I squeezed my lips together since I didn’t know these guys well. They’d been pretty forthcoming thus far, so I admitted, “I was never any good at it.” After taking another sip of my lemonade, I redirected back to them. “Tell me about yourselves.”
Lucas leaned back on the sofa and announced with pride, “I’m a dancer.”
Sebastian coughed and muttered, “Stripper.”
“Exotic dancer.” Lucas turned to Sebastian with a frown.
This appeared to be a common interchange between them. So Lucas was a dragon shifter and an exotic dancer. Picturing women throwing money at him and swooning made me smile. “What do you do, Sebastian?”
“I’m head chef at a restaurant nearby.” He beamed. “What about you?”
“I work in children’s publishing.” I left out the low-level position and pay and the side job as a waitress. No need to admit how I’d gone to New York to make it big in the publishing world, yet after three years hadn’t gotten far. I glanced upstairs to where the sulky vampire had disappeared. “What about Diego?”
“He works at a healing center downtown,” Sebastian replied.
Although I had more questions about what exactly that entailed, I decided not to pry. After finishing my lemonade, I thanked them and stood. Time to explore my aunt’s rooms. If I wanted to untangle this situation, I needed to figure out what thread to start with first.
Diego
I hadn’t been able to keep from staring at Nova, my thoughts clouding with lust. Envisioning things I shouldn’t do, I’d forced myself to keep control. I rarely drank from humans anymore since I hated the concept, but had to practically bury my feet through the floorboards to keep myself from walking over to her. Ultimately, I’d chosen to flee before doing something stupid I’d regret.
After I’d run from the room, I listened from the top of the stairs. Her scent had hit me like a sudden storm, sending electric vibrations through my body. It had a hint of rose water and a delicate aroma that ignited stark hunger. My fangs had pierced through my gums, itching to sink into that slim pale neck, which was partially exposed by a one-sided braid. I hadn’t felt a yearning like that since I’d been newly turned, but it was different. It wasn’t just a thirst for her blood, but a desire forher.
What the hell? She was a stranger.
A few minutes later, Sebastian came upstairs, where I still listened from the hallway outside our rooms.
“What’s wrong with you, man?” he asked.
“What?” I asked with faux innocence, knowing full well he’d caught me eavesdropping.
“You just put the rude in brood.”
I glanced away. “What are you talking about? I said hello to her.”
“No, you lurked in the shadows like some creepy Nosferatu and scared the crap out of Nova.”
He pretty much called it. I scowled. There was no excuse. With a shrug, I dismissed him. “I can’t help it if she’s skittish.”
Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “You’re keeping something from me.”
“Okay, fine. It was her scent,” I admitted, pacing through the hall. “I was overwhelmed by the urge to bite her.”
Sebastian slapped his forehead. “You can’t attack our new landlord.”
I groaned. “Of course I won’t.”
He shook his head. “That’s a way to ensure the eviction you’re so worried about.”
“I said I won’t,” I repeated.
Sebastian exhaled with a low whoosh. “What are you going to do now?”
I stared at him. “About what?”
“Nova.”
What was he talking about? “Nothing.”
