Chapter One: Waking Up
Caroline woke with a strange sort of headache. She sat up and looked around the empty room, letting out a string of curses when she realized she wasn't in her own bed. She threw her aching body off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud followed by a muffled ouch. As she stood and tried to steady herself, she attempted to recall the events that had led her here.
She remembered the walk to the La Vien. She remembered strobe lights, neon drinks, hot bodies in close proximity moving sensuously to the fast tempo of upbeat electronica. She remembered cold hands roving her body, a pair of grinding hips behind her… Green eyes. The likes of which she had never seen before. Beautiful lips pressing against her throat. Cool breath dancing across her skin, whispering wonderful things.
Caroline's hand moved instinctively to her neck and she cringed. Bitten. Freaks. It was yet again proven that no matter what club she went to, she could always find the biters.
Never again, she decided angrily as she rushed to the nearest mirror. Two perfect puncture wounds could be seen far above where her collar would have been had she been wearing a shirt… As she looked down, Caroline realized she wasn't wearing any clothes at all. How embarrassing.
Her cheeks stung with the shame of it. For once in her life, Caroline felt scared about how she would explain her overnight absence. Usually she remembered quite clearly where she had spent the evening, which made lying about it that much easier. With no memory of the night's events however, she hardly knew how to answer her sister's questions convincingly.
As she looked around the darkened room for her clothes, Caroline felt realization take hold. She reached out and ran her hand across the duvet. It was the softest, sleekest deep purple silk that she had ever seen. It was so thick it still held the residue of her warmth. Her hands moved to the royal blue sheets. There was no doubt in her mind that this was one of those million thread count bed sets. That in mind, she allowed her newly adjusted eyes to roam the room again.
There was no end to her shock. Everything was solid… antique… expensive. The colors were rich, the woods flawless. Even the wooden frame of the bed was carved with an intricate floral design that spiraled up the bedposts.
The furniture was nothing to the room itself. The floor was made of a greenish multicolored stone that was so shiny Caroline could see her reflection. Set underneath the bed was a plush purple rug that matched the deep purple of the duvet exactly. The walls were painted a deep blue. There was a pair of screen doors that led out to what Caroline assumed was a personal balcony. The shades were closed and she wasn't in an investigative mood.
Either she was in the penthouse suite of a really expensive hotel, or she was in the bedroom of a well-furnished mansion. Either way, the man she had come home with the night before was rich and had a freaky biting fetish. Caroline didn't know where he had gone, but she knew she didn't want to be there when he returned.
She hurriedly gathered her things and dressed. She searched the entire room for a clock to check the time, but there wasn't a clock to be found in the room. She then started a search for her bag, hoping she would find her cell phone to tell the time.
Her purse sat underneath the nightstand by the bed seemingly untouched. Caroline took a moment to rummage through it, making sure no credit cards or cash had gone missing. Satisfied that the contents of her purse were undisturbed, she was ready to leave. Her cell phone, she had discovered, was missing. But Caroline was notorious for misplacing the small silver electronic device all on her own.
Caroline took a deep breath in front of the door before turning the knob and exiting the room. She didn't know what she had expected but what she found was less than interesting. It looked like a normal hallway. Granted, it was twice the size of the hallway in their small, two-story house with four bedrooms and one and a half baths…
She gently closed the door behind her and crept to the end of the hall. Caroline found herself staring over the railing of a staircase leading almost directly to the front door. It was a mansion. Caroline had spent the night in a humongous mansion. She felt elated and disturbed at the same time. Why couldn't she remember anything?
Pushing her thoughts aside, she began the long walk of shame to the front door. She should have called a cab from the bedroom. She had a feeling this mansion wasn't going to be near enough to anywhere for her to walk without causing considerable damage to her shoes and inevitably her feet.
"Miss," a cool voice whispered from behind and Caroline nearly screamed. She whirled around, ready to fend off the quiet attacker only to find herself facing a very old and very pale man. "Did I frighten you?" he asked and she realized he had a strange accent.
"A little," Caroline replied. The man smiled, revealing a row of craggy yellow teeth.
"Most apologetic," he hissed kindly. Caroline couldn't help but recoil from the rotten smell of his breath. She nodded once hoping he would be satisfied and finish so she could get the hell away from him. His eyes sparked as if he could hear her thoughts. "Mr. Brooks had to leave for a meeting," the man said slowly. Mr. Brooks? "He asked that I procure a ride home for you. The estate's limousine is out front awaiting you. All Miguel needs is an address."
"Thank you, but I don't mind walking," Caroline said and she was surprised to realize the thought of it didn't seem half bad anymore. She would have done anything to leave this eerie place far behind her.
"He insisted," the man said, his voice a little less kind and a little sharper. "Mr. Brooks would not be happy to hear of it."
Caroline's instinct was to tell the butler where exactly he could shove Mr. Brooks' unhappiness, but she resisted. She was hung over and just wanted to get home.
"Alright," she finally agreed. The man smiled again. Already bothered by his strange appearance, Catherine was much more attuned to the fact that his smile didn't reach his cold gray eyes. Needless to say, she left feeling very unsettled.
