While Charlotte had accepted the silent challenge that Lord Hunt initiated, it didn't mean she wasn't any less nervous about it. Shayla had informed her that Lord Hunt didn't actually bite or put his mouth on his servants, but rather used a sharp blade to drain their blood. It sounded a lot more professional than the traditional way, which to Charlotte always seemed more intimate. But she wasn't too keen on the idea of being sliced with a knife either. She spent most of her day wandering around the castle grounds and trying to calm her nerves of what was to come. