Page 14 of Vampires of Eden
The question catches me off guard. Thinking, I absently turn my tea cup in its saucer. “Truthfully, Oliver told me that I should help and I respect his opinion. Now that I’ve met and talked to you both, I find that I do like it here. The house needs a lot of renovation, but I can see this being a place of refuge for vampires who need it.”
Vampires like me.
Something about this house is good. The atmosphere of it and the surrounding woods are calming in a way that I desperately need. I’d like to be part of this, somehow.
Wary, I glance up at Kathryn and Roland. They look at each other and it’s as if a wordless conversation is taking place before my eyes. I notice they’re holding hands below the table.
“We weren’t necessarily looking for a handout, Alexander,” Kathryn assures me. “Yes, we wanted you to financially invest in our project, but more than that, we need to know that there’s someone on the inside who will stick up for us and support this endeavor.”
“On the inside?”
“Inside the diamond flecked rooms exclusively occupied by Eden’s upper-crust,” Roland says, smirking. “You have to know that you and Oliver are rare birds for deigning to fraternize with vamps like us—not noble, not rich, nor servants. Members of the ambiguous ‘outside’ population.”
Scratching my head, I sigh. “Yeah, I know.”
“It’s unusual, to say the least.” Roland grabs the kettle, then pours a cup for Kathryn. “The ‘Golden Prince of Eden’ showing up here and telling us to drop the honorifics. Feels like some kind of set up. Like you’re a spy.”
“I’m not.” I lift my palms in acquiescence. “There’s nothing like that going on, I promise.”
Kathryn folds her arms as the steam from her cup dances and swirls. “Are you running from something, Alexander?”
Her question hits hard and stuns me yet again.
Am I running from something?
No, not something.
I am running fromeverything.
“Possibly…” I take hold of my teacup, then carefully lift it to my mouth. If I say more, the dark flood waters will rise and overtake me and I refuse to have an emotional breakdown in front of these two. They do not need that from me.
“We’re a safe house, you know?” Kathryn says in my silence. “I would never have guessed that our first and third occupants would be purebreds, but hey, it’s gotta be fate, right?” She looks over to Roland and he shrugs.
“It’sveryweird,” he says, chuckling. “But it must mean something. Something good, I hope.”
Confused, I consider her statement. “If Oliver is the first and I’m the third, then who’s the second?”
“Daniel,” Kathryn says, nodding toward the window and the woods beyond. “He went out just before you came in. Have you met him before?”
“Yes,” I confirm, lifting my teacup once more. “I’ve met him.”
“Let’s discuss the projects in order of priority,” Kathryn says, pushing her notebook toward me. It’s filled with her elegant handwriting—line-by-line details and costs that stretch to the bottom of the page. “Once we get the projects started, you can come here whenever you want to check and see how things are going?”
“I’d actually love to help,” I admit. “You may not believe it, but I like to get my hands dirty, and I’m not too bad at building things. I’ve built a bunch of custom cat trees and scratching posts for my cat. I also help our gardener in the spring with clearing the plots and planting new bulbs.”
“Cattrees?” Roland exclaims, laughing. “You’re right, I don’t believe it!”
Kathryn slaps his thigh underneath the table. “You’re more than welcome to help with the renovation, Alexander. The more the merrier.”
“And things could change soon,” I add casually. “If my parents decide to sell me off to some loaded vampire, I’ll have a new pool of resources. As long as my new mate isn’t a total narcissistic control freak, I’ll be able to contribute more, financially.”
My intention was to reassure them, but the horrified expressions on both Kathryn and Roland’s faces suggests that I’ve failed. Miserably.
Damn. Maybe I should have kept that part to myself?
The Wandereris an upscale tearoom and café in the oldest, most charming district of Central Eden. Here, even in late winter, lush greenery enhances the landscape.
Every brick shop is flanked by manicured blue-spruce trees and holly shrubs. Winter honeysuckle bushes cascade over ancient stone walls like heavy curtains. Store window panes gleam—clear and buffed so that not a single fingerprint obstructs the glowing view of the treasures inside.
