare me—or himself. He glanced at me, then at the table where his drink sat, and with a husky, worried voice, he finally said,
"I think I'm going to have that drink now." He took the full glass of blood and sat down, sipping it like he was trying to swallow his stress away.
I stood up, grabbed a drink for myself, and decided maybe he was right. I needed to take the edge off too—just not enough to get drunk. He wouldn't let me, anyway. He'd make sure I had just enough to stay calm… and not rip open any innocent (or guilty) human's throat. A hungry vampire isn't exactly picky. But when we're not hungry, we're practically gourmet.
