AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He just shakes his head, his expression amused. I’m pretty sure he can see right through my feeble attempts of hiding my attraction, but thankfully he changes the subject anyway. “Are you ready for your first lesson?”
Clapping my hands together, I bounce on the balls of my feet, eager to get out of my room. “What are we covering today?”
According to my timetable, Zane and I get two hours together to go through questions, issues, and vampire 101. This is also supposed to prepare me for my assessment. I’ll have further classes with other instructors later down the line, but for now, this is going to be my introduction.
Leading me from the room, Zane walks ahead of me, seeming to know his way around the centre pretty well. He did say that he’s only mentoring because it was his penance. Does that mean he’s been here as a rehabilitated criminal? Scanning him from behind, I can’t deny that he gives off bad boy vibes. Hell, he’s a walking red flag, maybe that’s why I feel so attracted to him. Even now, I can’t help but watch his ass as he walks, his tight jeans hugging it perfectly. I wonder what it would be like to bite into those perfect peachy globes…
Fangs shoot from my mouth, and I snap out of my new obsession of staring at his ass. Why the hell does this keep happening? I don’t feel particularly hungry, so I don’t understand why I can’t keep my teeth in my mouth. It’s awkward, feels strange in my gums, and honestly, it makes me drool.
“You’re drooling,” Zane calls out, amusement lacing his tone.
How the hell did he know that when he’s not even facing in my direction? He glances over his shoulder and smirks at me, taking in my hand over my mouth. He doesn’t comment further, just shakes his head, that infuriating smile still firmly in place.
We leave the unit, and I see several people hanging out on the landing in front of the staircase. Well, I say people, but I can honestly say I have no idea what some of those creatures are.
A dark male with large, feathered wings catches my eye. The pure size of him is enough to stop me in my tracks. He doesn’t speak, but he takes in everything around him with a predatory grace. Of course he notices me straight away, his amber eyes locking on me. A slow, dark smile stretches his lips, sending shivers down my spine, and I can’t decide if my body is turned on or trying to warn me that this male is dangerous—both, perhaps.
The rest of the group is made up of one male and three females, two of which look remarkably similar—sisters, I’m sure of it. They look like humans, but they carry an electric energy with them that my instincts tell me is unearthly and dangerous. Next to them is another female in human form, only she has a pair of beautiful antlers that extend from her forehead. I glance down and see she has hooves instead of feet. She also seems to be the most talkative of the group.
I shift my gaze to the final creature in the group, whom I can only describe as an orc. He’s greenish grey in colour, and his skin looks thick and scarred. He’s only wearing a loincloth, and he grunts out words in a voice that sounds like someone chewing gravel. The others seem to understand him, listening intently. The thing that takes me back about him, though, is that he’s tiny. He would probably be around chest height on me. Perhaps all the movies had it wrong, and orcs are smaller creatures. I certainly wouldn’t want to go against him, no matter what size he is.
Zane realises that I’ve stopped and follows my gaze to the group of supernaturals. He seems to stiffen, appearing at my side in the blink of an eye, and presses his hand to the small of my back. The tension in the air suddenly rises as the group turns their attention towards me. Before I can begin to assess their reactions, Zane is moving me along, steering me towards the stairs.
I don’t protest, following his instincts, yet as I start to descend the steps, I glance over my shoulder. Everyone has gone back to talking, all except the male with the wings, whose eyes are still firmly locked on me.
When we reach the bottom of the staircase, Zane pulls his hand away and lets out a breath. I instantly feel the loss of his touch, but I’m not going to tell him that. He would love that and probably rub the fact in my face. How I know this about him when we’ve only known each other for less than twenty-four hours, I have no idea.
He takes me down a long corridor and gestures to an open door. Inside is a small meeting space that contains two armchairs, a low wooden table, and a shelf with a single potted plant perched atop it. As with the rest of the building, there are no personal touches, the windowless room is plain and has no character. The grey walls match the grey carpet, and the flash of green from the plant is the only colour in the dreary space.
Zane enters the room behind me, closing the door and striding towards the armchair farthest away from me. Taking the hint, I drop into the one by the door and wait for him to begin whatever lesson he has for me.
He frowns and presses a hand to his forehead. I don’t know what’s happening here. Does he have a headache? Does he want some paracetamol? I’m sure there has to be some around here somewhere. I am about to hop up from my chair and go on a pain relief hunt when he sighs and looks up to meet my eyes.
“Before we get started, I have a word of caution for you.” He leans forward, his expression tense, and I realise this is what was causing him pain a moment ago. Whatever he’s about to say must be important. “Gabriel, the winged male upstairs… Stay away from him. He’s dangerous.”
I want to point out that everyone here is dangerous, including him, but I keep my mouth shut. All of this is new to me, and I have no idea how the politics between species works, whereas Zane has the experience I need. If he says Gabriel is dangerous, then I will take his warning seriously.
Sensing that I understand the weight of his words, he nods slowly to himself and sits back in his chair. He glances around the dingy room and cringes as he notices a strange, whitish stain on the arm of the chair he’s sitting in.
“Okay, let’s get this over with so I can get out of this awful room.” Smiling ruefully, he looks at me, the twinkle back in his eyes. “How much do you know about vampires? Don’t you dare bring Twilight into this.”
I quickly shut my mouth and clear my throat, rethinking my answer. I wish I knew more, but all I know is what I learned from popular fiction. With nothing else to give him, I decide to tell him a condensed version of my life up until now to demonstrate how much I know. “I’m an orphan and never knew my parents, so I never knew I was any different to the other kids in the homes. A few weeks ago, I started craving red meat, and on my birthday two days ago, I bit my boyfriend and killed him.”
He looks at me expectantly, as though waiting for more. I stare back, unsure what he wants from me. Did he not understand something I said? While I thought I was fairly clear, perhaps I’m not acting like a vampire usually would. That would explain his reaction as his face shifts, and he looks completely dumbfounded.
“Wait, that’s it?”
Frowning, I gesture to myself as though that would be answer enough. “You knew that I was a baby vampire.”
Scoffing, he pushes himself to the edge of the chair, bracing his hands on the ends of the arms as though he’s ready to spring to his feet. “Yeah, but I thought you knew at least a little about our kind.”
I wish he was right. It would have made all this much less shocking. Not only did I learn that I’m not a human, but that the world is filled with supernatural creatures. Are all myths and legends true? Perhaps there was more truth in them than any human had ever realised.
I’m starting to panic, my thoughts going in circles as I dig myself further and further into my spiral. When I do speak again, my voice is tight and croaky. “Sorry to disappoint.”
Zane watches me for a moment, his dark eyes locked on me, probably scenting my panic or something weird like that. Clicking his tongue, he narrows his eyes as he thinks over what I told him. I know it’s not much, but with my childhood as it was, I am lucky that I am able to read and write, never mind learning about creatures that I thought were fictional until a few days ago.
“Okay, let’s start from the beginning.” He appears much calmer now, having accepted his mammoth task of teaching me everything. “Vampires are born, not changed. On our twenty-first birthday, we mature, shedding our human form and reaching our full potential as we are reborn as a vampire.”
