“Maybe so, but we trademarked the Winnie Wins System. It belongs to the business. I can’t use it on my own. And there’s the matter of my mum. I’m worried about her blowing up her relationship with her neighbours. If the council comes around again …”
If things are that bad, is she safe in the house?
“So it sounds like you should go back to London.” Komal leans forward. “But …?”
But when I think about leaving Black Crag and returning to London and the business I’m rapidly coming to resent and my mother’s spat with her neighbours and the council, a sick feeling twists in my stomach.
“You guys are the supernatural experts. Am I safe at Black Crag Castle?” I ask as Arabella folds herself into a beanbag, crossing her long legs at her ankles and kicking off a pair of vicious Louboutin heels. “Alaric frightens me.”
Even as I say the words, I know they’re not true. IknowAlaric would never hurt me. I believe that in my bones. I’m not afraid of his fangs and his hunger.
I afraid that if I stay, I’ll fall even deeper …
“For pity’s sake,” Arabella sighs. “He’s a vampire, not aStrictly Come Dancingjudge. He’s probably more afraid of you and your ability to get his head chopped off for breaking vampire law.”
“Ignore Arabella. The rest of us do.” Dora tops up my teacup. “You should ask yourself if what happened today undoes everything that’s happened between you before.”
“I wonder …” Komal taps her perfectly-manicured nails on the arm of her chair. “We’ve been noticing Alaric in the village a lot more over the last few weeks. I think he’s been training himself for when you arrived, Winnie. That’s probably why every time he goes to the pub he looks like he’d rather be at the dentist having his fangs extracted.”
“Once, the waitress got the orders mixed up and set down a Sunday roast in front of him. I’ve never seen someone look soaffrontedat a Yorkshire pud,” says Celeste as she takes a bite of cheese scone.
My heart twists. That was just like Alaric – to do something he hates because he thought it would help someone else.
“Reginald has lived at the castle for years, and Alaric hasn’t hurt him. From what you say, Alaric hasn’t even fed from him,” Mina says. “That’s unusual for a vampire, and it must require an insane amount of self-control. You caught Alaric by surprise with your blood today. As long as you keep your blood inside your body from now on, you should be fine.”
“Unless youwanthim to bite you,” Isis pipes up, with a wicked sparkle in her eyes.
“I don’t want to be a vampire.”
“For pity’s sake, none of you have explained to her how it works?” Arabella snaps.
The book club members hang their heads in mock shame.
“For Alaric to turn you into a vampire, you and he have to exchange blood in a ceremony known as the Kiss,” Arabellasays in a bored voice. “It’s a lengthy and somewhat dangerous process to make a new vampire, and my understanding is that he’s not allowed to do that without a licence from the Conclave – that’s a ruling council of vampires from the different courts. The Conclave need to have control over who becomes a new vampire, because they can’t risk oversaturating the feeding pool.”
“AKA, too many fangs, not enough necks,” Isis pipes up.
“When a vampire bites you, all that happens is that he gets sustenance and you both experience a rush of ecstasy. Some people have described it as ‘the most exquisite rapture on Earth’.” Arabella shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. But you might enjoy it. It’s the reason humans become Thralls.”
Oh.
My cheeks flare with heat. “Well, okay, then … thanks for letting me know.”
“You aren’t getting much out of this fake-dating relationship if he’s not even sucking on your neck.” She raises one of those impossibly-perfect eyebrows. “I wonder if you’ll have to explain to Alaric about contraception.”
Now my whole face is burning. I remember that strange thing Alaric said to his mother. “How did you?—”
“You should have your fake-fiancé explain to you about Dhampir. All I know is that it’s illegal for a vampire and human to bump uglies.”
“Why have you never told us this before?” Maisie leans forward.
“Because none of you have been foolish enough to fall for a vampire.” Arabella glares at me. “Until now.”
I sink down into my beanbag.
Beth wanders in then, a platter of green-coloured brownies covered in what look suspiciously like globs of snot tucked under her arm. “Blessed evening, sisters! I brought mung bean brownies— Oh, Winnie knows, doesn’t she? Arabella’s making her ‘you must endure my lecture on the ways of vampires or I will do something unspeakable to you’ face.”
“I have no such face.” Arabella glares at Beth. “Take that back, or I’ll stop referringmy clients to you.”
