WitchLove (18 page)

I thought of Noah and how that particular dinner hadn’t been about sex at all.
Yeesh!
That was way too weird to even think about!

‘Okay, I’ll try it; but where do we go? I mean in Manchester, Sebastian forbids hunting in his club. Well… with me he allowed it, because I was new and Daniel was gone, so I was on my own… but generally he doesn’t want the risk. So I presume it’s the same here?’ I asked.

‘Nah, like I said, Vincent is relaxed. He is also quite pro-vampire exposure. He reckons we are the master race and shouldn’t have to hide away so… I guess he doesn’t care too much. He’s also got some pretty powerful city guys on his team.’

‘You mean they’re vampires, or are they dinner?’ I said, my jaw dropping slightly.

‘Vampires, silly!’

‘Now, come and meet my little college girls. I’ve spotted them over the other side.’

‘Hannah, Libby, this is my friend Jo, she’s over from England, visiting. Were you looking for me?’ she said as we reached two girls, both blonde like me. One was dressed like a typical preppy college student and the other was a little more goth. I looked at them both and couldn’t imagine how they were friends. They grinned at me.

‘So what are you in the mood for tonight, India? Preppy posh girl or Goth rocker?’ one of them said.

India laughed and turned to me.

‘They’re drama students, can’t you tell? They dress up differently each week and I have to find them.

‘Oh,’ I said, unsure what to say or how I felt. I smiled, feeling awkward.

‘I’m the tastiest,’ the preppy one said, leaning over and whispering in my ear.

As she did the sweetest, most divine scent washed over me, almost instantly triggering my fangs. I closed my eyes briefly and tried to control my sudden hunger.

‘Nice, huh?’ India said, nudging me. ‘Come on, I’ll go get a key.’

‘A key?’ I asked.

‘Duh, we can hardly just bite them here, can we? Vincent has rooms above the club which we can pay to borrow. Come on.’

Chapter Thirteen

The room was small, clean and completely functional, which I was really pleased about because this was feeling seedier by the minute. I wasn’t sure if each room was different depending on what you wanted it for or how much you paid, but the one India got was just like a tiny living room, with two sofas and a television. It didn’t even have a bed, which again made me feel much better.

A couple of feet into the room I stalled, feeling awkward. I didn’t know what to say or how to behave. The last few months in Manchester, Sebastian had simply led me to Eva’s old room at Exodus and then brought me a willing boy he knew; a boy that would take over and do my job for me. I watched India as she simply led the goth girl over to a sofa and they both sat down smiling. She ran her hand down the girl’s cheek, the girl nodded, grinning and a second later she’d pulled the girl’s neck taut and bitten down. The scene, the smell and the lingering scent of the preppy girl next to me was all too much and my fangs rushed out, my heartbeat stilled and I became the predator that always lurked inside. I turned round to face the girl, wondering if she’d be frightened, but of course she wasn’t. She was totally game. She grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the other couch.

‘Come on then. Bite me, I dare you,’ she said.

I needed no further encouragement and after brushing her sweet smelling hair to one side, I spent a final second devouring her aroma which reminded me of toffee apples and mulled wine, before diving in.‘Mmmm,’ I hummed, as her blood trickled down my throat. A fire burned in my belly, but it was totally different to the sexual feelings that arose when I’d bitten good-looking boys, and I wasn’t even going to start thinking about Daniel…

I pulled back slightly, almost disconnecting from the blood flow and opened my eyes, mainly to halt the images of Daniel, which even though unwanted, kept forcing themselves into my psyche; and I watched her face. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushing, and she shuddered slightly in my arms, as if a pleasurable shiver had raced up her spine. I was so confident she was enjoying herself, I sunk deeper and took a couple more mouthfuls.

‘Jess…’ India’s voice penetrated my brain, just as I was telling myself to pull away, so reluctantly I retracted my fangs and pulled slowly back from the girl who was now resting in my arms.

‘Hey,’ she said, sleepily.

I smiled, unsure of what to say.

‘How about a glass of water… a biscuit, or a cup of tea,’ the girl said, grinning.

‘Here you go, honey,’ India said, already passing over a glass of water and a biscuit.

