Tawne stared at Jesse, the bodyguard who had been hired to protect Olivia in her men’s absence. His large frame towered over hers and she felt her mouth run dry.
“Arrangements have been made for your belongings to be delivered as soon as possible.”
She blinked but couldn’t speak. She gave herself the pep talk of grabbing the theoretical bull by the make believe horns, yet when the opportunity arose for her to take the first step, she froze.
“Miss Tawne, did you understand me?” Jesse asked.
She still didn’t speak.
Four vampires.
One human.
Four sexy, drool-worthy vampires.
Me. A human.
Four sinfully delicious, fuck-worthy, longing to be tasted and seduced vampires.
And me, the human ready to dive in head first.
She smiled, then offered a nod. “Yes, understood. I, umm—”
“Don’t worry about it. You should’ve seen Olivia during her pairing ceremony. She was completely against all of it.”
She raised her brows. “Really? What changed then?”
“Meeting her match. Well, matches in this case. I’m going to tell you what I told her. Take it one day, and one step at a time. No one will make you do anything you’re not comfortable with. You can stop this at any time. Just understand what comes with leaving.”
She nodded. “My mind will be wiped clean of all of this.”
“That’s right.”
“Jesse, may I ask you a personal question?”
“Shoot.” He crossed his thick arms over his chest and his brows furrowed as if he were concentrating. Jesse was someone she would not want to meet in a dark alley.
“How are you able to do this, as a human? Don’t you get lonely not having a woman of your own?” She paused, then looked at the floor. “I hope I’m not overstepping.”
He chuckled. Tawne looked back up at him and met his gaze. “It’s fine to ask. But what makes you think I’m human?”
Her browse rose in surprise. “You’re not human?”
“I never said I was or wasn’t. You’re assuming I am.”
She frowned. “You’re confusing me, Jesse. Are you human or demon or something else?”
He winked at her. “Didn’t mean to confuse, but what difference does it make if I’m human or not?”
She shrugged. “End of the day, it doesn’t matter to anyone, I suppose. I was curious, with me being human and knowing the secrets of this world, and how it worked with you.”
“I’ve been with the coven for a long time. That’s all you need to know.”
She nodded. “Fair enough. What should I expect when I get there?”
“Well, they’re opening their home for you as a guest. Enjoy your time there with them and see what it brings you. There have been humans involved with vampires in the past. It’s not unheard of… I can tell you’re wondering.”
“I figured as much with humans and vampires. I mean, it’s in so many love stories.”
He leaned in with a smirk. “They’ve never written vampires like the ones that live here, though.” Jesse winked again.
She grinned and shook her head. “Jesse, I think we’re going to be really good friends.”
He chuckled once more and stepped past her. “The car will be waiting for you outside. The guys know you’re coming and from what I was told, are looking forward to having you there.”
“I’m sure not all of them,” she mumbled.
“You might be surprised what you find out about all of them,” he told her as he left the room.
Tawne turned back to the room she’d stayed in the last few nights. Hearing a meow at the door, she turned and found Sherlock, Olivia’s cat. She bent down and Sherlock came up to her, bumping his head against her hand.
“Well, it’s nice to see you again. Are you enjoying your new home?”
Something caught his attention and Sherlock meowed, then ran back out of the room.
She sighed and stood, then turned toward her bed. Her suitcase was packed, and her stomach flipped with nerves. She couldn’t tell if she was excited, or about to vomit.
“Are you ready?”
Hearing Olivia, Tawne turned to the door and smiled at her friend holding her cat.
“Sherlock was just in here with me. I guess he heard you coming?”
Olivia nodded. “Probably.”
“Yeah, I think I’m ready, but Olivia?”
“Yeah?” She sat down on the bed and placed her cat next to her.
“I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Olivia smiled and reached for Tawne’s hand. “I hadn’t either when I stepped into my pairing ceremony. It would have been thrust upon me whether I wanted it or not, so I accepted it and here we are.”
“You were scared, though, right?”
“Totally wanted to crap myself the night of my pairing. Imagine the first night spent in my new home!”
Tawne shook her head. “I wish I had known back then. I’m still so sorry you had to carry this on your shoulders for all those years.”
