With the combination of having the room warded, and mental exhaustion, I fall asleep quicker than I could’ve imagined.
When I crack my eyes open, the room is still dark and I have no concept of what time it is.
What I do know is that Warin’s face is nearly nuzzled against my breasts, an arm slung over my waist, and his leg wrapped around my own.
I take a deep breath, and he doesn’t stir at all. With another breath, I realize that my abdomen aches.
Fuck. My period. I started my period while being surrounded by vampires. I almost laugh at the horror of it all. And here I thought things were as bad as they could get when a vampire was staked next to me.
I don’t have any of the things I need to help my period pass quickly and I don’t know if Warin could even get them for me, at least not until night falls.
With a heavy sigh, I grab my wand on his nightstand, flicking it in the air to see that it’s nearly noon. I can’t remember the last time I slept in that late. It must be how dark his room is. Unlike his office or the room I was staying in, his bedroom is devoid of windows.
Warin is so still it’s almost creepy. I start by shifting his leg off of my body; he doesn’t startle at all. Then I move his arm, unceremoniously plopping it on his own sleeping form. That has him stirring, gliding his nose against my breasts before I hiss with annoyance and slip out of the bed.
Gus is still asleep and I rub the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, knowing the moment I wake him up, he’s going to have a lot to say.
I decide that his berating of my choices can wait. Maybe a hot shower and another good cry will make this all better.
Of course, I don’t have any of the hygiene products I need. I’m about five seconds away from a total breakdown when there’s a knock on the door.
With as delicate of footsteps I can manage, I tiptoe to the door and press my ear against the door.
“It’s Samantha,” the voice beyond the door says.
I almost contemplate not answering it, but even if the door is open, as long as I don’t step outside of the room I’m safe.
When I open the door, Samantha is standing in front of me, looking more casual than I’ve ever seen her. A man’s T-shirt hits her at the knee and her hair is in a bun.
“Mind your business and I’ll mind mine,” she says, tossing a box of tampons at me.
“Do I want to ask how you knew I needed these?”
Samantha snorts. “What, do you think I could smell your period all the way down the hall? Please. Warin texted me that you might need something,” she says casually.
Meanwhile, I know my cheeks are flushed and I’m filled with mortification. The other vampires in the house thankfully can’t scent my current situation, but Warin did.
“Don’t be embarrassed. That’s like eating a day-old hot dog when you could have a prime rib steak, ya know?”
She shrugs her shoulders and walks away and I stand there dumbfounded. Did she just compare period blood to hot dogs?
I shut the door, my brow furrowed from the conversation I just had with Warin’s daughter, progeny, whatever the fuck. When I look at the sleeping vampire on the bed, I allow myself to do some ogling.
In his sleep, he looks softer, like a prince taking a little nap at his leisure. Warin Auclair is quite the conundrum. One moment he’s playing puppet master with me, telling me what’s best for me and tricking me into agreements. Then the next moment he’s thoughtful, making sure I’m comfortable, defending my honor, and promising to keep me safe.
I feel lost, which is a feeling I’m all too familiar with. When I think about the last week, though, when I was working on spells that have been forgotten with time, I felt powerful.
Warin gave me that feeling.
He’s also gifted me with a sense of hopelessness. I have no clue when I’ll see my coven again or when I’ll leave this room. Even if I do leave, will I have any of my life back? Or will I be in hiding forever?
I stare down at him one more time, wishing there were more moments like this. I can’t decide if it’s because he can’t talk or because without him ruining the moment, I get to appreciate how handsome he is.
All I know is there’s no way in hell I should care about my captor’s looks or that he can be charming and an asshole in the same conversation. I need to focus on how I get the hell out of here and back to my life.
Even if I let myself see Warin as anything beyond the vampire who conned me, he’s still a vampire. Something I would never be. There’s no way I could give up my coven or the sun, and from what I’ve seen of vampire life, it’s not something that I could ever become. Vampires and witches don’t mix, and that’s the reality of the situation, there’s no point in even thinking about an alternative.
Whatever my stay is at Warin’s mansion, I’m just a blip in Warin’s very long life. As soon as the Slayer is handled, I can finish out the rest of our “arrangement” from the comfort of my small, no-chef-having cottage.
