Crimson Read online

  I take advantage of my position standing the furthest away from her to examine her appearance. She's wearing a dark blue dress and boots, her long black hair is sort of carelessly dishevelled. There are small grey circles beneath her bewitching blue eyes, as though she has been suffering from insomnia for quite some time, her lips are full and her dark lashes long. There is something not quite right about the way in which her emotions smell though, they're all shattered to pieces from some kind of trauma.

  I notice Lucas inhale sharply and his eyes widen with interest as he takes in her unique scent. He steps forward in a predatory fashion. Lucas often derives a perverse satisfaction out of frightening timid humans.

  “This part of the club is off limits,” he says to her, “and trespassers will be prosecuted – I mean, punished.” Now it's my turn to roll my eyes at him. Lucas can be a bit of a dickhead on occasion.

  “I didn't know. This is my first time here,” the woman replies in a small voice, wringing her hands in distress. I suddenly feel like thumping Lucas for upsetting her, but I stand back and watch how it all plays out instead.

  “Makes no matter to us,” Lucas goes on, still doing his best to intimidate the poor fragile woman. She can't be any older than twenty or twenty-one. What could have caused this beautiful creature to have become so broken? She looks at me now, and it almost takes my breath away, that first locking of our eyes. It's at this very moment that I know I must have her, in every which way imaginable. She is nothing like the women I normally choose, and yet, she is making me feel more alive than I have ever felt before. What is she?

  “What's your name little girl?” Lucas asks, and the question distracts her attention from me. Damn you, Lucas. I want her eyes on me again. God, those eyes.

  Suddenly, she scowls at him, and I almost sputter a laugh. Perhaps she's not as timid as she appears. “Why do you want to know?” she replies, a tiny speck of strength in her words, but her eyes are still glancing this way and that, eager to get away from us.

  “I like to get to know my prey,” says Lucas.

  “Huh? What the fuck are you talking about?” she responds angrily. My lips curve slightly. I must admit, hearing her utter that swear word stirs a distinctly sexual reaction in me.

  Delilah sighs now, getting bored with Lucas' theatrics. “Leave her Lucas.”

  Lucas turns back to look at her. “I'd oblige you Delilah,” he says. “But this one is far too intriguing.” He runs a finger down the woman's cheek and I have to clench my fists to keep from snapping it for him. I do not like him touching her. “Look at those eyes, so blue, such – what is it that I see, ah yes, pain.”

  The woman flinches. Lucas continues with his observations. “But what kind of pain I wonder? I would guess – rejection, loss?” The woman's expression indicates he's right, and I instantly want to know what it is she has lost. “Ha! I knew it, spot on as always,” says Lucas with pride.

  The woman glances at Delilah and then at me. “Can I go?” she asks.

  Now that she's looking at me again I find it difficult not to sweep her into my office, lock the door and have my wicked way with her. Everything about her is drawing me in more and more with each moment that passes.

  “No you can't,” Lucas answers her. “Now darling, tell me your name and where you live.” I would stop him from his persistent questioning, only I want to know the answer to this myself. The woman doesn't speak for a moment, so Lucas prompts her, “Tell me.” It's clear he's using a little compulsion on her now, so she'll have no choice but to answer.

  Only that doesn't happen, instead she replies, “No way.”

  Everything seems to move in slow motion. My God, did that really just happen? Did this human just blatantly resist the thrall of a vampire? Delilah lets out a loud gasp of surprise. Lucas certainly is not happy with this development, he isn't the kind of man who takes kindly to being defied.

  “What did you just say?” he asks harshly, and I'm two seconds away from pulling him back from her. Lucas can be unpredictable when his temper gets the better of him.

  “I said no way am I telling you my name or where I live, I don't even know you,” says the woman, standing firm, entirely unaware of what she has done. I have known of a handful of humans who had been trained to withstand compulsion in the past, but never one so naturally as this.

  Delilah appears to still be in shock when she breathes, “How...”

