Page 109 of Undying
And it’s a little anticlimactic.
The vampire is only a few years old and so timid that my eyes ache just looking at him. My skin feels itchy being near him, but I have absolutely no urge to kill him, which is a novel sensation. I listen to him stutter through the interview, eyes downcast and so twitchy that I barely resist the urge to yell at him to remain still.
Stanton chose him to be first for a reason.
After the third interview, annoyance is my primary emotion.
By the tenth, I just want to hand over the whole mess to Milo and Stanton and crawl under the desk to escape. After two hours, I can’t take it anymore. Before I completely lose my shit, Stanton takes pity on me and thankfully calls a halt. Once the last vampire is banished, Stanton seats himself across from me and threads his hands together.
“You’ve interviewed close to forty vampires,” he says, never once taking his eyes from mine. “What did you learn?”
I purse my lips, noting that he’s always careful to refer to his own kind as vampires and not people. “A number of the vampires came today just to get a look at me.” I shuffle through the names I wrote down, pull them out, and toss them into the trash. “I’m guessing they were sent to gather information and report back to their masters.”
I retrieve two other names and frown down at them. “These two wore constipated expressions most of the interview and stormed out of here pissed off when I told them we wouldn’t suit.”
Milo snorts and rubs a hand across his mouth as if to cover his laugh. “They were trying to seduce you by hypnotizing you.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I can only blink up at him dubiously. “Really?”
Stanton only smirks. “Hypnosis only works on those weaker than themselves.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “No wonder they were so pissed when they left.”
The next ten names baffle me, and I look toward Milo and Stanton for guidance. “I’m not sure why they came for the interview. They’re well off. They don’t need protection. They just seem kind of slimy, eyeing me up like I should be grateful for their attention.”
The two of them grin, not even trying to hide their amusement. Milo is the one who answers this time, coming over to my side and depositing a kiss on my nose. “They were flirting with you, openly attempting to court you.”
“No. Nope. Nada.” I rear back in revulsion, the chair rolling with me, and I frantically wave my hands in front of me while shaking my head. “Make that a no fucking way.”
I scan the room, noting the exits, mentally plotting the best escape routes. Stanton plants his hands on the desk, drawing my attention, and I can’t look away from the possessive expression on his face.
His eyes are completely black as he gazes down at me with a ruthlessness that shouldn’t make me all hot and bothered. “We would never allow that to happen. The only reason none of them lunged across the table and forced the issue is because they know they would’ve been dead before they even blinked. No one touches you without permission.”
I blink up at him, not sure why I find the hint of violence so attractive. He’s supposed to be the enemy, the one who locked me in a cage and didn’t think twice about suggesting they should put me down like a feral beast.
The infuriating man had no right to change his attitude just when I finally had him pegged. I don’t need the added complication of another man in my life, especially one so bossy and domineering, but one look into his fierce brown eyes, and I’m lost.
It should be illegal for him to look at me like I’m his destiny and the only woman in the world who can bring him back to life after decades of being frozen.
Because I’m starting to believe it too.
I swallow hard against the need to lean up from the desk and kiss him, because if I’m wrong, it would shatter my heart. I pull back, breaking the connection, rubbing my chest to ease the ache.
“What do you think about the rest of the vampires you interviewed?” Milo interrupts our stalemate, and I could kiss him.
I turn to him with a grateful smile. “Not much?” I pose it as a question, then just shrug. “Out of all of them, I only liked two.”
Both nod like they agree with my selection. I avoid looking at Stanton directly by sorting through what’s left of the names, then waving them in the air like an idiot.
Milo glances at my selection, then smiles. “Why did you pick them?”
“They are the only ones who want something better for themselves, but don’t expect it to be handed to them. They’re willing to work toward a better future, and I like that fire.”
“You’re a natural.” He leans forward and kisses the top of my head. “I don’t think I would have been able to narrow down the candidates so efficiently. You didn’t allow your emotions to sway you. You understand you’re not able to save everyone. That they have to want to save themselves first. You picked the two that would actually make your clan stronger.”
I wilt back in my chair at his praise, relief leaving me jittery, like I passed some sort of test. I glance at Stanton, waiting for his assessment, but he gives nothing away.
“They are both without a master, so you don’t have to barter for their freedom. To claim them as part of your clan, you will need to make a small incision on your palm and theirs, then shake on it. Once your blood mixes, a connection will snap into place.” Stanton explains the process in detail, never once looking away, and I squirm at how intimate he makes it sound.
