Page 7 of Love Bitten

“I’m sorry your family had to go through that,” he said quietly after a few more seconds of silence. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”

“Fortunately I was not yet born, but my parents were and they said it was dreadful.”

“And where are your parents now?”

“They moved some time ago. Life in one place grows rather boring when you’re facing down eternity. But enough about my family history. Let’s get inside quickly before you catch an illness out here in the cold.”

I couldn’t feel it, but I noticed Luke shivering, so the air must have been rather chilly. I didn’t want to kill the mood either, although the state of the mansion might have been enough to do that on its own.

“What do you think?” I asked, opening the front door with a triumphant push.

“It’s…nice,” Luke replied, his eyes roving around the dimly lit house. “Do you have any more lights aside from those sconces on the walls?”

I shook my head. “But we don’t need any more lighting than that.”

“And what’s down there?” he pointed to the heavy iron door leading down below the main floor.”

“Never mind that. It’s…a sort of basement. There is nothing of interest down there. Come with me and I’ll show you the most important room in the house.”

“The kitchen?”

“No, the bedroom.”

7

LUKE

Xander led me up a winding staircase past paintings and photos of different vampires who I presumed to be the family he spoke of. As we climbed to the top floor, I began to get concerned about his superhuman abilities again.

He’d carried me like I was no heavier than a handful of rocks, nearly weightless as soon as I entered his embrace. And that was while he ran fast enough to get us back to his countryside estate in less than a minute. If he could do all that and still not be tired, what could he do to me?

I was about to find out, whether I liked it or not. I thought I liked it. I was excited, I knew that much. But I was afraid, too, and the cold, damp air in this big, empty house didn’t help much.

All my worries dissolved the moment I set foot in Xander’s bedroom. The bed, a massive, four-poster made of a gorgeous dark-grained wood was fitted with pristine silk cheeks and a feather comforter that felt almost softer than air itself to the touch.

The windows were covered by thick dark curtains that would have blocked out all the light if it were daytime, much like the rest of the house. There was a wall sconce above the bed with two candles flickering softly, washing the room with a warm, cozy glow.

The room could have done with a fireplace to warm it, but there was none to be found – not even a spot where one could have been removed from. The entire house was a strange amalgamation of human ingenuity and vampiric minimalism – indoor bathrooms and a full kitchen, yet nothing to keep the house warm through cold winter nights.

A vanity with a plush, velvet-cushioned stool stood opposite the bed, but an old silk sheet had been draped over the mirror, obscuring it.

“Why did you cover the mirror?” I asked, sitting on the stool so I could get a closer look at the intricate carvings in the wood.

“Do you really not know?” Xander raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I do. But if you can’t see yourself, does it matter if the mirror’s there or not?”

“It can be quite unnerving to wake up from a deep slumber and see an empty bed across from where you know you’re lying,” Xander explained. “Even vampires aren’t immune to nightmares.”

“I thought you guys don’t sleep. And anyway, why would you get a vanity with a mirror in the first place? You’re rich. Couldn’t you have one customized?”

“We don’t need much sleep,” Xander corrected me. “And my great-grandparents ordered it when they built the house. They wanted us to seem like normal folk.” He laughed bitterly. “As if anyone would see us and think we were normal. They were a bit delusional at times, if well-meaning.”

I shrugged. “I think it’s a nice sentiment. They just wanted to fit in like the rest of us – almost makes them more human, in a way. Mind if I…?”

I gestured at the silky sheet and Xander nodded. I slipped it off the mirror and peered at my reflection. Xander, who stood behind me, did not appear in the image staring back. It was unnerving, to say the least, so I quickly threw the sheet back over the mirror and got up.

I walked over to the window so I could peek outside. It was too dark to see much, except for the few high points that the moon illuminated. Even the neglected garden was covered by the darkness. When I turned back to Xander, he cocked his head at me.

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