‘Just like the Red Cross here,’ the preppy girl said, flashing another cheeky smile.

I got up from the couch and watched as the other girl took my place. Once they had both finished their refreshments, they stared at each other, their eyes still slightly glazed from the high we’d given them. They began caressing each other, cheeks first, their fingers lingering over the other’s cheek and trailing patterns down their necks and over the tiny wounds which were already healing. I shifted uneasily, not quite sure where to look.

‘Come on, let’s leave them to it,’ India said, wiggling her eyebrows at me and opening the door.

‘Girls, pop the key back at reception later for me,’ she directed at the now kissing girls on the couch, before we left the room. India grabbed my hand and pulled me back through the corridors and into the main club area, straight onto the dance floor. I was buzzing from the feed, the girl’s blood fiery in my veins, the pulse of the music vibrating through my body.

‘Are they… errm… together, or is it the effect from us biting them?’ I stuttered, feeling stupid for feeling embarrassed, but a little shocked at the girls’ openness. India shrugged.

‘They’re together. Relax Jess, maybe you should try it. It might make a nice change to be with a girl after you’ve had a bad experience with guys,’ she said, her voice becoming a whisper as she suddenly stepped closer, her eyes staring deep into mine, her hand still in my own.

I stepped back, carefully… slowly, not wanting to offend and gently let go of her hand.

‘I get your point, I really do, but I don’t feel anything for you… for girls. I can’t seem to get him out of my head,’ I said, shaking my head slightly and knowing she knew exactly who I meant.

She shrugged.

‘I could help you with that,’ she said laughing, ‘but never mind, you’ve got plenty of time to get over him. After all, we have all the time in the world.’

I smiled a crooked smile. I suppose that was true. It was weird and somewhat disturbing to think that in fifty years’ time I could be here, still looking eighteen whilst Brittany and Luke would be in their sixties and seventies. I could see why vampires stuck together.

‘Come on Cinderella, I suppose we better get you back home,’ India said some time later, grabbing my hand again and pulling me back through the crowd.

The street outside the club was fairly quiet now and as we turned the corner onto a gloomy backstreet a male vampire flew into me, knocking me breathless against the wall. I reacted so fast Brittany would have been thrilled with me. I flung out my bubble shield with such force that the vampire was flung away from me, ten feet across the alleyway, where he smashed, groaning into the wall, the crack resonating down the street.

India leapt in front of me and crouched into attack position, her fangs bared. I stared over at the vampire, awaiting his next move and a second later he lifted his head up and stared at me. I dropped my shield in shock, leapt over the somewhat shocked India and landed gracefully in front of his now upright person.

‘Daniel? What the hell are you doing here?’ I said.

‘I could say the same about you,’ he said, staring at me with such intensity my skin goose-pimpled. My mouth felt dry, claggy and I stared at him in anticipation.

‘But why did you attack…’ I began to say, but was interrupted as he finished what he had started.

He once again pushed me back to the wall. I slammed a little too hard against the rough brick, but didn’t complain as his body pressed hard against my own, pinning my arms up over my head and pressing his lips so hard against my own that if I’d been human he would have drawn blood.

‘I’ve played it cool for too long, Jess. I did as you asked. I stayed away, but you need to know how I feel about you, you need to remember how
you
feel about me,’ he said, his voice husky with desire, his eyes flashing.

Familiar desire streaked round my body, reanimating it when I hadn’t realised how paralysed I’d become. I twisted beneath him and flipped us round, so that I was able to push him against the wall. He still had my hands locked above my head, but he brought them down around the back of his neck as I pushed my thigh between his and angled my head to kiss him deeper. He let go and ran his fingers along the sides of my ribs, making me moan quietly, as his tongue explored my mouth.

When they say
time stood still
it may be corny, it may even be clichéd, but that is exactly how it felt as Daniel kissed me. I forgot how annoyed I was with him, I forgot how much he’d hurt me, in fact I forgot pretty much everything, including India. When we did finally let go of each other it all came flooding back; the anger, the sadness, the disappointment, and lastly India.

‘Finally! I don’t like being forgotten about. You made me feel quite lonely,’ she said.

