Page 21 of Make Me Bleed

His hair is too fair.

His eyes too pale.

Julian.

It’sJulian.

He’s watching my house. Why? No idea. He shouldn’t be here.

Did he see me? I’m hoping I’m quick enough in dropping the curtain and back away that he didn’t, but as fast as I am, I’m not as fast as the other vamp.

The same vamp who I sense like a buzz against my skin long after I retreat to the couch again—after I double-check that I locked all the doors and windows.

CHAPTER 7

MINE

That intensity of my nagging mate bond is almost as bad as the thirst was.

So much happened the day I found my beloved. There was the intervention, Julian’s first visit, my trip out to the woods where I ran from a moose, bit a bear, then ran fromhim…only to have Hank follow me to Bridget and Conall’s. Against my heart—and my loins—I let Conall send Hank away, not sure if I was hurt when he agreed to go… or amazed that he cared enough about me to deny his own instincts. Then I spoke to Bridget, she walked me home, and I caught Julian spying on from outside well after dark.

Is it any surprise that I refuse to leave the house for the next few days?

Until I can decide whether I’m willing to pursue the mate bond with Hank without being sure that I somehow tricked him into thinking I’m his mate, I can’t face him yet; considering he’s kept his distance, too, and my true beloved would find it nearly impossible, I’m becoming more and more convinced that his head cleared and the big bear realized he’d got the wrong female when he called me his mate. But just because I might’ve beenwrong, too, doesn’t mean that I have any interest in accepting Julian’s offer to trade sex for blood.

He must know that watching me from across the sanctuary, coming by my house when he can sense I’m locking myself inside… that’ll never be attractive to another supe. He’s pushing me, and I don’t like it.

Even more, he won’t like it when I stop being the good vampiress and pushback…

If it wasn’t for Bridget, I’d probably still be inside. I’m on the third season ofSex and the City—and, no, I’m not living vicariously through the females in the show, hopping from male to male while fighting the urge to run tomine—with three more to go. I’m doing just fine…

…but there’s no way I’m going to turn down watchingThe Lost Boyswith the rest of the sanctuary.

Community-wide movie showings is something we’ve been doing lately. Gertrude has a collection of DVDs that we can choose from, and though I’ve never been inside the prickly porcupine shifter’s den, I can only imagine she brought a video store with her when she came to Alaska to hide out because there isn’t a move I can think of that she hasn’t produced for the ancient DVD player.

I don’t go to all the showings. However, anything that has to do with vampires is a weakness of mine. Bridget knows it, too. As soon as she mentioned that she was given the chance to pick tonight’s film and she went with the 1980s classic, I changed out of my pajamas and into one of my strapless dresses and a pair of stilettos.

That’s my parents’ training rubbing off on me again. It might just be a movie in the community room, but I’ll always look my best if I can. I style my hair, do my make-up, and walk with Bridget over to the delegated movie room.

One bonus? After the time one of the shifter children pickedTwilight—to Bridget’s eternal amusement—none of the other vampires come to the showings. They’ve become shifter gatherings, with the only exceptions being Bridge and me. I won’t have to worry about their curious stares, judging eyes, or Julian taking the chance to confront me again if I’m around the others.

I’m kind of right. As I take my seat next to Bridget, a quick sweep over the room tells me that Julian hasn’t decided that, tonight of all nights, he wants to commune with the shifters of the sanctuary. None of the human donors have been given permission to attend, either. To my surprise, Conall’s missing, too, but just as Getrude warns us all that the film’s about to start and we need to shut our yaps, two stunning females slip in and take the seats at the end of mine and Bridget’s row.

Both of them are vampires. Clarice and Helen. One dark-skinned, the other as pale as I am, they both have mesmerizing hazel eyes, and a striking beauty that is undeniable. They perch daintily on the edge of their folding chairs, and of everyone in the room, I’m the only one they nod at.

Bridget notices, too. She elbows me gently. “Not replacing me, Elise, are you?”

I give my head a small shake. “I followed you to Alaska, Bridge. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She grins. “Just checking.” Her gaze slides to the left. “I hope they know what they’re in for. The vampires in this movie aren’t anywhere as attractive as the ones I’ve met in real life.”

I lower my voice so that they can’t hear me. “I’m more concerned with why they’ve come at all.” After months of being ignored, it’s just too coincidental—and suspicious—that I suddenly seem to be a magnet for others of my kind.

Bridget shrugs, and right as Gertrude barks at Clive to turn off the lights, Clarice leans in to Helen and murmurs one word: “Julian.”

She meant for me to hear it. Why? I’m not sure. When I peek over at her, her attention is on the screen, waiting for the film to begin.

Unfortunately, Gertrude is having a hard time getting it to play. That’s not so unusual. The player has probably been in Dyea as long as she has, and sometimes it takes a little fiddling with to get it going. Al offers to help while Clive flicks the light switch back on so they can see what they’re doing at the front of the room.

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