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We make it to Callery in an impressive forty minutes, stopping in front of some hole-in-the-wall bar. Parking out front, Charlee smiles at me. “I come here a lot,” she boasts. “The people here don’t ask questions, and the humans are super easy to compel. I know you haven’t learned that yet so I’ll grab one you like for you, point me to them when you’re ready.”
“I’m scared. I don’t want to lose control again.” I bite my bottom lip, hoping to find a way to feed without killing, but not confident at all that I will find that way tonight.
“You won’t lose control. I know you haven’t merged with your primal self, so refuse her when she demands you let her take the helm. It’syourbody, Wren. She can only come in if you let her. Use the control Chandra’s been teaching you, and I know it will be fine. Once we get your memories back, I’m sure we can find a way to fix this and get the two of you into one fluid consciousness. Until then, I’ve got your back, Wren.” Her hands on my shoulders feel like an anchor, keeping me from floating off in the current.
I take a deep breath and nod before following her into the bar.
The fact that she comes here frequently is evident by the greetings she receives from the workers and patrons alike. It makes me feel like I am on display as eyes slide to me when they realize Charlee didn’t come here alone. They are drinking me in—some with looks of interest, others with hunger.
It seems strange not to have a racing heart pounding in my chest to match my nerves.
Following the blond vampire to a corner booth, I slide in opposite her. I watch as she winks at two women standing near the jukebox. Both of them are beautiful. One has dark curly hair, and the other has straight light brown hair. They both look like they get regular makeovers from Charlee. Tight jeans hug their curves, their cleavage looks like it would spill out any minute. They are undoubtedly gorgeous. Grins wide, they make their way to our table and settle on either side of Charlee, treating her like she is a Goddess they are ready and willing to worship.
“Wren,” she says huskily, not noticing my gaping jaw. “These are my ladies. Danielle,” She introduces the woman with dark curly hair, playfully nipping at her neck. “And Sera.”
“That’s with an e,” the light brown-haired woman tells me, her tone dead serious.
Fixing my face, I ask, “So both of these lovely ladies are your….” I don’t know what to call them. Long-term reservations?
“My regulars,” she brags. “Watch.”
I saw as she takes each of them in turn by the chin, looks deeply into their eyes, and murmurs how the only thing they will remember from this evening is having drinks, sharing kisses with Charlee, and yearning to see her again. An arm around each of them, she turns her eyes back to me. “See? It’s easy!”
Easy for her, maybe. She’s walking around like sex on a stick, with people practically throwing themselves onto her fangs. I aspire to have her level of confidence one day.
“Look around, see if anyone catches your interest,” Charlee instructs.
Apprehensively, I do exactly that. Only a few people are staring at us now, most having resumed their conversations, their pool game, or taking long swigs of their drinks. I can see the appeal of this place for her. It’s small enough to have few people to deal with but busy enough to have a modicum of privacy and blend in.
The atmosphere is relaxed like the people either didn’t know or didn’t care that their lives can be snuffed out in mere moments by either Charlee or myself. I try not to stare as Danielle and Sera took turns making out with Charlee and each other. I don’t want to find something quite like that. I just want to be able to feed without killing someone.
A semi-timid-looking man in the corner is nursing a beer, and his eyes keep flicking over to our table. I meet his eyes and offer a wink, suppressing a giggle when a blush creeps up his neck and into his cheeks. He points to himself like he isn’t sure I mean him and even adorably tries to make sure nobody else is beside him that I can be signaling instead.
Maybe this won’t be as difficult as I think. Charlee made me look fierce for a reason. Allowing myself to run with it and try to fake it ‘till I make it, I rise to my feet. Never taking my eyes off the embarrassed man, I stride over as confidently as I can. Shoulders back, my head high, I tilt it with curiosity. When I am standing directly in front of him, I smirk. His heart is beating fast, and he smells sweet, like pastries and chocolate.
“Hi,” I say flirtatiously, inviting him to speak with me.
He gulps. Lean and tall, with no natural muscle to speak of, his golden hair is a bit too long in the front. It keeps getting in the way of the top of his glasses, making him try to move it from his face with a futile effort. He offers a nervous smile back at me, “Hi.”
Now what?
I may be pretending to be the confident goth goddess that Charlee naturally is, but I still don’t know what to do. Do I say, ‘Hey, bruh, can you hook me up with a bite to eat?’ I don’t know how to compel him, but I also don’t know if he will be brave enough to follow me back to my seat. I suppose it is my only real option, though. “Care to join my friends and me,” pointing my thumb over my shoulder, and I watch his eyes grow wide. I could only imagine the tangle of limbs the three women were now.
“They seem rather busy.” His blush deepens.
“That they do,” I pretend to look back. “I’m Wren. What’s your name?”
“Luke.”
“Well, Luke,” I look him in the eye and feel something.
Compulsion.
The other Wren is whispering in my ear again. I don’t trust her entirely, but compulsion is something Charlee and Oz have both mentioned to me as a standard skill all vampires have. Is that what this feeling is?
“Come with me outside then,” I said, feeling a weight in my voice that hadn’t been there before. I see something shift in his eyes, and I feel what seems to be his very will become mine. I know I have him.
See? I can help.
