Page 9 of Blood Ties (City of Blood #1)

I settle in more comfortably and sip from my glass.

I plan to creepily watch her for the rest of the night to try and get a glimpse into her life, learn about her when she is in her element.

Yes, I can admit it's creepy. From my research this morning before I went to sleep, I know a little more about her. All the information about humans is kept in an online database so we know who and what everyone is up to. Elina Celeste Girard is 28 years old and her birthday is in August. She lives in Little Woods with her Grandmother, Celeste. Her mother was killed during the Guerra de Sang and her father is unknown—we share that unfortunate fact in common. I did try and find anything on her mother but since the information is from before, I don’t have access to the entire database of the Shadow Kingdom.

Elina started working immediately after graduation from high school to contribute money to her household since it’s only her and her grandmother.

She is a tour guide during the day and a bartender at night.

She regularly donates blood for my family so it's likely I have tasted her before, but it's a mixture so I could not identify it if I tried.

But, within the mundane uneventful information about her, I discovered that yesterday, after what happened here, she visited the archives at the cattedrale.

I saw her picture, beautiful in her Sunday clothes, a focused look on her face, in the library’s camera.

I watched her peruse the shelves on the camera feed, walking around until she landed on a book with la stirpe della mia famiglia, flipping pages until she reached the family tree.

Her fingers delicately tracing the family lines until she found my name and gently rubbed her fingertip across it on the page, a slight thoughtful tilt of her head. Curious about me too, tesoro mio?

I haven’t spent much time around everyday humans in, at least, a hundred years, and I am fascinated watching her.

The way she and Sarah move in harmony, the easy smile she has for the bar patrons, the confidence with which she does her tasks, and the strength she exercises when discouraging would-be harassers, all draw me to her.

She moves around the bar effortlessly, pouring drinks and laughing.

She smirks as though she has a secret and is the only one who knows it.

Seeing the men in the bar, humans and vampires alike, try and paw at her and harass her for attention sets my teeth on edge and my fangs itch to eliminate the threat.

I leave her alone and only watch, though.

She is capable of protecting herself in the bar and the partiers respect her enough not to push their luck.

I watch her over the top of my rocks glass, as she approaches, her hips swaying.

“Bash, right? I’m Elina. We didn’t really get to meet on Saturday. Amelie isn’t working tonight but I can tell her you were here if you are looking for her.” Elina says to me sassily, with a cock of her hip and a smirk on her face.

Rubbing the back of my neck, a bit awkwardly, what is this? I ask myself. I don’t do awkward, what are you doing to me, Elina?

“Yes, it’s Bash, and that is not necessary—I’m not here for her,” I say, looking more steady than I feel.

“Ok, well if anyone else catches your eye, you let me know. I’m sure the lucky girl would love to know she’s gotten your attention.” She grins at me as she says this, and I realize she’s teasing me.

Looking directly into those eyes that are haunting my dreams, I lift just the corner of my mouth, telling her, “Trust me, you’ll be the first to know.

” Picking up my whiskey, I watch her as I sip my drink and blood floods up her neck and across her cheeks in a blush.

She can tease me but can’t handle it, I see.

It’s nice to know she isn't as unaffected by my presence as she is pretending to be.

“Another whiskey also, Elina.” I draw her name out.

A quick tip of her chin and she spins on her heel and walks away, heart beating quickly like a hummingbird in her chest, and a little unsteady on her feet.

“Much better. Much, much better,” Jack murmurs in my ear, giving a tiny clap of his hands and I duck my head and laugh.

“I don’t know what it is, Jack. I can’t even think straight when she’s in front of me. And bringing up Amelie? Why?”

“She’s trying to gauge whether you’re involved with that other girl.

Good thing she isn’t here, it could have been more awkward, if that were even possible.

Did you hear her heart pick up? She’s interested, or, at the very least, really nervous around you.

I have to say, after 200 years, watching you squirm from a—what, 25 year old— human has been the highlight of my year. ”

Rolling my eyes at him, I reply, “She’s 28.”

“I don’t even want to know why you know that, considering I just watched you introduce yourself. It’s quite stalker-ish of you, Bash, tsk tsk. Don’t be creepy.”

Leaning over to set the fresh glass of whiskey in front of me, I get a good look at the line of her throat, pulse humming under the skin and feel my fangs push toward the surface of my gums. It’s hard to figure out where the line between desire for her flesh ends and desire for her blood begins.

Honestly there is far more overlap than I would like to admit.

Sitting back, I reflect on what is happening to me.

I am drawn to her in a way I can’t understand.

I am fascinated by her. The idea of being involved with a human is far too complicated.

Mother would extinguish me herself if she even suspected I was considering a serious connection to someone as fragile and mortal as a young human woman.

I am duty bound to bind myself and sire a lineage.

I will lead in Marcus’s stead one day. I have no idea when, since he seems content on his golden chair, but eventually, it will be asked of me.

I will need to have an heir of my own. A legacy, for a kingdom built on the backs of others before me.

I need to get her out of my head before I do something so incredibly stupid, I can’t undo it.