Page 86 of My Road Trip with a Vampire: Season One
“Like anyone would cross that line.”
Dennis ignores her.
“It’s your choice. I’ll shield your body to the best of my ability no matter what you decide, but this might be the safest option.”
I don’t know what goes into claiming, but I can feel the weight of this moment hanging around us. This is an important decision. I don’t think I would mind beinghisin weird ancient vampire terms, but the thought of being committed to anyone in any real way makes my stomach flutter with nerves.
No, not nerves. I’m filled with excitement, not dread.Butterflies.
My cheeks flush when I meet his eyes. I know he feels them too.
“Ok, but maybe you can buy your girl a drink first?”
* * *
“Do you have any violet liqueur?” I ask the bartender. She’s a human woman who looks to be in her mid-forties. She’s pretty with her hair pulled up in a bouncy ponytail, but she presses her glossy lips together in annoyance when I make my silly drink requests.
Long night. I get it.
Usually I try to keep my orders pretty simple, but tonight calls for something special to mark the occasion. It’s not like getting claimed by a vampire is an everyday occurrence for me. Her ponytail swings around when she calls out to the other bartender. He’s a tall vampire sporting an open denim vest and chin-length blue hair.
He steps to our side of the bar and sets down two bright red drinks. I stare at them in confusion, and Dennis sniffs his glass.
He rests his hand on his thigh like he’s afraid he’ll touch me if he lets it wander free. I know he’s waiting for me to give him the go-ahead. I’m almost there, but I need a few minutes to unwind.
“Hello, sweet Bea,” a low voice purrs in my ear. The nickname unlocks a memory I can’t quite place. I glance over my shoulder and catch a tall vampire leaning against the bar. I squint to see him better in the dim purple lights.
I know him.
“Hello, Dennis,” Rune says, a grin spreading across his face as he sips his own drink. He holds it up. “Raspberry cosmos. I’ve been obsessed since Beatrice told me about them."
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Dennis asks, sliding off his chair and moving behind me. He reaches out to touch the bar, creating a boundary between Rune’s body and my own.
“Marzanna called me. She told me she thought you’d gotten yourself in trouble again.”
“Why would she call you?”
Rune sucks on a lime while his eyes are on me. Threads of silver swirl through the deep blue. His hair is gathered in a bun tonight, keeping it off the collar of his black suit.
“When you get to our age, the years blur together. She probably figured things were like before,” he says, placing the fruit back in his glass.
“Do I need to be worried you’ll run back and tell Henry?”
“You wound me, Dennis.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time you threw me to the wolves.”
Something flashes in Rune’s eyes, but it disappears when he smiles at me, his fangs showing.
“And just what have you two gotten into, sweet Bea? Denny doesn’t believe me, but I’d rather not see him silvered.Again.”
There’s a warning in his voice, but I remember what Dennis told Marzanna about Rune being a traitor.
“Like I’d tell you.” He laughs, which is a surefire way to get me to double down on my snark. “We're just staying busy putting down ghosts and demons.”
His smile drops.Bullseye.Demons seem to scare the shit out of vampires.
“Demons?” he asks, pressing away from the bar. Dennis looks at me, his knuckles cracking as he grips the bar tighter. Rune is completely focused on him now. “Is this true? You let her deal with demons? A human. Do you know how dangerous that is for the both of you?”
