ADRIA’S POV.
He tilted his head slightly, watching me with those silvery gray eyes, and I didn’t know if he was watching me as a predator would watch a prey, or as a predator would watch another predator.
My heart sped in my chest. I was facing a real vampire—a real vampire like the ones in the movies. One with fangs, and a desire for blood. There was no way I could be mistaken about it.
His face was perfect, and beautiful. It seemed like he had walked out of a dream.
His lips were a sultry red rose that I knew the girls back at the college would do anything to kiss, but of everything, what stood out was his pale milk skin.
They stood out in the moonlight and I could see the clear difference in his skin and mine.
It was then I realized I had wandered too deep into the forest. How had I gone too deep? Deep enough to encounter a vampire? I had said foolishly that I didn’t care if a wild animal killed me, so Lucien could feel guilty, but now as I faced him, I was too scared to think of making Lucien feel guilty by dying.
I didn’t want to die. Was he one of the vampires Lucien was intent on hunting down? Had he come to find me like my mum had said?
We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and it seemed like he was studying me, or trying to read me, and in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly standing right in front of me, so close to me.
I gasped, screamed, and fell to the ground, tried to pick myself up and run, but realized I was too slow to do a thing, so I simply stayed there with my arms over my head, and my throat opening up with scared sobs.
My heart seemed to speed up a thousand times.
He had been so fast, unbelievably fast. His movement had been a blur. I heard him snigger lightly, then felt him bend down close to me. His scent was that of flowers, and it filled my nostrils. Then his long fingers circled my wrist. Damn. His touch was as cold as ice.
Was that confirming Vampires as dead creatures? But I wasn’t dead, was I? Or had I died in my sleep without mum being aware, and awoken as a vampire?
No, my touch wasn’t as cold as his, and my skin definitely wasn’t as pale either.
I curled deeper into myself, with my heart already beating in my mouth. Was he trying to pull down my arms so he could see the veins in my neck?
He moved my wrist downwards and also took the other down.
I shook hard, my breath coming out shaky and bearing the scent of fear. He was going to crash down on me. He was going to… I was going to feel sharp teeth, sinking deep into my neck…
Just then, his cold finger alighted down on my face, and he brushed the hair that had been the last thing shielding my face aside, tucking it behind my ear, rather too gently.
My eyes closed tighter, and I found myself wishing they could go tighter than that.
“Open your eyes.” He commanded, softly, and his voice was surprisingly as soothing as the sound of gentle, trickling water. It seemed to trickle down my chest calmly, and I felt if I opened my eyes, I would see paradise.
My eyes opened without my consent and I stared into his. Then he smirked, and shook his head.
“You just figured out what you are, right? It’s astonishing how I can read your mind, and hypnotize you. You had better work on strengthening your powers.” He said, getting up, and extending a hand to me, but I was too scared to take it, so he bent, and lifted me up with ease.
I let out a little sound of surprise, and he chuckled.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited.” He began, bending to my height, and staring at me intently, as if checking to see if the features on my face were complete.
My face burned, and I longed to run.
“I’m sorry, but I… I have to get home. Can you please… please leave me?” I stammered, knowing my words came out all wrong, but couldn’t help wishing he’d just let me go, since I wasn’t a human.
“I’m Derek, and I doubt I can leave you alone.” He replied, with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
What did he mean? Was he going to feast on me? Was he trying to tell me he’d keep me hostage? What did he mean?
“You must be confused, and when your first craving for blood hits you hard, I’m sure you’ll need someone who understands you to be there.” He continued, then took in a deep breath. “Adria, I sense power radiating from you, but they’re locked. Do you know what it means if you work on them? You have to unlock them.” He pointed out, moving so close to me, and sniffing my face.
“I… I don’t… I’m just…” I stuttered, falling two steps back.
“Aren’t you thrilled?” He questioned, moving a few feet backwards, and I took in a breath of relief. He probably got the message that he had been too close for my mind not to concentrate on anything, but fear.
“I don’t want to help anyone. I just… I just want to be normal.” I let out immediately, also taking a few steps backwards. If, truly, he wanted me to help him, then Lucien would hate me more.
“What would I need your help for?” He asked, looking puzzled as he pushed his fingers into his pockets.
“Uh?”
He didn’t need my help?
“I just want to be friends. I’m quite the introvert, and I can’t help being attracted to another introvert like you.” He stated, striking the ground gently with his foot, and I blinked cluelessly. He really didn’t need my help? But my mother had said they would come for me.
“I bet you know that the wolves are crazy about hunting vampires. I think the least you could do is learn to run if you can’t prove to those wolves that you’ve never killed a human.” He pointed out, walking so he could lean against a bent branch, and I realized the truth. The truth that I might start getting hunted down.
“I… I don’t know. This doesn’t sound right…”
“When I’m sad, I run. I run so fast that the wind itself can’t catch me.” He said, staring up at the moon and smiling like he was thinking of a lover. “I race with the wind and clear my mind.” He added, turning to look at me, and I wondered how it would feel.
Running so fast that all thoughts of Lucien and the pain eating away at my heart would simply disappear with the wind.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to read the mind of anyone you wanted? You don’t have to ever be curious. You can just pick out what you want.” Derek continued, plucking a leaf from a branch. “Just like this.”
“I… I can?” I asked, feeling a little tinge of hope. If I could read Lucien’s mind, then I could know what he truly thought about me. I could know if he no longer loved me, or was trying to hide it. All my questions would become immediate answers.
“Yes, you can. I constantly do it, so no one ever lies to me. I also hypnotize people, and they do whatever I want. Not only that, but I shape shift and can take on a number of humans.” He continued, picking more leaves off the branch, and I couldn’t deny the fact that I was tempted.
If mind-reading was the only thing I could do, then I would be fine, as long as I could read Lucien’s mind.
“You mean… all these things… I can really do them?” I asked, taking a step closer to him.
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
“You have to be an older, and stronger vampire like me for it to come easily. You, as you are, you need a lot of teaching to get stronger. You need to hone your skills and feed your abilities.” He informed me, putting his hands into his pockets, and I thought fast. Of course, it couldn’t come as easily as that. I couldn’t just wake up as a vampire one day and suddenly expect to start flying.
Of course, just like a boxer needed practice, I needed them too, and I was ready to fall and rise again if that was what it would cost for me to get what I wanted.
“Then teach me.” I heard myself say.