As the butler had said, there was a long white limousine parked out front. "It couldn't have been black," she muttered. There was nothing more conspicuous than a white limousine and she had no doubt that this one was one of a kind. It had gold trim and breathtaking silver designs that were inlaid all across the sides. Even the tire rims were silver with gold designs. "Jack would have a fit," she whispered to herself, referring to her twenty seven year old brother in law. He did this kind of work for a living, but she doubted even his talent could have resulted in such overwhelmingly magnificent beauty.
As she approached the limo, a man in a nice suit jumped from the driver's seat and rushed around the front to open her door. Caroline slid into the seat awkwardly and pulled her purse tightly against her chest. Before she could so much as reach for the handle, the chauffeur had gently pressed the door shut. Caroline sighed, leaning her head against the seat.
She woke with a start and realized the limo was stopped. She looked out the window at her house and breathed a sigh of relief. The door was slowly opened and a gloved hand was extended to help her out. Caroline took it and stepped carefully out of the limo.
"Thank you," she said. The man nodded with an oddly sincere smile. He inclined his head a little then walked back to the driver's side. As Caroline stared at the house, a disturbing thought struck her. She hadn't told the driver where she lived. She turned to ask him how he had found it, but the limo was gone. Not even a sound…
Caroline ascended the stairs of the porch slowly, her limbs suddenly lagging with her mental fatigue. The front door opened before she reached it and she faced a mirror image of herself in the doorway.
"Are you okay?" Her twin asked and Caroline collapsed in her arms. "Caroline…" Her sister whispered, helping her inside. "Where were you last night?"
"Later, Shannon," Caroline growled meekly. "I need to sleep."
"You have to stop partying, Cary," Shannon said worriedly. "You look sick."
"I feel fine. Just tired." Not wanting to carry Caroline up the stairs, Shannon led her to the back guest room.
"When you're feeling better, we're going to talk," Shannon demanded coolly and Caroline groaned. A wave of nausea washed over her and she groaned even louder. Shannon set her gently on the bed and leaned her back against the pillows. She pressed the back of her hand to Caroline's forehead.
"I feel fine," she snapped, batting Shannon's hand away. "Just let me sleep, damn it!"
"Okay, okay," Shannon said. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands folded uselessly in her lap, and watched her sister. Caroline looked pale. Beads of sweat stood out against her furrowed brow and her cheeks were flushed crimson. Caroline's breath was quick and labored. She whimpered pathetically and grabbed Shannon's hand, squeezing it with enough strength to make her jump in pain. "Shhh baby," Shannon soothed, brushing her twin's similar dark brown hair out of her eyes. "Sleep."
Caroline's eyes opened wide suddenly and instead of seeing her own brown eyes staring up at her, Shannon saw only black—like the pupils had completely overtaken the irises. She wanted to call a doctor immediately, but resisted the impulse. Caroline tightened her grip as Shannon started to pull away.
The movement bared her neck and a deep red mark right above the collar of Caroline's shirt suddenly caught Shannon's attention. She brushed more hair aside, revealing a deep, festering bite mark. Shannon shook her head and forced her eyes away. Their talk just got much more serious.
The grip on her hand steadily loosened and Shannon was able to leave Caroline's side a little past eight.
She went to the phone in the kitchen. "Yeah, she's home," she murmured with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for looking. I appreciate it, Will." She paused and listened, a smile spreading over her mouth. "I know. I love you too. Oh yes, I promised her a talk tomorrow." She chuckled. Her eyes opened wide as she heard shuffling in the other room. "I think I hear her getting up," she said suddenly. "Okay. Okay, I promise. Bye." She hung up and rushed to the back room.
Throwing the door open, she found a quiet room with an empty bed. The window was wide open and a gust of cold wind whispered through the abandoned room. Shannon shuddered.
"There, there," a soft voice was whispering against her cheek. Caroline felt the fever consuming her, burning her from the inside out. The pain was unbearable. She was aware she was screaming, but didn't know how or if she would ever stop. Soothing fingers were running through her hair, trying to calm her. Something about the cool touch was vaguely familiar, but the recognition faded as the burning intensified.
"Kill me," she found herself begging. Her back arched with wave after wave of pain. "Kill me."
"Never," the voice replied fiercely. "I'll take care of you."
It was well into the morning when the burning finally ceased only to be replaced with a fathomless cold. Caroline's eyes fluttered open and she looked warily around the darkened room.
"I'm surprised you're awake," came a calm voice from the corner. Caroline was too weak to respond—too weak to even look in that direction. A soft moan escaped her lips. She was drained beyond belief. "You're very brave." The voice was closer now. "It pained me to see you struggle so hard."
She felt a cool hand stroke her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed as the familiar scent washed over her. "Yes. You recall me," he murmured. "My blood calls to you as yours did to me." The voice paused. Caroline didn't open her eyes. She felt the bed sink beside her and cool arms wrapped tightly around her, drawing her against a solid chest. She let the air escape her lungs and she relaxed. "You need to rest. Tomorrow will be hell for you." She pressed against him. "No need to worry, dearest. I will be with you Caroline." He whispered her name almost reverently.
His voice was like a lullaby and as he spoke to her in hushed, soothing tones, she found herself dozing again. Finally, the black engulfed her.