Roman (The Clutch 1)

“Of course I don’t. I get it, Selene. It was an accident. I knew her dad hated vampires, we’ve been down that road. But I didn’t know he’d be carrying a fucking wooden stake with him to just stab a vampire any old fucking time. I was caught off guard. I haven’t been attacked by a human in a hundred and fifty years.”

She relaxes again and leans back in her chair with a thoughtful expression. “Okay, okay. You’re right. Nobody expects to get staked on a date these days. He sounds like a real piece of work.” She rolls her eyes as she says it. “So, I presume you’re here because you’re upset over Fiona, and you want my advice?”

“Yes, Sherlock, how astute of you.” I roll my eyes right back at her. “That’s exactly what I want. You’ve been my friend for centuries. How do I fix this?”

“Stop fucking pursuing humans who don’t come along willingly would be my best advice.”

“That’s not an option here. I need her.” I catch myself before saying that I love her. I know it seems like a crazy thing to say or to feel. I’ve never tasted her. She doesn’t take that fucking cross off. But she lets me in emotionally. Her heart is kind. Her innocence and her desire to understand me draws me in.

“Ugh.” She groans at me. “Look, I think you should stay the fuck away from her. But I can see that’s not going to happen, so the only solution I can think of is that you need to bring her here. She needs to see what our life is really like. Right now, all she sees is the work you’ve done to seem human. But you’re not fucking human. I don’t think she fully understands what she’s dealing with.”

“She knows I’m a vampire, Selene.”

“Uh huh. But does she even know what that means? She knows you’re a man, who has fangs. Those are just fucking teeth. Not being able to hear your heartbeat is just the tip of the iceberg. Has she seen you feed? Have you bitten her? Has she experienced the vampire life? Or did she get the vampire who acts like a human to fit in?” she asks before pressing her lips together and glaring at me.

Fuck. Selene is totally right. I’ve spent all of my time trying to show Fiona how human I am. I’m not human. I’m not the monster her father says that I am, but I’m never going to be something I’m not, mortal. I realize that my strategy of covering up what I am to show her my humanity has perhaps backfired.

“So you think she needs to come here?” I furrow my brows. I’m skeptical that a feeding bar and lounge is the absolute best idea under the circumstances.

“It doesn’t sound like the greatest day of my life, but for you, it’s the only way to see if she can handle the truth. I don’t enjoy entertaining humans who are leery of our kind or of our ways, or that come here begrudgingly like we’re some kind of a sideshow. We’ve been through that era, and I’d just as soon forget that we were almost all staked to death over what we are.” She pauses and takes a deep sigh before continuing. “However, for you, for my partner in this immortal life, I suggest that you bring her here. If she can handle what she sees and experiences, then maybe you can salvage something from this relationship if you want to call it that. But let me ask you something, Roman.”

“What’s that?”

“Why her? You could have practically any woman on this earth. What makes her so special that you’re willing to stick your neck out for her? You’ll outlive her a thousand times over. What’s the point?” I knew this line of questioning would come eventually. Selene never believed in settling down with humans or settling down at all really. We’d talked about it before over the years when we’d seen vampires marry humans, and live with them until they died. She’d made it very clear that for her there was no point in getting attached to a creature who would age and die. I had agreed with her for many years, that is until I met Fiona.

“I can’t describe it. It is a gut feeling, and instinct. I’m drawn to her in a way that is almost primal; I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.”

“So, she’s your prey?” Selene suggested with a smirk.

“No! It’s not like that at all. Do you even listen to me? I want to protect her. Take care of her.” My thoughts retreated to the expression on her face when she looked at me in her house. She had disgust, and fear in her eyes. I had to fix this.

Again, Selene rolls her eyes. “Whatever you say, Roman. I don’t get it, but I’ll help you. However, I can. Bring her here so she can see how the other half lives. If she’s got the stomach for it, you’ll know in an instant whether or not this can work. That’s the only way you’ll know.”

“Thank you, Selene.”

“You’re welcome. And while we’re at it – keep your fucking nose clean moving forward. Don’t be throwing any more humans around. I’m serious!” She points her long pale finger at me aggressively as I get up to walk out. I nod my head in agreement and head back out the bar.

Deciding to try and talk to Fiona, I pull out my phone, dialing her number. I’m not surprised when my call goes to voicemail; I’m assuming she’s just not taking my calls. I decide to hang around Clutch for awhile; I’m not ready to go home and sulk. Going back to her place seems like a bad idea, so I lament in public alone at the bar until the vampire sitting next to me with his consort, a lovely, young, brunette human who I’ve seen here before, addresses me.

“Hey, are you Roman?” he asks me with hesitation in his voice.

“Yea, why?”

He turns on his stool to face me, then glances around the room to see if anyone is listening. We’re vampires, anyone could be listening, and they don’t have to be sitting anywhere near us to hear, so I impatiently wait to find out what he wants.

“We were just walking through the Glacier Palace Casino on Broad Street before coming here, and uh… I think your consort is there.”

Now he’s garnered my full attention. “What was she doing there?” I ask brusquely. I’m annoyed.

“Well, she was drinking; a lot. And we could, well I could, hear her talking about you to a bartender there. I wasn’t really eavesdropping so much as she was pretty upset about a vampire, and then she said your name. She seems pretty mad about whatever happened.”

Not knowing this vamp, I had no intention of getting into my business with him, but I was grateful to know where I could find her and to hear that she wasn’t with her father. I decide to go to her immediately.

“Thank you…” I trail off, not knowing his name.

“Boris.” He sticks his hand out to shake mine.

“Boris. Thank you.” I get up and walk out abruptly, headed straight for Glacier. It’s close to Clutch, in the more vampire friendly section of town, so I walk quickly, listening intently, trying to get a read on her voice. It can be difficult at times to pick up the voices that you’re trying to hear, particularly when your own mind is racing, but within a few moments, I can hear her.