The Crimson Bond Read Online Free Page B

had both looked pretty grim. I didn’t dare question them, but as soon as I got Anna alone, you could bet I would be questioning her.
            As we stopped at the curb in front of our building, Alex turned to look at me. Even in the dark of the car his eyes were an almost iridescent blue. “Brooke, it’s probably not a good idea for you to go out at night alone. This is a bigger city than you’re use to and it can be dangerous.” His voice left no room for argument and amazingly, despite our limited association, I felt compelled to follow his advice. Tonight had definitely proven to me that I had a lot to learn about living here. At the same time, I was not use to someone being so commanding and especially not someone I had just met. Oddly enough, for reasons I couldn’t understand, I felt some kind of connection between myself and Alex. I really liked him, but I had to wonder why he had told the Ethan guy on the patio that I belonged to him. Not that I would mind, I was obviously attracted to him and I found something appealing about this gorgeous guy claiming me--but we had just met. It was odd.
            Alex’s sleek black BMW remained parked on the curb until we made it inside the building. Anna was silent on our way up to our apartment and I kept quiet, bidding my time until I could ask her about tonight. As soon as we closed the door behind us, I turned to her. “Alright, Anna. You know something I don’t and I’d appreciate it if you’d fill me in.” I walked over to the sofa and sat down looking at her expectantly.
                “Okay Brooke, but you have to promise not to freak out.” She hurried on looking at me nervously. “I think you can tell that Alex thinks you’re special. Well, there’s a little bit more to it than that. The bar that we went to is….well, it caters to a certain set of people, I guess you could say.” She paused and looked down taking a deep breath. “Well it doesn’t really cater to people.” She looked up and met my eyes. “It caters to vampires.”
I just stared at her in silence waiting for the punch line.
            She continued. “Brooke, I‘ve known Paul for a while. We just have started dating though. He and my brother, Kyle, are friends. Paul and Alex are vampires. Not Goth wannabees, but truly the real thing. You were drawn to Alex and he was drawn to you, though I didn‘t realize how deep it went until Paul filled me in. It happens sometimes, but only when you meet your companion.” Anna kept talking and I just continued to stare at her stunned and secretly thinking she was a little, or a lot, off her rocker. “When a vampire meets there companion, if they’re human, that person is eventually turned so that they can share eternal life together.”
            Finally coming out of my stupor, I burst out laughing. Anna was obviously one of those people who could look serious as a heart attack while telling an outrageous story.
            “Okay Anna, very funny, so what’s the real story?”
            Anna waited until I stopped laughing and continued on, ignoring my outburst. “I know this is hard to believe and I never would have told you if it weren’t for what happened tonight. You can’t deny the intense attraction between you and Alex. But it goes beyond that.” She gently placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. The seriousness I saw kind of scared me, because it meant she truly believed what she was saying. “Brooke, do me a favor. Close your eyes and clear your mind.”
I raised my eyebrows and gave her a put out look. When she made no move to call off her request, I rolled my eyes and then did as she told me. It took me a second, but I finally was able to push my thoughts aside and ‘clear my mind’ as she had asked.
            That’s when I was hit with the onslaught of the intense feelings I had felt with Alex