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She had been surprised to learn that there were other women in the compound, and felt she'd made an instant friend in the beautiful Savannah. As soon as she'd arrived to fetch Gabrielle on Lucan's order, Savannah had gone to great lengths to ensure that Gabrielle was comfortable and relaxed.
As relaxed as she could be, at any rate, surrounded by heavily armed vampires in a maximum-security bunker housed several hundred feet below the ground.
Not that she would have guessed that, seated as she was now, across from Savannah at a long, dark cherry table in a tastefully appointed dining room, sipping an exotic, spicy tea from a delicate bone china cup while music played softly in the background.
This chamber, and the spacious residential suite adjoining it, belonged to Gideon and Savannah. From all appearances, they lived as a normal couple within the compound, in comfortable living quarters, surrounded by sumptuous furniture, countless books, and beautiful objets d'art. Everything was of the finest quality and all of it impeccably maintained, no different than one might expect to find in a pricey Back Bay brownstone. If not for the absence of windows, it would have been close to perfect. And even that lack was compensated for, with a breathtaking collection of paintings and photographs adorning nearly every wall.
"Aren't you hungry?"
Savannah gestured to a silver tray of pastries and cookies that lay between them on the table. Next to that was another gleaming platter of dainty finger sandwiches and aromatic sauces. Everything looked and smelled wonderful, but Gabrielle had pretty much lost her appetite the night before when she'd watched Lucan shred the Minion's throat with his teeth and then proceed to drink his blood.
"No, thank you," she said. "This is more than enough for me right now."
She was amazed she could hold down anything at all, but the tea was hot and soothing, and she welcomed its warmth both inside and out.
Savannah watched her drink in silence from across the table, her dark eyes friendly, her thin brows knit into a sympathetic furrow. She wore her tight black curls short against her shapely skull, but the effect was more sophisticated than gamine when paired with her striking features and pretty, feminine curves. She had the same open, easy demeanor as Gideon, something Gabrielle greatly appreciated, after having dealt with Lucan and his dominating ways the past few hours.
"Well, maybe you can resist temptation," Savannah said, reaching for one of the crumbly scones, "but I can't."
She spooned a dollop of thick cream onto the biscuit then broke off a piece and moaned happily as she popped the bite into her mouth. Gabrielle knew she was staring, but could hardly help it.
"You eat real food," she said, more a question than the statement it sounded like.
Nodding, Savannah dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "Yes. Of course. A girl has to eat."
"But I thought? If you and Gideon... Aren't you like him?"
Savannah frowned, shaking her head. "I'm human, same as you. Didn't Lucan explain anything to you?"
"Some." Gabrielle shrugged. "Enough to make my head spin, but I still have a lot of questions."
"Of course, you do. Everyone does, when we're first introduced to this new, other world." She reached out, gave Gabrielle's hand a gentle squeeze. "You can ask me anything. I'm one of the newer females myself."
The disclosure made Gabrielle sit up with piqued interest. "How long have you been here?"
Savannah glanced upward for a moment, as if counting time. "I left my old life in 1974. That's when I met Gideon, and fell madly in love."
"More than thirty years ago," Gabrielle wondered aloud, taking in the youthful features, radiant mocha skin, and bright young eyes of Gideon's woman. "You don't look even twenty years old to me."
Savannah's smile beamed. "I was eighteen when Gideon took me as his mate. He saved my life, actually. He took me away from a bad situation, and so long as we are bonded, I will remain as I am now. Do I really look so young to you?"
"Yes. You're beautiful."
Savannah giggled softly as she took another bite of her scone.
"How...?" Gabrielle asked, hoping it wasn't rude to press, but she was so curious and astonished that she couldn't help blurting out questions. "If you're human, and they can't turn us into... what they are... then, how can this be? How is it that you haven't aged?"
"I am a Breedmate," Savannah answered, as if that should explain it all. When Gabrielle frowned, confused, Savannah went on. "Gideon and I are bonded, mated. His blood keeps me young, but I'm still one hundred percent human. That never changes, even after we are bonded to one of them as his mate. We don't grow fangs, and we don't crave blood in the same way that they do in order to survive."
"But you gave up everything to be with him, like this?"
"What have I given up? I am spending my life with a man I completely adore, and who loves me just as much. We're both healthy, happy, surrounded by others like us, who are our family. Aside from the threat of the Rogues, we have no worries here. If I have sacrificed anything, it pales to what I have with Gideon."
"What about sunlight? Don't you miss it, living down here as you do?"
"None of us are forced to remain in the compound all of the time. I spend a lot of time in the gardens of the estate during the day, when I want to. The grounds are very well-secured, and so is the mansion, which is huge. I must have spent three weeks exploring it when I first came here."
From the brief glimpse Gabrielle had gotten of the place, she could imagine it would take some time to get familiar with everything.
