Right now, I feel excited.
I feel so, so wildly and overwhelmingly excited.
Eli looks at me carefully, and I wonder what he’s thinking. For a second, I wonder if he can read my thoughts, but then I realize that’s stupid. Of course, vampires can’t read minds. That would be completely unrealistic.
I’m beginning to question everything I’ve ever known. All I heard growing up was that vampires are mind-reading monsters who are ugly and have huge fangs. I heard they had wildly large wings and could soar across the skies at will. I even heard that they could burn up in the sun.
Well, I’m squished up against one of them with another right in my face, and they don’t seem like monsters.
They definitely don’t have fangs.
I haven’t seen any wings.
What else have I been taught that’s a lie?
What other myths are being sold to me as reality?
“What are you doing?” Another voice sounds and I try to look, but Benjamin is still holding my hair tightly in place. It’s the third man: the other one from the woods. I don’t know how I can tell without seeing his face, but I can. I can sense it. There’s just something about these men that seems to call to me. I feel a strange sort of connection with them, and I have no idea why.
“Matthew,” Eli says. “Nice of you to join us.”
So that’s his name.
Matthew.
I think about it for a minute, and I like it. They all have these very classic, very traditional names. How old are they? Can vampires really live forever? Is that part of the fairy tale true?
“I was a bit busy,” Matthew says. Eli moves, and Matthew steps in front of me.
And suddenly, I wish that he hadn’t. He’s tall, towering over me. He doesn’t seem like he was ever human. He’s practically a giant mass of muscle and beauty, and I don’t know where to look. The expression on my face must be ridiculous because he smiles down at me and grins.
“Cat got your tongue?” He asks gently. He says this in a sort of playful way, but even these simple words just exude sexuality. Apparently, I’ve been a lot more needy and horny than I ever gave myself credit for.
“We were just having a talk with Tyana about proper behavior,” Eli says, explaining what’s going on. I don’t think he’s being entirely truthful. He left out the part about how they’re basically kidnapping me.
“That explains the death grip Benjamin has on your hair, doesn’t it, little flower?” Matthew asks me gently.
Little flower?
Matthew reaches down and touches my chin. He tilts my head just a little so it’s up, facing toward him. He looks me over, top to bottom, and I can’t tell if he likes the way I look or not. I’m also not really sure why I want him to like the way I look. I know that I’m sort of plain. I have to be, coming from Eagleton. That’s literally just something our people are known for. We’re not fancy. We’re not wild. We’re just normal, ordinary citizens.
At least, most of us are. Some of the teenagers and the younger people like to wear flashy clothes they buy when they go out. I never leave the village. Ever. Some people do, though. They go hunting and some people like to go camping. If anyone meets a trader, they might bring back corsets or leather pants. They might bring back pretty, shiny necklaces.
Not me, though.
Maybe it’s because I stay in, but I never have anything except very plain, very simple clothing to wear. This has never bothered me until now because suddenly, I just really, really want these men to like me, to find me attractive.
I want them to look at me and think that there’s something special and wonderful about me, and I honestly don’t know if they do.
Finally, he nods, turning back to Eli.
“She’s fine,” he says.
“I know,” Eli tells him.
“I think I should have a say in this,” Benjamin mutters.
“She’s appropriate for our needs,” Eli says to his companions.