“This doesn’t look like a police station,” I mumble, even though I know they are both ignoring me. What the hell is this place? It looks like an old castle that’s been here hundreds of years.
When the back door opens I don’t fight them. I step out and follow them up to the entryway, and two large doors open. Maybe this is a police station for vampires? Hadn’t that man Valen said he was a cop when he went through all my stuff the night he busted me staking out the house?
One of the men grabs me by the arm and pulls me the rest of the way inside. His hand digs in hard and I let out a small cry, but I don’t think he cares. I’m not fighting them, so I don’t understand why he has to be cruel about it.
He practically drags me down a long marble hallway before stopping in front of another set of double doors, knocking on it. When they open, the man from the library is sitting behind a dark wood desk. He looks disappointed and I don’t even think my grandpa ever looked at me that way.
“Sit.”
He points to one of the chairs in front of his desk, and I do as I’m told. There’s no way to leave here unless they let me, and I’m not going to fight a battle I won’t win. I’ll save my energy for something else. The other two men turn and leave, and I’m thankful they don’t close the doors behind them. I’m sure if I screamed no one would give a shit, but the open doors make me feel a little more at ease.
“I told you what they were, but you didn’t listen.” He shakes his head at me, making me feel more like a child.
“You gave me a book full of information. You knew I’ve been looking into this, what did you think I was going to do? You didn’t scare me off, you pushed me towards them,” I throw back at him.
He leans back in his chair and I glance around the room, noticing all the windows are covered in dark curtains just like in Erik and Ezra’s home. I noticed them at Kane and Ravana’s, too when I’d been scoping all of them out. They bugged the crap out of me at first because it made it hard to stalk them. Then I finally understood why they had them and it all made sense.
“I guess I thought you were smarter than that.” I don’t respond to his dig. “Maybe growing up in a house with the dead made you want to find immortality. Is that what you want, Dove, to live forever?” He says it likes it’s an offer he can make. “To not be crushed so easily in the palm of one man’s hand?”
The truth is I could be crushed by two men. Becoming a vampire has never crossed my mind. Juliet isn’t one and she’s with Kane. The idea of being dead spooks me, but if it means being with them as their mate, I’ll do just about anything.
“It sounds lonely if you don’t have anyone to share forever with,” I admit absently, lost in the thought. I see him flinch and realize that hit home.
“You could find a mate. I could give you that if you gave me something in return.” He leans forward, placing his elbows on his desk.
I decide to keep the information that the twins already told me—that I’m theirs—to myself. I don’t believe him or trust him.
“How would you find a mate for me?” That word keeps coming up and my mind always focuses on it most. “Can you just pick anyone, or is it like a marriage? Are certain people destined to be together?”
“We’d get to those things once you were changed. It’s easier to explain our life then.” He brushes off my questions.
“You know me.” I force a smile. “I like knowing all I can.”
“But you also jump before looking. How else did you end up in the Marcellus home? I know you couldn’t have read the book that fast or…” He trails off as his eyes snap to behind me. I turn around to see a beautiful girl about my age standing there. She’s got short red hair that goes to her shoulders, and even from where I’m sitting I can see her eyes are violet. They’re so bright and different, but somehow the color suits her. I’ve never seen eyes like hers before.
“Oh sorry, Dad, I didn’t know you had someone in here. The door was open.” She glances at me, then I feel her studying me closer as her eyes narrow.
“It’s fine, Loren,” he tells her. “I’ll be finished soon.”
“I was just letting you know I was home before dark. Like always.” I catch the irritation at the end of her words, but she doesn’t wait for his response. She gives me one last look before she leaves.