Beta Blockers

Chapter 28

Astrid’s P.O.V –

I groggily opened my eyes and squinted as they adjusted to bright light. My head was aching and it felt like it was about to explode. I could hear the faint ticking of a grandfather clock and the miniscule sound sounded like thunder to me in my sensitive state. I winced as I dragged myself up into a sitting position.

“You sure took your sweet time”, a low voice with a southern accent grumbled. My eyes widened with fear and my heart rate started to rocket as I remembered who it belonged to. It was one of the guys from earlier in the woods. Oh crap.

I turned my head slowly to confirm it and sure enough there they were except there weren’t just three of them this time, there were seven of them. If I hadn’t been so scared shitless and if they were all a bit shorter I would have cracked a ‘seven dwarves’ joke but there wasn’t exactly anything funny about this situation. About being kidnapped by seven friggin’ vamps. After the day I’d had as well. Go figure.

They were all staring at me intensely with puzzled and intrigued expressions on their handsome faces. No, don’t even go there girl, I warned myself before I lost it. I’d had enough boy troubles to last me a life time. 

I had to admit though, they were all freakishly handsome. I guess that’s the only upside about being a bloodsucker – they’re pretty.

I looked around at all of them suspiciously wondering what they had done to me whilst I’d been unconscious. Vampires were known for ‘influencing’ people – they could control people’s emotions – although I doubt they needed to. With their good looks and charms I could see why people would willingly give themselves to them. I had never come across vamps before but had been warned of them.

Our kind and their kind used to be enemies but in recent years where there have been significant advancements in science and humans are close to finding out about us and eradicating us our races have become…allies, to a certain degree.

I hoped to the heavens that that still applied and they wouldn’t try something.

There were all hovering a little away from the table I was on, all except one who was lounging in a large armchair. I couldn’t see his face properly but his posture and atmosphere around him said it all. Even though I couldn’t see his face my eyes seemed drawn to him. He had a strange mysterious and charismatic quality. He seemed to be the leader of whatever this little group was.

Next to him stood a handsome guy who, judging by the clothes he was wearing and more professional appearance was a butler. He was standing poker straight and had a blank expression. He had very refined features and dark hair that had been combed back in a Victorian style. His eyes were a dark chocolate brown and overall he gave off a dignified impression. He looked as if he had just walked out of an Austen novel.

I heard someone clear their throat and looked up. I noticed they were still staring at me and gulped uneasily. They were staring at me as if I had three heads of something and to say it was unnerving would be the understatement of the year. I realised I wasn’t exactly in the most lady-like position and sat up. My clothes were hanging of me in tatters and I involuntarily shivered as I felt a cold breeze.

“Are you cold?” a surprisingly gentle voice asked. I turned my head to see who the soft voice belonged to. A boy stood inches away from my face and I gasped at the sudden closeness.