I whipped my head round to see her sitting on the pavement pouting, just where we’d been standing when Daniel jumped me; her back leaning against the wall, waiting for me.

‘Jess, we need to talk,’ Daniel said, releasing me. I nodded.

‘India, do you know a coffee shop nearby, somewhere we can talk?’ I asked.

India nodded and directed us to one nearby. In New York you could eat and drink, no matter what the time of day. Or night.

‘Okay, thanks. Can you go back and tell the others I’ll be along in a while?’

‘Sure thing, but don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, okay,’ she added with a grin.

The all night coffee shop was called
Slump,
which I guess was what most people visiting it in the early hours of the morning were doing. When we got there, just before one, there were only two other people inside. After ordering a couple of coffees we sat down in the far corner.

‘Why have we come here?’ Daniel said. ‘You haven’t started drinking coffee have you?’

I grinned, remembering my trial with steak and tea back in Manchester.

‘No, fear not. I’ve just had a very satisfying meal of student girl… they taste different to boys, sweeter I think. You didn’t tell me.’

This time it was his turn to smirk.

‘So why are we here then? We hardly need the warmth or the refreshments.’

I shrugged.

‘A couple of reasons. Firstly I guess I like the feeling. I like having a warming mug of tea in my hands… I went for coffee as that way I won’t be tempted to drink it.’

I grinned, pausing a moment.

‘It’s nostalgic,’ I added shrugging. ‘Secondly we can’t have a massive, ugly row in here and I’m safer as we can see who’s coming in… if we get distracted.’

‘Safer? From whom?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know; anybody I guess. I’ve become a little paranoid since the whole London affair.’

‘Who was that girl you were with?’

‘That’s India, she’s a friend of Noah… my cousin.’

‘But I thought Sarah wasn’t allowing you to feed. She ordered a whole consignment of blood packs for you from the Council.’

‘I know, but Daniel… they’re disgusting! Noah came up with the plan to get me here, so I could try the club, even if it’s only a couple of times a month.’

Daniel nodded and reached across the table. His hand stroked down the side of my face.

‘Your eyes, they’ve changed again. Your aunt can’t be happy about that,’ he said.

I smiled and moved back just out of his reach.

‘She doesn’t know. It’s all part of the disguise… contacts. I’ll take them out later.’

‘You had it all planned out then, huh? Did you meet Vincent?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, he was fine. A lot more relaxed than Sebastian,’ I said grinning.

‘A little,’ he said laughing back.

We paused and unsaid words hung between us, waiting for the right moment, which would never come.

‘You’ve not forgiven me, have you?’ he said.

I looked away, out of the window onto the street, which was remarkably busy for one o’ clock on a Monday morning. I badly wanted to say that I had, my body had definitely forgiven him, but my head remained a muddle.

‘Jess…’ he prompted.

‘I don’t know Daniel. How can I get over you making me believe that you’d died, all because of a jealous fit?’

‘I don’t know, but I do know that you have to find a way. I came to New York because I needed to be near you, but I had to keep telling myself that I couldn’t come to find you. Whenever I visited the club I saw you. I saw you in every dark corner, in every crowd of dark-haired girls… which is ironic now that I see you’ve changed back to blonde. I liked you dark.’

‘I don’t know what to say. I need more time,’ I said quietly.

‘No! All you’re doing is using that time to try and convince yourself that we’re not right together, when you know we are.’

‘No, I’m not, Daniel. I need time to forget my anger. I am still so pissed off at you right now. I feel so stupid for that deliriously happy moment when you first appeared in court. My first thought was that you were alive and I instantly thought someone must have been forcing you to stay away from me. I was
such an idiot
,’ I said, looking down at the table.

‘No, I was a fool, but Jess, everyone makes mistakes. Some people mess up so badly, you can’t imagine how you’ll ever forgive them, and sometimes those people don’t deserve forgiveness. I hurt you, I was wrong, but I promise you with every single atom of my being that I will never hurt you like that again.’

I nodded my head slowly.

‘I know, but as India said to me early this evening, we’ve got a long time ahead of us, so surely you can wait a while?’

Daniel frowned.

‘I’m not good at waiting,’ he said. ‘I want you in my arms… in my bed.’