Chapter Twelve
The blue returned to his eyes, bright as a summer sky, as she watched from mere inches away. That was all it would take, a couple of inches and she could catch his lip between hers, press her body hard against his, taste her blood on his tongue.
Then his eyes darkened again, pupils dilating and she had no doubt he knew what she wanted. That he saw the blush of her cheeks, felt the quickening of her pulse. Sensed her need.
His eyes closed as he pulled her to his chest where, to her surprise, she heard the slow thrum of his heart, felt the rise and fall of his breath. She melted into him. Peace. Pure and perfect.
Low murmurs of conversation picked back up but Verity couldn’t bring herself to join in, nestled against Theo as he toyed with her hair. They discussed trade and politics but nothing exciting enough for her to tear herself away.
Soon enough Ed declared that he had work in the evening and needed his beauty sleep. Charlie disagreed but took him home all the same. Verity stood, feeling a little dizzy, to hug them both goodbye. Telling them how lovely it was to meet them and meaning it.
Theo walked them to the door but as they left another vampire appeared in the corridor.
“Is that Theodor?” the woman exclaimed, throwing herself at him in an embrace.
Verity’s lip curled at the familiarity, at this woman hurling herself at him.
“Hello, Petra,” Theo said, sounding less than excited.
“And Elliot!” She burst into the room. “Teddy’s here somewhere, you should come sit with us.”
“We were just heading out,” Elliot said, nodding to Marcy who stood with a smile that no longer met her eyes. She seemed taller than Verity first realised.
Petra looked past Marcy and spotted Verity.
“Theodor, have you found a new human to play with?”
Her dress was short, feet bare, and hair so long it swayed against the backs of her knees. Beautiful, and from the way the others moved away from her, old. Really fucking old.
Theo cleared his throat and nodded for Verity to join him, reaching for her hand, his eyes darting between her and Petra.
The woman took Marcy’s seat, picking at the leftover food. “Sit with me,” she said to no one in particular and everyone froze. “Have you already fed?”
“Yes,” said Elliot. “We should really be going.”
“But I said, sit.”
Petra found the last half-full bottle of champagne and drank straight from the bottle as everyone moved back to the couches.
Marcy sat beside Verity and staring at Petra like a mother hen ready to attack.
Theo on her other side placed a possessive hand on her knee, while Elliot sat on the arm of the chair beside Marcy.
Petra looked at the hand on Verity’s knee and pouted. “So cute! He gets so possessive over his little humans you know.”
“Isn’t it what we’re made for?” Theo asked.
“It is!” The vampire exclaimed. “You know I’ll never forget…” she clicked her fingers, “…that baron’s daughter, what was her name? Idabell?”
“Isabella,” Theo said, his hand gripping Verity a little tighter.
Whatever the fuck was happening Verity wanted out. She wanted to go home. Now.
Her hand slipped over Theo's, a movement Petra noted, and she took deep breaths intended to calm herself. It didn’t work.
“Funniest story,” Petra went on, dark eyes watching Verity. “Theodor was so young, all jumpy, and he, well, he was sucking neck!”
“Petra…” Theo tried but she wasn’t listening.
“He was having his fill and that old baron walked in. Lover boy nearly jumped out of his skin! Blood everywhere!” She cackled, throwing her head back and clapping.
“Daddy dearest only saw the blood though and sent for a doctor! That quack declared Theodor had consumption, what with the blood and being cold and everything. The whole village got quarantined! Good god, it was funny!”
The rest of the room clearly didn’t agree.
She took another swig of champagne, banging the bottle down on the table. “When did you two get so fucking boring?”
Elliot laughed. “Probably when we started working nine till five, Petra dear. It’s far past our bedtime.”
She rolled her eyes with a snarl. “Fine, go.”
They stood as one, Theo and Elliot nodding to her as she promptly ignored them, finding some cured meat and washing it down with more champagne.
The moment they left the room Theo’s arm was around Verity’s waist and it didn’t leave until he pushed her into the car. They didn’t even say goodbye to Elliot and Marcy, only fled as if Petra might change her mind and demand their company. Or worse.
“You okay?” he asked, pulling out of the car park into the midday sun. It really was late.
“Fine, are you?”
He didn’t answer, hands tightening on the wheel, eyes darting to the mirror.
“Who was she?”
No answer.
“Theo?”
“I’m sorry, Verity.”
“For what?”
“All of it. For having to pretend like that.”
Her eyes snapped to him. He might as well have slapped her.
“Pretend?” she asked.
“Pretending we’re… together.”
That wasn’t…
The plan was to make people think they were a couple but that… that was different.
“That wasn’t pretending,” she said.
His nose scrunched, mouth opening to talk then thinking better of it.
“That wasn’t fucking pretending, Theo.”
“It has to be, Verity.”
“Well, it wasn’t. You can lie to yourself, but we both know.”
“No.”
“Theo…”
“It won’t end well.”
“Ugh,” Verity threw her hands in the air. “It won’t end well. It won’t end well. I’m so fucking sick of hearing you say that!”
“It’s true.”
“What, because of Isabella?”
The car pulled over, stopping in the deserted street so that Theo could turn to her, face like thunder.
“Yes, Verity. Because of people like Isabella. Because of people like Petra fucking Rose.”
Verity choked, eyes wide as her heart thundered. “Rose?”
“Yes, Rose.”
An actual Rose. The family that owned Havenshire and every living creature within it. Verity had never heard of one by name, just as a whole. The Roses, as if they were a myth, a story to tell naughty children.
“If she tells you to sit, you fucking sit. If she tells you to hand over your human…” he trailed off, hand running through his hair.
“Was…” Verity almost didn’t want to ask but needed to know. “Was Isabella okay?”
He sighed. “When the village was quarantined, the baron wanted Isabella to receive the best treatment. I’d taken too much blood. I’d made her weak and her father sent her to a clinic by the sea to recover. The Roses wouldn’t let me visit.”
He stared out the window, but Verity didn’t think he was seeing the road. Memories of another woman, another time, dancing across his face.
“They called it the galloping consumption back then. She caught it from another patient… and died within two months.”
“Theo…” her hand found his as tears stung her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“This doesn’t end well,” he murmured.
“That wasn’t your fault.”
Brow creased, eyes dark, he turned to her. “Of course it was my fault.”
“But…”
“She was sweet and innocent and so fucking young and she died because of me. I left her there and did as I was told and she died, because of my selfishness.”
“But…”
“No, Verity. Just no. What’s done is done and it isn’t happening again. I’m doing what I need to. I’m keeping you safe.”
The rest of the drive was in silence. How could she argue with him about this? After what happened to Isabella, what just happened with Petra?
If she tells you to hand over your human…
For what? To feed or toy with? To hand over to someone like Abe who would take her away, never to be seen again?
She understood his fear now. She didn’t want to, wished she could pretend he was over reacting, but if that vampire said jump, Theo and Elliot would ask how high.
A deep ache settled in her heart as she realised he was right, for now at least. Too much was at stake for a fledgling relationship to bear. They needed to play the part, accept their roles and keep feelings out of it.
For a couple of hours, she had believed though. They had been together and happy and more content than she had ever experienced. More content than she had ever felt with a human man.
Elliot and Marcy, Charlie and Ed, they proved it could be done. Just not today.