Chapter 15

I stirred awake from a deep, restful sleep, still heavy with drowsiness. The clock read six in the morning. Blackout blinds covered every window in the house, keeping the daylight out, and I knew many vampires were already awake. They only needed roughly two hours of sleep to sustain themselves, but as a half-human dhampir, my body still craved plenty of rest.

I stretched and yawned reluctantly, wishing I could stay in bed longer. Staying up late chatting with Beatriz always threw off my schedule; she often forgot I did not have the same stamina as full vampires.

My only plan for the day was the training session with Nicholas. He had been tied up earlier than usual, so I decided to head to the library first to continue my research. The one-year asylum period was nearly over, and dread lingered over what Eduardo might do next.

I got dressed in a white top, jeans and sandals, then made my way to the kitchen. My stomach had been growling since I woke up, so I fixed a cheese sandwich and poured a glass of fruit juice to quiet my hunger. After finishing my meal and a cup of coffee, I walked down the hallway toward the library.

Just before I stepped inside, I spotted her — the woman I had seen Nicholas feeding from before.

She was dressed head-to-toe in leather, her arms folded across her chest and one eyebrow raised in a look of disdain. I kept walking as if I hadn’t noticed her, but she moved to block my path, forcing me to stop.

“Hello. I’m Ana.” Her voice was slow and laced with obvious contempt. “You’re Christine, right?”

“I am. What do you want?” I replied coldly.

“Nicholas and I have a relationship of sorts.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Unease twisted in my chest.

I had barely ever seen them together. That one moment in the office was the only time I’d witnessed them interacting intimately. I knew he occasionally took blood from the female residents here, but he never seemed to have a steady companion. I’d tried not to dwell on it too much.

“I’m just here to warn you — stay out of my way.” Her tone turned sharp and threatening.

“Rest assured, I have no intention of getting in your path.” I gritted my teeth.

“We’re perfect for each other,” she said with a smug smile.

The urge to lunge at her and grab her by the throat flared up, but I forced myself to hold back. If she wanted to believe that, let her. She had been the one whose neck he’d bitten, so perhaps that was why she clung to the idea of a relationship.

“That’s your opinion, not mine.” I brushed past her and kept going.

She reached out and seized my arm to stop me. Just then, Nicholas walked by. His expression darkened the second he saw us. Ana instantly released me and hurried toward him with a bright smile.

“Nicholas! I’d love to talk to you tonight.” She spoke in a deliberately sultry tone.

Rage bubbled up inside me. I pressed my lips into a tight line and stared at them coldly.

“We’ll see.” Nicholas’s gaze never left me, his face hard and unreadable. I turned my back on them at once.

“Christine!”

“What?” I snapped, realizing too late I’d raised my voice. My cheeks flushed, yet I faced him with defiance.

“I’m free now. Meet me in the gym in half an hour.” His words were a clear order.

“Fine.” I answered stiffly, spun around and strode down the hallway.

“Ana. I need to speak with you. Now.”

Nicholas sounded genuinely furious. I glanced back and watched Ana follow behind him, eager as a puppy trailing its master. Maybe she truly loved him. And maybe Nicholas thought a pure vampire like her was a far better match than a half-breed like me.

In the eyes of others, I belonged nowhere — not fully human, not fully vampire. I would never be a true vampire, and that truth stung deeply.

Angry and hurt by the thought of being inferior, I ran back to my room to change into training clothes. I needed to release all this tangled frustration during our practice. I was just as capable as any of them, maybe even more so. After all, I could move freely in the human world, a place where full vampires could never fully belong.

I threw a few practice punches to warm up, lost in my bitter thoughts, when Nicholas walked into the gym. He locked the main door behind him, his posture rigid and his expression stormy.

“Get ready to fight.” His tone was gruff.

“Understood.” I dropped into a fighting stance, knees bent and elbows close to my body, ready to defend or strike.

He was clearly irritated about something, and he launched into a rapid combination of punches and kicks without hesitation. Fueled by my anger toward Ana, I blocked every blow skillfully — until a sharp strike landed hard against my stomach. I groaned but quickly reset my stance. Annoyed now, I lashed out with a side kick, which he dodged effortlessly.

We traded blows, leaping and striking at one another, neither managing to land a solid hit. I aimed a front kick, only for him to block it easily.

“That’s better.” He swept a kick toward my hip, but I twisted away and shot a counter blow toward his chest. I missed my target, but my fist connected with his shoulder. “Very good.”

A glint of approval flashed in his eyes. I looked up, and my focus faltered when his irises suddenly turned pitch black. He spun quickly, swept my legs out from under me, and I tumbled to the mat. As I fell, I instinctively grabbed his arm, pulling him down on top of me.

My heart raced wildly the moment his body pressed against mine. Nicholas went rigid, his gaze locked intently on my face. I grew nervous as his fangs slid down past his lips, and that nervousness soon melted into burning desire. My eyes shifted to gray, and I ran my tongue over my lips.

Vampires did not need to breathe, so his deep, steady breaths told me everything — he could feel how aroused I was. And I felt his own desire pressing against my abdomen, hard and unmistakeable.

I decided to give in to the moment. I wanted him, and I let him see it, shifting my body gently against his in a silent invitation, then lifted an eyebrow.

Lust blazed in his black eyes; he wanted me just as badly. My breath quickened, and heat flooded every inch of my skin.

Nicholas leaned down, bracing himself on his hands on either side of my head so his full weight would not crush me. Even so, his body stayed pressed close to mine, leaving no doubt about the powerful chemistry between us.

His lips brushed softly against mine before he drew my lower lip between his own. The tip of his tongue traced the seam of my mouth, a silent invitation to surrender to the longing between us.

A shiver of pleasure ran through me. I kissed him back with all the hunger I’d held inside since the day we met, winding my arms around his neck. The taste of him was intoxicating.

When his tongue met mine, I moaned softly. Pure joy welled up in my chest. I loved him, and he was kissing me back with fierce, burning passion — urgent yet tender enough to make me melt.

Then I felt his fangs graze my tongue, followed by a sharp, faint sting. He lapped at the tiny drop of blood the bite drew, and just like that, he pulled away. Fire still burned in his eyes as he pushed himself upright in one fluid movement, then held out a hand to help me stand.

“Training is finished. You’ve improved well. Same time tomorrow.” His voice was completely neutral. Without another word, he turned and left.

I stood there dazed, still reeling from the kiss. He acted as if nothing intimate had passed between us. Had all that passion been nothing but a figment of my imagination?

For a split second, I’d thought his feelings might run deeper than I believed. But the hope faded fast.

I was nothing more than a warm-blooded woman for him to feed from and desire. If there had been real affection behind the kiss, he would never have ended it so abruptly. Disappointed and disheartened, I headed for the showers, hoping the cold water would douse the fire still burning inside me.