The question only made me want to know her more—to discover the answer.
But if I did… and if I was alone with her… who knew what I would do? I could already envision myself sinking my fangs into her neck—enjoying the rush as her blood poured down my throat and filled my body.
I forced the thought from my mind. I couldn’t let myself think like that. I’d gained control over my bloodlust in the past week—I’d proven it many times.
But what if I lost control again?
What if this innocent girl died because of me?
“Hello?” someone spoke to me—the short blonde standing next to the girl—jarring me from my thoughts. “Do you want something?”
The four of them in the circle stopped dancing and looked at me. My eyes went straight to the brunette’s. She, too, watched me with curiosity. But her eyes were no longer open and sweet. They were guarded and full of questions. Her posture had stiffened, and she stood strong, as if ready to defend herself.
Still, she was beautiful. Regal. Fascinating.
And in just that moment—as if the universe were acting in my favor—a slow song started to play.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked, my gaze locked on hers.
Her friends all looked at her, and the blonde girl even smirked.
I was barely able to breathe as I waited for her response. How had this one girl—this human—bewitched me so quickly?
“Annika?” the blonde said, squeezing the brunette’s arm. “Aren’t you going to say yes?”
“Annika,” I repeated, her name rolling easily off my tongue. “One dance. That’s all I ask.”
I held out a hand, and her friends backed away, leaving only the two of us standing there.
The girl—Annika—still looked at me with suspicion, and I had a feeling that gaining her trust was going to be a challenge. But it was a challenge I wanted to take. After all, I was strong. I could resist the call of her blood.
So I made a promise to myself—a promise that I would never hurt her. And I knew, deep in my soul, that it was a promise I would keep.
“Fine,” she finally said, her gaze not leaving mine. “On one condition.”
“And what’s that?” I was taken aback that she hadn’t accepted instantly—in my human life, most girls I’d approached were always interested—but I didn’t let my surprise show.
“You tell me your name.”
“Ja—,” I started, but then I realized I couldn’t say my real name. The humans in the village might not know what I looked like, but they’d certainly heard the name of the latest addition to the vampire royal family. “Jake,” I said, catching myself before I’d finished saying my name.
“Okay, Jake.” She nodded and placed her hand in mine, her eyes glinting with challenge. “Let’s dance.”
Annika
I didn’t know what had prompted me to say yes to this man.
At first I’d assumed he wanted what most guys wanted at a celebration like this—to see how far they could get with me. But those guys—the “players,” as my friends and I had called them back home—almost always tended to be drunk. And despite the hood creating shadows over his face, I knew that Jake wasn’t drunk. Because his eyes—such a unique shade of gray that they could almost be described as silver—were focused and clear.
He looked somewhat familiar, but I would never forget eyes like those, especially the contrast they had with his dark hair. And he was watching me so intensely that it felt like he was gazing straight into my soul.
When I said yes, I was as surprised as anyone. But I’d already said it, so there was no taking it back.
He reached his hand out to take mine, and his skin was so cold that I nearly flinched.
“What?” He stepped closer, placing his other arm around my back and pulling me toward him.
“Nothing,” I said. “It’s just—your hand is so cold.”
Something crossed over his eyes—panic, perhaps? But then they were cool and confident again. “Maybe you’re just warm,” he said with a smirk.
“Maybe.” I rolled my eyes, because if that was some kind of pick up line, it was pretty lame.
We swayed in time to the music, and I found myself at a loss for words. It had been so long since I’d attended a party like this. I supposed I was out of practice.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” he finally broke the silence. “Have you lived here your whole life?”
“No,” I said sadly, holding onto him tighter. “I was brought here a little less than a year ago.”
“So it’s your first Christmas in the Vale,” he realized.
I nodded in response, not trusting my voice to stay steady if I spoke.
“It’s mine too,” he said.
“When were you taken?” I asked, glad to have found this common ground between the two of us.
“A little less than a year ago,” he said. “Just like you.”
“A lot of us were taken around then,” I said.
“They were.” His eyes darkened—he must not like remembering his story of how he was brought here any more than I liked remembering mine. I couldn’t blame him… but I was also curious about his story.
Then I realized why he looked so familiar.
“I recognize you,” I said slowly. “Or at least I think I do.”
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Because I know we haven’t met before. You’re not someone I could ever forget.”
My cheeks flushed, and I cursed my body for betraying his effect on me. “You remind me of that swimmer,” I said. “The one who was on track for the Olympics.”
“You follow sports?” he asked.
“I was a gymnast.” I shrugged. “I was never good enough to try for the Olympics, but I was hoping to compete in college.”
“But now you’re here.” His deadpan tone got across what he meant—that now I would never be able to compete in the sport that I’d previously dedicated my life to.
“Yes,” I said. “Now I’m here.”
I waited for him to answer my question—to tell me if he was that swimmer—but he said nothing. I supposed I would have to prod further.
“Am I right?” I asked. “About who you are? Well… who you were? Before being brought here?”
