Humans are weak like that. How they lasted in power so long is beyond me. If I had had it my way, they would’ve been wiped from the earth long ago, though I would’ve taken my time with it. Twelve days wasn’t enough. They should’ve spent decades paying for their sins, but making a deal between two species that wanted to tear each other apart made it necessary to strike hard and fast.
I had hoped a common enemy would’ve been enough to bring the vampires and werewolves together once and for all, but it’s not in their nature. There’s still too much tension between the two sides, and we have a much bigger problem that needs us united.
The past few months have been exhausting, and I’ve been in need of a distraction. Unfortunately for the human, she had just become that very distraction.
Chapter 3
This time, when I’m thrown into a room by the vampire guard, it’s a bedroom the size of a studio apartment. The twelve-foot ceiling and wall of windows only make it feel that much bigger.
“Take a shower and get dressed in the clothes laid out on the bed. I’ll be back in half an hour, and youbetterbe ready.”
“Ready for what?” I ask, but it’s too late. Both doors slam in my face, followed by the sound of them locking. Just in case, I try both knobs, but it’s useless.
Any hope of slipping out the windows is quickly stalled when I realize they aren’t the kind that open. Even if they were, the three story drop is enough to keep me from trying.
From up here, an escape plan looks pretty bleak. Aside from the patrolling guards, lamp posts line the garden, making it hard not to be spotted. There are a few areas that seem to be hidden from the warm glow of the lamp posts, but those wouldn’t be much help. In order to make it to the treeline, I’d have to sprint across the area of grass separating the maze ofbushes from the forest. No doubt the guards would be on me before I even get five yards.
As I play out all of the possibilities, my reflection in the window pulls my attention. I haven’t seen myself since I caught my reflection in the security mirror back at the pharmacy, and just from the view in the window, I can see that I’m covered head to toe in dried mud. The thought of a hot shower is too enticing to refuse, so I head for the bathroom. To no surprise, it’s gigantic. Not only does it have two sinks and a stone shower, but it also has a marble clawfoot tub fit for a queen.
I waste no time undressing and climbing into the spacious shower. The last time I had the luxury of bathing in a shower was in the early days after the Last War, before the vampires and werewolves fully took over. Ever since then, it’s been lakes, rivers, or rain showers for me.
I feel like I’m going to melt into the stone floor as the waterfall of droplets pelts my skin, massaging my stiff shoulders and upper back. As much as I want to just stand under the comfort of it, I know I better get a move on if I want to be ready by the time the guard gets back. Everything I need is already waiting for me in the shower. Even face wash and a razor. Conditioner isn’t something I’ve prioritized, but when I douse my hair with it, I’m able to run my fingers through my scalp without being halted by tangles. Even shaving my legs is easier, and I’m pleasantly surprised when I only nick myself once. Normally, I’d be covered in small bleeding cuts made from dull, rusted blades.
By the time I’m finished, my will power strains to turn off the hot water. These small luxuries may not seem like much by themselves, but they add up. Ice to chill water. A microwave to warm food. A pillow to rest my head on. These are all things I lost when the new world began, and although I’ve grown usedto it, my soul still quietly yearns for the comforts of what used to be.
Even the towel I wrap around myself is a reminder of all the simple pleasures that were taken. Not that I ever had it good growing up, but comparing it to the life I live now, it would’ve seemed like I had it all.
While the steam starts to evaporate off the mirror closest to the bathroom door, I find a brush in one of the drawers and begin combing it through my detangled hair. When I’m done, my reflection starts to peek through the part of the mirror fighting off the steam. Even though I keep a hand mirror stashed in one of my hiding places, it’s not often that I look at myself. For a moment, my mismatched eyes, staring back at me, feel like they belong to a stranger.
Growing up in the system, you’d think having different colored eyes was a contagious disease. “Freak. Abomination. Mutant.” I’ve heard it all. It took years for me to finally love my eyes. One icy blue and the other golden amber. Something about the contradiction of them comforted me. It reminded me that I don’t have to fit into one box. I can be both wounded and resilient. Weak in the body, strong in the mind. A victim and a survivor.
A thundering bang on the bedroom doors sends my thoughts skittering away, and I re-wrap the plush white towel around my body as tightly as I can before the doors burst open. Using his vampire speed, the guard shoots across the room, stopping next to the king-sized bed.
“You’re supposed to be dressed already,” he lectures, tossing me the outfit that had been laid out on the cream-colored duvet. “Hurry up and put this on.”
I hold up the white gown and toss it on the ground.
“I’m not wearing—”
Before I even finish my sentence, the guard has the dress pressed to my chest. “Put it on, or I’ll do it for you.”
“Fine!” I spit, taking the dress from him and storming off to the bathroom. I slam the door behind me and instantly wonder if I’ll pay for it later.
My skin crawls when I slip the dress over my head. The light fabric falls to the floor, and the sleeves ripple off my shoulders, leaving them bare. I turn my back to the mirror and see ribbons laced down the center. My attempt at a perfect bow fails when one side ends up being longer than the other, but I couldn’t care less. No part of me enjoys being dressed up like some plaything for an Alpha werewolf to toy with, and seeing the collar latched around my neck only makes the fury inside me flare to life.
I’m not even a full step out of the bathroom when the guard starts to drag me along again. Just outside of the bedroom is a staircase made of dark cherry wood that wraps around to the second floor. As we descend it at a quick pace, I peek back, trying to get a glimpse at what lies down the hall from the bedroom we just came from. I’m able to make out three more doors, but they’re all shut.
As we make our way to the staircase that leads to the first floor, I begin to run through the things that I’ve learned since coming here.
The werewolf who has taken me prisoner is somehow Alpha over both the vampires and werewolves. In terms of worst case scenario, I would say this is it. Whoever this guy is, he clearly has the respect of both species, which isn’t a good sign, considering that, as far as I knew, they wanted nothing to do with one another. On top of that, this mansion is fortified with guards who would easily catch me if I attempted to escape. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, I’m being dressed up to playpet to the werewolf who could end my life with one swipe of his paw.
I’ve been in sticky situations before, but this one takes the cake.
“Thane will be joining you shortly,” the vampire announces, pushing me through the double doors that lead to the dining room I was in earlier.
“You should try letting me walk into a room sometime!” I yell, just as the doors slam in my face. I release a frustrated grunt and turn back around.
Candlesticks line the middle of the rectangular table, and my eyes dart to the place settings. Unfortunately, silverware is nowhere to be found. Either they don’t use any, because why would they, or he already knows where my mind would go. A quick sweep of the room tells me it’s probably the latter. Anything I might possibly use as a weapon is gone. Not even a fire poker next to the fireplace.
