“Oh my God. You changed in front of my eyes.”
I opened my own, leaving the glamor in place. “So you can see this? Can see the look I’ve put on myself?”
“Yes. So why can I not see through glamor, yet you can’t compel me?”
I took a deep breath. “My mother said it could be because you are meant for us. Like a destiny thing. Either that or you have some vampire blood of your own.”
At this she guffawed. “Vampire blood? I was adopted. My mother was a whore and my father a blank name on a birth certificate, so who knows, but I seriously doubt it.”
“Why? Why is it so impossible? There’s not only us four vampires in the world.”
“I can assure you I’m fully human. I’ve been on the planet twenty-five years. So I think I’d have noticed if I wanted to drink blood or fly on a broomstick.”
It was time to change the subject. I got that it must be difficult for a human to suddenly try to believe something that had been make-believe for them for so many years before. I sat and worked the glamor off while Serena finished her drink, then lifted the bottle from the table and poured herself another.
“So, how’s the job going? Have you settled in a little more?”
She sighed. “It’s a great job. I don’t know if I’ll want to do it long term. It’s really hard sometimes to not punch people in the face.”
I spluttered some wine out. “Why do you want to punch people in the face?”
“Some of them treat me like the shit off their shoe. I get I’m not a millionaire or billionaire, but I still feel I deserve respect. They trust me enough to organize their event but don’t value me enough sometimes to look me in the eye. Some guys just speak to my chest the whole time.”
“You wouldn’t have to work at all if you chose to be our woman.” I told her.
Her face pinched. “I don’t want to be a kept woman. I’ll always want to work.”
“I’m just saying you’d have options.”
“A paid for woman, that sounds remarkably like a prostitute from where I’m sitting.”
“No.” I shot to my feet and started pacing. “Not at all. We are clear on this. Our woman will be worshiped not treated as some kind of sex toy or plaything. Our whole existence will center around keeping our girl happy.”
“You’re really serious about this sharing a woman thing, aren’t you?”
I could feel the strength of my gaze trying to penetrate her soul, to get her to understand. “Yes. Love, sex, and blood are what make a vampire who they are. Makes us whole. We are all missing that, all four of us. That connection to a woman, of the love shared between lovers.”
“How long have you been looking for a woman to share?”
"Just over a year."
“I gather it’s not been successful.”
“No. Well you can imagine, can’t you? Everyone has different tastes, and we found that for every woman one of us liked, another would find them lacking. To be honest we had about given up before you arrived.”
“Why don’t you choose another vampire? A female one?”
“We have dated our own. It hasn’t worked out either.” I stared at her again. “Why haven’t you run, Serena? Four vampire males have said they want to share you and whether you believe we are supernatural or not, that’s four virile men who want you to be theirs and to have their babies some day. How are you still sitting there calmly? How come the thought of a photograph scares you rigid but the thought of four men at once has your legs parting?”
She looked down at her thighs, unaware that as I’d spoken they’d slipped open wider.
And then I got it. I’d been taking her photograph all wrong.
I stood and walked over to her and held out a hand. “Come with me.” She took my hand, and I led her back into the studio.
“Strip down to your bra and panties, Serena.” I commanded.
Her cheeks pi