Page 31 of Awakened Light

“Do we have that kind of time?” Aiden whispered. “It will be a three-hour drive,”

“Not the way I drive.” I grinned. “We’ll take the Bugatti. And it’s got the option to go light tight if we get delayed. I can just park it until the sun goes down, and I won’t light up like a candle. It only seats two, so you guys run there, and Catrain and I will be there soon.”

“Are you sure?” Lothaire asked.

“I’m sure. Just get to the outskirts of the area, take position, and wait. We don’t want to risk being seen.”

“We’ll see you there.”

They all gave me a quick nod before disappearing out the door in a flash, leaving Catrain and I standing alone in the foyer.

“What is a Bugatti? Like a dirt bike?” she asked.

My smile stretched wide as I shrugged. “Kinda. It’s a car. A very fast car. If you liked the dirt bike, you’re going to love the Bugatti.”

“But no flying?”

“No flying.”

She gave a sharp nod and walked toward the door. I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at her ass in those jeans. The way they hugged her admirable curves almost dropped me to my knees.

“Ready?” She turned back.

I lifted my eyes before she caught my stare. “I was born ready.”

As we walked around the estate to the garage that housed our collection of cars, Catrain told me a little of her day with Aiden and Emilia. They had taken her for a walk around the property and introduced her to margaritas by the pool... something Aiden and Emilia did together every day.

“And what did you think of your margarita?” I asked as I pushed the buttons for the alarm code at the garage.

“It tasted funny. Sour. Salty. But I liked it.” She smiled widely. “Do you like margaritas?”

I sucked the air through my teeth. “Can’t say I’ve ever had one. Unlike Aiden and Emilia, I’m still living on a blood diet.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Oh yeah. Yuck.”

I shrugged. “It keeps me alive. Did you eat any good food?”

“Oh, yes!” Her eyes lit up. “Emilia went somewhere and came back with something called McDonald’s. It was incredible! I’ve tasted nothing like it.”

Once again, I wondered what food tasted like. I’d stopped caring about food centuries ago, but lately, seeing Aiden enjoying every bite with such enthusiasm and hearing how much Catrain enjoyed it, I grew more and more curious what all the fuss was about. But there was no sense in wondering, since a blood diet remained the only item on the menu for me... and I happened to enjoy every drop of my sustenance.

After pulling the keys to the Bugatti out of the safe, I led her over to the sleek black car.

“This is a car,” I said as I opened the door. “It’s kind of like the dirt bike, but we sit inside instead of on top of it. You sit there.”

She looked at the seat I pointed to, and after a moment, she slid inside onto the smooth black leather. When I closed the door, she disappeared behind the opaque black glass. I hurried around the back of the car, then opened the driver’s door and climbed in.

“Normally, I would tell you to strap on your seatbelt,” I said as I pointed to mine. “But since I’m a vampire, on the off chance I miss a turn, we’re better off having you loose, so I can whisk you out of the car before we wreck.”

She stared at me and furrowed her brow. I realized nothing I said made any sense to her.

“Never mind,” I said with a laugh. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. If you liked going fast on the dirt bike, you’re going to love this.”

Catrain didn’t look frightened this time when I started the engine. Instead, she looked excited. I pressed my foot on the gas and rolled out of the garage, then turned on the radio. She tipped her head and looked around, listening to the sounds, then smiled.

“That’s the radio. We’ll go over all the music options on our way there and find out what kind you like. You ready?”

“Ready.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.