“I can’t risk having you out of my sight. Not here. We’re far from Society headquarters now. Newborns can roam more freely out here. And your scent ... it’s quite strong.” His face looked pained as his nostrils twitched.
My mouth fell open as I let out a scoff. “Well, excuse me, we’ve only been traveling all day. Apologies for not having the time to bathe away my offensive scent.”
“Your blood,” he said each word slowly to get them through my thick head.
“Oh.” I looked to the floor. “Right.” I was growing dafter by the day because I hadn’t even thought about how my blood would affect him. He always seemed so in control. I didn’t think to worry, but I had every reason to worry.
The demons can hide behind the guise of their stolen humanity. Blood will reveal their true nature. They cannot hide behind their human form then.
He entered the room, and I hesitated within the threshold.
“When was the last time you ... I mean have you ... do you ...” Was it appropriate to ask? I was not familiar with vampire culture.
He placed our bags on a faded beige armchair shoved into one of the tight corners of the room, and sauntered over to me. His eyes never left mine as he wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer. I wondered why I didn’t try to get away. He leaned intome. My breath hitched, and I couldn’t stop my hands from flying to my throat. He frowned. The soft click made me jump. He had leaned in to close the door.
He stepped back from me, and I dropped my hands. My cheeks warmed and suddenly the room felt far too hot.
“We shouldn’t speak of this where others can hear.” His tone was calm, but there was something off about his expression.
“And I never drink from others without expressed permission.”
Oh. I had offended him. My cheeks burned now.
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to being so close to a ...” I trailed off, unsure of what to say, figuring I’d only dig myself a deeper hole to lie in.
“I suppose there is no need for apologies. I know what you have been taught.”
Right. He knew everything now. He was my father’s secondhand. He heard exactly how Father spoke of the vampires, exactly what we had all heard, what had been ingrained into us. But I was learning more and more each day. There was so much we didn’t know. And there was maybe even possibly things we had been wrong about.
“And I have been well fed. There is no need to worry.”
Many images flashed through my head, most I wasn’t sure if they were even accurate. He smirked with amusement, and I realized I was grimacing. I forced a smile through. If my cheeks burned any hotter, I’d burst into flames.
Unable to take the heat any longer, I draped my cloak over the chair, grabbed my bag, and headed into the bathroom. Once I changed into my nightdress, I cringed at how slinky it was. I should have packed my winter nightdress that was a heavy cotton and floor length, but I often got hot while I slept, and I wore my summer nightdress all year round. I took a deep breath before I exited the bathroom.
I placed my bag back on the chair and turned towards the bed. I paused as I caught Sebastian’s rigid posture and his eyes that wandered over my body, lingering on my bare legs, my shoulders, my neck. He inhaled deeply, his eyes alight with a strange fire. My stomach fluttered as they locked with mine, and I was set in stone, content to remain where I was until my last breath.
He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away, severing the connection.
“Your scent ...” I had never seen him lost for words.
I realized what he was thinking, feeling.Bloodlust. I took a step back, wrapping my arms around my center. “Is it alright if we ... should we be ...”
“It’s alright, Charlotte.” He ran a hand down his face as if that could reset all his senses. “You don’t have to worry about me. It’s the newborns who cannot control themselves.”
I nodded stiffly. I walked over to the bed, giving him a wide berth, keeping my eyes on him. He shook his head. I slid under the covers, resting my head atop the pillow, my body akin to a board. Spending the night with a vampire certainly was not normal. If my family could see me now, they would just forego the exorcism and send me away.
As I heard the shifting of fabric, I looked over to him, and I nearly strained my eyes from opening them so wide. He had removed his shirt. I ran my gaze down his stomach, his golden tanned skin touched by the sun itself. I didn’t know it was possible to have so many muscles. And he seemed taller somehow, maybe it was the cramped room that he impended over like some sort of death god. I noticed he stopped moving, and I unglued my eyes from where his trousers met his waist to see a smug smile curling his lips.
“Please, leer all you want, killer,” he purred.
I resealed myself to the bed, fixing my eyes tightly to the ceiling. I ignored his dark chuckle and the sound of his trousers falling tothe floor. It was a renowned effort to keep my eyes from straying. And I startled when he slid into bed next to me. It was a tight fit, and he was rather large. I cringed internally at where my mind wandered. The thoughts rattled together, bumping off one another, and I could barely grasp a single one. What was most unpleasant, was what writhed deep in my stomach. I wanted to snuff it out.
If the silence stretched much further, I was going to crawl out of my skin. So, I picked a thought.
“H-how do you ... from where ... how does it ... work?” I continued staring intently at the ceiling.
The side of my face burned as his gaze bore into me. I reluctantly turned to meet it. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement. “Killer, you must just say what you mean.”
