Daughters of Dracula (The Stoker Sisters #1) (7 page)

“Looks like football practice comes in handy,” he said with a wink. He ran his fingers though his dark
hair, pushing it off
his handsome face. “I’ve been putting in a lot of time catching the ball.”

Still shaken by the blow, Sadie tittered and was quickly steadied by his strong hand on her shoulder.

“I’m really sorry about running into you like that. Are you okay?”

Sadie nodded and tried to tear her eyes away from his, but was captivated by the striking features that touched a chord deep inside her. Realizing she’d been gaping, she pressed her lips together and swallowed. Though he’d released his hold of her shoulder, his hand was still holding her backpack, the heat of his fingers burning against her skin.

“I’m the one who should apologize.” Having finally found her voice, she tried to gain control of her frazzled emotions. Unwilling to believe his football practices were responsible for his quick reaction, she wondered if he might be a vampire.
 

He smiled and she could have sworn he heard her question. Was she that obvious? Think of something else, she thought, anything.

“I’m so unbelievably clumsy.” She took a firmer grip of her bag, but he still clung to it.

“That makes two of us.” He extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Keegan…Keegan Knowles.”

Sadie shook his hand. “Sadie…” An exquisite frisson traveled over her skin when her hand touched his while the slightest hint of a smile made its way to her lips. He was like nothing she’d seen since arriving to California. Tall and lean, she could sense the power he carried in his muscular frame. There was something in the gleam of his eye that captured her and while she wanted to get much closer, she knew she had to get away from his touch.

As she shifted to shrug the backpack on, he took a step closer to help her.
 

“Quite a heavy bag for such a delicate girl.”

The scent of his breath brushed under her nostrils.
 
The scent of vampire was not on him, but she still found it hard to believe he could be completely human.

“I have to go.” Walking out of the registration office, she glanced back at him and saw the dismay that mingled with the confident smile. Anticipation for her first day of school grew and she knew not a day would pass without envisioning his handsome face.

Out in the corridor and even as she emerged from the school and walked to meet Alexis, the scent of him followed her. She tilted her nose down to sniff at the shoulder straps of her backpack and was instantly intoxicated by the intense fragrance.

Yes, she thought. Going to a public school is going to be far more interesting than being tutored at home.

In the distance she spotted Alexis and wondered if she would notice her flushed excitement.

“Is the school that captivating, Sadie?”

She’d always been far too perceptive.

“As a matter of fact, it is. I regret that Mother and Father paid out such outrageous sums of money to have us tutored.”

**********

Sadie might try to show such enthusiasm for the public school system, but Alexis instinctively knew it was much more than that that caused her sister to be so agitated and flushed. Yards away, she had picked up the scent; the scent of a male, young, strong and virile.

Now standing at her sister’s side, the scent nearly overwhelmed her. Her body tingled and she fought to control her breathing that sought only to take in every ounce of the manly fragrance that clung to her sister.

“If school is to be of such interest, perhaps I should join you.”

Sadie halted and turned to face her, the horror of such a thought plainly written on her face.

Alexis bit down on a smile. Riling her sister was always so amusing. “But then again, I never have been very academic.”

Sadie resumed her stride and Alexis stayed close to her side, eager to keep the scent of this mysterious male in her nostrils. While she couldn’t quite discern the specifics of that heavenly fragrance, she knew she wanted to know more.

It was too similar to that of Lord
Ashwin
; painfully so.

Chapter 6

“Today, popular books are bringing a new wave of interest to the great romance of vampires,” Mr. Cutler said. “There is an appeal to them that has people not only wanting to become romantically involved with vampires, but they want to become a vampire themselves.”

Sadie sat listening attentively to her English Lit teacher. The thought of openly talking about vampires was oddly fascinating. Part of her feared her own status would be exposed if she was too closely scrutinized. It seemed her teacher’s every mention of vampire deeds was aimed directly at her and she had difficulty making eye contact with him. But she was also intrigued by the reactions of the students around her, especially the girls.

“
Twilight
has brought about a whole new rage of passion for the topic.” Mr. Cutler wandered through the rows of students, his hands clasped behind his back. “How many here have read one or more of these books?”

Reluctant to raise her hand, Sadie waited until almost half the girls in the class had put their hands in the air before joining them. The series had become a phenomenon and she’d been instantly fascinated by young girls’ obsession with the characters.

“Can anybody tell me why these vampires are so attractive?” Mr. Cutler asked.

A group sigh filled the air. Dreamy gazes took over the features of virtually every girl. Sadie bit down on a chuckle. Even fictional vampires held a compelling hold on these young girls.

“Robert
Pattinson
is so hot,” one girl offered.

“I’d willingly let him bite my neck,” another threw in.

“Those eyes; they just make me melt.”

