I make a move for her, feeling only the need to slash and bite and feed.
But Wolf’s grip is strong and he wraps an arm around my waist, holding me against him. “There’s the bloodlust,” he says. “I was wondering when it might show up.”
“I see,” Amethyst says, raising a perfectly micro-bladed brow. “I trust you have her under control then, because I haven’t been bitten by one of your trophies yet, and I’m not about to start.”
Her words knock some sense into me.
They temper the frenzy in my gut, the ravenous hunger.
I don’t like being referred to as a trophy.
And if she hasn’t been bitten…does that mean she’s not a vampire?
“If you’re wondering, Amethyst is just a human. One we’re very lucky to have in the house,” Wolf explains. “Unfortunately, it means you’ll have to get through your bloodlust first before you can properly get acquainted.”
“You look like a vampire,” I manage to say, my heart calming, and I relax into Wolf’s hold on me.
“So I’ve been told,” she says with a light laugh. “But my skin is a touch too dark. Sun damage, you know. Probably should wear SPF more often but…” She shrugs. Then eyes me up and down. “I can’t believe they have you wearing a nightgown. Let me guess, it’s from the 1800s or some bullshit?”
Wolf’s turn to shrug. “You know how archaic Solon is. He’s actually out right now…”
He trails off so I have no idea what he’s about to say, but Amethyst does. Her eyes widen briefly. “Oh. Is that so?” She glances at a flashy watch on her wrist. “I’m going to go help him. I don’t trust his taste sometimes. I mean, look at her. When’s the last time we had someone that looked like that in this place?”
“You better hurry,” Wolf says. “Lots to do tonight.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she says, heading for the door. She looks at me over her shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Lenore. I’ll see you later.”
Then she’s gone.
It’s only after a few seconds have passed that Wolf lets go of me.
“Well, that could have been a disaster,” he muses.
“Why, because you thought I’d eat her?” I ask as I turn to face him, shuddering at the words leaving my mouth.
“You said it, not me,” he says, running a hand through his hair.
“And you’re the full-fledged vampire here,” I tell him. “How come you had so much restraint?”
“Because Amethyst lives here. You get used to her … it’s not so hard to stop viewing some people as prey.”
“She lives here,” I repeat. “Absolon hates humans. This must drive him…”
“Batty?”
“I was going to say mad.”
He laughs. “Not all humans. Amethyst is pretty special, and they get along very well.”
Something like jealousy pokes hot and cold in my gut. Ugh. Why the hell am I feeling jealous over their relationship, of which I know nothing about. Oh god, am I getting possessive over him? Isn’t that a vampire thing?
I shake the feeling away. “So how is it that she lives here? She obviously knows you’re all vampires.”
And that I’m a trophy.
“She runs Dark Eyes.”
I stare at him. “Dark Eyes?”
“Oh, I thought you would have heard about that, since you heard about all the Manson stuff. Come, I’ll show you.”
Wolf grabs my hand and leads me out of his bedroom. His grip is still strong, as if I’m about to throw myself at another human on the tour. Which begs the question…
“How many people are in this house?” I ask him. “Any other humans?”
He nods. “Yvonne. She’s the housekeeper. She’s Amethyst’s mother.”
“Okay, there’s obviously some big story about how all this happened.”
“Not as big as you might think,” he says as we go down another set of stairs to what feels like the main level. There are rooms in all directions, and quick glances as we pass by show decadent furniture in velvet, satin, and leather, gilded lamps, priceless artwork, shelves of old books.
“Where’s Solon’s bedroom?” I ask, reverting to his shortened name.
Wolf gives me a curious look. “Upstairs. At the very top.”
I bring up the image of the house from the outside in my mind’s eye. The top is like a tower, very pointed. It’s rumored that the previous occupants removed all the rafters so that the top could be opened and you’d have a view of the night sky. Given what I know now of the owners, I think the rumors are probably true.
We pass by the front door, and I eye it briefly, wondering if I can get out of Wolf’s grip and make a run for it.
“You can try,” Wolf says, picking up on my emotion. “But the outcome would be the same. Futile.”
I give him a furtive glance. “Why? How come when I leaned out the window, no one outside saw me or heard me?” I pause. “Oh god. Am I…a ghost?”