THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS - BWS

twenty

"How would I know you're into Will if I couldn't read your thoughts," he said with a wink, and I gasped, my cheeks turning a brand new shade of red.

"I am absolutely not into William," I quickly retorted. Because I really wasn't. Maybe my body was attracted to him, but that didn't mean I was into him. The very idea gave me chills. He was a vampire. A very handsome vampire, but still a killer.

A smirk appeared on Caelan's lips. If only I had my blade right now.

"If your thoughts weren't betraying your words, your heartbeat is."

I let out a heavy sigh. There was no arguing with a vampire.

"Are you always like that?" I asked as I shifted on my seat to face him.

His head tilted.

"Like what? Charming?– Funny?– Extremely good looking?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I was gonna say annoying," I answered blankly and he grinned.

"Ah," he said, looking at me briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "You're not denying the rest though."

I didn't answer, too busy mastering the art of eye rolling. William and Caelan truly shattered the image I had of vampires. I couldn't believe I was putting my life in the hands of a snarky and sassy vampire, and worse– that I started to trust him.

"Is your family as charming, funny and extremely good looking as you are?" I asked after a moment, not hiding the irony in my voice.

"Not even close," he answered with a smirk. "They're quite boring actually. Very mundane for vampires– except my sister. She's just straight up from Hell."

I frowned. Did he mean that literally? Probably not.

"Oh, so it's a family thing then–" I answered just as Dee's head popped up between the two front seats. "Morning baby," I greeted her as I scratched her head lovingly. She barked enthusiastically in response, and I smiled. "Wait, you have a sister?"

A soft laugh escaped Caelan's lips.

    "I do. Older sister actually– Veronica. You'll probably meet her today, she lives with Peter and Isla."

    "You're not blood related to them, are you?" I realized. Except if his entire family was turned, there was no way they would still be alive. But I didn't know his age, so maybe he wasn't that old.

    "If you're asking if they're my birth family, the answer is no," he answered. "But we are blood related now. That's how it works– when we're turned, we're drained out of our blood and fed our sire's blood."

Goosebumps broke across my skin. I never really thought about the process of becoming a vampire, and it didn't sound pleasant. I wondered if Caelan was given a choice in the matter or if he was turned against his will, but didn't dare to ask.

The rest of the drive was filled with stories about his family and how his parents met centuries ago. He told me how he was sired by Peter when he was 22 and dying from smallpox. He was a soldier at the time, and Peter his commander-in-chief. The two had bonded during the war, and when the epidemic of smallpox hit their regiment, Peter offered him a second chance at life. "It comes with a high price", Peter had warned him, but anything sounded better than the humiliation of dying from a disease and not from a bullet, defending your country Caeland said. Although, I was pretty sure what made him say yes was how terrified he was of dying, but he wouldn't admit that to me. I gasped when the realization that he was over 200 years old hit me. I couldn't picture him as an ancient man– he was so boy-like.