“Can we concentrate on the character and not the actor who portrays him?” Mr. Cutler pointed out.

“It’s more than just his looks.”

It was the first time a guy had spoken up on the subject. Sadie turned to face Keegan.

“It’s his immortality,” he added. “He promises Bella the very thing she’s afraid of. She’s seduced by the danger of it all.”

“That’s an interesting point,” Mr. Cutler said as he made his way to Keegan’s desk.

“Vampires are very seductive creatures,” Keegan said. “Everything about them is meant to attract their victims – their beauty, their voice, and even their bite. Their bite can be intoxicating, pleasurable even, filling their victim with a sense of euphoria…before they die.”

A few students snickered at the sexual insinuation, but Sadie just stared at him, intrigued by his take on vampires.

He fixed his gaze on her and a warm smile spread across his lips.

Bashfully aware she’d been staring and feeling the sudden heat wave caused by his smile, Sadie looked away. She’d never felt such a response, at least not from a human. She was baffled by the effect he had on her and didn’t know what to make of it.

It wasn’t the first time she’d been so flustered by him. Every time she crossed his path and every class she shared with him had her painfully aware of his proximity. She glanced back at him again and his gaze was still steadily on her, his smile inviting, yet slightly mocking.

Though she hardly considered herself to be naïve in the ways of love between a man and a woman, the sensations she now felt left her seeking some sort of understanding. Over the years she’d met her fair share of men, had witnessed romances and had learned of the ways men seduce women.

But never had she felt such a strong desire to be seduced by a man. Keegan had latched onto something deep within her from their very first meeting. She’d tried to ignore it. It was most likely the move to California, the return to school, the start of a new life. But these rationalizations didn’t explain why it was only in the presence of Keegan that she felt such overwhelming excitement and anxiety.

As Mr. Cutler continued with the lesson, Sadie found it difficult to concentrate on what he had to say. Though she’d turned away from Keegan, she could feel him. She knew his gaze was on her and she fought to keep it from disturbing her.

He was getting under her skin, something she couldn’t allow, something she had never allowed before.

When the class finally let out, she rushed down the hall towards her locker, eager to get away from the heat of the class. She sensed him, trailing her. He was close, too close and while she enjoyed the sensual sensations she felt emanating from him, she needed to keep him from getting any closer.

In a flash, she spun around to face him, grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to the lockers.
 
Inches from his face, her eyes were hard and determined as they met his. “Why are you following me?”

Though his eyes widened momentarily, they quickly narrowed with humor and amusement. “Hey, cool it.” His chuckle was light, reminding her of the exaggerated force she’d used to back him into the lockers. “I just wanted to know why you were looking at me that way.”

“What way?” She sounded more annoyed than she actually was and knew she was being far too harsh with him. But it was the only way she could control all the other emotions she felt.

“That funny way, back in class.”

“You were talking, I was listening. That’s all.”

“No, that’s not all.”

She had so many questions to ask him, yet she didn’t dare. His knowledge of vampires was a little too extensive for comfort.

“You're a guy. I guess it’s just weird to hear a guy talking about
Twilight
the way you were. I was surprised you knew anything about it.”

His gaze locked onto hers, causing that sensation to come again. He wasn’t human. He couldn’t be. He had a mesmerizing way about him; not quite vampire, but not entirely human either.

“Whether it’s
Twilight
,
Vampire Diaries
or
Dracula
, I’m fascinated by the population’s attraction to these stories. It’s amusing to see how compelling they all are. Don’t you find it fascinating?”

She wanted to squirm out of his scrutinizing gaze. He was looking too deeply inside her and she wondered what he saw. Somehow she doubted it was simply the blue of her eyes that intrigued him so.

“It’s popular fiction.” The statement came out as flippant and disinterested as she could make it. “It’s vaguely amusing, nothing more. I’m far more fascinated by the work of the masters;
Of Mice and Men
,
Death of a Salesman
,
To Kill a Mockingbird
.”

His face screwed up into a ball of confusion. “Don’t pull that intellectual stuff with me. I know you’d like to know more about vampires and pop culture’s take on them. Your eyes were wide with interest in class. You couldn’t get enough of what I was saying. Admit it. You're just as infatuated with the romantic notion of it all as every other girl here.”

“I’ve passed the age of infatuation.”

He chuckled, a sound that was mocking.

“You’re right smack in the age of infatuation, if not with vampires, at least with the mystery of them.”

“Maybe.”
She released her hold of him and backed away, trying to get her shoulders into a nonchalant shrug.

“Look.” He put his hand to her shoulder and it was all she could do not to melt into him. “Meet me at the library after school. It’s filled with every myth and misconception you’ve ever heard about vampires. Cool stuff. Tomorrow you could impress Mr. Cutler with everything you know. I don’t mind sharing the stage.”