  I venture to answer her unfinished question. “Some of them can be strong willed enough to resist,” I tell her, noticing the woman's gaze is fixated on me now, which makes me strangely elated. I continue, “But usually they have to be aware of what we're doing, it's odd that this one can resist and seemingly not know.” I turn to stare at the woman, my eyes drinking her in, she is an absolute mess, and I couldn't be more fascinated. I smile at her and the expression seems to effect her in some way. Positively I hope.

  “Interesting,” Lucas interjects, his damned fangs hanging halfway out of his mouth. I will have to remind him to be more conspicuous in the company of humans.

  The woman's eyes immediately lock in on the sharp canines. “Hey, are those porcelain?” she asks. “Because my friend Amanda loves to play at the vampire thing too, she has a pair but they aren't half as realistic as yours.” Ah humans, always so quick to provide a logical explanation for the things they don't want to admit as being real.

  Lucas, the careless fool, is only now realising his slip up. He closes his mouth a moment to try and hide them, too late for that. “Yes, they are – porcelain,” he tells her quickly.

  “Hmm, where’d you get them?” she asks, and I notice a sneaky glint in her eye, like she's trying to divert his attention onto another topic so that she can slip away from us. Unfortunately, now that she has caught my rapt attention there will be no chance of me letting her go. I'll follow her to her home if needs be. I understand how irrational that sounds, but my need to discover what this female might be is overwhelming. I also want to discover her in the biblical sense, but that task shouldn't prove too difficult. I have many skills in the art of seduction. I have had many years to perfect them.

  “The internet,” Lucas answers her finally, sending me a quick sheepish glance. Damn right he should be sheepish.

  “Oh yeah, I should have guessed.” She lets her gaze fall again now, and I wish she wouldn't do that. I could look at her eyes forever.

  “I’m Lucas,” Lucas replies, at long last making an attempt at polite conversation. “And you are?”

  “Tegan, but I’m still not telling you where I live.”

  Ah, Tegan, an unusual and intriguing name, quite suited to the woman herself. Suddenly the syllables of it echo through my mind, marking me in some way.

  “Pretty name,” says Lucas, getting worked up again. He has his moments of affability, but they never last long. “Pretty everything,” his lecherous gaze touches on her hips and breasts.

  Delilah sighs heavily, and I almost chuckle, my sister has never had much patience for Lucas and his libidinous mannerisms.

  “Don’t mind Delilah,” says Lucas. “She’s just moody. Or maybe she wants you for herself.”

  Tegan's eyes widen. Delilah snickers.

  “I have to get back to my friends, they’ll be wondering where I am,” the woman argues, still edgy. She seems to notice that there is something different about the three of us. Something that she might do well to fear. Of course, I would break both of Lucas' hands before he had the chance to hurt her in any way. Besides, being one of our species, my friend would heal quickly from the injury. Still, he wouldn't thank me for it.

  “Don’t you want to stay and get to know each other?” Lucas asks her. I realise he has decided to escort her into my office a second before he makes his move. He wraps his strong arm around Tegan's waist and leads her into the room. I can hear her heart beat frantically as he does so. I wonder if I kissed those gorgeous full lips of hers would she still be so frightened? Surely then her heart would beat fast for a
whole other reason.

  Delilah and I follow him inside, and I close the door to afford us some privacy. Then I sit down at my desk, trying to come up with a way to reassure Tegan that she is in no danger. Her poor little human heart still hasn't ceased its fearful beating. She stands off to the side of the office, hovering as though considering making a run for it. Unfortunately, a human can never outrun a vampire, our speed is phenomenal.

  “You can sit on my lap if you’d like?” says Lucas. God, I wish he'd stop. The woman doesn't need to be made any more nervous than she already is.

  I glance at her, her wide blue eyes taking in her surroundings. She looks like a rabbit in a cage. Her current fear mixes with the old wounds I can smell in her emotions. Admittedly, some of my vampire acquaintances do hold a particular taste for damaged humans, they enjoy the power trip. I have never been a lover of broken things, yet, I can see the allure with Tegan. However, I would only wish to fix her, not to break her further as some vampires would. Tegan drops her gaze yet again and allows her long dark hair to obscure her face. It only takes a moment for me to understand why she has done this. She is crying. I have to physically restrain myself from going to her.

