Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Just call me Druella or Dru—”
“Thank you. I’ve been waiting for you to give me permission for that.” He smiled down at me, and I didn’t know what he meant.
“Why?” I asked slowly.
“Because it is quite odd for mates to call each other by their surnames—”
“We’re not mates! Why do you think that? And what did you mean you’d find me, but I found you?” I didn’t understand any of this, and it was starting to bother me.
He placed his hand on my cheek, and I froze. With his other hand, he brushed the curls from my face. “Calm yourself. I will explain; I swear it, but before then, take a shower—you still smell of blood—while I search for clothes unless you prefer our current dynamic.”
I sniffed myself, and while he smelled like fresh vanilla, I reeked of grass, moss, and stale blood. The more I focused on myself, the more I felt the dirt under my fingernails and the twigs caught somewhere in my thick mane of curls.
“You better explain when I get out,” I ordered before pointing behind me. “There are some of my father’s things. You can check to see if there’s anything else you need like socks or something.”
“Will your father not be needing it?”
“He passed away.”
“My apologies—”
“No, it’s fine.”
He nodded, letting go. “Enjoy the Madonna.”
I couldn’t help it; I giggled, walking into my bathroom and closing the door. It was only then that I saw how horrifying I looked. My dark curls went in every direction, and my clothes were tattered and torn with the smallest drops of blood on my collar. There was even some dirt on my arms. The only thing that looked beautiful was my brown eyes; they seemed to shine. No, they did shine, as I had just feed.
This was the sight that made him want to mate with me? Obviously, he’d been hit on the head. That man, that vampire had lost his mind.
Or not. I noticed he’d folded the clothes he had worn and placed them in the corner. I could tell he’d used my soap and shampoo but only a little of both and put them in the exact spot and angle I’d left them.
I didn’t know if he was just being considerate, or if this was all part of some vampire ritual. And that bothered me. It left me feeling at a disadvantage. Stripping down, I stepped directly under the shower before turning up the heat as high as it could go. I was never physically cold or missed warmth until I stepped under a shower, and then suddenly, I remembered what heat felt like. I sometimes felt like I could stay under the stream forever. The warmth was sensual, and in that moment, his body flashed into my mind again, and I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to have him pinned against me. Would his grey eyes stare down at me, glowing in the darkness like they had in the forest? Just as I began to enjoy the thought more, the temperature changed, now cooling.
Damn it.
Turning off the water as fast as I could to preserve the warmth, I grabbed my towel and stepped out, only then realizing I hadn’t brought clothes with me.
Ugh.
Tiptoeing to the door, I opened it just a peek to stick out my head, hoping he’d still be searching for clothes. But of course, I’d run out of luck. Theseus sat on my couch, dressed in sweatpants and a V-neck shirt that seemed to fit perfectly, reading one of my books. He didn’t look up. He didn’t even take a breath. Instead, it seemed like he was trying not to breathe.
“Make your escape.” His voice was harsh, the playfulness I was getting used to hearing was gone. And I didn’t move, making him crack his jaw to the side. “This is not the time to be stubborn, Druella.”
“Nor is it the time for you to boss me—”
“If you do not calm yourself, Druella, I do not know how long I can sit here calmly, smelling your arousal. Go.” He glanced up at me, and his eyes looked pained. “I beg of you.”
His glare sent a bolt of shock through me, and I held my breath, running into my room and closing the door as fast as I could. Throwing myself onto my bed, I laid there for a moment, knowing full well he could hear every sound I made because I could listen to every sound he made as well. I could hear how hard he was gripping the book in his hand by the way the paper crackled. I could hear the amount of pressure he put on the couch as he sat upon it.
Why was I acting like this? I thought, sitting up. What was all the work for? This old vampire meant nothing to me. Yes, he was attractive, but that was the nature of vampires. Rising off the bed, I moved to grab my normal old pajamas but paused. It wasn’t important; he meant nothing to me, and yet, I still got up and pulled out my nicer, silkier nightgown. The one I bought just in case someone—a special someone—spent the night.