Devour (6 page)

“Young lady, this is serious.
Your Mom told me what happened last night. Do you expect me to believe you took his memories when he clearly remembers EVERYTHING, Callie?”

Tears form at his admonishment.
“I’m telling you the truth. Even though I have some strange connection to this human, I did take his memories. He was in a total daze when I left.”

Knowing
my eyes are glowing from the emotion flowing through me, I don’t care that it’s impolite to flash them in public. I just care about how to get out of this mess.

“Listen, if it looks this way to us and we trust you, then how do you think it will look to the council?
They will not show you mercy just because you are a royal. You’re subject to the same rules we all are in this community.”

“But
, Dad, I didn’t do it. There’s no way to explain how he remembers and why he’s so taken with me. I wiped him. He has to be some strange anomaly. I don’t know what else to say!”

Mom
is noticeably silent throughout this exchange. I want to scream at her for her betrayal of my trust, but just can’t muster up the extra energy for that. Instead, I continue this conversation with my Dad.

“
Fine, let’s just say he is some strange anomaly and you are innocent. How do we convince the council? Further, what do we do with him? He can’t live as a human anymore. He either dies or is turned. We haven’t turned a human in almost a decade. You have doomed the poor man.”

“You’re lucky he’s so enamored with you honey.
He may be willing stay here temporarily, but I’m afraid for the time when Chase realizes he can’t leave and you have sent him to his death.  We can’t keep him drugged forever,” Mom interjects.

“I think we have heard enough on this subject tonight.
The blood ball is very important and I expect you to participate now more than ever. Maybe if a mating ritual is in the works, your sentence will be more lenient,” Dad states.

“Yes sir.
I’ll do everything in my power to represent this family tonight. I’m sorry to have brought shame upon us. Can I please be excused to get ready for the ball?”

“You’
re dismissed, but Callie? Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Tonight is not the night to deal with this situation. Your mother and I will be waiting for you down here in two hours. Don’t be late.”

I nod and excuse myself.
I’m careful to make slow movements until I clear the room and reach the stairs. Then I tear up the stairs and fling the bedroom door shut with a thwack before planting myself face down on my bed.

I feel like the villain in a horror story.
Everyone is looking at me as the bad guy. I’m so not the one at fault here. I can’t help that this incredibly strange yet intriguing human remembered me. I wiped his mind and did everything right.

Tears
are leaking now and the confusion of the situation settles over me. The vampire council would kill me, or better yet, kill Chase. There has to be some way around this situation. I just haven’t thought of it yet.

A gentle knock sounded from outside my door.
It’s probably Mom checking to see if I’m getting ready. “Come in.”

I don’t bother to turn towa
rds the door as she enters. I’m still crying and I don’t care if she sees. Then, she sits down next to me and I stiffen. It isn’t my Mom. It’s human blood wafting towards me. Chase.

I bolt up and find myself face to fac
e with intense, blue eyes.

“Are you alright
, Callie?” he asks in a gentle tone.

“I’m fine, just practicing my acting skills,” I say lamely.

Chase brushes his fingers across my cheeks to dry my tears. I shiver at his touch. I can’t look away.

Sensing my reaction to him, he leans forward and brushes his lips across mine and I let him.
My body soaks up the feel of him and my lips tingle from the touch of his. He parts my lips softly and I feel his tongue invade my mouth. Abruptly, I pull away. I can’t do this. It just feels wrong in light of a new evening.

My eyes are down cast, afraid to meet his
after my rejection of him. Chase is having none of that though. He places a gentle hand under my chin and tilts my face to meet his.

Instead o
f the horror I expected, there’s awe, need even. I feel as if I could devour him right here and now if I go unchecked. I want to taste him so badly. I feel his blood singing to me. It feels so strangely intimate.

“I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble
, Callie. However, I’m not sorry to be here, with you. You are fascinating and I can’t get enough of you. Yes, I know you’re a vampire and I should be afraid, but the truth is that I find it sexy as hell. You’re truly unique and I can’t wait to get to know you more.”

“That’s just it
, Chase. I can’t get to know you. This is a serious situation. You are human and you can’t know about us. No human does. That doesn’t help your odds. I promise that I will try to find a way out of this for you. Unfortunately, there is no room for an
us
in this equation.”

“I
refuse to believe that. There’s something here and you have to feel it, too. I’m not walking away from you. I’ve just found you. We will find a way. It looks like I have time on my hands and I intend to use it to find a solution.”

“I can’t be with a human.
I can only be with another vampire. It’s how our society works. There is no room for mortality in our world. We live for a long time and you are merely a blip on our radar. I have to choose a mate that can give me pure bred children. We mate for life, Chase.”

“We’ll see, but if you aren’t mated yet, there is hope.
I promise you that. Don’t write me off just yet.”

A knock on the door startle
s me and I jump. “Callie, are you doing okay? We need to go in a little less than an hour and a half.”

It’s
Mom. Crap. I grasp Chase’s arm and tug him toward the balcony. Then I shove him out onto it. “Sshh, hide out here, I’ll be back for you in a few minutes.”

