“Elle?” I shook her.“Elle, it’s time t’wake up.”
Her eyes snapped open,and the next thing I knew, I was falling forward and over. My backpressed into the bed I stared up at the wide-eyed Elle currentlystraddling me. Something cold and sharp pressed against my Adam’sapple.
“Woah.” My entire bodywas rigid, my palms flat and held at the side of my head insurrender. “Good morning, sleepy head.”
“Than?” Her browfurrowed, realization slowly sparking in her eyes. “What thehell?”
“I told you I’d wakeyou up if you drifted off.” I shifted beneath her as the knifeagainst my skin grew hotter and that familiar sizzle started toburn my throat, automatically regretting it as the movement drew myattention to how warm and real she felt sitting on top of me.Between her and the softness of the bed at my back … well, a guycould get used to being trapped between such luxuries, especiallyafter sleeping alone on steel for six weeks.
“Typical. You don’twant t’kiss her, but you wouldn’t mind f—”
“If I’d have knownthis would have been your reaction, I’d have woken you up sooner.”The blade at my neck dug a little deeper. A hiss escaped me, a hintof something burning slithering up my nostrils. “I’m kidding. I’mkidding, grumpy. Sheesh.”
Her gaze darted aroundthe room. “What time is it?”
“After nine.” Ipointed at my smoking skin. “Do you think we could maybe have thisconversation without you trying t’slice my throat?”
She snapped her handaway as if she hadn’t even realized she was holding a blade there.Her focus remained on my throat; a small line formed at the bridgeof her nose. I felt the skin across my larynx tightening.
“Healing,” TeenElle reminded me as her amused gaze flitted between me and herolder self. “Well, this isn’t awkward in the slightest.”
“Erm, you hungry?”
“Hungry?”
“Yes. When did youlast eat?”
She met my gaze,concern crinkling the corners. “What have you been up to?”
“Watching TV. Catchingup on world events.” I propped myself up on my elbows. “Listen, whydon’t you go get a shower and I will make some breakfast.”
She stared at me as ifI’d just grown another head. “You’re going t’make mebreakfast?”
“It’s the least I cando.” I pushed up a little further, until I was resting on my hands,The new position meaning I was practically on level with her … inevery way. “Although, if you’d just prefer to stay like this…?”
Her gaze finally leftmy face, falling lower to where her thighs cradled my hips. Hereyes widened, and if it weren’t for the speed with which shescrambled off of me, I could have sworn I saw her cheeks growingred.
“Real smooth,Than.”
“Okay.” I tried tocough away my amusement as I pushed myself up and off the bed.“Breakfast it is.”
“Is that my bag?” Shepointed the knife still in her grasp at the purple duffle on thevanity table.
“Yeah, I got it fromthe car before the sun came up.” I pulled the duvet straight, usingthe opportunity to glance at my jeans, relieved that the hoodie Ihad borrowed was covering my unexpected reaction. “I thought you’dwant t’change.”
She stared at me,following my movements as I fluffed the pillows. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Bed straightened andSlayer awake, I made my way to the door, pausing on the threshold.“Just for the record … do you always sleep with a blade?”
She glanced down atthe dagger in her hand and nodded. “Always.”
“Bet you’re gladshe didn’t wake up and find you looking at her, otherwise, itwouldn’t have been your throat under that knife, but your littletent pole.”
“It’s not little.” Iscowled at the grinning teen who casually made her way round thebed and passed a very confused-looking Elle whose attention flittedbetween me and the empty room. “I will see you downstairs.”
I briskly made my waydown to the kitchen. After my shower, I had made sure that all theblinds were closed. Luckily, today was a typical gloomy Englishday, but I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure how the whole beingin daylight worked. Luckily, the black hoodie I had dug out of theWerewolf’s sports bag was two sizes too big for me. Meaning it wasa great extra layer of protection.
“A Vampire makingbreakfast.” Teen Elle sat on one of the stools at the breakfastcounter. “Isn’t this what single women fantasize about,superhuman men doing super normal everyday tasks?”
I opened the overheadcupboards until I found a pan, bowl, and mug. “How am I supposedt’know what women fantasize about?”
“Hey, I’m onlysaying what you’re thinking.”
“Well, what am Isupposed t’be thinking about?” I placed them on the counter andmade my way over to the fridge. “This entire situation seemsridiculous.”
“Oh, it is.”Pushing against the counter, she spun on the stool; once, twice.“How about you think about how much you wanted t’kiss Elle justthen?”
“No.” The reply rushedfrom my lips, earning a giggled reply. “I mean, no because I didn’twant t’kiss her.”
“You can’t liet’me, lover boy. I’m in your head.”
“Oh, god, don’t evercall me that again.” It was gross enough, but coming from the mouthof a teenager … yuk.
“Fine. I’m notgoing to push. Yet.” She spun around on the stool again.“Maybe start thinking about what you’re planning on doingnext?”
And wasn’t that a goodquestion. “The plan is t’find Heather who will hopefully make somesense of my situation.”
“And if thatdoesn’t work?”
I didn’t reply becauseI had honestly not thought that far ahead. Instead, I opened thefridge and collected the pack of eggs from inside, happy to seethey were still in date. The options for breakfast werestraightforward as there wasn’t much food in there, just the oddessentials that were close to going off date. Not to mentionHeather’s odd little mixture, which I had already helped myself to.Despite the clear scent of blood contained in the glass bottles,the bitter tang of cranberries sure helped dull the iron taste.Even though I thought my thirst was quenched since I’d had no urgeto drink since escaping my prison, I’d still found myself downingthree litres of this odd little vocktail.
“What t’hell is avocktail?”
I closed the fridgedoor. “A mocktail for Vampires?”
She starred at meblankly.
“A mocktail is anon-alcoholic version of a cocktail.”
“I know. Ijust—” Her head fell into her hands. “You’re such
