“Who put you up to this? Was it, Eric? Or was it, Jas?”
“No one. I am who I say I am... who that business card says I am,” he replied sitting back on his stool. “I am Alric Drayton, CEO of the Silverdale Corporation.”
“No. I don’t believe you. Mr Drayton is an enigma, never seen in public and those who’ve had the pleasure of meeting him through business, stay tight-lipped about his appearance, his age... anyone in this room could claim to be him and it would be difficult to dispute it.”
Drayton tipped his head back and laughed a deep throaty chuckle that stirred unwanted thoughts in Eden’s mind. Ones he shouldn’t be having over a stranger who claimed to be Alric Drayton.
“The people in this bar-” Drayton waved an arm toward the other patrons and as Eden followed it he realised everyone was watching them. Danger rippled from every set of eyes Eden could see before crashing into the wall created by Drayton’s presence. “-wouldn’t dare claim to be me. Wouldn’t risk their lives; their family’s lives, by trying to impersonate Alric Drayton, Eden.”
Eden snorted. Alric Drayton’s name had been whispered through the streets of the city since he’d been a child. “Still doesn’t make me believe that you are him. Alric Drayton would have to be in his fifties? Sixties? And you... barely look a day over thirty-five.”
“Eden, you know that what I’m saying is true-” Drayton slid off his barstool and stood in front of Eden, caging him against the bar as he eyes flashed red, a dark burgundy colour that didn’t look at all natural. Eden blinked, he’d must have been mistaken staring at Drayton’s hazel eyes as he leaned in closer, hot breath caressing Eden’s skin. “-that I am Alric Drayton. And I’m over two-thousand years old... I’ve been waiting for you Eden, for this night for the last twenty-five years.”
Laughter bubbled out of him, shook his entire body until it ached. Yet the moment his gaze caught Drayton’s it stopped. He swallowed it down as he stared at the serious expression Drayton wore, the burgundy red eyes and grin that sent cold fear racing down his spine.
Chapter Three
Watching Eden’s expressions change, the way annoyance flipped into disbelief and then into fear had been fascinating; added to the already beautiful package Eden was. Alric wanted to touch him; to brush the stray lock of hair that fell over Eden’s stunning blue eyes away. Wanted to drag his nose up the column of Eden’s neck, chase the scent of his blood as it circulated around his body and soak up the aroma he’d only been able to catch from afar. Twenty-five years of its tantalising smell carried through the city on the faintest of breezes. Tempting. Teasing. Worth the wait.
Twenty-five years he’d waited hidden out of sight, but always watching; always protecting Eden. Albie’s men never far from Eden’s side and it had allowed Alric to watch him grow from a cheeky young boy into the beautiful, confident man he was today. Yet a little of that confidence slipped as Eden began to realise the creatures of myth and legend he studied may be more real than he thought. All of them. And Alric would be happy to introduce Eden to the heads of the various packs, clans and covens that made Silverdale City their home. Though maybe not tonight. It might overwhelm Eden, not missing the nervous glances he was now throwing at the bar’s patrons.
But he hadn’t fainted. Hadn’t run screaming, forcing Alric to hunt him down. And he’d take that as a win.
“No. No. You can’t be,” Eden hissed as denial dug in, blinding him to truth right in front of him. “They aren’t real... you can’t be real. Folk tales. Stories told to scare children... entertainment. Nothing more.”
“What aren’t real, Eden?” Denial came before acceptance and Alric was more than happy to speed things along. “You know we are... you’ve studied us... know that there has to be truth behind the myths, the stories that are told.”
Alric grinned, lips stretching back in a predatory grin to reveal his fangs once more. Flicked his tongue across them, delighted at the heat flaring in Eden’s eyes as he tracked the movement.
“Twenty-five years... you say you’ve been waiting-” Hesitancy. Curiosity. Alric’s patience wearing thin when he had other more exciting ideas on how to celebrate Eden’s birthday – the whole weekend if he had his way – and staying here in a bar hashing out whether his existence was real, was not it. “Why? Why...me?”
