Part 2 (1/2)
”What?” Surprised by that calm statement, Bella shot up on one foot, the other leg still bent on the couch. ”You know about vampires?”
The chilling rush of blood leaving her head turned her flesh to goose b.u.mps.
Seth shrugged. ”I've been dating one for a couple weeks.”
An openmouthed gape was all she could manage.
”Sit down, Bella. You've just discovered that mythical creatures exist, and not in a good way, either. Are you sure you're okay?
None of them put their fangs to you, did they?”
She was still too stuck on the ”I've been dating one” part to summon a response. Dragging her leg from the couch, Bella paced around behind the couch.
Seth was her BFF. They told each other everything. Shared good times and bad. He'd been the one to encourage her to begin dancing again. And he was always the first with a hug when she needed one.He'd told her about a new girlfriend a few weeks ago over soup and sandwiches at Panera. Bella had been stunned how quickly he'd started calling this mystery woman his love. Seth never dated long-term and preferred to keep his dating schedule open for late-night pickups after a gig at the club.
And he'd neglected to mention this newest fling was a vampire.
”Whoever it was that grabbed you did good,” he finally said. ”If those vamps had gotten their hands on you they would have bitten you. I wonder if it was a were?”
”A were-as in werewolf? Seth, you're killing me here. First, you neglect to tell me your girlfriend is a vampire. And now you're so casual about the fact that creepy horror creatures actually exist. I don't know what to think.”
”It's a lot to take in, but accept the fact that you have proof vamps do exist and move beyond it, Bella. That's what you do.”
”Yes. Yes, I believe. I mean, how can a girl not believe when she's seen proof?”
He turned and propped his elbows on the couch. ”And yes, I do mean werewolf. If he was scenting the vampires like you said, it's my best guess. Those things are like bloodhounds times ten. They can pick out a peppermint Life Savers in a city the size of New York. Put them on the scent, and set them loose.”
”Oh my G.o.d.” Again the nausea rose. Bella gripped the couch. ”He said he had my scent in his nose, and that he'd find me again if he wanted.”
”s.h.i.+t, Bella, that's not good.”
”No kidding. The last thing I need is a werewolf tracking me down to-”
Finish what he'd wanted to start last night in the warehouse?
Bella sank to her knees. Seth bounded over the back of the couch and lifted her so she sat on the back of it. He nudged between her legs, his hands to her hips and his head bowed to her forehead.
”Just lie low, Bella. It's going to be okay. Last night was a fluke. Don't ever go down that street again. And stick to jogging during the day, will you? Vamps don't do daylight.”
”Oh, mercy.” It was too incredible that the silver-screen stereotypes were true. ”And crosses?”
”Kill vamps dead. But only if they've been baptized.”
”Christ.”
”That's about the point of it. Oh, and stakes work pretty well, too, but from what I understand, you've got to burst their heart or else they'll bounce right back at you. Werewolves, on the other hand, can do daylight. So maybe I don't want you going out for a run at all.”
”Seth, I'm freaked that you know so much and are actually dating a vampire. How does that happen? Why does that happen?
Are you her slave? Is she sucking your blood?”
She grabbed his s.h.i.+rt and tugged aside the wide lapel to reveal a purple-and-green bruise on the side of his neck. ”Oh, no, you are a slave.”
”I'm nothing of the sort.” He tugged his s.h.i.+rt collar to make it stand upright. Seth was all about fas.h.i.+on and the right haircut. ”She doesn't take very much, and besides, it feels good.”
”Good? To have some creature bite into your flesh and suck out your blood? Oh, Seth.” Bending and putting her head between her knees felt right, but instead Bella wavered before her friend. She wanted to hug him, but at the same time she couldn't touch him. A vampire had bitten him. What did that make Seth?
”It's all cool, Bella. I'm in love.”
Panic strummed her voice. ”Because she has you under her control.”
”Because she is the most perfect woman I have ever met. She makes me happy, and I make her happy. Now, I want to be sure you're safe tonight, so this ticket will go to someone else.”
”No, I want to go to the show. I've written it on my calendar.”
”Heaven forbid, Belladonna Reynolds wavers from her schedule,” he mocked grandly.
”Seth! I'm not going to hide in the dark like a mushroom. I can deal with this. Maybe. After I've wrapped my head around it.
Vampires? Really?”
”Yes, Bella, really.”
”Right. Really.” She tucked her forefinger in his jeans pocket, where she suspected he kept the ticket. ”I want a ticket, Seth.
Please? It'll be good for me to dance the night away and not think about other stuff.”
He shoved a hand in the pocket and produced a Day-Glo green ticket and relented before she could take it. ”Promise you'll take a cab to and from?”
”Maybe.”
”Bella.”
”The club is down the street, less than a mile. The street is well lit, and there are always clubbers and cars out well past midnight, so it's not like I'll be alone.”
”Bella, among those clubbers are vampires. They are out there. And so are werewolves and demons and faeries and all other sorts.”
”Oh, just stop, Seth. I haven't gotten sick yet, but you keep talking like you're such an expert on all those woo-woo things and I may hurl. b.u.t.ton up your s.h.i.+rt. I can't believe you'd let someone do that to you.”
”Don't worry.” He tossed her a charming wink as he tugged at his lapels. ”She's very careful. If she took too much, I'd die.”
”What?”
”That's not going to happen. She may even give me immortality. But that's my choice.”
”You're not helping my need to hurl.”