I opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the waitress approached. “Are you ready to order?” she asked. She was a blond, her hair was swept up in a twist and she was wearing the standard black and white. But unlike the hostess, her skirt was scantily short, coming just below her bottom.
Sebastian gestured for me to go first. When the girl gazed at me, waiting, I picked the first thing that grabbed my attention. “I’ll have the Beef Bourguignon.”
“And to drink?”
“Just water, thank you.” I folded my menu and placed it in front of her.
The waitress turned to Sebastian. “And you?”
He grinned. “I’ll have you. If you don’t mind.”
My eyes grew wide and I’m sure my mouth dropped open in shock. The fear that had been simmering now spiked to a scorching burn.
The waitress smiled, taking his words as harmless flirtation. “Oh, I don’t mind,’ she purred with a wink.
Hunger flashed in Sebastian’s eyes as he stood up and touched the girls elbow. “All right then. Follow me.” He led her away and all I could do was gape wordlessly at him. He turned and winked at me “I won’t be long,” he called over his shoulder.
I watched them head down a corridor at the back of the restaurant where a sign above announced ‘Washrooms.’
He was going to hurt her and I couldn’t let that happen. I waited a few minutes until I followed them. Their scent trail led to the women’s room. I placed my hand on the knob and twisted. It didn’t budge; it was locked. I gave it a hard turn, using my heightened strength and with a snap, it turned. I pushed the metal door open a crack and peered inside.
Bile rose up my throat at the scene before me. Sebastian had the girl against the sink and as he gazed into her eyes he asked her if he could taste her. When she nodded robotically, he tilted her head, baring her neck. His eyes went red and his teeth extended as he leaned down to latch onto her exposed skin. When I started to step forward to stop him, he drew away, gazing at the blood that trickled down the girl’s neck. The crimson liquid also dripped from his lips. “Don’t worry,” he began softly, as if he were speaking lovingly to the waitress. “I don’t kill my food. If I killed all the blood sacks living in this world, what would I eat?”
I was too stunned to respond. He hadn’t acknowledged my presence, but I knew he was speaking to me. He leaned down and began to drink from the girl’s neck once more. After several seconds, he pulled away again. “And I don’t like an audience.”
Snapping out of my daze I only nodded, not sure if he would see or not, since he wasn’t looking at me. Then I stepped back into the hall, letting the door close with a soft click.
I shook my head, hoping to clear the disturbing image, rushed back to the table and pulled my phone out of my pocket.
“Megan, are you okay?” Nate’s panicked voice came from the other end, after I dialed.
“I’m fine. I’m at the Orchid. He took me out for dinner.”
“He eats food?” he asked, shock clear in his voice.
“I don’t think so. He’s dining on the waitress right now.”
“Eww, is he killing her?”
“No.” Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the waitress step out of the corridor with Sebastian following her.
“Nate I have to go. I just wanted you to know I’m fine. He hasn’t hurt me.”
“And I won’t,” Sebastian assured me, from right next to me. The smell of rot entered my senses too late.
I froze with the phone in my hand.
He slid into his seat and waved his hand. “Continue.” The air of superiority in his voice was audible. I remembered the way Nate described Henry and realized it might not just be because Henry had been a royal, it was more likely that most or all vampires considered themselves above the rest of us.
“He says he won’t hurt me. I have to go.”
“Wait,” Nate called out in a panic.
I interrupted him, uncomfortable talking to him in front of my captor. “I’ll see you at the park. I promise, I’ll be fine.”
“I love you.” He sounded defeated.
“I love you too.” I hit the end button on my phone and slipped it back into the pocket of my pants.
The waitress was smiling at us and then she nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right back with your orders.”
As she walked away and headed into the kitchen I furrowed my brow at the man across from me. “What just happened?” It was as if the last few minutes hadn’t occurred. Like we had ordered and then she left.
He smiled, his pale eyes bright with secrets. “She went to get your order.”
Again, I found myself shaking my head, confused and utterly out of my element with this vampire.
Deciding to let that go, I asked, “So is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“The sun. Will it kill you?”
He rolled his eyes. “No.”
I looked around us to the section we were seated in, holding my hands up. “Then why the dark cave?”
“The sun won’t kill me, but I burn easy.” He grinned mischievously.
“Can you be any more vague?”
“I could, but I like you.”
His comment threw me and I forgot what I was going to ask next.
The waitress appeared right at that moment and placed our waters in front of us. I surveyed her neck looking for teeth marks, but found none. She looked fine and didn’t seem to know what had happened. She walked away and headed to another table where an older woman, that looked vaguely familiar, was seated across from a much younger man. She was rubbing the guy’s leg with her foot from under-the-table.
The candle between us flickered. “Did you do something to her? She doesn’t seem to remember you gnawing on her neck.”
He chuckled softly. “No, she doesn’t.”
“How?”
He shrugged again, rubbing his finger along the edge of the table. “I told you, I appreciate my privacy. I don’t like people to know my business.”
I opened my mouth to ask another question, but the hard look that crossed his face had me changing my mind. So I decided to change the subject. “Why did you take me?”
The corner of his lip turned up slightly. “Why did you come?”