“No.” He laughed. “I do get that a lot though. Apparently I look a lot like him.”
“You do,” I agreed, hoping I hadn’t made him feel insignificant by comparing him to a minor celebrity. “And that’s a good thing. I always thought he was attractive. So I meant it as a compliment.” I shut my mouth immediately afterward, realizing that I sounded like a babbling idiot.
His eyes shined in amusement. “If you meant it as a compliment, then I’ll take it as one,” he said.
We continued to dance, and I sunk into his arms, inwardly thanking Tanya for forcing me to come out tonight.
Then the music went off—before the song ended. It was like someone had pulled the plug.
People groaned and complained in the crowd.
“What’s going on?” I pulled away from Jake and looked for my friends. My heart rose in my throat when I couldn’t find them where I’d left them.
“Vampires.” Jake whispered in my ear. “Look.”
I looked at where he was facing, and sure enough, five vampires dressed in their black guard uniforms stood around the Christmas tree.
What were they doing here? Vampires never guarded the human village. The wolves were enough of a threat to keep us out of trouble. We were usually guarded by higher up humans— usually the humans who had generations of family in the Vale. Vampires were only called in for emergencies.
Judging by the hushed chatter throughout the crowd, I wasn’t the only one who was confused.
“I need to leave,” Jake said, his eyes darting around the square. “Now.”
“Why?” I held tighter onto his hand, not ready to let him go. I had no idea if I would see him again.
And if he was in t
rouble… I wanted to help. Which was silly, because I barely knew him, but I wanted to help nonetheless.
“They’re looking for me.” He pulled the hood higher over his head and turned away from the guards.
“Why?” I asked.
Because what would they want with a human from the Vale?
There was only one answer I could think of—they wanted to bring him into the dungeons of the palace.
If he was brought there… he would never come back.
“Never mind why,” I said, not giving him a chance to answer—and still not letting go of his hand. The guards all blocked the road that led to the vampire’s town, but the street leading to the Tavern was unmanned. “I know a place where you can hide.”
“Where is this place?” he asked, his voice low.
“Somewhere secret,” I told him. “They won’t find you, I promise.”
“You trust me?” He raised an eyebrow, and I was surprised to find a hint of playfulness in his silver eyes. “Even though we just met?”
“I’m not sure why, but yes,” I said, not needing to stop to think about my answer. “And if we want a shot at getting away, we have to go now.”
He gave me a small nod, and I led him out of the crowd, breaking into a run the moment we turned into the nearest alley.
Jacen
I kept up with Annika, impressed by her speed. However, it held nothing on mine, and I had to focus on running slowly as to not give away the fact that I wasn’t human.
As we ran, I questioned my decision to go with her. It hadn’t been an easy decision to make. Because if the vampire guards had found me, they might have revealed who I was.
What I was.
Once Annika knew I wasn’t human, she would never look at me the same again. And the way she’d looked at me while we’d been dancing—with interest, and perhaps even intrigue—I didn’t want to lose that. At least not yet.
So I went with her.
She navigated the alleyways so fluidly—like a choreographed dance. I supposed it was the gymnast in her. Finally, we rounded a corner, and she stopped at a wooden building with a sign above the door that said The Tavern.
“This is your secret place?” I asked. “A bar?”
“Above the bar.” She looked up at the highest window. “But if anyone sees us come in the front door, they’ll ask about you. So… how good are you at climbing?”
“Up there?” I glanced worriedly at the window. Not because I thought I couldn’t do it—as a vampire, climbing the wall would be easy—but because I was worried about her.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Have you ever done this before?” I asked.
“A few times.” She shrugged. “It’s pretty easy to climb, as long as you know the right places to hold onto.”
“You first,” I told her—because while she seemed confident, I wanted to be there to catch her if she fell. “I’ll follow your lead.”
“All right.” She smiled and bounded toward the side of the building, placing her hands and feet in each spot with ease as she made her way up the side. She looked like Rapunzel climbing up her tower.
I held my breath, sure she was about to make a wrong move. But she made it up so gracefully that if she’d said she was a vampire, I would have believed her.
Once at the top, she opened the window and hoisted herself inside. “Come on,” she called out, her hair blowing in the wind. “I’ll guide you if you get stuck.”
“I won’t get stuck.” I smirked, ready for the challenge, and rushed toward the building. My abilities would have easily allowed myself to jump from the ground to the window, but I went at the same pace she’d climbed. Anything else would have been a dead giveaway that I wasn’t who I’d claimed to be.
“Wow,” she said as I made my way inside the cramped attic. “That was impressive.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be a problem.” I looked out the window as she closed it, making sure the vampire guards hadn’t followed us.
The streets were clear.
Confident that we’d gotten away, I relaxed and looked around the room. When I’d first seen the lone window on the top of the building, I’d assumed it was going to be a dusty old attic. And while it was an attic—the low ceilings nearly brushed the top of my head—it had been transformed into a cozy book nook. There was a shelf packed with books—both new and old—and blankets strewn about to create a spot for reading.
