With no other option but to follow, I quickly got out of the car and followed him to the door.
Two men with the same-colored eyes but darker hair glanced from me to Ethan and back again.
The first spoke. "Apologies, my lord, but she… you cannot bring a breeder into the house! Not if you want to live through the night." He leaned forward and sniffed. "She's marked!"
"Stay out of it, Ben." Ethan gripped my hand and jerked me into the house.
"Breeder?" I repeated. "What did he mean by that?"
"Silence, human." Ethan continued pulling me through the house until finally stopping in a gourmet kitchen. "I don't know what to do with you yet. I don't suppose you'll take kindly to the doghouse out back or the nice water bowl with the name Scratch on it?"
My mouth dropped open. "A dog? You're going to treat me like your dog?"
"Joke." He smirked. "But good to know you're opposed to sleeping outside."
My knees threatened to give out. He must have noticed; in an instant I was in his arms being carried to the nearest chair.
"Humans," he whispered into my hair. "So fragile."
It didn't register I was in a vampire's arms. In fact, nothing was registering. Nothing was making sense, and I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to ask questions. It wasn't my place. My mom had made that clear.
I was terrified of doing the wrong thing — and suffering for it.
The room felt warm again. Warm and familiar. I looked up just as Stephanie and Alex rushed in the room.
"Your scent is all over the thing." Alex shook his head. "It's not enough."
Ethan hissed. "I've had her for fifteen minutes. He freaking marked her. What do you expect me to do?"
"Try harder," Alex clipped then turned his cold blue eyes toward me. "Sorry, little one, but this day's going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better."
"I'll do it," a third gruff voice said.
"Mason…" Ethan nodded. "…do your worst."
Mason grunted then held out his hand to me.
I didn't take it.
"Hell, Ethan, what did you do to her?" Mason rolled his eyes. "She's petrified."
"She's human," Stephanie pointed out.
"S-sorry." I shook my head. "I'm sorry that I'm scared."
They all stopped glaring at one another and instead turned their full focus on me.
"Fear attracts immortals," Mason said plainly. "It would be good of you to stop shaking."
"Slow her heart." Stephanie slapped Ethan in the chest. "Hurry."
Rolling his eyes, Ethan focused in on me, and slowly my racing heart went back to normal.
"Mason," Alex barked, "hurry."
"Right." Mason took a step forward. "We won't hurt you… but it will hurt."
"What?"
"Just…" Ethan cursed and looked away. "…stay as still as possible, human."
"She has a name," Alex grumbled, earning a fiery look from both Ethan and Mason.
My breath hitched when Mason leaned down, gripping my shoulders, and softly nibbled on my neck. It felt good — until a slicing pain followed the nibbling.
I shrieked.
He didn't let go.
When I was about ready to pass out, he pulled back, his eyes completely black. "It didn't work."
"Shit." Ethan ran his hands through his hair.
"You have to do something." Stephanie looked toward Ethan. "He'll find her if you don't."
"What the hell do you expect me to do?" Ethan roared. "Bite her?"
The room fell silent. Didn't vampires bite?
Isn't that what the text had said?
Alex exhaled loudly. "I'll try, just don't get all pissed off when she melts into a puddle on the floor."
"Oh please." Stephanie rolled her eyes.
"Focus." Alex snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Let me try to at least smother his scent with mine."
His lips descended.
And I was being kissed — by a siren. Something the texts described as indescribable ecstasy.
I was too afraid to feel anything except for heat and desire.
My heartbeat picked up again. My body went damp and hot as his mouth moved against mine.
When he pulled back, it wasn't with a satisfied smirk but one of hopelessness. "I'm so sorry, little human."
"He'll come for her," Stephanie whispered, her eyes flickering to Ethan. "If he takes her—"
"I know," Ethan barked. "Don't you think I'm well aware of our own prophesy?"
"Yet we play right into it… every century," Alex muttered. "I thought… for a second, I thought this one would be different. It felt different, right?"
The room fell silent again.
"What…" My voice was hoarse. "…what am I really doing with you? Why was my number called?"
"Oh dear…" Stephanie plopped down into a seat. "Ethan didn't explain that?"
"Again, fifteen minutes," Ethan muttered under his breath. "And she's human. It's not like her capacity for learning new information has evolved."
I glared at him.
Mason chuckled.
"Honey…" Stephanie reached her hand across the table and placed it on mine. "Whatever your family has taught you is a lie. You aren't here to teach us or do anything of the sort. You're… you're a breeder."