Chapter Two
Ihate the sun. It burns my skin, hurts my eyes, and reminds me of how different I am from the rest of the world. My kind isn”t meant to live in such a harsh environment. We are supposed to thrive under the glow of the moon, but, sometimes, sacrifices must be made.
Miami has one of the largest covens in North America, and their headquarters are right here in town. It”s a huge inconvenience and an absolute pain in my ass, but it”s a necessary evil that I must endure. If I want to secure the future and the territory of my clan, I”ll have to suck it up and endure the heat.
After stumbling across the room, I manage to shut the curtains, shrouding the bedroom in blessed darkness. The pain subsides, and I can finally take a moment to assess the situation. Lola is still asleep in my bed, her tousled blonde hair and peaceful expression making her look innocent, completely unaware of the supernatural world that has entered her life.
She”s vulnerable like this, but also incredibly enticing. If I didn”t have more important matters to attend to, I might be tempted to spend all day watching her sleep. Last night”s events flash in my mind like scenes from a vivid dream—the way she responded to my touch, the scent of her arousal, and the sound of her heartbeat thundering in her artery. I couldn”t stop touching her, tasting her, filling her with my own need. She was like a drug, and I wanted more, but then the sun rose, and I had to put her to sleep.
She was everything I imagined her to be and more, but now comes the difficult part. It”s taken me almost a year to find her, and now that I have her in my clutches, I have to convince her to stay with me of her own accord. There is no other way for my plan to work. If she is unwilling or gives herself up out of fear instead of lust, she will not be able to complete the task. I orchestrated the entire thing. I”ve watched her from a distance, learning about her, her likes and dislikes, her patterns and quirks, and it served me well. She was all but putty in my hands when I finally swooped in.
Still, I can”t deny that I”m affected by her in ways I hadn”t anticipated. I never imagined that I would lose myself in her the way I did. Every inch of her was exquisite, from her full, luscious lips to her toned thighs, and each moan from her kiss-swollen mouth drove me wild. My hands remember the feel of her soft skin beneath them as they explored her body, and I”m getting hard just thinking about it.
I shake my head. Now is not the time for such distractions. There are too many details to work out, too much to prepare. So I tear my eyes off her naked body and step into the kitchen. I”m not accustomed to cooking for humans, but it shouldn”t be too difficult to manage a simple meal.
I use my cell phone as a guide and settle on omelets with peppers and onion. They”re easy enough to prepare, and I”ve stocked my hotel suite with all the basics, so there”s no need for a trip to the store. By the time they are ready to serve, I can hear Lola stirring in the bedroom. The bathroom door clicks shut, and water splashes in the sink, signaling that she”s awake and on the move.
”Good morning, my pet,” I greet her as she emerges from the bedroom.
She”s wearing nothing more than my shirt from last night and a shy smile, and the sight makes me want to devour her all over again.
She blinks, taking in her surroundings, and then focuses on me. ”Morning,” she mumbles, her voice still heavy with sleep.
I hand her the coffee, and she accepts it with a grateful smile. The rich aroma seems to rouse her senses, and she takes a cautious sip. I observe her, wondering how she will react when confronted with the truth.
”Last night...” she begins, her words hesitant. ”It”s a bit of a blur.”
”A good one, I hope.”
”Yeah,” she laughs. ”Definitely good. Just a lot to process. I”ve never... I don”t usually... Well, you probably think I”m some sort of hussy or something.”
”Not at all,” I reply with a wicked smirk. ”In fact, I rather enjoyed myself, too.”
She blushes, and the pink rising to her cheeks is delectable.
”I made breakfast,” I tell her as I gesture toward the plates on the counter. ”You must be hungry.”
”Starving,” she admits. ”Thank you.”
She sits on one of the stools, and I take the one beside her.
”Eggs okay?” I ask even though I already know the answer. She loves omelets.
”Yeah.” She smiles, but there is a hint of skepticism in her expression. ”I mean, you really don”t have to do this. I could just get out of your hair. I assume since you”re staying in a hotel you”re here for business or something, and I”m sure you”ve got things to do today.”
”It”s Sunday,” I tell her as I place the plate in front of her. ”I always take Sundays off. It”s the perfect time to relax and reflect on the week, don”t you think?”
”Yeah,” she replies slowly. ”I guess.”
She picks up a fork and spears a bite of her omelet, and I watch as she lifts it to her lips. When she closes her eyes and moans, my dick twitches in my pants, but I keep my expression calm and collected as I turn back to my own breakfast.
”These are good,” she compliments with a mouthful of food. ”Just the way I like my eggs. How did you know?”
”Lucky guess.” I shrug, trying to play it off as if it were nothing. The truth is that I”ve watched her every move for the last six months. I”ve memorized everything about her, right down to her favorite meals and which shoes she prefers to wear with what outfit. It wasn”t difficult. She has patterns, habits that were easy to figure out with just a little observation. ”How did you sleep?”
”Really good, actually.” She smiles. ”I never sleep this late.”
”Well, perhaps you were just tired after the long night we had,” I tease. ”You should eat up, though. You”ll need your energy.”
”Why?”
”Because you”re coming with me today.”
Her brow furrows, and she tilts her head to one side. ”Where?”
”Back to my home, of course,” I reply. ”I haven”t told you the whole story. There is something we need to do together, and it can”t wait.”
”What do you mean?” She sets the fork down, and her gaze flits to the door as if she wants to make a run for it. I jumped in too fast, but now that I”ve started with the explanation, I have no choice but to tell her everything.