  “Are you crying?” Delilah suddenly questions her with an accusatory tone, my sister is not very good at soothing those in distress.

  “Please can I go? I know it’s mad that I’m crying but this is – this is the first time I’ve been outside since something very, very bad happened to me and...”

  Oh, I cannot restrain myself any longer. It's a good thing her eyes are averted, because instinctively I use my inhuman speed to rush to her side.

  “Hush.” I say to comfort her. I really want to taste her tears. She gazes up at me now, and meeting her eyes this close roots me to the spot. I tilt my head ever so slightly to the side, admiring her delicately pale features, her fine porcelain skin. I know I need to touch her now, and my hand comes up to her face to wipe her tears away. Once I have them on my fingertips I can't stop myself from licking them up. The taste is immense, but only a mere fraction of what her blood could provide.

  I smile at her and whisper, “I like that.”

  I have always taken great pleasure in soaking up human emotions; sadness, happiness, they all have their own distinct flavour and scent. She is thoroughly confused by my actions.

  “Do you – do you work here?” she whispers back, speaking directly to me, as though she has forgotten the presence of Lucas and Delilah.

  “I own this club.” I tell her, noting the expression of surprise on her face. She had not expected that. I understand I don't look the part of the aged business man. To humans I appear quite young, no more than twenty-seven or so years of age, and I tend to dress casually.

  “Oh – really?” she asks, her forehead crinkling adorably. “Well, if that’s the case then could you please ask your friend over there to back off and let me leave?”

  “I don’t know if I want you to leave.” I reply, not being able to hold back the note of possessiveness in my words.

  “What?” she exclaims, definitely panicking now. I curse myself for having said that to her.

  I laugh softly then, to show her I'm not a psychopath. Unfortunately, I have momentarily forgotten that soft laughing is often unmistakeably psychopathic. I continue, “I’ll let you go, but first, would you let me try something?”

  “Um, yes, well it depends on what it is.”

  “All I need you to do is stare into my eyes and concentrate on what I say to you.” I have to get to the bottom of her resistance to our thrall, and I know just the way to prove whether or not her refusal to Lucas outside in the hallway just now was a fluke.

  “Okay,” she whispers, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

  Taking pleasure in putting my hands on her shoulders, I level her with the power of my gaze, putting all of my compulsion into my stare. For a moment I get caught up in admiring her. When I finally remember what I'm supposed to be doing I tell her, “Take off your dress.”

  Perhaps not the most gentlemanly of commands, but I couldn't help myself. Only for a fraction of a second does it seem like my thrall has worked, she raises a hand ever so slightly to the shoulder strap of her dress, as though to shrug out of it. But no, she shakes her head and stares at me coolly.

  “No chance,” she replies indignantly. “What is with you people?”

  “Quite amazing,” I breathe, now twice as intrigued with this rare human who is just full of surprises. “How do you do that?”

  She narrows her gaze. “Well excuse me, but I don’t strip off at the command of strangers. Can I go now?”

  “That was the deal.” I answer, my mouth curling in a huge smile.

  “You’re not letting her go until you find out where she lives, Ethan,” Lucas interjects from his position on the chair.

  My smile instantly vanishes, replaced now with a scowl. “Don’t presume to tell me what to do.”

  “He’s right,” says Delilah. “She could be a useful study, I have never come across one so unresponsive before, and judging from the fear I can smell radiating from her she’s not going to be coming back here any time soon.”

  Delilah has a fair point, yet I don't enjoy the idea of forcing the information from the woman. Putting on my most chivalrous demeanour, I request, “May I have your address?”

  “No.”

  “Pretty please,” I add, liking the fact that she is playing hard to get. I think I will thoroughly enjoy the chase.

