She's Just Food

His Twin

Amelia-POV

I moaned, as I embraced the sensation of wet fabric caressing my skin, a warm feeling like the tender-brushstroke of a thousand threads. The air smelled clean, carrying the scent of lavender and peppermint, and a soft glow flickered behind my closed eyelids. In the distance, a soothing voice whispered sweet nothings, and I nestled deeper into the pillow of pure comfort.

But then the dream unfolded like a scene from an erotic fantasy with a gorgeous blonde attending to my every need. The platinum curls that cascaded over her shoulders were a stark contrast to the skimpy red nightgown she wore, and her nimble fingers moved over my face with an exactness.

She trailed a warm rag over my forehead, then over my cheeks and under my eyes. Her touch was gentle, and it washed away the stresses of a world that now seemed distant, though a subtle sense of warning still lingered.

I basked in the dreamy moment, too enchanted by the beauty in front of me to take heed. Her features were striking and resembled a familiarity that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The sharp contours of her face and her piercing blue eyes teased the edges of my mind, but the memory was just out of reach. Time seemed to stand still, and I surrendered to her pampering as my subconscious soared with imagination.

Then, like always, the dream unraveled, and I felt the gradual awakening.

I blinked rapidly as I opened my eyes, and the comforting warmth from my dream was replaced by a chilly breeze. The transition from the dreamworld to reality was cloudy, like it was shrouded by a veil—until a wet sensation skimmed down my arm again.

Inch by inch, I rotated my head, and as my eyes adjusted, my brain struggled to comprehend what I was looking at. It left me in a suspended state, and my body was temporarily paralyzed as I observed her continued ministrations of my flesh. Suddenly, I was bombarded by the realization that the stunning beauty was indeed not a figment of my imagination, and after another second, that veil lifted, and the memories rained in like a monsoon.

“What the f**k are you doing?” I rasped out as I jerked up abruptly on the bed, tugging the thin sheet along to cover my exposed breast. A sharp pang of pain shot through my shoulder as I reached for my locket, a keepsake from my mother that I’d always worn, and we both hissed in unison as she recoiled back in shock.

“f*****g Lilith, you scared the demons out of me! I think I actually felt my f*****g heartbeat!” she shrieked, clutching the rag against her lacy nightgown. For a moment, her wide blue eyes studied me as though I were the predator, and she was the prey, but then she cleared her throat and glanced toward a basin sitting on the nightstand. “And…um…well, I was washing you. Which I admit is kind of weird now that I’m thinking about it, but my brother brought you to my room after you passed out, and insisted I bathe you on my bed, instead of the floor, like I...”

“Bathe me for what? So he can f*****g eat me?”

Her eyes bulged, and she slapped her delicate hand over her pink lips as she let out a childish giggle; even though my question was serious—dead serious. “Oh, he probably wants to devour you, sweetheart! But no worries, we’re not cannibals. We drink blood to sustain, but we don’t eat flesh—not as food, anyway.”

My eyebrows knitted together, and my gaze wandered over her scantily clad body before I locked eyes with her once again. They were hypnotic, and identical to the ones that I now remembered from the alley.

“Are you, his twin?” I asked curiously, watching as she stood from the chair. She took one step, and then before I had time to blink, she was sitting back down in a white silk robe that was decorated with a black feathered neckline.

“Yeah, we’re twins. Today is our birthday, actually, and the day of Logan’s rebirth,” she replied, casually looking down as she tied the robe tightly around her. “Mine is tomorrow.”

“Rebirth?”

“Yeah, you know, the day we were turned. My name is Lindsay, by the way. It must’ve been awkward waking up like that, but your face was dirty and streaked with dried blood. And I only stripped your clothes because they were muddy, and I didn’t want it on my bed. So don’t think I’m like…weird or anything.”

Lindsay was an animated talker. Her hands flailed about with each ramble, and my foggy brain had to work overtime to keep up.

“Why was I brought here?” I asked, clutching the silk sheet tightly to my chest as a feeling of dread filled my stomach.

She sighed deeply, and the thought of attempting an escape crossed my mind. But it was pointless. My arm hurt too badly for it to be of any use, and I’d used up all of my energy during my fight for freedom on the way here. Plus, she’d moved extremely fast, and I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but I was still exhausted.

“Logan became fixated on your blood because of its unique scent. It smells quite…different, by the way. So, I’m curious. Why do you smell so enticing if you’re supposed to be human?”

“I am human!” I shot back, clinging to the certainty of my humanity like a lifeline. In all my life, I had never regretted a decision so deeply; I’d broken my mother’s number one rule, and now I had to face the consequences. However, I was positive that I was nothing extraordinary. I lacked any witchy powers, I didn’t possess a wolf, and I sure as hell wasn’t a vampire—so I had to be a human. “As for whatever you all think you smell, I’m nothing special. I’m just an ordinary human, and I need to go home, please. I must leave immediately. There’s someone waiting for me.”

Lindsay sighed again and dropped her head, picking at her red-painted fingernails as though my words bored her. “Sorry, but my brother will pitch a fit if you leave. Then he’ll probably just hunt you down and bring you back, so you should just stay for a while,” she insisted. “We’ve got…human food, and Logan’s gone to wake Dortha, so she can cook it for you. Oh, and you can take a proper bath now that you’re awake!”

