Page 40 of Viktor's Temptation
“I didn’t ask for this,” he muttered under his breath.
“What was that?” Dave called over his shoulder, already halfway to the door.
Charlie swallowed back his rising anger, his voice louder this time. “I said, I didn’t ask for this.”
Dave turned, one eyebrow raised. “None of them did, kid,” he replied, jerking a thumb at the bodies. “But look at you now. Faster, stronger, immortal. You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you?” Charlie’s voice cracked as the anger inside him exploded. “You killed them! You killed me! My life is over because of you!”
Dave rolled his eyes. “Oh, boo-hoo. Your life wasn’t anything special, was it? Sitting in front of a computer all day? Playing with flowers in the dirt? Get over it. You’ve been given a gift.”
“A gift?” Charlie took a step forward, his fists trembling with the urge to punch Dave’s smug face. “A gift? I don’t want this. I don’t want to hurt people. I don’t want to... to drink blood!” His voice broke, the words spilling out before he could stop them. “I just want my life back.”
Dave’s face darkened, his smirk replaced with a sneer. “You don’t get a life back, kid. Not unless you make it for yourself. You’re one of us now, you’re owned by me and Cerberus, so quit whining and figure it out. Or don’t. Honestly, I don’t care.”
Charlie’s teeth clenched as he tried to keep the rage inside him from boiling over. He didn’t know what he hated more: Dave’s casual dismissal of the lives he’d destroyed, or the fact that some twisted part of him agreed with Dave. He didn’t have a choice. He had to figure this out—how to live, how to survive, how to endure this new reality. And who the hell was Cerberus?
“Come with me,” Dave barked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Charlie hesitated, glancing back at the lifeless bodies, their vacant eyes seeming to stare at him accusingly. His stomach turned again, but he followed Dave. What else could hedo? He didn’t know how to be this... monster. He didn’t know how to survive without guidance, no matter how repulsive the source.
As he walked, the faint coppery taste of blood still lingered in his mouth, making his stomach twist with both revulsion and a sickening pang of hunger. Is this who I am now? He bit down on the wave of self-loathing, determined not to let Dave see how broken he felt.
For now, he’d follow. But he promised himself: this wasn’t the end of his story. This wasn’t who he’d become.
Chapter 21
“What have you found?” Viktor asked as he stepped into his office, the deep timbre of his voice drawing her attention like a magnet.
Gracie spun around in the oversized leather desk chair, the supple material creaking slightly. Antique bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes and neatly arranged artifacts that spoke of centuries past.
“I discovered that the number nine is a very superstitious number,” Gracie announced, her face alight with excitement.
“That’s good,” Viktor replied, perching on the edge of the desk. The polished glass reflected the faint silver glow of his eyes as he leaned slightly forward. “Any specifics?”
Gracie glanced up at him, distracted momentarily by the way the soft light highlighted his sharp cheekbones and the almost ethereal shimmer in his eyes. Was that a trick of the chandelier’s glow, or was there something more to it? Viktor’s words echoed in her mind—shimmering eyes meant attraction, she thought, her stomach flipping at the possibility. She quickly pushed the thought aside. Why would Viktor, a centuries-old, impossibly handsome vampire, be interested in her?
Still, the subtle heat in his gaze seemed to argue otherwise, and the shimmer in his eyes grew brighter the longer she stared. Her cheeks warmed as she tried to focus on her findings, though her thoughts wandered briefly to her past. Warren, her ex, had always criticized her for her body, her voice,even her hobbies. But now, standing before Viktor, she felt the stirrings of something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years: confidence.
“Gracie?” Viktor prompted, his voice pulling her back to the present.
She blinked and looked away, embarrassed that she’d zoned out. “Sorry. I was just…thinking.” She stood, smoothing the soft material of her skirt. The plush rug beneath her feet cushioned her movements as she stepped closer to him. The warmth of the room, combined with Viktor’s presence, made the vast space feel intimate and safe.
“You seem distracted,” Viktor observed, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly.
Tired of living in her head, of constantly second-guessing herself, Gracie took a deep breath. If she wanted her life to be different now, she needed to act differently. She was no longer the shy, unassuming woman who let others dictate her worth. She was strong now, stronger than she’d ever thought possible.
“We don’t have any diseases, right?” she blurted out, cringing slightly at her own awkwardness.
Viktor tilted his head, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “No,” he replied, his voice deepening into a husky timbre. “Why do you ask?”
Gracie stepped closer, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. “Because I was thinking…” She bit her lip, trying to gather her courage. What she was about to say could either ruin their budding connection or take it to an entirely new level.
“You’ve been around for a while, right?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
“Yes,” Viktor replied, watching her intently. “Several centuries.”
Her heart pounded as she debated her next words. Finally, she decided to go for it. What had playing it safe ever gotten her? Certainly not the kind of life she’d dreamed of.
