“No. She was never a big fan of the concept of staying at a cottage. She had it built after Theo’s turning for a place for the three of us to… bond.”
“This place looks pretty recent, and Theo seems around my age,” I commented.
“You’re correct,” Adriel confirmed. “It was built recently. We have the mansion to ourselves, so admittedly this place doesn’t see much activity. I suppose this way, it’s good for something after all.” Adriel looked at me. “What I mean is, enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Whenever he looked me in the eyes like that, it seemed like my whole body temperature rose ten degrees. Thankfully, he turned his attention away and continued down the hall. I sighed and followed him.
“Two more bedrooms here,” Adriel told me, gesturing to both doors on opposite sides of the hall. “Plus a bathroom at the very end.” He turned around to face me again. “This is where you’ll be staying until further notice, so I suggest you make yourself at home. Any questions?”
“Uh…” With the way he stared intensely down at me, it was hard to think. “Which bedroom is mine?”
“Whichever you wish.”
That’s not helpful at all!
“Well,” I said, “which one doyoulike the most? You should pick that one, and I’ll pick a different one.”
Adriel stared at me like I was testing him somehow. Then he firmly shook his head. “You are the guest. You choose.”
I sighed. I hated being the center of attention and having everyone cater to my whims. It sounded like nice at first, but after my stint in the hospital, it felt suffocating - especially since the guy in front of me was my number one idol. He should have been givingmeinstructions, not the other way around. The last thing I wanted was to upset him. I wished he would just tell me what to do.
“Which one did you usually sleep in when you stayed here?” I asked, biting my lip.
Adriel shook his head again. “Nice try, smart human. But I won’t give anything away. Choose your room without my input.”
“Okay…” I shut my eyes, spun around in a circle and pointed at a random door. When I opened my eyes, I said, “That one.”
“Then it’s settled. You get the master bedroom.”
“What?” I squeaked. “No way! I didn’t even know therewasa master bedroom! You should get it!”
There was a tiny smirk on Adriel’s lips, like I’d played right into his trap and he was smug about it. “No. You’re the guest, Caleb.” Before I could protest again, he placed his hand on the door to the left of mine. “Then I’ll assume this bedroom. I should be close enough to protect you, if necessary.”
Protect me.My heart skipped a beat. He’d already protected me once before, and now his whole life was dedicated to it, at least for the time being. It was still so hard to believe, but the weight of it began to settle.
A vampire was assigned to guard me from another vampire. It was a crazy idea, like one of the novels I liked to read. But this was real life, and as much as I wanted it, I got the feeling this wouldn’t have a picture perfect ending.
“You must be tired after everything that’s happened,” Adriel said.
I realized now just how close he was standing. I tilted my head back to gaze up at his tall form. His dark, unblinking eyes met mine with determination. He was only a foot away. If I wanted to, I could reach out and touch him.Him.My favorite author ever. My hero.
And a vampire.
“Caleb.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, I zoned out again. I guess I am pretty tired after all.”
“That’s understandable,” he said. “Go on and sleep. You’ll adjust quickly to the nocturnal schedule, just like your brother has.”
Right. I forgot Benji already knows all about vampire life.Despite loving my brother, I couldn’t deny that I felt a bit jealous. He had a rich and amazing vampire mate (as strange as that was to think), and a baby on the way. He was basically set for life. AllIhad was a crazy matriarch vampire who wanted my head on a stick, and another vampire who seemed to want nothing to do with me.
“Caleb,” Adriel repeated, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Er, sorry!”
“You’re distracted,” Adriel said. “Go on and rest. You need it.”
