Page 24 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“She doesn’t look very impressed to me.”

Over the shoulder of the vampire she spoke to, Vivienne met Verity’s gaze and rolled her eyes. Well, if she was impressed, she would have been paying more attention to her conversation.

Verity’s companion laughed again, hooking an arm over the back of her chair and offering a hand.

“Abraham,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Verity.”

When he didn’t let go, she was struck by the coolness of his touch, the darkness of his eyes. His grip was firm, but not forceful, as he turned her hand to see the many bite marks on her wrist. A shiver ran through her as he grazed a finger over them.

“You’re a donor?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“How do you find it?” He looked up and Verity realised how close they were. Any closer and she’d feel his breath on her face.

“Fine,” she said.

“Just fine?” he mused. “We don’t have anything like your Vital Exchange where I’m from. I’m curious how the humans feel about it.” So, he wasn’t human?

“Where’s that?” Verity asked.

Abraham smirked, glancing over to Vivienne who, Verity realised, watched them as she sipped her drink. The ever present smile on her face had slipped, replaced by a watchful concern as she observed them. Should she not be talking to this Abraham? Were there rules she wasn’t privy to, questions she shouldn’t ask?

Verity pulled her hand out of his as Stella set a glass in front of her. If anyone else had given her a drink she wouldn’t have touched it, but Stella seemed the only safe person there.

Taking the glass she sipped, willing her hands not to shake.

“North,” Abraham said vaguely.

“So, how do you feed without donors?” she asked.

Abraham shrugged. “Most humans have been there for generations, attached to one family or another.”

“Owned?” Verity asked. She was pushing it with a question like that, but she couldn’t help herself.

She bristled when Abraham laughed, clutching his chest. “You wound me, sweet Verity. No, not owned. More… protected. They give us blood and we take care of them, but we always need more.”

“So, you’re a vampire?” she asked, and Abraham offered his hand to her.

“What do you think?”

Every instinct in her body screamed to stop. To stop talking to this guy and sit still until the first chance to run. But there was something intriguing about him, something she couldn’t quite get her head around, and that had always been Verity’s biggest problem. When curiosity and self-preservation clashed, curiosity always won. Every single time.

She examined the hand, not knowing what he wanted her to do, until he took her hand and shuffled even closer. He curled her fingers until he held two then pressed them against his neck. He had a pulse.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

Those eyes bore into her, cool breath ghosting across her hand, when suddenly the steady thrum beneath her fingers just… stopped. Verity frowned, pressing slightly harder and moving her fingers, searching for a heartbeat.

Abraham’s grin turned wicked and he was about to say something when Verity’s chair was pulled out, taking her with it. She flailed, grabbing the seat and looking up to find Theo.

“Morning Abe,” Theo said stiffly, finding another chair and squishing it between Verity and Abraham. Her thigh pressed against him as he threw an arm around her, pulling her into his side. The movement sent her off balance forcing her to grab his knee to stay upright. His other hand immediately landed on top of it, stopping her from pulling it back.

“Holy shit, Theo Chapel! How long’s it been? Couple of centuries at least?” Abraham said, looking between Theo and Verity. “I didn’t realise she was yours.”

“Would it have made a difference?” Theo asked, letting go of her hand to reach for a drink. He still hadn’t looked at her, but Verity kept her hand on his knee anyway.