Essence woke with a gasp. Her heart was in her throat, and she searched for air. For a full ten seconds, she had no idea where she was or how she got there. Eventually, she recognized Alec’s room, the one she had changed her clothes in before she fell down the stairs. The sun shone through the windows. It was the middle of the day, and she had no idea how or when she’d arrived in his home.
What the hell was going on?
She slipped out of the white sheets. Her body felt tight, sore like she’d danced for too long, and her head pounded. The last thing she remembered was coffee, the feeling of being watched and then…nothing.
Essence looked down at herself. She wore a white nightgown with Duran Duran on the front. Somehow, she’d gotten back into the clothes of the woman Alec had once taken care of. Again, the how and why bothered her.
She pushed open the door to the room and made her way into the hall. The house was quiet—it had been the last time, too—but this time felt different. It was as though the house held its breath.
“Gosh, you are really getting into the absurd, aren’t you?” She shook her head. Whatever had happened, she needed food first so she could think. With a general idea of where the kitchen should be she explored the house.
Alec would show up sometime soon. This was his house, after all. He’d have to explain to her how she got here. And then maybe he could tell her why he never called again.
God, she’d really become such a girly-girl.
The kitchen was a really sad experience. There was a bottle of peanut butter in the pantry and some jelly in the fridge. There was, however, no bread. Since those two things seemed to be her only choices to eat—did Alec ever eat at home?—she grabbed a spoon and made a peanut butter, jelly combination that she put directly in her mouth.
Two bites and she spit it out into the sink. There was something wrong with the peanut butter, something wrong with the jelly. It all tasted wrong. She didn’t know if there was a downstairs bathroom but she managed to run back to the room she’d woken up in to vomit into the toilet. Her head spun. When the retching was done, she crawled back to the bed.
Something was wrong with her. Something very wrong.
She closed her eyes.
The woman who she always saw in the ballet dream was there. Only she wasn’t at the ballet. Instead, she sat on a bed. The room was purple but filled practically to the brim with red roses. The gorgeous woman grabbed one of them and smelled it before discarding it and wandering out of the room.
Alec stood talking to Benyamin. The woman rolled her eyes. She was so horribly bored. Alec was always busy these days—busy, busy, busy—talking about boring, boring, boring things. It had been this way since they’d arrived in America. Hiding from the hunters wasn’t glamorous, and the only way she could survive as a vampire was to keep it wonderful.
This was not what she had in mind.
Benyamin laughed at something Alec said. Something was amusing? They’d said something funny and left her out of it?
In what world did that happen?
She sauntered over to them, leaning against Alec’s arm. “Hello, gentlemen. What happens tonight?”
Benyamin sighed loudly. “Nothing, unfortunately. We’ve got to stay in. Alec and I will go feed. I know, this isn’t fun, but they are becoming more organized. An entire clan of vampires was killed last week. We’re not taking any risks.”
Alec kissed her head. “I’m sorry, my beloved. Your safety comes first.”
But. She. Was. Bored.
*
Alec woke quickly. He threw the blankets off his body and jumped out of bed. For once, the need to feed seemed distant, his attention focused on Essence. She was in bed, but she hadn’t remained there. The smell of how awful she felt wafted toward him. He could also scent peanut butter and jelly. He gagged. Alec should have anticipated she would think she should have food.
Nothing but chicken broth and vegetable soup would stay in her stomach for any length of time. She might be able to keep down meat if it was raw. The peanut butter and jelly that one of the humans who worked for him left there must have made her incredibly sick.
He’d considered having one of the people who worked for him there when she roused, since he knew he’d be all but dead to the world, but dismissed the idea quickly. They might terrify her. She needed to be calm, to hear him out, to decide rationally if she wanted to stay in the dark night with him or move on.
He made his way quickly to her side. Placing his hand on her, he knew right away she was feverish. Alec was always cold unless he’d recently fed, but he could tell she was too hot.
She needed more blood to stave off her body’s movement toward death. He could keep her indefinitely in this state but that wasn’t good for anyone. Too much blood and it would take her months to pass, if that was her choice. Just a little bit more than that, and she’d become a vampire.
He’d never changed anyone, although he assisted those who were transformed from time-to-time.
“Essence.” He stroked her hair away from her forehead. “Open your eyes, if you can.”
She lifted her lids. Exhaustion poured out of her and broke his heart. A kinder creature would leave her alone. He wasn’t that person.