He brushed the hair from Eden’s face; dragged his thumb across his beautiful cheekbones as he tried to compose an answer. But in the end, the truth was the best one to give. “Because Eden, you are special to me...precious. I waited twenty-five years... no, I waited so much longer... two-thousand years of waiting, wondering when you’d appear in front of me; for you to exist.”
Eden stared at him, eyes going blank unable to comprehend at all what he’d said. Laughter bubbled out of Eden, a hand pressing hard on Alric’s chest until he was forced to step back. This wasn’t how he expected the night to go... or maybe Alric had spent twenty-five years too long thinking about only the romantic outcomes. He’d gotten caught up in the fantasy of a fated lover meant only for him and Alric hadn’t given any thought to Eden not believing it; not accepting his words as truth.
“Mr Drayton, I don’t know who’s put you up to this, but you’ve got to stop. Your pick-up lines are corny, cringey and have they ever worked before?” Eden kept pushing him back and slid from the bar stool. “And in my professional opinion, vampires? They aren’t real.”
Alric steeled himself, fighting back against the pain blossoming in his abdomen, refusing to let it severe the fragile bond still connecting him to Eden. But it was the pain in his heart that hurt more as he stared at the angry hardened eyes of Eden and realising his denial came laced with the assumption someone was playing a trick on him. A humiliating cruel joke and it made Alric wonder what had happened while Eden was away at university, the only time Alric didn’t have people watching over him not wanting to encroach in another’s territory or signal just who Eden was to him. Eden shoved him harder and stormed toward the bar’s exit. Alric could only stand there watching him leave, stunned at the turn of events. Two men stepped forward to stop Eden, but Alric shook his head knowing that it would only push Eden further from him.
It still wasn’t easy to let him go.
He took a deep breath and pushed back against the pain Alric couldn’t afford anyone to see. Stared at the other patrons with a feral grin that belied the fear travelling like shards of ice down his spine until they shirked back. But Alric had no qualms that by the time dawn arrived, rumours of his rejection would have spread throughout their world and he strolled out the door, head held high.
His phone rang as he stepped out of the bar. “What?” he barked, glancing down the street wondering which way Eden had gone, his scent not easy to pick up amongst the drunken revellers lurching from one bar to another.
“Hit and a miss.” Albie chuckled.
“Shut it, Albie. Did you have him followed?”
“Of course. I do plan for everything including Eden leaving the bar without you. And if you look to your right–” Alric shifted his vision as Albie spoke and soon spied the vehicle hidden in the shadows, Albie leaning against it waving.
Alric shoved his phone in the pocket of his suit jacket and strode across the street toward his friend. He slid into the backseat of the executive series car, heavily modified to meet his needs: windows tinted against the UV rays and a chiller filled with specially fortified red wine. He took the glass Albie offered him, eyes fluttering shut as the scent wafted under his nose; sighed at the delicate notes washing over his tongue and it took the edge off his sour mood. It wasn’t what Alric had wanted to drink tonight, but Eden wasn’t working to his plan.
Another scent filled the car as Albie opened a second smaller bottle. Pure. Unadulterated. Alric snarled, ready to tear Albie’s throat out if he didn’t explain why and how he’d gotten his hands-on bottle of Eden’s blood.
“Easy now.” Albie passed him the uncorked bottle and held his hands up in surrender while trying to put
distance between himself and Alric’s anger. Hard to do in the confines of a moving car. “There is a good reason... I promise-” watching Alric cautiously. “-his guards noticed him turn up at the blood donation’s centre and I didn’t think you’d want anyone else getting it.” Albie dropped his hands as Alric’s anger eased back. “I spent a good couple of hours with our inside person trying to secure it for you.”
It had been hard not to snatch the bottle from Albie, desperate to get it away from the other vampire’s clutches even if Albie was one of Alric’s oldest friends. Harder still to move past his anger knowing someone other than him had taken blood from Eden. It didn’t matter that it was through an organised blood drive that benefited human and vampire alike – wasn’t feasible to drink from the source all the time. His anger growing murderous as he realised other vampires had come close to Eden’s blood transporting it; transferring it from the bag to the more socially acceptable container, a bottle. They were men that could be trusted, Alric knew that, but he couldn’t help the possessive need to protect Eden.