Olivia smiled. “Don’t worry about any of that. It was my burden to carry. Besides, we went through quite a few meetings with the coven to get this pass for you.”
“The coven? That’s like your vampire counsel, right?”
Olivia nodded. “Yeah, something like that. They help protect us and set our laws. No humans know about us, but with something Chayton is developing, there’s a very good chance our laws will be changing soon.”
“The serum, right?”
“Yes, exactly. If it does what he suspects, we’ll be able to open our part of the world to others. We just have to figure out how without the world freaking out.”
“Right, can you imagine the news? Tonight at ten, vampires come out of the closet and want to invite you for dinner!”
A laugh bubbled from Olivia’s throat. “I don’t imagine it going to be quite like that, but we’ll see.” She stood and checked her watch. “I’m not rushing you or anything like that, but Todd is downstairs waiting for you. You’ll have my cell number if you need anything, or just want to talk.”
Tawne reached for her friend and pulled her close. She clung to her and closed her eyes. “I’ve never been so scared of anything in my entire life, and yet also liberated to experience this once in a lifetime encounter.”
“Just be yourself,” Olivia told her. “Now, as for Will, just give him time. I promise, he’ll come around.”
“I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Olivia lifted Sherlock into her arms and cradled her cat. “Think of this like winning the lottery. You will move into a mansion with four men who will do anything, be anything, for you. This would not be happening if they didn’t want to do this with you.”
“That includes Will?”
“Don’t worry about Will. Now go, when you’re ready, and have the time of your life!”
Tawne pulled her suitcase from the bed to the floor, then lifted the handle. “Walk me out?”
“Of course.”
The two made their way toward the outer parking area and as Olivia had said, Todd was standing in wait by the passenger door. As soon as he saw them, he opened the door for her. When the dome light came on, her eyes widened. Inside sat Cristofano.
He lifted a glass toward her with a smile. A grin spread across her lips.
“Go get ’em,” Olivia whispered.
One step in front of the other, Tawne made her way to the car. Todd took her bag and stood by the door.
“Are you ready?” Todd asked.
She nodded.
Cristofano leaned over on the seat and offered his hand. She slipped hers into his and slid into the car. The door closed behind her and she gasped. Evan sat next to Cristofano, Chayton next to him, and in a darkened corner of the limo, Will. Four men surrounded her and before she could speak or even think, the car sped off.
“We’re glad you’re coming to stay with us,” Cristofano announced. He lifted a goblet filled with a bubbly substance and handed it over to her.
She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Champagne. Curious, she lifted her gaze to his. “Do you drink champagne?”
“I have, but prefer another source.”
She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped. The bubbles tickled her tongue and the chill of the champagne slipped down her throat. She shifted her gaze over to Will. The vampire sat staring down at his hands, his brows furrowed.
“Is everyone happy with this arrangement?”
He looked up at her and frowned. She held his stare, not in a challenge, but in the hope he would at least say something. He seemed cold, distant, but the understanding wasn’t there. She’d done nothing she was aware of for him to be ugly, or hateful.
They rode in an awkward silence for a few more seconds when Chayton spoke up.
“Well, I personally am happy you’re coming with us. With everything that Olivia has spoken about you, I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. Everything you need will be provided, if we’re not able to do it for you.”
She smiled and folded her hands in her lap. Was this how Olivia felt in her car ride to her new home? She’d also been surrounded by strange men she had just met. Olivia has never looked happier.
This could be a future for her, if she allowed it to happen and accepted it. Four incredibly sexy-as-sin men were opening their lives for her. She wasn’t a blood demon, but she was willing to give this a chance, just like they were with her.
“Thank you, Chayton. I’m looking forward to it as well. Call me excited, but I do have a few questions.”
Cristofano leaned over and turned toward her, his arm coming to hover up next to her face. “We’ll do our best to answer them.” With a finger, he gently moved a few strands of hair from her face, then tucked them behind her ear. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Tawne.”
She smiled, and heat crept up her neck. She was thankful for the darkness of the car.
Can they see in the dark as if they were in the light? Probably. Just my luck.
“Do you feed on humans?”
“We have before,” Cristofano answered.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Does it feed you like a blood demon would?”
“If it did, we wouldn’t have the pairing ceremonies, now would we?” Will answered in a dry, sarcastic tone.
