The vampire speeds across the room, stopping in front of me with an outstretched hand. He’s beautiful, as all vampires are, but there’s something different about him. He’s one of those people you can’t seem to pull your eyes from no matter how badly you want to. There even seems to be a warmth to him despite his pale skin.
Still, I know better than to fall for some pathetic attempt at a kind gesture. No one here sees me as anything other than Thane’s prisoner, and this guy is no exception. Not even those adorable, childlike dimples can fool me.
I stand up without the assistance of his hand and quickly assess my burn. My forearm is red and hot to the touch, with a few blisters starting to form. The pain continues to radiate as if my arm is still being held over the flames.
“Come on,” the vampire motions. “Leo will be able to help with that.”
“Leo?”
“He’s the in-house doctor.” He pauses and shrugs. “Or vet, depending on the patient.” I resist the urge to laugh at that last part and follow him out into the hall. He turns to me, running his hand through his curly white-blonde hair thatnow looks even lighter with the sun gleaming through the windows. “Grey, right?”
“Fallon, actually.” I turn to him. “And you must be another one of Thane’s lackeys?”
He tosses his head back, releasing a dark laugh.
“Worse,” he says, looking down at me. “I’m his brother.”
I immediately come to a halt, and he stops beside me, glancing over with a grin that is more cheeky than it is menacing.
“How is that possible?”
“Well, technically, I’m his half-brother. Same mom. Different dads.”
He starts walking again, and I follow along, hoping to learn more about the monster who holds me captive.
“How is it that he’s the only hybrid?”
I’m aware that most vampires and werewolves despise each other, but surely there have been other exceptions besides Thane’s parents.
“Only the same species can conceive,” he explains. “That’s why Thane is a miracle.”
“Not how I would describe him,” I mutter to myself.
“And how is it you would describe him?” the vampire asks with a raised brow.
Stupid vampire hearing.
“Vile, cruel, arrogant, evil. Should I keep going?”
He laughs as if he genuinely finds my assessment of his brother amusing. “No, I think you about nailed it.”
I turn to him, surprised by his response, and he tosses me a wink. Apparently, his pale skin, blonde hair, and white irises aren’t the only differences between him and his brother.
“Who’s older?”
“Thane is. But only by ten months, though he never lets me forget it.”
“Ten months?” I blurt out, unable to hide the shock. I suppose both species can just heal themselves after pregnancy, but still. “Scandalous.”
“You have no idea.” He pulls open a door, holding out his arm. “Ladies first.”
The room we walk into looks exactly like a hospital, minus the fluorescent lighting. Medical equipment lines the back wall while six unoccupied hospital beds take up the majority of the space.
“Kole, what can I do for you?” Between his darker complexion and normal colored eyes, I can tell the man walking over to greet us is a werewolf.
“Grey, here, needs some fixing up.” Kole nods to me, and I reach my arm out for the doctor to look at, making a point to glare at Kole for failing to call me by my first name.
“Ah, the human pet.” The doctor’s eyes light up when they land on the burn. “I was wondering when I was going to get a visit from you.”
