Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (37 page)

Her eyes lit up when she opened the door to her room on the second floor and saw the bed.
 
It was only a single, nothing special, but she was so tired.
 
Vampire or not, she ached.
 
She'd found herself nodding off at the wheel several times on the tail end of the drive, one of the most dangerous things to do.
 
Tossing her bag onto the chair in the corner, she kicked her shoes off and stepped inside.
 
She didn't bother to unpack, or even remove her clothes.
 
She was going to enjoy beautiful sleep.

Zoey stopped as her knee touched the mattress.
 
There were two large windows overlooking the street below.
 
She sighed as she put her hands on her hips, taking in the view.

There was still work to be done.

Studying the room, she searched for anything and everything she could use.
 
Sheets covering the windows were useless.
 
Sunlight would flood in and fry her to a crisp.
 
What she needed was thick, heavy trash bags, and plenty of tape, of which she had none.

In the end, she went with a solution that made her laugh aloud.
 
She made a tent with the mattress and box-spring, using the large heating and cooling unit in front of the window as a support.
 
The mattress was flat on the floor, with the box-spring serving as an angled roof.
 
The triangle shape cut into her sleeping room a bit, but it provided all the darkness she needed.

She was a teenage vampire that had built a childhood fort to survive.

"Victoria would be so proud."

Zoey was ready to turn in for the day when something caught her eye through the window.
 
Across the street from the hotel were cookie-cutter single family homes, each with their own fence and yard.
 
One house was in the middle of a party.
 
A small crowd of people not much older than her laughed and drank on the lawn, while others moved in and out through the door.
 
With her keen eyes, she could see dancing through the window.

When she was mortal, she would have been the first one to dance through the crowd and flirt with a cute boy.
 
She would have dragged Kylie along, because Kylie would insist on not going.
 
Zoey would pretend to drink, to fit in.
 
A fact she was not proud of.
 
Kylie wouldn't dance, at first, until Zoey worked on her for a while.
 
Then she'd loosen up, and the mismatched best friends would be the talk of school the next day.

Now, as she watched the young crowd, all she could think of was something Victoria said.

Never pass up easy blood.

She sighed as emotions wrestled.
 
As an out-of-town traveler, blood would never get any easier than a house party.
 
She could slip in, find a tasty mortal and a dark corner, and slip out.
 
Victoria could feed in a crowded club.
 
Certainly a house party with young people drinking and stumbling about would be easier.

The problem was Zoey was not Victoria.
 
She had never once successfully drank from a human without hurting them.

Turning in place, she stared at her bag, still sitting in the chair.
 
She could visualize the two bottles of blood sitting inside.
 
Would they be enough for the rest of the trip?
 
She honestly didn't know how much longer the rest of the trip was.
 
Stretching out the blood wasn't a problem, but she didn't want to go back to starving, like she did in her hometown.

She knew she was delaying the inevitable.
 
There was absolutely no reason not to drink from a human, except her own fears.
 
Like Victoria said, there wouldn't always be bottles of blood waiting for her.
 
It was possible Victoria herself had washed her hands from the troublesome teen.

Zoey steeled herself.
 
There would never be a better opportunity.
 
Eventually she would have to conquer her issues.

"Okay," she said.
 
"Let's go."

Before leaving the room she gave herself a quick glance in the dresser mirror.
 
There were no bags under her eyes.
 
She practiced a quick, flirty smile, and was satisfied with the results.
 
Her figure never looked better, enhanced even further by Victoria's fashion choices.
 
If she couldn't find a guy to give her a second look and reel him in, then she deserved to go thirsty for a few days.

She left the hotel and circled the building to cross the street, but stopped when she hit the sidewalk.
 
It would not be smart to simply go straight for the house, and then straight back to the hotel.
 
She walked around the block first, used the crosswalk, and then headed for the house.

Zoey closed her eyes as she approached.
 
She inhaled deeply, treasuring every scent, and listened intently.
 
Victoria had always told her to use all of her senses, take everything in.
 
The sensations reminded her that although she looked like the young crowd around her, she was not one of them.
 
She could hear laughter deep in the house, smell the beer and marijuana.
 
Two young women consoled another as she complained about her boyfriend cheating on her.
 
A man tried to show another how to take a hit from a bong.
 
An argument brewed, fueled by alcohol, as two men argued over the affections of a woman they were both interested in.

Not long ago, Zoey would have fit in perfectly.
 
Now it almost felt like an alien world.
 
She actually longed for the smell of brewing tea in Victoria's kitchen.

Cutting across the lawn, she flashed a smile to the group of young men drinking outside.
 
She didn't need her eyes to know they gawked at her as she passed by.
 
The quickening heartbeats, the whispered compliments, the scent of what could only be arousal in the air.
 
She sensed it all.

Someone handed her a beer on the way inside.
 
She tried to calm her nerves as she surveyed the party scene in a way she never did before.
 
She wasn't searching for a cute guy to talk to, or a fun song to dance along with, or gossip to spread.
 
She was looking for a man or woman not too drunk so she could drink their blood.

Ten minutes passed as she weaved her way in and out of the crowd.
 
She took a small tour of the house, to get a layout of her surroundings.
 
