Page 17 of Lucy

CHAPTER 8

Lucy

“Are you sure this looksokay on me?”

I had a hard time recognizing myself in the mirror. The ill-fitting clothes and messy bun were gone and in its place was a rather nice-looking young woman. My platinum blonde hair hung down my back in soft waves. The red pencil skirt fit my new curves like a glove. The silky black top was a perfect match for the black ankle boots that she insisted I wear.

“Okay?” Viv laughed from where she was sitting across the room. “That doesn’t begin to describe how amazing you look.”

I frowned. “You have to say that; you share my face.”

Viv winked at me and went back to her magazine.

“You look incredible,” Joanie answered. “I can’t wait to show you off to Henry and Marcus.”

A flush stained my cheeks.

“What makes you think I care what they say?” My words were bold, but my blush said otherwise. Joanie and Viv gave each other a knowing glance.

“We have been there,” Viv said finally. “How are you feeling?”

I shrugged. “Better; I haven’t attacked anyone.”

Joanie picked up a dress that I had tried on and hung it up in the closet. As she returned, Joanie grinned at me and said, “We know all about being the resident virgin vampire, it’s the worst.”

I sighed and nodded. “It was like I had to go through vampire puberty twice. I had no idea that human blood would make such a difference.”

Even though I knew that one day I would transition into a fully-fledged vampire, I found myself getting caught up in the world’s view of what a vampire would be. I must have asked Veti a hundred times if I would grow cold and my heart would stop beating. I wondered if I would sparkle and even questioned if one of the reasons we stayed in the caves so much was because she couldn’t be in the sun.

Once I was older and learned the science behind being a vampire it became much less romantic. I suppose that there are some incredible trade-offs. Our speed, enhanced senses, superhuman abilities, and immortality were hard to beat.

But in some ways, we were hopelessly flawed. Because of our rapid regeneration, our bodies can’t keep up the blood supply. In short, we don’t make enough blood to survive on our own. It seemed very black and white.

So never in a million years had I imagined the intense feelings that came along with drinking human blood versus animal blood. I felt on edge, not out of control as I had been at the beginning. But I wanted something, and I had a good idea of what that might be.

“So, what do you suggest?” I turned from the mirror to face them. “Should I just do the deed and get it out of the way?”

“No!” Viv looked horrified.

Joanie was shaking her head as well. “Lucy, there are some intense things that come along with your first time. Besides, we have magic in our blood. If you don’t pick the right person, you could end up mated to someone you don’t like.”

I wondered if Henry had ever done the deed. Then, I scoffed at my own stupidity. Of course, he had, there is no way that he had been a vampire this long without it. But he had magic in his veins just like I did. Was he already mated to someone?

The thought made my stomach turn and I felt like hitting something.

“What’s wrong?” Viv asked, sitting forward once she saw my clenched jaw.

I fought to regulate my emotions. “Nothing, I just don’t like the position this places me in.”

She looked like she wanted to argue with me, but she held her tongue. The truth was that I felt angry and disloyal to Marcus. I still thought of him as my Master, and I wished that he would be a true master to me.

There was something that my new sisters didn’t know about me. I loved to read. Being secluded in a cave for your entire life means that you learn to entertain yourself. Romance was by and large my favorite genre, but in that, I loved to read about dominants and submissives. Every time I called Marcus my master, I thought about what it would mean if he really were to dominate me sexually. As powerful as I knew myself to be, the thought of giving up control intrigued me. Marcus had always been the main focus of my fantasies.

However, I was starting to see a new star player in my mind, and it bothered me for a myriad of reasons. First, because I had no claim on either of them, so there was no reason to feel guilt over relationships that existed in my head. Second, because it was likely that neither man would want anything to do with me.

I felt like the bubble I had been living in up until my sisters had come to the cave had popped. And in the aftermath, I was finding that nothing was what I had made it out to be.

Joanie moved closer to me and took my hand. “What are you thinking about to make you look so sad?”

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