“I didn’t have a choice. You forced me.”
He wagged his finger at me and shook his head. “No, I forced you out of the shelter, but you got in my car willingly.” He leaned his elbow up on the top of his chair. “And, when I left you alone to have my meal.” He smirked at the word he used to describe drinking blood from the waitress. “You followed me instead of trying to escape. I would say you are more of a guest than my prisoner.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. For some reason I was intrigued with Sebastian. Not that I didn’t fear him, but he was such a contradiction and I found that interesting in anyone. When someone was easy to understand and a complete open book, it was a little boring. And I couldn’t help feel that his sadistic side might be for show. Although it didn’t matter why I hadn’t tried to get away, the point was that I was here now and I had to make the best of it. “Fine, I didn’t try and get away, but why did you take me in the first place? I thought you wanted Sadie.” My eyes widened. “Not that I want you to harm my friend. I’m just curious.”
“Don’t worry, I will have my chance with her. But I took you to tick off your mate. He has been asking around about me and I don’t like that.”
“Why?”
“Vampires don’t like people to even know we exist, much less asking about us. We don’t want to be found.”
“How did you know he was my mate?”
He shrugged. “Because he looked at you.”
“So?”
“Between all three werewolves in the hall, he chose you to look at.” He shrugged. “And I could smell him on you.”
I smirked at him, feeling strange sitting in a restaurant deep in a conversation with a vampire. But oddly, the fear that
had arisen earlier had faded. If he wanted to kill or harm me, he would have already. Which was probably a big mistake, how could I feel this way when only minutes ago he was munching on someone’s neck?
“Why did you bring me here?”
“So we could eat.”
“Why didn’t you order anything?”
His brows rose. “I’m a vampire. I drink blood,” he whispered the words, knowing I would hear him.
Feeling the need to do something with my hands, I rubbed the condensation from my water glass and gazed around the room. The restaurant was still relatively empty, but an older couple had arrived and were now seated at the table Sebastian gave up. I could hear chatter and the clinking of dishes from the kitchen. “You don’t eat food?” I asked after a brief pause.
He shrugged. “I can, but blood tastes better.
“Then why did you want to go to a restaurant?”
His brow furrowed. “To eat,” he repeated, as though I was dumb. And then he grinned, showing his shiny white teeth. “It was quite satisfying.”
I tried to hide my disgust, but I was sure it showed on my face. I took a frustrated breath. “Couldn’t you get anyone off the street, why come here.
“I’m not uncivilized. Like any other person, when I’m hungry I go to a restaurant.”
I could only stare at him blankly, at a loss for words.
“You know what they say about throwing stones.”
“I don’t drink blood.”
“No, you eat it. When you’re a wolf there is blood when you rip into a body.”
His words made me cringe. “None of my friends attack humans and I don’t even attack animals. I prefer my food cooked.”
He smirked, his eyes narrowed as if accessing me. “You don’t fool me. I’ve met a few werewolves in my time.” His face hardened and his eyes went pink, but he closed them before they could go blood red like I had seen earlier.
“I’m serious. I know what happened to you and your friends.” I froze when he opened his eyes and leveled his gaze on me. The look he gave me was deadly. I had to keep reminding myself that he was dangerous and not be fooled by his jovial manner. I gulped down the fear that had suddenly reappeared. I couldn’t show him how I felt. I had a feeling he wouldn’t respect that. “And while some werewolves kill, like I’m sure some vampires do, we don’t.” I hoped my tone sounded as firm as I had meant it to. I wanted him to understand; Sadie’s life depended on it.
Sebastian leaned forward, his gaze boring into me. “Do you know where Miles is?”
I suddenly felt like I wanted to share all my secrets with him. “No. I’ve never met him. I just met Sadie a few weeks ago.”
He stared at me as if trying to decide if I was telling him the truth, but at that moment I couldn’t do otherwise. I would never lie to him. When he turned away from me, those thoughts disappeared. I would definitely lie to him if I had to. “Did you just do something to me?”
His face went blank. “Do what?”
“I don’t know, hypnotize me somehow?”
His lips turned upward into a lopsided smile. “I’m not a magician Megan, I’m a vampire.”
I was about to argue when the waitress came back with my food. Once she was gone I stabbed my beef and took a bite. “Miles didn’t attack you. You know that right. It was the man that turned him into a werewolf against his will. He was trying to make him kill like he did, but Miles refused.”
Sebastian took a sip of his water, making me wonder about his diet. But if I asked too many questions, he wouldn’t answer.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Every one of them has to die. They took away my friend and ruined his father. An eye for an eye.”
I stared at him, holding my fork in the air in front of me, baffled by his logic. “Your friend’s father was turned into a werewolf right?”
He nodded so slightly, I wasn’t sure if he had actually moved.
“So was Miles. He was just as much of a victim as your friend’s father. What was his name?”
“Isaiah. And my friends name was Aiden. They were my only family. My parents left me when I was a child.” His words were mumbled, like he didn’t want to speak them. I was actually surprised that he had answered me. He didn’t seem like the sharing type.
