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How had she believed him to be human? Shouldn’t there have been warning signs? She recalled how he liked to touch her a lot more than others, and Rachel’s apprehension. While none of it screamed “I’m a vampire!” it made her pause. She rationalized that his behavior developed from his attraction, but there were things he did that normal humans didn’t. Like, how did he know where she lived?
Aiden didn’t show any red flags, she reminded herself. Except the growls and the blood drinking. He also acted more aggressively than how he acted in everyday life when they fooled around. Was that a vampire thing? She was all for that side of vampirism, if so. Maybe it’s an Aiden thing. Either way, she liked it.
So he showed more vampire red flags than Noah. Why didn’t it bother her like Noah’s behavior did?
The sound of the heavy wooden doors behind her opening startled her out of her thoughts. Thoughts she should not be having while facing a crisis. Priorities.
Her libido made her an idiot.
She sat up straight, turning in the chair to see a slim Asian woman dressed in a black pencil skirt, jade chiffon blouse, and sky-high stilettos that Charlotte would break her neck attempting to wear. Her shiny black hair rested at her nape in a simple chignon accented by a pearl clip.
Russet eyes settled on Charlotte, making it hard not to squirm under the intense scrutiny. “I never in a thousand years thought we would encounter this situation again,” the woman said, her voice calm and measured.
As she moved across the room, she didn’t make much sound.
Lowering gracefully into the high-back leather chair behind her desk, the woman pressed her lips together, a scant breath escaping her nose. “At least this time, I hope you remain conscious.”
“Conscious?”
“The last time we explained the truth to a human, she passed out. With your previous encounter with our kind, you’ve seen our fangs and glowing eyes. I don’t foresee fainting.”
Charlotte’s brows flexed, pulling in at the center. “To a human? Our kind? Does that mean you’re also a vampire?” Her spine stiffened. The woman didn’t seem dangerous, but Noah hadn’t either.
“Settle yourself, Miss Walsh. I have no intention of harming you. My name is Soomin Velastra, Headmistress of Blackthorn Academy.” She laced her fingers across her lap, lowering her elbows to the arms of her chair. “And no, I am not a vampire. I am a Vasirian.”
“I’ve never heard of that before.”
A faint smile pulled at the headmistress’ pale pink lips. “Then we’ve done our job properly. The world cannot know about our existence. It’s dangerous.”
“Why? Would we be in danger if we knew?”
“No. My kind would. Humans fear what they do not understand, Miss Walsh.” The headmistress gave her a pitying look. “They hunt and eliminate the things they don’t understand. Sometimes capture and experiment on them. My kind lives alongside humans in peace, and we want to keep it that way.”
The scene from the alley in Athens flashed through her mind. The poor human was attacked by one of her kind. Her eyes slid down to her arm. Another attack on a human. Somehow, she found the talk of peace almost laughable, all things considered.
The headmistress tracked Charlotte’s gaze.
“There are some who live to cause discord. Like with humans, our species also have members in our society that go against our laws. It doesn’t matter the species, Miss Walsh—”
“Charlotte, please.”
The headmistress inclined her head. “Very well. All species have troublemakers. Law breakers. The rogues live outside Vasirian law. They believe humans are nothing more than chattel to use for feeding, manipulating, and gratification.”
“And the person who attacked me?”
“A rogue.” She lifted her hand, waving it to the side. “The closest I can think of to compare them to as a human equivalent is gangs. Human gangs tread the bottom rung of society, bucking the system, and taking what they will with no regard for human decency.”
“You’re really not a vampire?”
“I can see where you get that impression, but the Vasirian are a different species from humans. Vampires do not exist.” She smoothed a hand over her knee. “It’s speculated that the myths and legends surrounding the blood drinking, fang-bearing creatures of the night who attack in a frenzy of bloodlust relate to a condition Vasirian suffer when they haven’t fed in a long time.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened a fraction. They had fangs; Aiden drank blood from her. Her shoulders sagged as the rational part of her brain took over. Of course they fed. But if they were different from rogues…
“You don’t drink human blood?”
“We do.” A hand lifted to stop Charlotte from asking questions in panic. “Through donations received from clinics. We drink from blood bags freely given by humans, though they don’t know we are one of the recipients of their donations. It is against our laws to consume blood from a live source—hence the rogue’s disregard for the law in attacking you.”
Charlotte didn’t mention Aiden tasting her blood. She didn’t want him to get in trouble for breaking the law.
