She no longer was scared or upset. No, she was mad, mad as hell. There were things being hidden from her, and now she knew it for a fact.
But that’s going to change.
Camden wouldn’t look at her at first. He sat forward and stared at the beige carpet for a good while before he allowed their gazes to meet.
Rayne didn't like it. "What is it?" she asked.
He didn't answer, only stared.
"Dammit, Camden! Just tell me!" she spat.
Camden finally took a deep breath. "I haven't been completely honest with you."
Rayne sat back on the couch and narrowed her eyes. Her stomach felt as though it had dropped out of her body, and the anxiousness made her heart skip a beat.
Is this the part where he comes out and admits that he’s been the stalker all along, and now I’ll never see the light of day again
? "What do you mean?" she managed to choke out.
There was a long pause. "The guy that attacked you…was a vampire."
She stared, unmoving, before bursting into laughter. He was joking, right? "Yeah right."
When his expression didn't change and he didn't laugh, her smile faded and mixture of anger and shock replaced it.
"You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?"
His look was dead serious. "I'm a vampire, Rayne." His deep voice broke the silence.
She couldn't stop herself from laughing again. "Good one."
She stood and turned to leave, but his hand shot out to grab her wrist. His lips moved as if he were going hiss like a cat, and two long, white fangs popped out of nowhere, just behind those were two longer, more slender fangs. They reminded her of the fangs of a snake, folding out as it moved to strike.
Her knees went weak, and she was thankful that the sofa was right behind her. The color drained from her face and she sank backwards onto the cushion, staring wide-eyed. That was all her body was capable of.
Shaking her head and brows furrowed in question, she leaned forward. "But how?" Her breathing became erratic, and the threat of hyperventilation drew nearer. "Vampires don't exist. It's a myth, a legend."
Camden closed his mouth, but the fangs were still barely visible at the corners. "I promise you, as much as I would like it to be a myth, it's not."
She shook her head again, not believing what she was hearing. "But you were walking around in the sun. Aren't vampires supposed to burst into flames or dust or something like that?" she asked.
He held up his hands. "Let's take it slow. I just need you to understand and believe me. Vampires are real. Connor and I both fall into that category."
She leaned back on the sofa. He was telling the truth. Her head was spinning out of control and she couldn't get it to slow down long enough for her to catch up.
And then it dawned on her. Her hand flew to her neck and the other covered her mouth. "Am I going to turn into one?" she asked, the sound slightly muffled by her hand.
This time it was Camden who laughed. "It's a little more complicated than that. You're not turning into a vampire."
She sighed, and her body visibly relaxed a little. "Good."
There was another stretch of awkward silence, and the longer she sat there, the more her anger and fear faded into curiosity. His revelation did not make her afraid of him. Camden had already stayed in her apartment, they’d flown across the country together, and he'd just saved her life. If he really wanted her dead, there had been plenty of opportunities. She bit her lower lip as she sat forward. "Do you really drink blood?"
He raised an eyebrow in amusement and smiled. There was a fleeting moment where his relief was evident. Camden sighed and prepared himself for the barrage of questions he knew was coming. It was always the same. Well, almost.
Once people found out the truth, they were first skeptical, then fearful. If they really believed him, they usually would run for their lives and never speak of their conversation, but not Rayne. She went from fearful straight into curious. There was no middle zone for her. He shook his head and chuckled. "Yes. Our bodies will not process or metabolize anything else."
She thought back to him cooking in her kitchen, trying to remember if he'd eaten. Now that she thought about it, she never actually saw him take a bite. She'd just assumed. "Where do you get the blood?" she asked quietly, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.
He shrugged. "It depends." He stood and crossed the room, looking as though he were anxious.
Is he nervous?
He stopped and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Some of us have connections in the medical field and can get units of blood that have been donated. Some decide to go what we like to call 'vegan,' and use animal blood. It does the job for a while, but tastes terrible, and after extended periods of time, our bodies will begin to deteriorate. Others have donors that trade blood."
Rayne wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "What do you mean trade blood? Trade blood for what?"
Camden crossed his arms over his chest, and she couldn't help but notice the way the posture made his muscles bulge. Her mouth instantly went dry. Somehow, just knowing that he was some kind of powerful predator had just upped his hotness factor exponentially. She shook the thought from her mind and tried to focus on the conversation at hand.
He twisted his mouth in thought. "What's the best way to explain this?" He crossed the room back to his original position on the coffee table. "Vampire blood is very strong, like a drug. It makes you feel faster and stronger. An adrenaline rush, I guess you could say. It also can help you to heal quicker, but the rest is really just an illusion. Sort of like a rush of endorphins or a euphoric state."
Rayne nodded and scooted closer to him.
"Some humans are recruited and agree to be fed off of, in turn for vampire blood."
Rayne agreed. "Well, then that sounds like the best way to go.”
He held up a hand. "There is a downside, for humans anyway." He paused. "It's very addictive, with as little as just a few tastes. A person can become so addicted that they literally cannot function without it."
Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Yeah. Not so good." She bit her lower lip in thought before she proceeded. "What about you?"
Camden looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly five AM. "I think we should go ahead and get going. We can talk more later."
Rayne opened her mouth to protest, but the way he stood and was across the room before she could speak let her know that the conversation was indeed over. She stared at the door in silent shock. It was just as well. She hadn’t actually wanted to know the answer anyway. What she did know was that this whole situation had just gotten a little more interesting.
Chapter 8
It turned out to be a beautiful day. The midmorning sun was shining brightly, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Everything had been so hectic when they first arrived in Louisiana the evening before, she hadn't really taken the time to appreciate the scenery.
