THE UNDYING | TWILIGHT

3. An Offer You Can't Refuse

Demetri hadn't moved since Heidi left. 

While he waited for her to return with the new candidate, he relished in the memory of Adrianna's first appearance. It had happened a month ago, but the day was still fresh in his mind. He smelled her before he saw her; the sweet scent of her floral perfume made his mouth water. She herself was a delicate flower, with legs as long as stems and lips as soft as petals, and her skin was warm and supple. When she got excited, tiny beads of sweat would cling to her body and glisten like the morning dew. A goddess among men she was, and as Demetri thought of her, he couldn't help but wish he had delayed her final moments just a little. A woman that sweet was to be savored, but Demetri often lacked self-control in such situations. The Italian beauty was just too delectable to ignore.

"Poor Adrianna," he said. "You left us too soon, my dear." But there will be others. There always are.

Of course he wondered what the new candidate would look like, as any man would. Traditionally, he preferred shapely brunettes with olive complexions and devilishly charming smiles. Women like Olivia Distefano, for instance. Yes, he'd had his eye on the mayor's daughter for quite some time, but he was under strict orders to never approach her or any member of the mayor's staff. 

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't look. While she worked, her office door was always wide open, inviting anyone to peek inside. At night, she kept her windows uncovered, even when changing for bed, and she knew exactly what she was doing. She was not as innocent as she led her father to believe.

Putting Olivia aside, for Demetri knew he could never have her, he decided that any woman would suffice as long as she was young and beautiful. Intelligence was the least of his concern, provided she could read and write. But the very last thing Demetri wanted was for Heidi to just grab some random woman off the street, and that's exactly what he was about to get.

He could smell her before she even stepped off the elevator. The girl was drenched in a putrid mixture of sweat, dirt, and garbage. With her old, worn out sneakers, she tracked mud across their polished stone floor, leaving behind a trail of tiny brown shoe prints. A walking corpse, he considered her, in both appearance and smell. Her raggedy sweatshirt, which might have once been blue but was now permanently stained brown, hung on a curveless, bony frame that stood awkwardly slouched forward. This woman, this girl — this child! — had absolutely no elegance whatsoever, and it made Demetri sick just to be in her presence, so when Heidi passed by, he grabbed her by the arm and hissed, "Since when are you so charitable?"

Heidi smirked. "What do you mean? We need a new secretary, do we not? I believe she is more than qualified for the position."

"Yes, but she's so ..." 

Repulsive, he wanted to say, but the words were unnecessary. She's doing this despite me, he realized. Very clever, Heidi. Very clever, indeed. What better way to protect a woman than by hiding her behind a shroud of ugliness? 

"Lovely," he went on despite himself, stealing a glance at the unfortunate creature beside her. "She is absolutely lovely."

"I'm glad you agree." Then she returned her attention to the gawky thing next to her. "Come along, dear. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

✧ ✧ ✧

Aro was sitting at his desk while he waited for Heidi to return. The desk, an antique that dated all the way back to the 19th century, was a new addition to his private chambers. The idea came to him while visiting the mayor's office, which contained a most beautiful ebony desk imported all the way from Africa. Previously, he'd seen no use for such furniture, but now that he had a desk of his own, he felt more professional, like a true politician. He was so impressed with this new feeling that he ordered desks for Caius and Marcus as well, but they didn't seem to appreciate them as he did.