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Once the room’s alterations were complete, I left Vincent to unpack and went to the living room to add more wood to the fire. It was nice to help Vincent with the room, but I knew that wasn’t what he really needed from me. I’d been avoiding thinking about it, about the choice I needed to make soon. I fell asleep in front of the fire, thinking about Vincent.

Sounds from the kitchen woke me a few minutes later. Vincent had his hand extended toward Samson, who’d jumped onto the counter. I watched them from over the back of the sofa. Samson rewarded Vincent by rubbing his nose and face against Vincent’s outstretched fingers. Vincent reached out and petted Samson’s head, scratching behind his ears, which Samson clearly enjoyed.

“I thought you didn’t like cats?” I said, and Vincent glanced over at me.

“And I thought you were asleep,” Vincent said, resuming his petting. “I don’t dislike cats; I just haven’t known many personally. Samson seems like an agreeable fellow, though.” He petted the cat a few more times, but Samson lost interest and jumped down out of reach.

I stretched and pushed myself fully upright. “I still haven’t decided when to sleep,” I said. “My body tells me to be awake during the day, but I don’t want to be asleep the whole time you’re up.”

Vincent walked over and sat in a chair near the sofa. “You should do what’s best for you. I’d enjoy the company, but I don’t expect you to stay awake all night. Besides, it would be nice to have someone awake during the day to keep an eye out.”

“That makes sense,” I said, though the idea made me nervous. I glanced at the rifle resting beside the fireplace, wondering if I could use it again if I had to.

“Is everything okay?” Vincent asked.

“I’ve never shot anyone before,” I admitted in a quiet voice. “I’ve never even shot an animal. My dad taught me to shoot—target shooting. I never thought I’d have to point a gun at a person, let alone pull the trigger. I guess it’s just…”

“You did what you thought you had to. You were trying to protect yourself. Actually, you were trying to protect me. I never thanked you for that.”

“You didn’t need my protection,” I said, remembering how easily Vincent had stopped the female vampire.

“You didn’t know that at the time. You reacted and did what you thought needed to be done. And I know you would do it again if necessary,” he said, echoing my earlier thought. At least he had confidence in me.

“You should have seen yourself,” he continued. “You looked more than capable. It was an impressive shot, and we move quickly.” Vincent smiled at me, and I felt my cheeks heat. “I should let you get some more sleep now, but you’d probably be more comfortable in a bed.”

“It’s not too bad. At least it’s warm out here,” I said, pulling the blanket more tightly around me.

“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that. We could look into getting a small stove for your room. I do want to head into town soon, and I could check for one or maybe find one in another nearby cabin,” Vincent said. He looked at me again and must have seen the conflict on my face. “I know you said you could get your own supplies, and I know you’re right, but these things are easier for me. Also, it gives me something to do.”

I nodded, thinking it over. I didn’t want this to feel transactional, especially with the vampire’s needs looming over me. I hadn’t been able to put the thought out of my mind since we’d left my parents’ cabin.

“I could also look for a few things for Samson,” Vincent said, clearly trying to appeal to my sense of responsibility as a pet owner—and it was working. “I could go tomorrow night and at least check what’s available.”

“Okay,” I said at last. “That sounds good. I’ll put together a list of things that would be nice to have.”

“Good, it’s settled then,” Vincent said, standing and taking one of the lanterns from a side table. “I think I’ll head to my new room and read a bit—try to get used to the place before dawn. I’ll make sure to get the list from you tomorrow before I head out,” he added as he walked toward the hall.

“Okay, thanks,” I said, my anxiety spiking. “And, Vincent?”

“Yes?”

“When you get back tomorrow night…” I hesitated, avoiding Vincent’s gaze, then swallowed hard and said, “I want to let you feed.”

Vincent just stared at me. At first, I wasn’t sure whether he’d heard me. The moment stretched on, and then he nodded and vanished down the hall.

I awoke on the sofa in the main room in the late afternoon. Light streamed in through the massive triangular windows, perfectly framing a view of the neighboring mountain peak, capped in snow and standing out in white against the bright blue sky. The sight was breathtaking.

I didn’t move, trying to keep the warmth trapped in the blankets wrapped around me. Samson was curled up on my feet—my own fuzzy hot water bottle. The fire had gone out while I slept, and the room was freezing again. This would be a constant struggle, one of many in this new reality, I thought.

I’d fallen asleep thinking about the last thing I’d said to Vincent, and now that I was awake, my words still echoed in my mind. I still couldn’t believe I’d told Vincent I’d go through with it. The idea made my skin prickle. But listening to Vincent make plans to get me the things I needed, along with the effort he was putting in to try to keep me safe and comfortable…the words just spilled out. I swallowed hard, trying not to imagine what it would feel like to be a vampire’s dinner.

Finally, I couldn’t ignore my bladder any longer. I got up to use the bathroom and to rebuild the fire, apologizing to the cat and trying to settle him back among the blankets before heading to the bathroom. I tiptoed down the hall. I knew Vincent had mentioned it would be hard to wake him, but it felt wrong to make noise while he slept.

With the fire crackling again, the room quickly felt much more comfortable. I kept busy by tidying up. I folded the blankets from my makeshift bed, returned some books I’d taken out, and reorganized. I realized I was trying to distract myself again and shake off the restless feeling I’d woken with. I gazed out at the stunning view and decided to take advantage of the sunlight and pleasant weather to stroll around the property. It would be nice to get outside, and I thought a walk might do me good.

The temperature had dropped overnight, and the top layer of frozen snow crunched beneath my boots as I circled the house. It was designed to align the living room windows with the most scenic view of the surrounding mountains and the spring-fed pond. There was a large deck that would have been perfect in the warmer months. The rest of the lot was heavily wooded, except for the small clearing where the house stood. A shed was attached to one side, and I learned it contained tools and maintenance equipment.

After completing a circuit of the house, I went down to the pond. I found a snow-covered bench and cleared enough space to sit and gaze out over the crisp winter landscape. But as my body settled, my mind resumed where it had left off. It wasn’t surprising that I was preoccupied with thoughts of Vincent. Given what had happened and what would happen that evening, it was natural.