Rayne sat in the back of the SUV, staring out the window as the countryside flew by in shades of greens and browns. It was warmer than she had expected it to be in March, even for the South. The humidity was so high that her short-sleeve shirt was drenched just from walking to the car.
Camden sat next to her, staring out the opposite window. He hadn't said much since revealing his true nature this morning. He'd almost seemed relieved that she knew at first, but now his silent treatment was beginning to make her think otherwise. Or maybe it was the opposite: Maybe he hadn't been relieved at all by her reaction. She couldn't imagine that many people had learned the truth, and probably even fewer had rebounded with curiousness and intrigue rather than fear. She also doubted that many people had been through as much in their entire lives as she had the last couple of days.
In all actuality, it didn't bother her at all. Camden didn't seem that dangerous to her. Quite the contrary. It actually increased her faith in him to protect her. Inhuman speed and strength, superior fighting skills, the ability to heal almost instantly...She couldn't think of a better combination in a bodyguard.
She glanced over at his finely-toned body, clad in normal, faded blue-jeans and a grey T-shirt. Over that were his leather jacket and sunglasses. The jacket. Connor wore one, too. It had to have been part of the “complicated” stuff he hadn't told her about yet. It seemed there was quite a lot that fell into that category.
The scenery passed by, mostly trees and the occasional field. She never thought that Louisiana could be that enjoyable. They'd only been driving for nearly thirty minutes when the SUV turned down a narrow, blacktop road that parted the trees and led into the forest. There was nothing but greenery to be seen on either side. The road was bumpy and curvy and not much else.
Barely a few minutes later, and they turned down a gravel road that went back even further into the woodland. The silence that had stretched for the entire ride finally was broken by Connor on his cell phone. She couldn't quite make out what was being said, but she could only assume that it was part of some kind of security protocol.
Shortly after, they arrived at a tall, black, wrought-iron fence that held a beautifully ornate gate. The vehicle stopped at a small metal box and Connor reached out to enter a code. The gates swung open wide, and they were allowed to enter.
What was on the other side nearly took Rayne's breath away. She sat forward, holding onto the back of Connor's seat to get a better view of the enormous house and spacious lawn stretched out before them.
The house was at least two stories, possibly three, with earth-toned brick and a beige stucco-style front. Two massive white columns supported an overhang for the grand front door, and on either side of that was an array of windows. Beautiful landscaping dotted the property with splashes of color, and added to the overall beauty of it all.
"This is your house?" she asked, somewhat astonished, looking at Camden.
He nodded.
"It is amazing!"
He answered with a shrug. "When you've been around for a couple hundred years, some of your investments tend to pay off." He could not hide the smirk that appeared as he watched her jaw drop.
"So how old are you, exactly?" she asked.
"I'm four hundred and sixty-eight years old, but I stopped aging at thirty-six. So for all intents and purposes, I'm thirty-six," he said nonchalantly.
Rayne couldn't do anything but stare. She was fascinated. To think of all the things he must have seen in his life: the Civil War, the American Revolution, the first American colonies established!
It took a great deal of self-control, but she managed to push the thought to the back of her mind for the time being, and turned her focus back to the magnificent house. She was completely awestruck and speechless looking up at it as the car slowed to a stop at the front door. She exited the vehicle and stood wide-eyed, Camden stepping around to join her.
"Like it?" he asked.
Her expression changed instantly and she shrugged. "I've seen better."
This time, it was Camden's jaw that dropped. "You were just gushing over how awesome it was!"
She fought a smile and shrugged yet again. "It's all right." She watched his reaction from the corner of her eye and finally lost the battle of not smiling. She couldn't hold it in any longer. "Calm down, I'm just joking," she laughed. "You house is amazingly beautiful."
He narrowed his eyes at her and smiled before climbing the steps and unlocking the front door. She followed and waited for him to motion for her to enter. She was just barely able to make it over the threshold before she froze. If she thought the outside was impressive, words were not enough to explain the elegance of the inside.
It was all glossy marble tile in tans and grays, with cream-colored walls, high ceilings, and ornate decorative furniture in the grand entryway. There was a large room with an immaculate fireplace located at the back, and a gorgeous staircase, complete with mahogany banisters, rose along the right wall and led up to balcony area just above the fireplace.
There were archways to her left and right. The left transitioned into a small parlor or study, and to the right was a large living room. Camden smiled at her. "Still seen better?" he asked, and threw in a wink at the end.
Her heart instantly melted, and she was afraid her knees would collapse under her. Thinking quickly, she turned her attention to the twinkling chandelier hanging above them. It was at least three or four spiraling tiers of glittering crystal and gold. "It's definitely in my top five," she said smiling.
Was she flirting? Yesterday she had been utterly perturbed and agitated, not her normal self in the least. She had been shaken and upset and not sure what to think about any of it. Today, she felt loads better. Enough so that she was smiling and flirting with someone whom she had just found out was a four-hundred-year-old vampire!
What is wrong with me?
Camden laughed out loud and placed his hands on her shoulders, guiding her into the family room on the right. "This is the living room."
He dropped his hands and gave her a second to take it all in. It couldn't have been any more different from the entrance hall if it tried. This room bordered on ultra-modern, with ivory carpet, pewter-colored walls, two black leather sofas and a matching chair, and last but not least, the stainless steel coffee and end tables, exactly like the ones from the hotel. There were a few paintings of grayscale architecture placed throughout, and oddly, she again was reminded of the suite. She didn't like it. It was too much gloom and darkness.
Camden studied her expression from the side. "What's wrong?"
She wrinkled her nose and looked at him. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed that it was her telltale sign that she was lying. "It's uh..." she struggled to find the right word. "It's nice."
Camden pressed his mouth into a thin line and looked at her skeptically. "What's wrong with it?"