I had the urge to ask him about the father, but that was for Nate to do, although I had a feeling that it was going to be difficult for Nate to get any information from him. “Miles was Sadie’s only family and from what I hear, he is a good man.”
A brow lifted over his eyes. “But you don’t know him.”
I shook my head. “No, I told you I just met Sadie. But from what they’ve said he was like Nate; and would never hurt anyone. They don’t kill humans. No one I know does. In fact we’ve had a few run-ins with werewolves who do and they’ve tried to hurt us.”
He studied me closely for several long seconds as if considering my words. When I started to get uncomfortable under his scrutiny, he spoke, “Eat up. It’s time to go.” His voice was hard and immovable. He had closed up. His moment of sharing was over and there was no way I was about to argue. I did what I was told and gobbled the rest of my food. When my plate was cleared, he paid the waitress and we left.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Baycroft Park
As the sun set in the sky, Sebastian pulled his car up to the park. The pink and orange streak’s peaked through the trees as we opened the doors to step out. Nate and Joe’s cars were already there, parked along the side of the road. The air was cooling down, a break from the sun’s hot rays from earlier.
Five figures stepped out of the trees and right away, I spotted Nate. His expression was tense as he looked me over, worried that Sebastian had hurt me. I smiled, hoping to reassure him. He was flanked by Joe, Adrian, Sadie and Lauren. All of them appeared to be ready to fight, each holding their individual stances.
“Ask your questions werewolf.” Sebastian’s voice was smooth and commanding as we walked to the center of the meadow that was situated next to the road. The scent of honeysuckle wafted in the air. He stopped about five feet from my friends and as I took a step toward Nate, the vampire reached up and gripped my arm.
“Let her go,” Nate growled, his deep snarl echoed through the trees.
Sebastian looked me over, his penetrating eyes held a hint of amusement and a small smile played at the edges of his lips. “I’m not sure I want to. I’ve grown rather attached to her during our short time together.”
Nate’s face hardened, his eyes flashed wild and yellow, his hands balled into fists at his sides. His expression was murderous. I was worried he would try to fight for me and after everything I had learned about Sebastian I wasn’t sure he would win. In fact, I was beginning to think he wouldn’t have a hope in hell.
I tried to yank my arm from the hand that held it, but met resistance. He was immovable, even with my heightened strength. He smirked at me, his eyes dancing with laughter. For some reason the fact that he found this situation amusing, sparked rage inside me and I reacted without thinking. He was too busy watching my face that he didn’t notice my free hand shoot up to his arm and I yanked. His pale blue eyes widened as I obviously took him off guard. Taking advantage of his surprise, I flipped him over my shoulder. He released my arm with the movement as he landed on the ground with a thud. Blades of grass curled around his head and body. I glared down at him. “Stop acting like an ass and let him ask you some questions.”
Instead of the rage I thought I would see on his face, his lips turned up at the corners. “I knew you were frisky. I like that.” He chuckled. “May I get up now?”
Suddenly, I was no longer alone. All of my friends stood around us, gazing yellow-eyed at the stunned vampire below me.
“Are you going to threaten to take my wife again?” Nate asked with obvious animosity in his voice.
Sebastian sat up and grinned wickedly. “I might, but for now she is safe.” He stood and glanced at my husband. “Ask your questions, I
’m growing tired of this small-town and annoyed by the people in it.” He eyed us all as a group pointedly.
“Where can I find Isaiah King?” Nate finally asked.
Joe’s eyes widened, as he spun on Nate. “Who is that?”
Nate kept his focus on the vampire while he answered his friend. “I don’t know. I found his name in Charlotte’s jacket when I was burying her. I think it was what she was reaching for before you shot her.”
Joe’s face paled at the mention of his sister. He hated having to take her life. But he had thought she was reaching for a gun, so he had no choice. “Why are you trying to find him?”
Nate opened his mouth to answer, but Sebastian rolled his eyes and then cut him off. “Can you have your conversation when I leave?” He was speaking to Joe and then he turned to Nate. “What do you want with Isaiah?”
“I just want to meet him.”
Sebastian frowned, uncertainty flashed in his eyes as he appeared to struggle with his decision to tell Nate anything more.
“Can you please just answer him?” I asked, hoping he would help my husband, since he had been almost kind to me at the restaurant. “He’s been searching for your friend for six months. It was a wild-goose chase until Sadie mentioned his last name when she told us about you.”
Again, Joe’s mouth dropped open in shock, as he stared at Nate. It wasn’t like Nate to keep secrets from his best friend. Apparently, they weren’t as close as they thought they were if they both hadn’t been entirely truthful.
Sebastian’s pale eyes narrowed as he studied Nate. “Is this about the cure?” he asked.
Nate’s mouth dropped open and the expression on his face could only be interpreted as pure and utter shock. His look must have mirrored mine. “What cure?” Nate gasped.
Joe’s jaw clenched. Annoyance flickered over his features at Sebastian for saying those words. But, why? And what was Sebastian even talking about?
Sebastian shrugged. “Isaiah has been working to reverse the werewolf bite since he was turned. He found it fifteen years ago.”
Four werewolves gasped in succession. Nate stepped forward. “He can cure us?”
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