He gripped the bottle tight, the sweet-spicy notes that had caught his attention twenty-five years ago spilled into the air, matured to perfection. Heady. Intoxicating. Alric couldn’t stop his bodies reaction, eyes changed, fangs lowered desperate to sink into Eden’s warm flesh – the sweet spot at the juncture of his neck and shoulder or his hip – like he’d intended to do tonight. But this offered Alric a taste of what awaited him and one he planned to savour even if it made Eden’s absence harder.
Chapter Four
When he figured out who’d planned this little prank, Eden was going to kill them. Alric Drayton, yeah right that man was the elusive Silverdale CEO, he snorted, anger flowing through his veins anew at the mere thought of the man’s name. Grew even hotter as Eden remembered the man’s feeble attempts to convince him he was a vampire. Like hell he was. Eden had to give him kudos for the special effects he’d used: the way his hazel eyes had deepened to a burgundy and the fangs that looked real. Impressive, but not enough to convince Eden. All it showed was that Alric Drayton, or whoever had put him up to it, had studied the mythology of vampires carefully.
But two weeks had passed since that infuriating night in the bar and Eden still hadn’t found the culprits. It had to be someone close to him; someone who knew about the cards he received each year, and yet, the number who knew about them was small. So small, that Eden had already questioned his flatmates Eric and Jas about it and both flat out denied having anything to do with it. The horrified almost hurt expressions that flickered across their faces at the accusation had pretty much convinced Eden they were telling the truth. That and the fury they’d unleashed on him having learnt Eden had gone out to meet with a stranger without telling anyone. His next suspect had been his best mate since high school, Bryn, who was well-known for his pranks, but even he’d hotly denied it. Bryn though was the only one to suggest looking into the man’s claims; search for whatever grainy images online there were of Alric Drayton and see if it matched up to the man he’d met with. Pointed out that Alric Drayton would have the financial means to pay for Eden’s university fees however creepy it might seem.
He didn’t mention Drayton’s claim of being a vampire, deciding it was better to keep that bit of information to himself. Not that telling anyone would achieve anything but have Drayton accused of not only being a creep, but crazy too. And Eden didn’t believe the man was crazy. Fully committed to the role he was playing, but not crazy. If he’d been playing a role? What if he’d been truthful in his assertion? The stray thoughts slipped into Eden’s mind, sneaking in front of the urge to do exactly as Bryn suggested and look Alric Drayton up.
Eden might get an answer to at least one of his questions.
He let out a long-frustrated groan, scrubbed his face and kicked off the blankets before clambering out of bed. Eden grabbed a towel and wandered out of his bedroom, pleased that he’d missed the early morning scrabble for the small bathroom. University had started back already, but unlike his flatmates Eden’s classes didn’t start until mid-afternoon, nor did he have to while away his precious study time at a part-time job thanks to his mysterious benefactor. Or maybe not so mysterious if Drayton’s claims were to be believed.
Taking advantage of the fact none of his flatmates were home, he stood under the soothing stream of hot water until it turned cold. Jumped out, tried to dry himself despite the thinness of the towel he’d grabbed and then wrapped it around his hips. Eden had just reached for his toothbrush when the doorbell rang, and he stared confusedly in the direction of the front door. No one was expecting packages, so who could it be this early in the morning? Whoever it was, courier or someone else, they weren’t showing any sign of disappearing as the doorbell rang again. Answering the door with only a towel around his waist wasn’t ideal but as the doorbell rang for a third time as he hurried down the hallway, Eden didn’t have much choice.
“Hold your fucking horses,” he yelled as the impatient person rang the blasted bell again. Eden grabbed the towel tight not wanting it to slip and opened the door. He glared at the young man waiting on the other side who most definitely didn’t look like a courier in his dark grey suit. They looked uneasy too, glancing about at the sky and the shadows on the ground before shuffling a few centimetres closer to the house. It was almost like they were trying to keep themselves out of the sun as much as possible which was...curious behaviour. But more important than the man’s strange actions, Eden wanted to know why they were here and how soon he could get them to disappear?