  “I don’t know you, any of you, and I’m not reckless enough to go handing out my address to strangers.” Again, a fair point, it will not deter me though.

  “Then let me drive you home.” I insist.

  “Very funny.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Jesus, don’t you ever give up?”

  “It’s settled then, I’ll drive you home.”

  “I’ve already got a ride home thanks.”

  “Well now you’ve got a better one, besides, you’re not leaving until you agree.” Oh, I really am enjoying this back and forth quipping between the two of us. It's making me want to drive her back to my home tonight, instead of her own.

  “I’ll scream,” she warns. Yes, I think confidently, you will scream for me. Soon.

  Still, I reply, “No you won’t, don’t deny it Tegan, you want me to drive you home.”

  I see her intention to run in her posture just before she darts for the door. I grab onto her waist and pull her in tight. This really is the most fun I have had in quite a while. I shouldn't indulge in it though, especially when I can see how scared she is.

  I try again to soothe her. “Now, now, there’s nothing to be frightened of.” I trace my fingers up and down her dress gently, relishing in the feel of the smooth curve of her lower back. I feel her tremble softly in my arms and I let out a rumbling growl of satisfaction before I have the chance to hold it back. She might be frightened, but I think she likes me.

  Bored of the whole predicament, Delilah stands up to leave, putting a hand on Lucas' shoulder as a signal for him to follow her. “Come Lucas, leave them,” she says.

  Once they have vacated the room I let go of Tegan, although I'll admit reluctantly. I peer down at her because she is quite a bit shorter than me, perhaps five foot five or six at the tallest. “Have you calmed down?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you going to cooperate?”

  “Maybe.”

  Hmm, she's still holding onto every last shred of defiance. Let's see what we can do to remedy that. I lean in close to her face and lock my eyes with hers. I can immediately see how my proximity affects her, as her breathing quickens. She won't hold out for much longer. “Are you going to let me escort you home?” I ask her quietly.

  “All right then,” she replies, exhaling. That's the answer I wanted, although it unnerves me that my attempts to seduce her are not the only reason for the emotions stirring in her. She remains jittery and nervous. I take another deep breath of he
r scent, in an effort to perhaps discover the source of her anxiety. I don't find many more clues, however her attraction to me is there in all its glory, the feeling of heat and the scent of roses. I can't help but to smile in triumph.

  “Don’t act like you don’t want me to, I can smell your attraction.” I say.

  “What is it with the smelling emotions thing? Because the last time I checked that wasn’t possible.” Damn, I'm not normally so careless, I generally leave that up to Lucas.

  “Just a figure of speech,” I reply, not wanting her to see that I am taken aback by how much she perceives. “Come, we’ll go tell your friends I’m taking you home.”

  “You’re giving me a lift, that’s all,” she says, narrowing those pretty blue eyes yet again.

  “Of course. I’m Ethan by the way,” I tell her, deciding to introduce myself properly at long last.

  “Whatever.”

  “Just thought you’d like to know, since you’ll be moaning it later on.” I smirk to myself, I couldn't seem to contain the remark. After all, it's the truth.

  “The only way I’ll be saying your name will be to report it to the police if you try anything psycho.” I laugh internally, oh touché little rabbit. I'm now even more determined to break down her defences.

  “No, that’s not how it will happen.” I say, placing my hand to the small of her back and leading her out the door. We go back out to the club so that she can inform her friends of her departure. She walks up to a woman with short platinum blond hair, who seems to exhale in relief to see Tegan appear before her. I scent out her emotions and smell concern within this woman, concern for Tegan, although I don't know what she's concerned about.

  “Where the hell were you? I was worried,” the woman pulls Tegan into a motherly hug. They are probably the same age, yet there are some sort of protective instincts and care in the blond woman towards her raven haired friend that are almost maternal in nature.

  “Nowhere, listen, I’m going home now.” Tegan answers.

  “Are you getting a cab?”

  Tegan's friend doesn't seem to have noticed my presence, which vaguely irks me.