She lifted a brow and stared at him across the car. “Then why feed on humans?”
He met her gaze and like Cristofano, he leaned toward her. His lips pulled into a grin that was not welcoming, but frightening. Fear spiked in the back of her mind and a shiver rushed up her spine. She had not felt scared until this moment.
Danger Will Robinson! Danger!
“Because the hunt is fun and to feel the life force drain from their bodies is what we live for.”
Her eyes widened, and she sat back in her seat. She was second guessing leaving the safety of Olivia’s home for this new adventure.
Whack!
Will’s head knocked forward and the man growled. It was worse than the grin. It was menacing and filled with rage.
“Don’t talk to our guest like that,” Evan snarled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“She’s a fucking human and you want me to be okay with this?”
“Yes, we all do,” Cristofano spouted back. “Apologize. Now.”
“What for? She’s a human and comes to us as a sort of pet!”
“I don’t need this shit,” she announced and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Bring me back to Olivia’s house. Now. I’m not doing this.”
Cristofano sighed and turned toward her once more. “Please, forgive my brother. He’s an asshole. He has forgotten what it is like to be a human. Please, Tawne, don’t leave us just yet. Give our arrangement a chance. Don’t judge us based on the appearance of an asshole.”
“Fuck you,” Will growled and turned away from his audience. “I don’t have to like this, and I choose not to participate.”
“Fine by me,” Tawne shot back at him.
He snapped a glare at her and snarled, showing his fangs, most likely for her benefit. “Just stay away from me.”
“Fine. Stay away from me as well. I don’t want asshole rubbing off on me. I sure as hell don’t need an abusive prick putting me down. I’ve had plenty of those already.” She turned away from him and shifted her attention to Cristofano. “I’m sorry, I’m normally not like this, but if we’re going to do this, it needs to be you three. Not him.”
Cristofano nodded and took her hand in his. He lifted it and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “It was not our intention for any animosity or the like to happen.”
“We wanted to try this with you, rather than spending time with a blood demon we have no connection with,” Chayton added.
Evan leaned in and took her other hand. “There’s something about you that we’re all attracted to. Even if some of us have a hard time admitting it.”
Tawne didn’t want to look Will’s way, but curiosity won out. She met his stare and he flashed his scrutiny in the other direction.
“I’m not able to put my finger on it just yet,” Evan continued, “but with time, I hope to understand what it is.”
The atmosphere in the car shifted from fury to contentment. She inhaled a deep breath and slowly, let it out. A subtle calm settled over her. She made a mental note to not venture toward Will’s wing of the house, wherever that might be.
The limo took a turn and when the car slowed, she felt it maneuver over a bump. Her calmness faded in a rush when heightened nerves made her heartbeat quicken. They had arrived.
She fisted her hands by her side and released them, over and over. She noticed Cristofano frown when he glimpsed her eyes. She had to assume he could not only sense her apprehension but also see it in the depths of her gaze despite how forcefully she attempted to hide it from him.
“As I promised, nothing will happen, take place, anything, without your consent,” he reassured her.
She nodded and cleared her throat, forcing herself to calm. “I’m excited to begin this new adventure. I’m walking into a world I have only ever read about. I’m thrilled, no, elated, to be here with you. I only ask you to give me a minute to breathe.”
Three of the four men nodded, almost in unison. She glanced over to Will and he reached for the handle when the car came to a stop. He made haste in scampering from the vehicle and she could hear his rapid footsteps fade in the distance.
She sighed and slid over to the open door. Glancing back at the vampires behind her, she met every set of eyes focused on her. She felt as if she were a baby deer in a darkened cave. Three sets of eyes were observing her, waiting to pounce when she turned her back.
I feel as if I’m learning how to swim at the deep end of the ocean, and I’m surrounded by sharks waiting to pounce on their next meal.
Tawne stepped out of the car and when she stood, she gasped. Before her was a mansion larger than she had ever seen on TV or the movies. Even the house Olivia was in was smaller than the one laid out before her.
A set of hands came to rest on her shoulders. “Welcome home,” Cristofano whispered into her ear from behind her. “Let’s go inside and we’ll give you the tour, and show you to the room you’ll be staying in.”