he mattress was too firm. I groaned and went to stretch, but found m

on. My entire body was sprawled on top of his, my head resting in the crook of his neck. Seth groggily blinked open his eyes and grinned a sleepy smile at me. "Good morning, " he murmured in my

explaining, " I snap

inside of my cheek nervously when I noticed that it was a room completely foreign to me. It wasn't his room in that cute little cottage where

to your new home, An

lous statement. "Where a

room, in t

rince that whisked me away from my evil mother and sist

scowled, crossing my arms defiantly. "You'll b

off that had begun sneaking up my leg. The situati

derstand, " he mused. "You should

to be happy abou

otect you now, and I always will be. I lo

h, so I can go home, " I instructed, t

nfused. "I told you, this is your

ry breath. I put a hand to my heart, willing it to beat at a normal pace. It pound

verything's all right, " Seth soothed

lump in my throat. "How far did you take me l

" Seth confirmed, staring at me

found his flaw. Mr. Perfect

as I could so I could get the heck out of Dodge. With a logical c

ling slightly. "Can't yo

"We're in my castle. Well, it will be mine soon. Right now, it

ldn't have made it out of the country overnight. He would need my passport and a bunch of other leg

ed. "Uh, it's a bit broader than that

I prom

is is the vampire realm. I'm a vampire. Colton and Cody are. My pare

the hospital?" A hospital would be good. Anywhere public would give me the perf

hovering over me. I yelped, pres

nothing wrong with my head,

ed, quickly clearing my thro

so I'm going to make

plan all along when he once again began his explanation. I wouldn't have the logic or the willpower to contradict anything he

speed from our athletic body structure. We have access to about half of our brain power, so we can control human minds and h

ormation overload and fighting with my body's natural reaction to accept whatever he was doing to me, to hell with escaping. Leaning

Just lay down for a little longer. Sleep, " he crooned. I wa

if I listen to you again." My tone, although weak, was full of spite. He fli

r hurt you, "

plaining, "

same race that are the same gender. Colton, Cody, and I are also grouped, and you three are our soul

Cody's? This guy could go find some blonde who would willingly th

my own body anymore. When he abandoned the spot he had tortured, he kissed his way up to my ear, teasingly nibbling it. I came out o

sking you all those questions? If you answered in depth, then you liked that topic, such as music and your dancing. Others, like your personality, you didn't lik

ince, so we have a king and queen, my mom and dad. We haven't upgraded to a democracy, and I don't think we plan to anytime soon. Relationship wise, the female is to listen to her mate. I take care of you. I protect you. I provide fo

spent two whole years trying to find you. I'm not letting you go." I didn't a

ed that I wasn't alone a

e!" I yelped. "W

down on his side. He draped an arm around my waist, and I knew I didn't have the str

king Seth sit up straight. "You

t on your own, She

he room, but I ripped my limb away and glared at him. I

is hands clenched into fists. "I know you can feel it. Don't d

th. Not one piece of evidence that I sh

nge me. And he did. "Then how about we set a

ked, my defense and susp

. As soon as you fall for me, that's when the seven days start. And I'll know when you do, so there's no use in hiding it. Besides, ev

sist? What if I d

tion. "Then I'll make you fall for me, " he snapped. His tone was

but if we meet again, then, well, that's that. But nothing h

nd. I looked down to see a mole I had on my left ring finger illuminated, glowing almost, until it faded back into its mud brown color again. Weird... I glanced at Seth, and he expla

ly hugged me, and Colton and Cody sheepishly waved. The boys' mother, Sarah, was also at the table with on

e work he does, so she's with him in his office. She's very bright for only

dred?!" El

ree hundred years. Well, three hundred and fifty-six, but only I, her mother, would know that off the top of my head. Then we stop aging w

him, and he bowed before silently disappearing behind a swinging door. It must have lead into the kitchen. Se

Sarah

d her face buried in Cody's shoulder and was looking a little green. "Oh my, Cassie, I'm so sorry!"

ring him sound hostile. "She doesn't like blood! They only just found out we were vampires, and you waltz in here like they're already...you kno

"It's alright, it's gone. You can look back up now." She slowly did as I

assie. I wasn

ing look that clearly said to drop the issue. After breakfast, I gr

" he

d '...and you waltz in here like they're already...yo

rathe

at he was going to say, and I'll talk to you. If you don'

at a t

ound like

es

lot while not having to worry about speaking to you." Like s

ged me toward him. When my chest hit h

into my neck. I followed my instincts and placed

rned. "Now tell me what

our place to tell me what to do. I ought t

eatening me?

like a threa

be swayed when I want answers to something. Last chance, Seth. Cody was

over that. Wow, sadly that made a lot of sense. If we were going to stay here

h wide eyes. "You are not a toy, " he seethed, his voice low. "Why wo

nything abo

. Why wouldn't you be my wife? We were made fo

think about this, okay?" I

reflected on how different Cassie, Elena,

e to her, but her guard is up. Me... my guard is never down. I take every piece of information and put it under a microscope, finding every possibil

lems right now, but I was a worried mess. What about our parents? What about our plans? What about our lives? Is that all

be more adventurous? Well, this certainly took the cake. Hell, it took the entire damn bakery. I'd like to go to school and see if anyone

d I tensed, thinking it was Seth. I didn't want to deal with him right now. I

to talk, get everything off our chests, " Cassie told us, breaking the comforta

it turned out to be Cody. Last night, I had wanted answers, but he could see I was really tired, so he told me that he'd answer any questions

y have a beating heart and mostly a normal anatomy system. And did you guys have a weird dream about when yo

oak up this new information. I n

you. Soul mate? Get it?" Seth was the one that stole my first kiss in a dream when I w

n I guess I realized I was in love, " she finished, throwing herself onto her back on my bed. I rolled my eyes at her, a smile on my lips. Just because I didn't want to be with Seth

appened with me..." Elena tra

prodded,

n and I had some free time so we just let one thing lead

them my story and how I

y guards because he's really important. He didn'

that initial shock wore, off I collecte

nce, so Cody and Colton, who are brothers, are his body guards. They're vampir

fan-freaki

nd him, so I made my quick escape by blurting out the first thing that came to my head when I felt how much energy I ha

music?" he aske

, Eva, it's easy. Just lie to the guy. You've done

slipping half-shut as I focused on the contact he was making. I snapped them back open, surprised a

e his face if he ever saw me dancing. I was always so into the music that I tuned out everything a

soon as I was out of his sight, going into the room right next to ours. It had black walls with dance posters, a stereo

se crop top. Creating a playlist of my favorite songs, I hit play and sauntered onto the floor barefoot, confident as ever. With Shakira sin

began a routine from last year. It was fast paced and the

ing and going from one end of the room to the other before I started back again. Sometimes I closed my eyes, sometimes I left them open to make sure I was doing the movements right, checking my reflection in the mirro

legs. My stomach was in burning with pain, not just aching. I wondered how Seth would react if I told him the best thing for my abuse body would be to take an ic

been fooled by my simple trick for long. My body protested, saying it had been at least a f

ng when I had first dashed out of the room. Either way, I wasn't too sure if I would rather be arguing with him right now or not knowing what