He nods and I quietly shut the
balcony door just in time for Mom to open my bedroom door a crack and stick her head in.

“What’s wrong
, Callie? Why aren’t you getting ready? I don’t need to remind you how important this is, sweetie.”

“No
, Mom. I’m going to get ready now. I just needed time to process things. I promise I’ll be ready in time. In fact, come back in an hour and I’ll have you help me with my dress. I can’t get all those buttons on my own.”

Sorrow crosse
s her expression and she nods. “Very well, I’ll be back. Please hurry though. We can’t be late for tea. What kind of example would that set? We need to play our cards right if you want to survive this mess of yours.”

“Okay
Mom, see you soon,” I reply before turning from the door and pulling out a towel from the closet.

As soon as the door shuts and I hear her footsteps retreat, I rush to the balcony.
Chase steps inside and meets my worried gaze. He pulls me to him and kisses me with a desperate need I haven’t felt from anyone before. I feel the force and can’t tear away.

He winks at me and then strolls across the room and slips out the door, leaving me standing there, stunned.
What just happened? Did I imagine all of this? Things are getting messy and fast. He’s a human for heaven’s sake!

I have ruined this poor human’s life.
Things are spinning out of control. He likes me! I need a real mate, not a human. Besides, it just isn’t like that. Yes, he’s attractive and dangerous. I know he’s not my mate. It’s just my intuition speaking.

That reasoning doesn’t help.
I shower and try to put my focus into the coming events. I close my eyes and let the water cascade over me. The water is hot and turns my porcelain skin a brilliant pink.

As I step out of the shower and the steam engulfs me, I wrap myself in a soft towel and pad into my room.
I still have to put up my hair and do my makeup.

After dressing in a button up
, white shirt and a pair of cotton shorts, I’m ready to dry my hair and fix it. I’ve practiced this up do every day for a week. I could do this in my sleep. With the haze over my thoughts, it’s a good thing.

I’
m just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when Mom knocks. I add shimmery sparkles to my lavender eye shadow and brush a frosty pink lipstick across my lips. “Come in, Mom.”

The door opens and my mother steps in.
My jaw drops when I see her. She looks like an angel in a cream dress. It’s hard to believe that my Mom is so old when she looks so young. To most, she could pass as my sister if they didn’t know better.

“You look amazing!
I think this is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen you in, Mom,” I gush.

“Why thank you
, dear. Let’s get you ready now. We have to hurry. Your Dad is already downstairs in his study waiting. Let’s not keep him.”

I begin to strip as my
Mom pulls out my dress. It is a royal purple in clingy silk. The strapless dress shows off my porcelain skin and the back is done with a whole row of tiny, silk buttons. It’s elegant and I will look stunning in it.

After
slipping on my matching purple strappy heels, I take a deep breath. This is it. I’m finally ready for my coming out. It’s surreal. I can’t believe I’m actually nervous.

There are tears forming in the corners of my mother’s eyes as I turn and she sees me.
The silk settles on my curves and I look like a beauty with exotic purple eyes. I pull her into a quick hug. “Thanks Mom.”

“I can’t believe my baby is growing up.
You look like a goddess, Callie. The boys are going to be all over you tonight.”

I grin at her.
“Let’s go find me a mate.”

I still
feel guilty about the situation that shall not be named, but I have managed to push Chase from my mind long enough to get through the night. I made a promise to my parents and I intend to keep it. It’s funny how everything can change in the blink of an eye.

The only one I have to worry about is Jane.
She knows I don’t want a mate. I’m sure she is going to be really suspicious. I’ll have to tell her my parents convinced me to have a change of heart. It’s the only way she’ll even semi believe me.

Grasping her hand lightly, I follow
Mom down the stairs and into the foyer. Finn, the butler, leaves to retrieve my father. We’re finally ready. I only hope I can pull this off. My life and my family’s reputation depend on it.

My
Dad finally enters the room, looking large and imposing, as usual. He intimidates most people, but I know the real Milo and he’s a great father.

“Well
, aren’t you ladies a sight for sore eyes.”

“Why thank you
, Daddy. We’re ready when you are.” I grin.

I
t feels like a weight has lifted and I’m lighter than earlier. The tension is still there, but has lessened significantly. There is hope that I’ll find my mate tonight.

I
t’s impossible not to fidget during the entire car ride. I’m nervous about tonight. I have to push thoughts of Chase from my mind and focus on finding a mate. If I can salvage this situation without my death, I’ll do it by any means necessary. Mom notices my nervousness and rests a hand on my leg.

“Don’t be so anxious
, honey. You’ll do great tonight. I have every bit of faith in you.”

“T
here’s just a lot at stake. I’m well aware of that and I want to make this family proud.”

My
Dad turns from the window and meets my eyes. “You’ll do fine. Just take this seriously and things will fall into place. We’ll find a way to take care of this
situation
.”

Situation
sounds like such a dirty word the way he says it. A day ago, all I wanted to do was ignore the vampire guys and focus on my future at college. It’s funny how just one mistake can change everything in the blink of an eye. Now, I’m desperately seeking a mate in hopes of saving my life.