Free Wordless: new adult paranormal romance (Age of Blood Book 1) by May Sage

distance.
    Jessica looked surprised, but she grinned.
    “I sure can. Where are we headed?”
    “I wanted to see the MET.”
    They continued on their way. Turned out, Jessica could have been a curator for the museum; she knew every piece in and out.
    “Did you study history?” she asked, wondering at her erudition.
    “Nah. I was there when they opened the MET, and every time they’ve added a piece, I did my homework.” Seeing her inquisitive expression, Jessica added, “I’m from New York, born and bred right after the Civil War.”
    “That must have been a hard time to grow up in.”
    She didn’t point out the obvious: Jessica was black.
    She cackled in response.
    “Hard doesn’t begin to cover it, girl. But I learnt to defend myself pretty damned quick – that’s how William noticed me. I was showing some low-life that no meant no when we met. Thing was, the low-life happened to be a vampire. I never had a chance.”
    Fascinated, Fay opened her mouth before wondering if she was being indiscreet. She didn’t want her new friend to be offended.
    “You’re going to have to learn to stop overthinking and just say what you want to, girl.”
    Yeah, right. That was likely to happen.
    She’d seen with her own eyes that asking the wrong question could cost someone all his blood; she wasn’t making that mistake.
    “I’d like you to go on. Explain what happened.”
    “The guy tried to drain me; I would have died. Then, vampires had rules that were more severely punished than they are now – they had to preserve their anonymity, you see. So, once it was clear that he intended to break the law, William broke his neck. That kept him out of commission for an hour or two. He took us both back to his Coven – that punk, to be judged, me, to see if I was going to make it. When it was clear I was, I became a problem. I knew about them. The patriarchs were going to have to kill me for the greater good, or whatnot. William said he’d change me instead and here I am.”
    She could see it clear as day. He’d probably worn a top hat and a tail coat, carelessly elegant just as he was right now. A gentleman coming at the lady’s rescue – again.
    Yeah, she was swooning.
    That made her frown. There was no way that Jessica hadn’t felt like throwing herself at him, just like Fay did.
    Obviously she was an open book, because the vampire smirked knowingly.
    “Yeah, I had a crush. However, William doesn’t touch anyone who is into him because of gratitude.”
    Fay took that for what it was: a little warning. She didn’t need it: she had no intention of making a fool of herself by propositioning her saviour.
    What Jessica had said didn’t quite apply to her, though. She hadn’t developed her “crush” because he’d rescued her; her fascination had started the moment they’d met, and was growing with everything she learnt about him.
    It was a moot point. There was no way she could compete for his attention against the likes of Agnes or Jessica, and she knew it. Besides, she was completely unable to think anything remotely coherent whenever he was near.
    She could answer basic questions, she could try and smile, but the very idea of attempting to seduce anyone was preposterous; let alone a gorgeous, perfect, intimidating man such as him.
    She was perfectly content to admire him from afar.
    “That’s an honorable policy,” was all she said.
    “Honorable could have been his middle name if it wasn’t already Vlad.”
    Fay turned to Jessica, chuckling. The idea of Vlad the Vampire had its appeal.
    “Like Dracula?”
    “You don’t know half of it. I’m telling you, but you haven’t heard it from me, ok?”
    She nodded eagerly in response.
    “He’s from Transylvania.”
    “ No. ”
    “Born around fourteen twenty or so.”
    “You’re shitting me.”
    “I kid you not. You want the worst thing? His name’s Drake nowadays, but it used to be Dracul.”
    “Fuck me.” 
    They laughed like silly girls, bonding over