though he’d known I’d thought it. “I just wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone. It’s good for our kind to stick together.”
“ Our kind?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Me, her…you…”
I stopped him. “She’s not alone. And there’s no you in this equation. She has me.” I tried to keep the anger in my voice at bay, but I wasn’t succeeding. I didn’t stop observing him, seeing the obvious reflection of his eyes, the unnatural peak of his teeth. “And what are you, exactly?”
Jake stood tall. “A vampire.”
“You’re joking,” I was laughing, but the expression on his face suggested that he wasn’t kidding.
“I’m not kidding,” he answered, repeating it verbatim from my thoughts.
My body steeled, stunned by an imaginary bolt of lightning. “What?” I looked at Emily. She was smiling. Why are you smiling?
“It’s true, Wes. He’s a vampire.” She shrugged.
Then why are you with him? He’s a vampire!
She just blinked, her smile never fading.
Her naïve sense of trust was obviously skewed after her friendship with Greg. Her being here proved that. How could she think this was okay? I recalled her vampire books, and it all suddenly made sense. Great, more reasons to worry about her.
Emily tilted her head. “Jake’s different than what you think. He’s not dangerous.”
Like that made me feel any better. I glared at him. “So, are you dead?” It was the first thing I could think of. My tone was noticeably annoyed and disgusted. I’d dealt with enough dead—or at least dead- ish —people lately.
“No,” he answered plainly. “I’m more like you than anything else—just another animal.”
“How are you like me?” I eyed him from head to toe, seeing nothing but a yuppie poser in sheep’s clothes.
Jake laughed, leaning against the arm of the couch where Emily sat. “I’m just a hot-blooded carnivore. That’s the real definition of a vampire. I drink blood, yes, but not human blood because it’s gross. And I can read your thoughts, so…” His voice trailed, meaning that to be a warning.
“Another mind-reader?” I couldn’t handle that. For all I knew he was seducing Emily as we spoke, telling her sweet nothings and nasty lies about me.
Jake smiled. “Nothing like that at all. I was showing Emily how to block the thoughts of others, so she doesn’t have to hear every little thing, that’s all. I can teach you a few things, too. If you like?”
I felt my muscles relax, but only slightly. It was the first useful thing to breach his lips since I got here. The mere mention of the chance to block Emily’s spidery intrusions into my mind was reason enough to change my outlook on the situation. I could bear this madness a moment longer.
Jake chuckled, looking over his shoulder at Emily. “Is he always this charming?”
Her lips pressed together and she nodded sarcastically, agreeing with him in a way that looked like they’d suddenly become best buds.
I could feel my fingernails digging into the skin of my palms as my fists tightened. Jake leaned away from the couch, moving to the other where he sat down, knowing his place was not between Emily and me. At least he seemed to respect that to some degree.
Stepping forward, I collapsed onto the couch beside Emily. I felt relieved as she leaned her head against my chest, weaving her hands around my torso. Smugness puffed my ego, and I lifted my chin.
“Alright then, Jake, I’ll buy it. So, start talking.”
He sat back, his arms resting on the crest of the couch. “First of all, I’m not here to steal Emily away, I swear.” He grinned. “I couldn’t if I wanted to. She’s not a vampire.”
I raised my hand, pointer finger extended. “And she’s going to stay that way,” I added.
Jake nodded. “And she will stay that way. It would be illegal for me to turn someone into what I am without the permission of our coven leader.”
“Dracula?” I ventured.
Emily elbowed me.
I winced.
Jake didn’t
“ Our kind?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Me, her…you…”
I stopped him. “She’s not alone. And there’s no you in this equation. She has me.” I tried to keep the anger in my voice at bay, but I wasn’t succeeding. I didn’t stop observing him, seeing the obvious reflection of his eyes, the unnatural peak of his teeth. “And what are you, exactly?”
Jake stood tall. “A vampire.”
“You’re joking,” I was laughing, but the expression on his face suggested that he wasn’t kidding.
“I’m not kidding,” he answered, repeating it verbatim from my thoughts.
My body steeled, stunned by an imaginary bolt of lightning. “What?” I looked at Emily. She was smiling. Why are you smiling?
“It’s true, Wes. He’s a vampire.” She shrugged.
Then why are you with him? He’s a vampire!
She just blinked, her smile never fading.
Her naïve sense of trust was obviously skewed after her friendship with Greg. Her being here proved that. How could she think this was okay? I recalled her vampire books, and it all suddenly made sense. Great, more reasons to worry about her.
Emily tilted her head. “Jake’s different than what you think. He’s not dangerous.”
Like that made me feel any better. I glared at him. “So, are you dead?” It was the first thing I could think of. My tone was noticeably annoyed and disgusted. I’d dealt with enough dead—or at least dead- ish —people lately.
“No,” he answered plainly. “I’m more like you than anything else—just another animal.”
“How are you like me?” I eyed him from head to toe, seeing nothing but a yuppie poser in sheep’s clothes.
Jake laughed, leaning against the arm of the couch where Emily sat. “I’m just a hot-blooded carnivore. That’s the real definition of a vampire. I drink blood, yes, but not human blood because it’s gross. And I can read your thoughts, so…” His voice trailed, meaning that to be a warning.
“Another mind-reader?” I couldn’t handle that. For all I knew he was seducing Emily as we spoke, telling her sweet nothings and nasty lies about me.
Jake smiled. “Nothing like that at all. I was showing Emily how to block the thoughts of others, so she doesn’t have to hear every little thing, that’s all. I can teach you a few things, too. If you like?”
I felt my muscles relax, but only slightly. It was the first useful thing to breach his lips since I got here. The mere mention of the chance to block Emily’s spidery intrusions into my mind was reason enough to change my outlook on the situation. I could bear this madness a moment longer.
Jake chuckled, looking over his shoulder at Emily. “Is he always this charming?”
Her lips pressed together and she nodded sarcastically, agreeing with him in a way that looked like they’d suddenly become best buds.
I could feel my fingernails digging into the skin of my palms as my fists tightened. Jake leaned away from the couch, moving to the other where he sat down, knowing his place was not between Emily and me. At least he seemed to respect that to some degree.
Stepping forward, I collapsed onto the couch beside Emily. I felt relieved as she leaned her head against my chest, weaving her hands around my torso. Smugness puffed my ego, and I lifted my chin.
“Alright then, Jake, I’ll buy it. So, start talking.”
He sat back, his arms resting on the crest of the couch. “First of all, I’m not here to steal Emily away, I swear.” He grinned. “I couldn’t if I wanted to. She’s not a vampire.”
I raised my hand, pointer finger extended. “And she’s going to stay that way,” I added.
Jake nodded. “And she will stay that way. It would be illegal for me to turn someone into what I am without the permission of our coven leader.”
“Dracula?” I ventured.
Emily elbowed me.
I winced.
Jake didn’t
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