People slowly started to trickle out the door, the night nearly coming to an end.
 
Zoey knew she had to hurry, or else she'd miss her opportunity.

Her eyes fell on a young man, maybe a year older than her, sitting on the couch.
 
A smile crossed her face, as the sight reminded her of Kylie.
 
He stared into his smartphone, and not in a good way.
 
There was an art to using a smartphone at a party, one that the young man obviously hadn't mastered.
 
A quick check for messages and missed calls was all it took.
 
But there were the ones that struggled socially.
 
The phones helped them pass the time, instead of engaging with the fun around them.
 
Kylie had the same problem.

Zoey sidled up next to him.
 
Their shoulders touched, which was her intent.
 
He was cute.
 
She leaned her head toward him and glanced at his phone.

"What are you checking out?"

He was so absorbed in the world of mobile Internet that he jumped.
 
He blanked his phone and put it away, almost embarrassed.

"You know, just guy stuff," he said.

"Ah," Zoey said, smiling.
 
"Porn."

"No.
 
Fantasy football."

"Almost as bad."
 
She extended her hand.
 
"I'm…Kylie."

He returned her smile and shook her hand.
 
"Travis."

That was it.
 
Ten seconds passed.
 
It was obvious Zoey would be the one to carry the conversation.

"So, you're not much into…."
 
She frowned as she watched the others around them.
 
Three women took turns kissing and groping while two men recorded them with their phones.
 
Zoey might have laughed before, but since becoming a vampire and spending time with Victoria, she saw everything in a new light.
 
All she could think about was exposure, and how vampires were supposed to live in the shadows.
 
"Beer and…whatever else is going on here."

His smile was warm, catching her by surprise.
 
It didn't go with the already shy impression she had of him.

"Every party needs one, right?" he said.
 
"That guy who comes, but doesn't do anything and looks like an idiot.
 
My sister always drags me to these things."
 
He searched around them.
 
"She's around here somewhere."

"You don't look like an idiot.
 
Actually, you look like the only smart one here."

"If I was smart, I'd be home sleeping.
 
I have to go to work in five hours."

"Oh, wow.
 
You really like challenging yourself, don't you?"

They laughed together.
 
She drank up his scent.
 
It was very pleasant, not an ounce of beer on him.

A drunk woman with an unsteady gait stumbled past and bumped into the couch, sending her beer flying.
 
Travis barely missed being doused, and that was only because of Zoey's speed.
 
She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him against her.
 
The beer soaked into the cushion, drawing laughter from most and ire from one particular woman, who either owned the house or whose parents did.

"Damn," Travis said.
 
"Thanks."

"That would not have been a good end to your night.
 
Do you want to go somewhere?"

The shy side, the one that would rather stare into a smartphone, came out quickly.

"Uh, where?"

"Anywhere.
 
Out back.
 
For a walk.
 
It doesn't matter."

"Sure."

They made their way through the house, pushed through the crowded kitchen, and into the backyard.
 
A simple seat hung from two pieces of rope from a tree.
 
Zoey sat down first, patting the spot next to her.
 
Travis was adorably awkward, unlike any other guy she'd met.
 
It made what she intended to do that much more difficult, but she'd be careful.

She would never hurt anyone else ever again.

They talked and laughed for ten minutes as the party went on behind them.
 
It was much more relaxing and quiet outside, away from the scents and sounds.
 
Zoey flirted, only a little, and Travis responded in kind.
 
She was very aware that she was stalling.
 
She was not supposed to be getting to know Travis.
 
Ultimately, even his name was unimportant.
 
The only thing that mattered was the nectar in his veins.

With each passing second, the window of opportunity was closing.
 
It would not get easier.
 
Even the tree above cast them in shadow.
 
They couldn't be seen from the house.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, sensing her mood.
 
They sat so close their legs touched.

"Oh, yeah.
 
Just a lot on my mind."

"Listen.
 
I…uh, don't really want to go.
 
But I have to.
 
I really do have to work in a few hours."
 
Zoey smiled as his scent changed.
 
It was amazing how emotions could sometimes affect smell.
 
He stared at the ground as he stuttered.
 
"This might be a long shot, but can I get your number?
 
Or…maybe you can get mine.
 
Whichever one works."

"I'm so sorry, Travis, but I can't."

"Ah," he said, nodding.
 
"You have a boyfriend."

Zoey couldn't hide the sadness in her voice.
 
She wouldn't have a boyfriend for a long time.

"No, it's not that.
 
It's just…."

She couldn't finish her thought, so she leaned forward and kissed him.
 
Travis let out a startled sound, but it didn't take long for him to kiss her back.
 
For a shy guy, he was certainly a great kisser.
 
Zoey had the feeling she wouldn't be kissing all of her victims.
 

She wished she could spend more time with Travis.
 
If only.
 
In a different life.
 
These were snippets of thoughts she was sure would follow her for the rest of her life.

Zoey pulled away, but didn't drift too far.
 
She could hear both their heartbeats, quick and excited.
 
She kissed Travis on the cheek, and let her lips hover near his ear.
 
His hand rested on the back of her neck, a wonderful feeling.

"I promise I won't hurt you," she whispered, as much for herself as for Travis.