“Mr Haversham?”
“Yes... that’s me.”
The man only got stranger as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a long thin box with a very familiar card attached to it. “From Mr Drayton.” He held it out to Eden who stood there and blinked at it.
“Thanks... I guess?” He accepted the package not sure what would happen if he didn’t. “Do I need to sign for it?”
“No. No signature needed. I can tell that you are who you say you are. Have a nice day,” the man said, leaving Eden standing in the doorway struggling to hold his towel in place and staring after him no less confused then when he’d opened the door. Watched as the man all but dived into the back of an SUV with tinted windows that was concerning as it was baffling.
Eden shut the door and wandered back into his bedroom throwing the package onto his bed while he got dressed. Curiosity had his eyes drifting back to it, trying to work out what could be inside the long box that he’d only ever seen jewellery presented in. He scoffed at the thought, while not opposed to wearing jewellery Eden couldn’t imagine a man like Drayton purchasing it for him, especially not the types of pieces that he preferred: antique Victorian silver pieces that carried history within them; had witnessed more of it than he’d ever know. Pieces that bordered on a goth aesthetic and quite fitting with his choice of study and it had all started with the Victorian styled fob watch he’d received on his sixteenth birthday. He’d been intrigued with its heavy solid silver case, the glass backing that allowed one to watch the intricate mechanism and the fascinating engraving of a bat. It had been the first gift Eden had received from his mysterious benefactor outside of the payments into his bank accounts and the cards...
Realisation dawned. Fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and he had to unfasten and refasten them twice. Eden stared down at the box, if everything was to be believed, this was another present from his mysterious benefactor, Mr Alric Drayton, who knew exactly what Eden liked because he’d been the one to send him down this path. The bed dipped, squeaking out its complaints as Eden sat down heavily, fingers brushing over the package: a black wrapped box tied with a red ribbon. And not a bright festive red, but darker, deeper, one that reminded him of the colour that flashed in Drayton’s eyes.
He tore the paper off, flung the ribbon somewhere on the floor; a mess he’d deal with later. Eden picked up the box, carefully tugging the lid free to reveal its contents. Inside
, nestled in satin the same colour as the ribbon lay a watch: black strap and a silver face engraved with the same stylized bat design as the fob watch he’d received at sixteen. But where this one differed was the inscription on the back. Nothing fancy. Nothing meaningful. Two initials and a date. AD 1872.
Eden blew out a long breath and laced his hands behind his head as he stared at the watch. It wasn’t confirmation that his mysterious benefactor truly was Alric Drayton, nor that the man was a vampire. If anything, it threw up more questions as to why a man like Drayton would take an interest in him, one that went as far as sending him antique jewellery which were more likely to be family heirlooms, if the date on the watch was to be believed. Eden had no reason to doubt the items age.
Accepting it or any future gifts of this nature however, Eden wasn’t so sure of. He didn’t need to decide that right now; didn’t have time as he placed the lid back on the box and carried it over to his drawers. Opening the top one, he placed the box alongside the other gifts and cards he’d received from his mysterious- from Alric Drayton over the years, unable to bring himself to throw any of them out. His benefactor may not be a stranger any longer, but he was still very much a mystery.
Chapter Five
Alric packaged the burnished silver cufflinks into a box, wrapped it in black paper and tied it with burgundy red ribbon just as he’d done with the other gifts he’d sent Eden. This one would be the last piece of an ensemble he hoped Eden would wear for him tonight as he tucked the request for dinner tonight under the ribbon. At least the gifts so far had been received, having half-expected Eden to have returned them considering the way he’d rejected Alric, his mere existence at the bar two weeks ago... more than that now he supposed, but he’d waited a week before gathering the items, collecting them from his suite of rooms at the mansion and bringing them here. Waited with a strange patience he’d never managed before, not when he’d already been forced to wait twenty-five years and was not afraid to take what he wanted. But really, what was two weeks when they had the rest of their lives, eternity ahead of them. He hoped.
Finding His Eden Page 2
