The conversation ended as quickly as it had started.

  Chris stood there awkwardly, hands still half raised like he wasn't sure if the danger had actually passed yet. Xavian looked completely satisfied with himself, and Cazaro hadn't said a single word the entire time.

  I turned toward the building before the moment could get any more uncomfortable.

  "Thanks," I muttered, though I wasn't sure who I was thanking.

  Then I started up the stairs.

  The front steps creaked the way they always did, the wood bending slightly under our weight. I'd walked these stairs a thousand times before, but suddenly I was painfully aware of how run down they looked.

  The railing was chipped.

  The paint along the walls peeled in thin strips.

  The hallway smelled faintly like old carpet and someone's burnt toast from earlier that morning.

  I reached the top landing and headed toward my door.

  Behind me, footsteps followed.

  Both of them.

  I slowed a little, glancing back over my shoulder.

  "You don't have to come up," I said.

  Cazaro looked mildly amused.

  "No?"

  "I'm home now."

  His expression didn't change.

  "We'll be coming in," he said calmly. "If that's fine."

  I paused with my hand hovering near the door handle.

  For a second I considered arguing.

  Then I remembered the scene outside with Chris.

  And the way Xavian's eyes had darkened.

  "...Sure," I said finally.

  I turned back to the door and pulled my keys out of my bag.

  But just before I slid the key into the lock, something hit me.

  My stomach dropped.

  Inside my apartment sat two very obvious things.

  My cross.

  And the Bible sitting on the small table by the couch.

  Right where I'd left them.

  I froze.

  Cazaro and Xavian stood just behind me.

  "Hold on," I said quickly, turning halfway toward them.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Let me uh... pick up super fast."

  Before either of them could answer, I unlocked the door and slipped inside.

  My apartment looked exactly the way I'd left it the night before.

  Small.

  Cluttered.

  Cheap furniture shoved into corners to make the space work.

  The cross sat on the table near the couch.

  The Bible beside it.

  I rushed over immediately, grabbing both and shoving them into the top drawer of my desk. The drawer stuck halfway before closing—like it always did—and I had to push it harder than usual.

  My heart thumped once in my chest.

  Okay.

  Fine.

  Good enough.

  I smoothed my hair quickly, glanced around to make sure nothing else looked too suspicious, then walked back to the door.

  When I opened it again, both vampires were exactly where I'd left them.

  Watching.

  "Alright," I said, stepping aside.

  "You can come in."

  My apartment suddenly felt very small.

  Cazaro and Xavian both stepped inside, and the space that normally felt cramped somehow felt even tighter with two vampires in it. The couch sagged slightly when they sat down, the old springs protesting quietly under the extra weight.

  I stayed standing for a moment, unsure where to put myself.

  They looked... out of place here.

  The cheap coffee table. The mismatched chairs. The faint hum of the refrigerator from the tiny kitchen. None of it fit with the polished control of Cazaro's house.

  The silence stretched.

  They both looked around, taking everything in without saying anything.

  It made me nervous.

  So the words slipped out before I could stop them.

  "What's the plan?"

  Both of them looked at me.

  Cazaro leaned back slightly on the couch, one arm resting along the back like he had already decided he owned the place.

  "The plan," he said calmly, "is simple."

  His eyes held mine.

  "You are mine."

  The words landed heavier than I expected.

  "I will pay you," he continued. "And you will be at my beck and call."

  My stomach twisted a little.

  I glanced toward Xavian.

  He was watching the exchange with obvious amusement, a slow smirk spreading across his face when my eyes met his.

  "I'm happy to share," he said lightly.

  My head shook immediately.

  "No."

  The answer came faster than I meant it to.

  "I—" I swallowed slightly, forcing the words out. "I just meant... the blood. Right?"

  I deliberately ignored Xavian now, focusing only on Cazaro.

  "No sex. Just blood."

  The room went quiet.

  Cazaro studied my face for a moment, his expression unreadable.

  Then he gave a small shrug.

  "If that's what you want."

  I nodded quickly.

  Of course that's what I wanted.

  "Just blood," I repeated.

  Cazaro watched me for another moment before leaning back slightly on the couch.

  "It would be easier," he said, "if you stayed with me."

  I shook my head immediately.

  "I can't."

  His brow lifted faintly.

  "This is my home," I said.

  That part wasn't a lie.

  What I didn't mention was the other reason.

  I needed space.

  Time.

  Time to write.

  The thought hit me like a sudden slap.

  Writing.

  Oh fuck.

  My head snapped toward the small clock on the wall.

  Five past twelve.

  My stomach dropped.

  Saturday.

  Zane was supposed to come by today.

  Every Saturday.

  We wrote our prayers together at noon.

  He'd be here any minute.

  "You need to go," I blurted.

  Both vampires looked at me.

  Neither of them moved.

  Then the knock came.

  Three quick taps on the door.

  My entire body went rigid.

  Cazaro raised one eyebrow.

  Xavian's smirk returned instantly.

  I looked down at myself.

  Still wearing the red dress.

  Still with a bite mark on my neck.

  "Fuck," I whispered.

  Zane would absolutely notice.

  And if Zane noticed...

  The pastor would know before sunset.

  "One sec!" I yelled toward the door.

  I spun around and rushed toward my bedroom.

  Behind me, I could practically feel the two vampires watching the chaos unfold.

  I yanked open my drawer, grabbing the first pair of leggings I could find and pulling them on as fast as possible. A shirt followed, dragged over my head while I rushed back toward the living room.

  The red dress came off halfway across the room.

  I balled it up and threw it straight into the trash.

  The shirt barely made it over my shoulders before the knocking came again.

  "Coming!"

  I ran a hand through my hair, took one quick breath, and opened the door.

  Zane stood there.

  His usual easy expression started to form when he saw me.

  "Hey Al—"

  His eyes shifted past my shoulder.

  Then he froze.

  "...who the hell...?"

  I stepped aside slightly, forcing a smile that felt painfully stiff.

  "Oh— uh—"

  I gestured quickly toward the couch.

  "This is Cazaro," I said.

  "The leader."

  "And his brother, Xavian."

  I emphasized the words deliberately.