“Where does that look out to?” I glanced at the window on the opposite side, which was blocked by curtains.
Annika smiled—so big that it reached her eyes. “Come,” she said, making her way to the other end of the room. “I’ll show you.”
She opened the curtains, revealing an incredible view of the palace on the mountain.
My prison.
“It’s beautiful.” Her eyes shined as she gazed up at it. “Don’t you think?”
“It’s full of vampires,” I said sharply.
“You hate them,” she observed, turning to look at me.
“Yes.” I didn’t need to think about my answer. I hated vampires—and I hated that I was one of them. “Don’t you?”
“I hate that they killed my family,” she said, sounding stronger than ever. “I hate that they’re keeping me prisoner here. But more than I hate them, I hate being weak. I hate being human.”
“What?” I knew I must be looking at her like she was crazy, but I didn’t care. Because what she’d said was crazy. “If you hate being human, what would you rather be?”
“A vampire,” she said simply.
“No.” I shook my head and backed away, flashes of the faces of all the people I’d killed rushing through my mind. “The vampires are killers. Murderers. Why would you want to be like them?”
Like me, I thought, although of course I didn’t say it out loud.
“First of all, most of them can control their urges,” she said, as if she’d done full research on the topic. “They drink the blood we donate instead of killing humans.”
“Controlling those urges isn’t as easy as you make it sound,” I muttered.
“Really?” She tilted her head, watching me closely. “How would you know?”
I wracked my mind for an explanation that wouldn’t give away my secret. “Don’t you know about that vampire who got loose last year and killed all those villagers?” I asked. “I know you must know—everyone knows. It’s why they needed to go on all those scouting missions to bring back new humans for the village. It’s why they took you.”
“And you,” she said, reminding me of the story I’d told her earlier when we were dancing.
“Why would you want to become a creature like that?” I asked.
“Most of them aren’t like that.” She straightened, looking fully convinced. “That vampire who rampaged the village was killed by order of the queen.”
“Really?” I couldn’t help but chuckle. If only she knew…
“Yes,” she said. “But that’s not the point.”
“Then tell me,” I asked. “What is your point?”
She glanced back up at the palace, took a deep breath, and turned back to me. “As humans, we’ll always be weak compared to the supernaturals,” she said, clenching her fists by her sides. “We have no chance against them. We’ll always be slaves to the vampires. But if I were one of them, I would be free.” Her eyes were so full of fire and determination—I knew she believed it.
And on a certain level, she was right. The vampires would never let her leave the Vale. She would be a blood slave until she died.
She also had no chance of becoming a vampire, since each person turned in North America had to be approved by Laila. Any vampires turned without her approval were killed.
Human blood slaves were considered the lowest of the low. They were farm animals—a food source.
Laila never had, and never would, consider one of them worthy of becoming a vampire. Which was a good thing, because I hated the thought of Annika risking he
r life to become a monster.
“What?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity. “Are you realizing that I’m right? That becoming a vampire is the only way for us to ever be truly free?”
“It’s irrelevant,” I said. “They would never turn you. Or any of us, for that matter.”
“I know,” she said, and then she turned back to gaze at the palace. “But it doesn’t hurt to dream.”
Looking at her now—at this seemingly delicate human girl who had somehow managed to stay strong despite what she’d been through at the hands of the vampires—I realized that there was nothing more I wanted than to step closer to her, look into her eyes again, and kiss her.
If I’d been human—if I were Jake and not Jacen, and if the story I’d told her had been true—I would have done exactly that.
But it did hurt to dream. Because I would never be human. And if I kissed her, I feared I might lose control and crave a taste of her blood. I would stop myself from draining her—I trusted my control enough to risk coming out here tonight—but then she would know that everything I’d told her so far had been a lie.
No matter how much I admired her strength, resilience, and hope, and no matter how much I wanted to get to know her better, the two of us had no future. By being here with her, I was living in a fantasyland as much as she was every time she gazed up at the palace and dreamed of becoming a vampire.
Maybe in another life we would have worked out. But not in this one.
There was only one honorable thing I could do at this point—compel her to forget me. I hated the thought of it, but it would be best for both of us. Because coming here with her—trusting her and starting to build a connection with her—was a mistake.
“Annika,” I said her name slowly, savoring each syllable as I spoke it.
“What?” She turned to me, her eyes full of hope.
She was looking at me the way I’d hoped she would when I’d first spotted her in the square, and the trust in her eyes took my breath away.
“You’re going to forget you ever met me,” I said calmly, feeling the magic of compulsion in my voice as I spoke. “Tonight, you were dancing with your friends when the vampire guards showed up. You got scared and ran back here—alone—and fell asleep reading.” I reached for a book sitting on top of the shelves—a bookmark stuck out from it, so I assumed it was the one she was currently reading—and handed it to her.
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 7
