Free Odyssey (The Vampire Destiny Series Companion Book 1) by Alexandra Anthony

would have been racing with a foreign emotion.
It was hope.
Pushing through the entrance, I was assaulted with scents and sensations.  The unappealing odor of human food, heavy perfume, cleaning products and the scent of blood overwhelmed me and threatened to distract me from my task.  Holding my breath, it was easier to focus and my eyes quickly scanned the restaurant.  I needed to find a spot where I would have the best vantage point, yet would be easy for me to watch for her and her friends as they arrived.  Quickly evaluating my options, I came to the conclusion that the bar area would be a favorable place to observe the various humans that would come and go as the night progressed.  I chose a small table in the corner where I had an unobstructed view of the small restaurant, yet could remain relatively hidden from the scrutiny and attention of the other bar patrons.
Folding my large frame into one of the chairs, I rested my arms on the wooden table and placed an order for a beer when the waitress approached.  She lingered longer than necessary, her interest in me seemingly more than just platonic.  I barely gave her a second look.  She had nothing I wanted.  Even her blood, spiked with excitement, did not entice me.
With nothing more to do, I simply sat back and waited for her as I had for the last 200 years.  I had grown accustomed to the routine.  If the gods were willing, tonight would be different.  And if not, I would wait another 200 years if it brought her to me.
The time slowly passed, yet only my fingers betrayed my growing irritation as they absently picked at the label on the bottle of beer I had ordered in my charade to appear human.  I had all but given up hope when my attention was drawn to two women entering the bar, approaching a table and greeting another small woman with embraces.  The first woman was tall with long brown hair, dressed in a bright pink dress that screamed out for attention.  She was brassy and loud, her mannerisms flighty and exaggerated.  Feeling my lip curl in disgust, I let my eyes drift to the second woman and it was as if time stopped for me.  Seeing her standing there made everything in the room vanish around me: the inane chatter, the unpleasant smell of human food, the aroma of blood.  Nothing else mattered except this woman.
It was Josephine.  My fated, standing before me in the flesh and blood.  If it were necessary for me to breathe, I would say my breath was bated.  If I had a beating heart, I would say it skipped a beat.  If I were a human, I would have experienced both of those things.  But I am a vampire, and my body betrayed none of the turmoil I was experiencing in my head.  I simply waited and watched her from across the room.
She was even more stunning than my vision.  She was a bit shorter than the other women, small-boned and willowy.  Her dark, reddish-blond hair was a tumble of glossy waves over her bare, tanned shoulders.  Her small, oval face had high cheekbones and finely arched brows.  I knew without seeing them that her eyes would be a deep, luminous green.
Dressed in a sleeveless black dress that hugged the curves of her full breasts and shapely hips, it only accentuated her long and lean legs.
My primal instincts threatened to take over as my predatory gaze memorized every inch of her body.  I wanted to take her, possess every part of her.  Gripping the table, every part of me wanted to walk to her and sweep her away to keep her for myself, regardless if she was willing or not.  My jaw grew taut and I let out a ragged breath as the wood of the table cracked under the pressure of my hands.  No, I could not risk scaring her away after waiting centuries to find her.  I had to rely on my patience and wait, like a lion watching its prey.  The promise of what she would be to me would make my suffering tolerable.
And like any predator, I took my time observing her with her friends.  I gathered every morsel of information she