My dad better show up or he’s so dead. And when he does die, I won’t attend his funeral, just to spite him. Not that he’d be expecting me to, seeing as technically I’d have been the first to die.
The vampire stuff can get confusing at times. . . .
Jareth parks the car and suggests we go around to the other side of the house. The backyard hasn’t gotten the same landscaping attention the front has and we have to push through tangled briar patches to get there, totally ripping up my tights. It’s worth the fishnet sacrifice, though, when we find an unlocked window and slip inside.
“Let’s find a closet or something to hide out in until the place closes for the night and the funeral guys go home,” Jareth suggests.
“Okay.” I feel like a guest star on Six Feet Under.
We tiptoe out into the hallway and try a couple doors. The first leads to a bathroom and the second to a tiny darkened chapel. (Which would have been the perfect place to hide were it not for the fact that Jareth’s feet would pretty much burn off walking on hallowed ground.) Finally, on the third try, we find what we’re looking for. A small broom closet filled with cleaning supplies that we’ll both fit in.
Barely.
We squeeze in and Jareth pulls the door closed behind us. It’s dark. There’s no room to sit down and I pray that the wake is nearly over. Jareth’s leg brushes against mine, sending a whole host of tingling sensations through my body. Did I happen to mention how hot he is? Half of me totally wants to jump him. Let him take me, right here, right now. I have to keep reminding myself I don’t want him. I really don’t want him.
“Are you okay?” Jareth whispers. “You’re shaking.”
Ugh. I’m shaking ’cause he’s totally turning me on. But I can’t exactly tell him that, now can I? At the same time, the last thing I want to do is let him think I’m scared.
“Low blood sugar,” I whisper. “I only had an apple for lunch.” I actually had four slices of pizza with extra cheese, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“Sorry,” he says. “We should have stopped at the drive-thru on the way. Sometimes I forget what it’s like to be human. To have feeding needs.”
“What about you? You have feeding needs, too, right? But I’ve never see you with your donors.”
He grimaces. “I don’t like the idea of donors. I get my blood by mail order.”
I raise an eyebrow. Interesting. “Really? Why?”
“Would you like seeing the cow before eating your steak?”
“Uh, no. But I’m a vegetarian. No cows for this chick.”
Jareth chuckles softly, the dim light catching his fangs and making them sparkle. “How are you going to become a vampire if you don’t like the taste of blood?”
Good question. One I hadn’t really given much thought to. “I figure I’ll learn to love it,” I say with a shrug. “Sunny was totally grossed out by the idea of drinking blood until she actually tasted it. Then she developed an unquenchable thirst for the stuff.”
“I see. Well, then I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Jareth says. “So have they told you who will be your blood mate yet?”
“No. After the whole Sunny mishap, I’m back at the bottom of the waiting list. Which sucks, pardon the pun. You’d think Magnus, being the master and all, could pull in a few favors for his girlfriend’s sister, but evidently not.”
“Maybe it’s because they haven’t found you a perfect match yet,” Jareth says. “Remember, your DNA has to be compatible.”
“Yeah, I know. Knowing me, there will never be another vamp with compatible DNA. I’ll be doomed to be a slayer for eternity.”
“That’s not true. They’ll find you a match. Actually I think you’d make a good vamp,” Jareth says shyly. “Though perhaps a very stubborn, aggravating blood mate.”
“Heh.” I laugh. “So what’s your story? You on the prowl for a blood mate of your own?” As I ask the question, I suddenly realize I’m worried about his answer. For some reason, I really, really don’t want him to say yes.
He’s silent for a long moment, then says, “I don’t want a blood mate. They offered me one a few years back, but I refused.”
“But why?” I ask. “I thought that was every vampire’s dream. To have a partner to spend eternity with.”
“Eternity is a long time and it doesn’t always work out that way,” Jareth says, a bit bitterly. “It’s worse to love someone and then lose them, then to never love at all.”
“Heh. I know the feeling.”
“Oh?”
I feel my face heat. I hadn’t meant to be so revealing.
“Ah, nothing,” I stammer. “It’s just . . . my dad. He took off four years ago to find himself. Haven’t seem him since.”
“And you miss him,” Jareth says softly. It’s not a question. Or a judgment. Or even pity.
“Well, yeah. I mean, sure I do. Sometimes. Though sometimes I don’t.” I know I’m not making a lot of sense, but I’m not really used to talking about this stuff. Especially not to a hot vampire in a broom closet. “But anyway, I guess it doesn’t matter now. He’s coming for our birthday this week. So I mean, I guess it’s all good.” I pause, feeling awkward and not knowing what to say.
“Yes. That seems very good,” Jareth says, a bit distantly.