chapter thirty-four

“It seems like you’re not overly preoccupied by my presence.”

The mutt looked at me with unamused eyes, as if people often showed up in his owner’s house without her permission. Given that I was one out of two suitors, it made sense.

The mutt rested his head on his paws but didn’t take his eyes off me, almost as if waiting for me to do something that would pique his interest. But jokes on him. I was the most boring immortal he would ever have the pleasure of meeting. Before Vanessa, I had little a life outside of feeding and fucking. I stayed away from other immortals, and they did the same.

I was itching to explore downstairs again and see Vanessa’s passion up close. Scenting it from the bars of soap and candles I buy bi-weekly was not enough. Judging by the state I found her in, I doubt I could sneak downstairs without her noticing. My eyes flickered to the basement door without my permission as the wanting in my soul grew more intense. I ground my molars as I drew in a slow breath to calm myself while forcing myself to look away and focus on the sounds of Vanessa’s heartbeat upstairs instead. I locked my ankles together and unclenched my fist, clutching the end of my shirt, then closed my eyes to wait.

“Yeah, I don’t have time for this. If you wanted to act human, you should at least be breathing.” Vanessa’s voice cut through the nothingness of my thoughts, bringing forth a startled gasp for breath as my eyes found her narrowed ones. Her cheeks flushed with either anger, embarrassment, or exertion. I had no idea what, but it didn’t make it any less beautiful. She angrily swiped her hair behind her ear when the curls, too short to be tied back, fell out of place. She chose a baggy black T-shirt and gray sweatpants that were a size too big for her but fastened tightly around her waist, emphasizing her hips from the shirt tucked into the band in the front of the sweatpants.

“Not trying to act human,” I replied. I wasn’t, and I wasn’t worried. But that wasn’t the reaction she expected because her demeanor wilted as her weight settled on her heels and her shoulders drooped slightly forward.

“So, what are you?” Vanessa asked after a moment of silence.

I shot a tiny smirk. I wasn’t afraid of her running from me. After all, a predator always senses another predator. “Humans call us vampires. We call each other immortals.”

“Oh, thank the gods, I thought for a second I would have to Bella Swan this.”

A surprised laugh caught in my throat before I forced out with a crooked grin, “So I guess you don’t want to see my battle scars?”

Her answering giggle was a melody I never wanted to stop listening to. “So, I guess you saw the movies?”

“And read the books.” I grimaced. “You don’t have to worry. There is no Volturi to worry about; your neighbor is not a werewolf, and unfortunately, I don’t sparkle in the sunlight. I do, however, need blood to survive, and there are only two ways to kill us. Destroy the entire vessel, which is our body, or stab us through the heart. But I’ll warn you right now, I carved out my heart centuries ago and hid it. So good luck with that endeavor.” My smile had a touch of madness as I felt the darkness inside me coil in my core.

“So I can technically dismember and behead you, then keep you in separate jars for the rest of my life as long as I didn’t destroy the pieces or stab your heart?”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I purred. I wasn’t even joking. That sounded like a glorious time. Just imagining her being in charge of my very being and treating me how she treated the vermin in her basement sent shivers down my spine, and my cock started to rise. I mean, it would hurt like a bitch, but to be the center of the passion in her eyes would be worth every second.

“Now that we got that over and done with, I can now trust that you won’t turn me in. I have to go to my lab downstairs and get some things. If you want to snack, come with me,” she said flippantly and, with no regard if I would follow her, opened the basement door and headed downstairs.

As I descended the stairs to my basement, I could feel the cool air seeping through the cracks in the walls. The damp smell of earth and the faint scent of old blood filled my nostrils, reminding me of the purpose of this room with a fond smile.

I flicked on the lights, illuminating the room with a soft, yellow glow. Shelves lined the walls, filled with jars of herbs, bottles of oils, and various other ingredients. My latest prey was helpless, strapped to the steel table in the middle of the room. He didn’t look too good, but I ignored that for now. Even if I didn’t have more important things to take care of, I still wouldn’t care about him.

I was about to mix my baby-be-gone concoction when I heard a noise behind me, letting me know Orpheus followed me down the stairs.

“Feel free to take as much as you want,” I murmured as I gathered the ingredients I needed, trying not to overthink the fact that I was in a confined space with a real-life vampire, living out all my Twilight fantasies. “Though I haven’t given him water in a few days, so good luck getting something substantial.”

Orpheus laughed, and I heard him grab the stool I used next to my workbench. “This place is amazing. You’ve truly outdone yourself. I hope you don’t mind me observing you while I snack.”

Feeling a bit flustered, I shrugged, my chest swelling with a hint of pride. “Sure, I guess,” I said. “It’s not exactly a spectator sport, but if you’re interested…”

I started by precisely measuring the correct amounts of herbs and oils and pouring them into a glass beaker. I then added a few drops of a clear liquid from a small, dark bottle, which I kept hidden in a drawer. This was the secret ingredient, a potent herb from which I had grown myself and extracted the essence. It was the key to the formula’s success and highly illegal to own in the States… Not that I’d actually used it personally for this intended purpose, but it worked as a potent contraceptive if mixed right.

As I stirred the mixture with a long, wooden spoon, I heard the thing on the table groan in discomfort, and I could feel the heat of Orpheus’s gaze on my skin, making me acutely aware of my own body. I could imagine Orpheus’s fangs deep in its skin as his gaze never left me. I tried to ignore how my heart was pounding in my chest and how my stomach fluttered with nerves.

“So, what’s the story behind this, if you don’t mind me asking?” Orpheus asked, breaking the silence.

I shrugged, focusing on the task at hand. “I know your secret. Only fair I tell you mine,” I said. “I started making my beauty products as a hobby, which quickly became a special interest, and it just kind of grew from there. But it didn’t pay the bills. But then I was presented with a solution, so I took it.”

I continued to mix the ingredients, adding one more component before it thickened so the liquid would stay thin and easily digestible. I then poured the concoction into a small glass bottle and capped it tightly to give it one last vigorous shake. I held it up to the light, examining the amber liquid inside. It looked perfect.

I turned to Orpheus, a smirk on my face as I took in the tiny dribble of blood he didn’t wipe away from the corner of his mouth before downing the whole creation in one go, not stopping to taste a thing.

“I’m starving. I want to order food and watch something. You down?”