only hope that it was solely an aftereffect of the feeding she’d been subjected to a short time earlier. Because she could never desire a vampire.
Before her eyes, the red in Oliver’s eyes dissipated, and the tips of his fangs pulled back, disappearing in his mouth. Even his claws vanished as if she had simply been imagining them.
“You’re vampires,” she repeated, her voice flat.
Oliver shook off the hands of Dr. Giles and the dark haired vampire, who had been holding his arms. Dr. Giles? She probably wasn’t even a doctor.
“I’m sorry you had to see this.” He took a tentative step closer.
She flinched. Immediately, he stopped in his approach, his eyes looking at her full of regret. Regret? No, she had to be mistaken. She’d never seen any vampire exhibit such a feeling. Their feelings were limited to greed, hate, and lust.
“I won’t hurt you.”
She listened to Oliver’s words and suppressed the urge to laugh hysterically. Of course he would hurt her, just like the other vampires had. So why pretend? Why lie to her? Why torture her? Maybe he was more cruel than even Dirk was. More cruel because he came in a package that had almost made her trust him, almost made her feel safe. Only to dash her hopes later.
The tears that she’d held back until now escaped from her eyes, making their way down her cheeks, burning hotly. She didn’t dare take a breath.
“Please don’t cry.”
His voice was soothing, and when she closed her eyes, she could imagine surrendering to it. Maybe it was time to give up, to stop struggling and accept her fate. She would always be a blood whore to them. They would never let her go.
She would never see her parents again. And she wouldn’t be able to help rescue the other girls. With her next breath, a sob tore from her chest.
“I want to go home.”
Her knees buckled, her vision blurred. She saw them move all at once, coming toward her. Would they drain her tonight? Would this finally be the end?
“I’ve got her,” Oliver said to his friends, his voice sharp and unyielding.
Then she felt him lift her into his arms and carry her back into the living room. The gentleness with which he placed her on the couch surprised her, but maybe she was delirious. As soon as she sat, he pulled the blanket over her lower body and stepped back.
“You’re safe here,” he claimed.
The other three had entered the room behind him and stood close.
“Who is she?” one of the men asked.
The doctor turned to him. “Oliver brought her here.”
He walked past her and stretched his hand out to her, giving her a charming smile. “I’m Blake.”
She stared at his hand and pressed herself deeper into the sofa cushions.
“She’s scared, can’t you see that?” Oliver admonished him and pushed him aside.
“Well, that’s probably because you scared her!” Blake countered.
“Stay out of it!”
“I live here too, so I have a right to know what’s going on!”
Oliver glared at him, then looked back at her. “I think I have to explain a few things to you now that you’ve seen what we are.” He cleared his throat. “You’ve already met Maya. She’s a doctor, but she’s also a vampire. And this—” He pointed to the dark haired vampire who hadn’t said anything yet. “—is Cain. He works for Scanguards. He’s one of our vampire bodyguards.”
So they called their prison guards bodyguards instead. Same difference!
Then he pointed to Blake. “That’s Blake. He’s my half-brother.”
Blake squared his shoulders. “I’m human.”
His claim stunned her. They had a human living in their midst? What for? As a constant source for blood? Her mouth gaped open as she stared at him. He was handsome, tall and a little broader than Oliver. And oddly, it didn’t appear as if he was restrained in any way. He seemed under no duress. On the contrary, it appeared that he was self-confident and ready to pick a fight with Oliver at the drop of a hat. The hostile glares between the two hadn’t escaped her notice.
“Human?” she echoed.
“Yes,” Blake answered and smiled at her. “It’s complicated. But let’s just keep it simple. For all intents and purposes, this dude here is my half-brother. As annoying as he can be.”
Oliver pressed his lips into a thin line as if trying not to contest Blake’s comment.
“How are you feeling?” the doctor suddenly asked.
Ursula looked up at her, clearing her throat. “Dr. Giles, I really don’t know why you care.” Why were