”There is a legend,” I begin cautiously, watching her reaction as she listens. ”An ancient prophecy about an artifact that will bring everlasting power to the vampire who controls it. My clan has searched for centuries─”
She holds a hand up, interrupting me. ”Wait a second, hold up. Vampires? Like fangs and blood?”
”Yes, of course,” I reply. ”That”s what I am, and that”s what you will be very soon.”
She stares at me like I”ve grown two heads and shakes her head vehemently. ”Just my luck,” she groans and pushes away from the counter. She stands up and crosses her arms over her chest as she stares at me with a mixture of disbelief and awe. ”This is why I never get involved with customers. I”m like a crazy magnet or something!”
”Lola,” I say gently as I try to calm her down. ”I can explain everything.”
”I bet you can,” she snaps back. ”Go on, feed me your fairytale about being a vampire. Let”s hear it. Or better, yet, prove it.”
I arch my brow. ”Prove it?”
”Yeah, like, show me some vampire stuff. Turn into a bat or whatever.”
I take a step forward, but she holds her hands out between us. ”No, no, no. You can tell me from over there. I”ll be over here putting my pants on.”
”Fine. Have it your way.” I frown as I lean against the wall. She”s a stubborn one, but I knew that about her already. As subtly as I can, I peel my lips back to bare my fangs. They”re only half descended, but it”s enough to show her they”re real. ”Satisfied?”
”Oh my God,” she breathes and clutches a hand to her head. ”What the hell did you put in my drink last night? I”m hallucinating or something.”
I roll my eyes, deciding to push the boundaries a bit further. I move to the other side of the room and, with a burst of speed, appear before her in an instant. Her startled gasp is all the confirmation I need.
”How...?” she stammers. ”How did you do that? Is this a magic trick or something?”
”No, it”s not a magic trick.”
I sit down on the edge of the bed and wait for her to collect herself. It”s a lot to take in. To me, it all seems obvious, but humans don”t live with the awareness that vampires walk among them. We exist separate from their society, and humans are completely unaware of our presence unless we choose to reveal ourselves. It”s the only way for us to survive in their world. Otherwise, they come chasing after us with crosses and torches. At least, that”s what happened the last time we revealed ourselves centuries ago. Little has changed in the centuries since. Humans are still frail and fearful.
”Explain,” she demands as she settles down beside me. She doesn”t seem scared of me, just annoyed at being misled. I wonder if she”s one of those fantasy romance types who secretly craves a vampire boyfriend. Perhaps she will be easier to convince than I first thought.
”We have a lot more in common than you”d think,” I begin, wondering where to start. ”I”ve been watching you for the last six months.”
”That”s totally fucking creepy,” she snorts. ”So, what now? Am I supposed to join your vampire club or something?”
I smirk. ”Not exactly. You see, Lola, there”s a reason I sought you out. Your blood, your essence, holds a power that my clan desires. It”s tied to an ancient artifact, and with your cooperation, we can ensure its retrieval.”
Her eyebrows knit together, and she looks at me skeptically. ”You want my blood?”
”Yes,” I confirm. ”Specifically, I need your consent. If I take it by force, the ritual won”t work.”
”You mean you can”t just bite me and take it?”
”No, and I wouldn”t want to. That”s not how I operate.”
”So you”re a nice vampire?” she scoffs. ”Sure.”
I growl impatiently. ”It”s not about niceness. I have morals and values just like any other human. Unlike humans, however, our values are rooted in our very biology. We are a species of hunters. Our natural instinct is to stalk, track, and overpower our prey, but we have evolved to have more control than our instincts. We have evolved to live with humans in relative peace, so long as they stay out of our way.”
”Well, if I”m going to sleep with a vampire, at least I chose one with morals. Anyway, what does this have to do with me? Why do you need my consent?”
”The artifact is connected to your bloodline,” I explain. ”For centuries, the females of your line have been the vessels of the magic needed to access its location. They are the link to its power, and without their cooperation, we cannot enter the temple where it resides.”
She seems intrigued by my tale, her expression shifting from skepticism to intrigue. ”And what does this artifact do?” she asks.
”That”s not important,” I evade. I can”t exactly outright say that it”ll allow my clan dominion over the world without making her run for the hills. ”All you need to know is that I need you to agree to help me get it.”
”And why should I help you? What”s in it for me?”
It”s a valid question, even if it is predictable.
”Protection,” I answer honestly. ”I won”t sugarcoat this, Lola. Because of what you are, of what you represent, there are those who will try to capture you, enslave you, and use you against us. You”ve just turned twenty-five, yes? That means you”re at your peak of power. Which also means all vampires can sense you now. I won”t let anyone hurt you, but you have to trust me.”
”I don”t even know you.” Her gray eyes run over my face as if looking for hidden intentions. I don”t have any, not aside from protecting her and using her to retrieve the artifact, but those are hardly devious plans. ”Why should I trust you?”
”With my clan, you”ll be safe from those who would exploit your unique abilities. In return, we ask for your cooperation. A mutually beneficial arrangement, wouldn”t you say?”
”You just said you want to exploit me too,” she huffs. ”I don”t see how this is any different.”
”I”m not going to lie,” I reply. ”We do need your blood and your body to retrieve the artifact, but in the hands of my clan, you will be well looked after. And once the ritual is complete, your part in all this will be finished.”
She studies me, weighing the options. ”And what if I refuse?”
”Then, my dear Lola, you”ll be thrust back into a world where you”re completely defenseless against the supernatural forces that are converging around you. Not to mention the other vampires who will be drawn to your presence. Unless you”re a skilled hunter or have someone looking out for you, it”ll be nearly impossible to protect yourself from them. But as I said, I won”t force you. The choice is yours.”