Sweet Cravings Read Free Page B

you hear of an unwillingly changed vampire, please contact me. Sang, you have my number?”
    “Yeah! You have a wonderful day, Caen.”
    The stranger’s voice was uplifting now, happy. “Thank you. I’ll try.” The door creaked open and slammed back into place.
    I waited about five minutes before I tried to ask loudly, but not yell. “Hey, guys! Can you open this thing?”
    “Shit!” Lune grumbled and quickly removed the top of the coffin. “That was close.”
    “I was so fucking scared. I don’t know if I can keep going on like this.”
    Sang laughed. “Oh, man, was that close or what? Lily, I could never have been as still as you were! I could smell your fear it was so stuffy!”
    I grumbled, “Ha-ha. So funny.”
    Lune bounced onto a faded blue couch and kicked her boots off. “Hey, Sang, would you please take Lily out shopping? Maybe in twenty minutes?”
    “Sure.” He winked at her.
    He suddenly came over and wrapped his arms around me so tightly I coughed. “Lily, although we’ve only known each other for an hour, and to me, a few days while you were asleep, I’m so happy that you’re here! This is gonna be so much fun!”
    His cold breath seeped into the air between us, and I noticed how close he was. He was hugging me, and his face was very close to my neck—too close. I wriggled, uncomfortable, and he turned his head out of respect, as if he knew what I meant.
    I faintly smiled. Sang was cute, yes. I was grateful for him and Lune to be the ones who were here for my odd…situation. But to me, they were still strangers, and I have to know someone before completely trusting them. I’d done that twice already, and I was not going to do it again! No way.
    He brushed his nimble fingers through my hair, and I couldn’t help but picture him as a cat. A black cat. His fingertips swept along my ear as his hand retreated, and I quivered at the brief sensation of his cool skin. Yes, he was cold, as that monster was cold. Darius. That was the bastard’s name . I’ll get him good the next time I see him.
    Sang flopped onto a long couch parallel to the one Lune was on, and he gestured for me to sit there. I came over and sat on the cushion next to him. Somehow I craved company, and I was more secure with him than Lune, which was odd because he was a guy, and I was usually more at home with my own gender.
    “So, Lily,” he began, “How old are you? What do you do? What do you like? What’s your full name? Do you like sweets? Do you like cars? Do you like cherry or vanilla more? Am I good-looking?”
    I gave him the irritated glare, which meant my lips frowned and my eyes squinted. “You’re going too fast.”
    “Sorry.”
    “I’m twenty-six.”
    He grinned. “I totally guessed right! Ha, Lune! I win!”
    Lune scowled. “I’ll give you your twenty dollars later,” she muttered.
    “Wait a minute! Lune, how old did you wager I was?”
    She froze as if she were a dog caught going on the carpet. “I thought you were…” She swallowed hard and moved her gaze upon the floor. “Fifteen.”
    Wasn’t that a compliment? It did sting, though, to be thought of as a kid. I mentally penciled a fake smile on my lips. “Oh, it’s not that bad. It’s okay.” Yeah, right. Fifteen? What made her think that?
    “So, Sang,” I said, “how old are you?”
    He was slow to reply. “I’m…uh…thr-three…” He counted on his fingers. “Three-hundred and fifty-two!” He sounded so triumphant, like a kid when he completes his first coloring page.
    I sighed. “So, Sang, did Darius turn you too, or what’s your relation to the lunatic?”
    His smile became faint. “I wasn’t turned by Darius. I was turned by a sadistic witch named Annabelle. I swore my undead life to Darius after he helped me survive death. I also swore that I would put her to rest. For good.”
    I nodded. “Sorry I brought up the subject.”
    “No, it’s okay,” he said hurriedly. “I’d almost forgotten her twisted face. Oh how