7. Luke

Xander led me up a winding staircase past paintings and photos of different vampires who I presumed to be the family he spoke of. As we climbed to the top floor, I began to get concerned about his superhuman abilities again.

He’d carried me like I was no heavier than a handful of rocks, nearly weightless as soon as I entered his embrace. And that was while he ran fast enough to get us back to his countryside estate in less than a minute. If he could do all that and still not be tired, what could he do to me?

I was about to find out, whether I liked it or not. I thought I liked it. I was excited, I knew that much. But I was afraid, too, and the cold, damp air in this big, empty house didn’t help much.

All my worries dissolved the moment I set foot in Xander’s bedroom. The bed, a massive, four-poster made of a gorgeous dark-grained wood was fitted with pristine silk cheeks and a feather comforter that felt almost softer than air itself to the touch.

The windows were covered by thick dark curtains that would have blocked out all the light if it were daytime, much like the rest of the house. There was a wall sconce above the bed with two candles flickering softly, washing the room with a warm, cozy glow.

The room could have done with a fireplace to warm it, but there was none to be found – not even a spot where one could have been removed from. The entire house was a strange amalgamation of human ingenuity and vampiric minimalism – indoor bathrooms and a full kitchen, yet nothing to keep the house warm through cold winter nights.

A vanity with a plush, velvet-cushioned stool stood opposite the bed, but an old silk sheet had been draped over the mirror, obscuring it.

“Why did you cover the mirror?” I asked, sitting on the stool so I could get a closer look at the intricate carvings in the wood.

“Do you really not know?” Xander raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I do. But if you can’t see yourself, does it matter if the mirror’s there or not?”

“It can be quite unnerving to wake up from a deep slumber and see an empty bed across from where you know you’re lying,” Xander explained. “Even vampires aren’t immune to nightmares.”

“I thought you guys don’t sleep. And anyway, why would you get a vanity with a mirror in the first place? You’re rich. Couldn’t you have one customized?”

“We don’t need much sleep,” Xander corrected me. “And my great-grandparents ordered it when they built the house. They wanted us to seem like normal folk.” He laughed bitterly. “As if anyone would see us and think we were normal. They were a bit delusional at times, if well-meaning.”

I shrugged. “I think it’s a nice sentiment. They just wanted to fit in like the rest of us – almost makes them more human, in a way. Mind if I…?”

I gestured at the silky sheet and Xander nodded. I slipped it off the mirror and peered at my reflection. Xander, who stood behind me, did not appear in the image staring back. It was unnerving, to say the least, so I quickly threw the sheet back over the mirror and got up.

I walked over to the window so I could peek outside. It was too dark to see much, except for the few high points that the moon illuminated. Even the neglected garden was covered by the darkness. When I turned back to Xander, he cocked his head at me.

“Have you had enough poking around?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said sheepishly. “Sorry, It’s just that I’ve never been in a place like this before. It’s a lot to take in.”

Xander nodded. “Of course. I’m used to it, but it does have an uneasy air to it, doesn’t it?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what it is. The whole atmosphere is, uh, it’s – what are you doing?”

While I talked, Xander stepped closer to me. He began lifting the hem of my sweater, pressing his body closer till there was nothing left between us.

“Enough talking,” Xander said softly. “Let’s get to what we came here for.”

I didn’t protest. Xander was quick to remove first my sweater, and then the T-shirt I was wearing underneath. He dropped them somewhere on the floor. I didn’t see where, but I didn’t really care. That was a problem for tomorrow morning.

His fingers were cool against my skin, but gentler than I expected. As he slid the zipper on my slacks down, a million questions popped into my head.

Did vampires get erections? What did a vampire cock look like? How long would the sex last? Could vampires have an orgasm?

If I were a patient man, all my questions would be answered in the next hour. But I was not a patient man, just one who was trying not to be a bumbling idiot in front of his date. So I asked the first question I could think of that didn’t sound potentially offensive:

“Will it be painful?”

Xander paused, hand on my bulge, and looked down at me with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“That depends,” he said silkily. “What do you want me to do with you?”

“I – I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle – the first time. Next time, I can’t guarantee such a promise.”

He returned his attention to undressing me, stopping only when he had me stripped down completely. His gaze focused on my erection, eyeing me lustfully. I stared at his face, almost transfixed, as I watched his eyes turn from their previous dark brown into a deep, bloody red like they had before when we were at the library

I wanted to pause and ask him what that meant, but I wasn’t about to kill the moment. I had no regrets as, a second later, he pulled me over to the bed and climbed on top of me, his fangs glinting in the candlelight.

I was about to be swept into the dark, intoxicating world of vampirism for the first time in my life and I couldn’t wait.