Page 27 of Curiosity

It just looked likeblood.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I was opening the vial, ignoring the blur of conversation on the other side of the stall door. Once it was open, I lifted it to my nose,prayingfor the scent of tomato, hot sauce, anything a normal person might consume.

I closed my eyes.

Copper.

I tossed the whole thing into the trash can and flung my way out of the stall to get to the sink.

My eyes were burning, stomach lurching, trying to understand what thefuckwas happening as I frantically washed my hands.

It took me a second to realize the other women in the bathroom were watching me.

Staringat me.

One woman smiled, bringing my attention directly to her teeth.

Fangs.

It was time to get the fuck outta there.

Not just the bathroom – the whole damn place, period.

I went for the door, bursting out before anyone could say – ordo– anything to me. I had to get to the kitchen, get my bag, and never see these freaky motherfuckers again.

“Celeste!”

I froze at the sound of Irina’s voice as soon as I stepped into the kitchen doorway.

“There you are,” she said, already linking an arm through mine. “Elias requires your presence.”

“Requires?”

She gave me a soft smile and nodded. “Yes.Requires.”

Somehow… I couldn’t argue.

I hadn’t seen him since the night I ruined his clothes and the back seat of that expensive ass car – I was fully under the impression I’d been understandably discarded. It was a new thing to wrestle with in my mind as Irina took me up the elevator, to the very top floor it offered.

“Woman to woman,” I said, stopping as she escorted me off, toward a carved black door. “What the hell is going on around here?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“The fangs,” I said. “The biting. Theblood. What is this? Some kind of vampire fantasy?”

With each word I said, a bit of warmth left Irina’s face. Our gazes were locked as I waited for her to give me an answer I soon realized wasn’t coming.

“Elias is waiting for you.”

“Okay, just tell me this,” I rushed out, and she stopped again. “Is he dangerous?”

“Absolutely,” she answered, no hesitation.

I swallowed hard. “Okay. Is he… a danger tome?”

A hint of a smile curved her lips, bringing a bit of warmth back to her face. “That depends on your definition of danger.”

With that, she led me to the door, pushing it open.

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