At the mention of food, my traitorous stomach let out a gargled growl, and Lindsay smiled in triumph like the noise had somehow proved the reason for me to stay. “Logan should be back at any moment. He…just had a little mess to clean up, but even that shouldn’t take him long. He thinks Lilith fulfilled his birthday wish by gifting him with you, and he’s Hades bent on taking care of you like some prized possession. You definitely don’t have to worry about anything happening while…”

“But I’m not a possession; his or anyone else’s. I’m a person, and I don’t belong to anyone! Also, I don’t know who Lilith is, but I’m not just some f*****g object for her to…gift away, either!” I exclaimed, taking a deep breath to calm my bubbling nerves. “I demand my clothes back, please—now!”

As I rambled on, she tilted her head and the smile that crept across her face was a wicked one. Her lips parted and the tips of her white fangs peeked through as she swiped her tongue over her bottom lip like she was savoring the taste of something delicious.

“I admire your show of bravery, but you reek of fear and your heartbeat is frantic. A potent combination in a coven teeming with vampires, don’t you think?” Her smile faded as her index finger wiped the corner of her mouth. “How about this? I’ll give you a change of clothes and escort you to the steam pools. After you bathe, you can meet Logan and eat some food. Then, if you still want to leave, I’ll try to help you…convince him.”

Out of frustration, I attempted to raise my injured arm so I could wipe my hand over my face, but it was a mistake. The jolt of pain caused me to cradle it on instinct, and the silky sheet that covered my bare breast pooled around my lap. I immediately snatched the sheet up and Lindsay chuckled as my cheeks heated and, most likely, reddened from embarrassment.

“No need to be bashful. I’ve seen a lot of t**s in my existence, and if you’ve seen one pair, you’ve seen them all!” She chortled, waving her hand in the air as she uncrossed her legs, and I realized her toenails were painted the same deep red as her fingernails. In the village, we didn’t have luxury things like nail paint, robes or skimpy lace, but it couldn’t hurt to admire them. “Let me grab you a robe and a change of clothes. s**t, wait! I didn’t even ask your name! What is your name?!”

She stared down at me as she rose from the black leather chair, awaiting my answer. And I just stared back, trying not to blink. I concentrated, waiting to see if she would disappear and reappear again, but to my disappointment, she just stood there. In that moment, my stomach let out another needy demand for food, and I sighed as my gaze and resolve faltered together.

“Amelia. My name is Amelia, and yes, I’m starving.”

“Well Amelia, let’s get you bathed and dressed before my brother comes back. I’m sure he'll have some treats for you, but you might become one for him if he finds you like this,” she teased, bouncing her perfectly arched eyebrows up and down as she gestured towards my naked body.

My heart rate spiked as she turned, and I tracked her movements around the foot of the bed. Something had to be wrong with me because the thought of seeing Logan again excited me—even when I knew it shouldn’t. I remembered the way he’d stared at me in the alley, like he was peeling away the layers of my soul, and how it had felt when he scooped me into his muscular arms.

My lower belly clinched with anticipation, and I was thankful for the distraction when Lindsay opened a dark wooden door. She stepped in, vanishing into the darkness, and I took the moment of solus to settle my overactive hormones before fully taking in my surroundings.

The room was large, and the atmosphere was gothic, but there was an undeniable touch of femininity to it. My eyes scanned around, taking in the sleek furnishings and dark drapes that were accented with golden lace, but what caught my eye was directly in front of me.

Painted on the far wall were fiery orange and yellow flames, encircling a massive fireplace built into the stone wall. Hundreds of figures seemed to emerge from the flames, their forms caught in pits of lava with their arms stretched above their heads as if they were reaching for a savior.

As I let my gaze wander, I followed the mural up the wall and onto the ceiling, bending my neck back as far as it would go. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Bright, vibrant colors depicted scenes of fantastical landscapes and exotic creatures, like each stroke of the brush had told a story of its own. Some images were so intricate—so lifelike—that it felt like they were looking directly at me. I couldn’t help but marvel with my mouth gaped in awe, and I wondered if Lindsay was the artist who’d painted it.

As if on cue, she stepped from the closet, dressed in a pair of black leather pants and a black tank-top, holding an arm full of what looked like mostly dark clothing. She glanced up as she followed my gaze and shook her head as I spoke.

“Did you do this?”

“No way. That was painted long before I was born. Most of the rooms on this floor are like this, and they were all done by our king, Develton Ambrosia. He claims he lost his inspiration and says he hasn’t held a brush in over a millennium, but I think he still paints portraits of Logan from time to time.”

“It must have taken so long…” I trailed off, captivated by the ceiling. Then her words finally registered, and my head spun as if it was attached to a spindle. “Did you just say over a millennium? As in over a thousand years?”

“Yep, he’s the last of the ancients. But he’s also Logan’s sire—so we kind of get special treatment,” she said, chuckling at her own words, but there was a look in her eye that made me think otherwise. She walked with graceful steps toward a dark dresser, and I watched her reflection in the large ornate mirror attached to it. She plucked a plush black robe hanging from a hook and then picked up a small basket that was filled with different sized bottles before turning back to me. Her face was plastered with a fake, cheeky smile, and I realized the look in her eye had been nervousness. “With all that being said, let’s hope we don’t run into him on the way to the pools.”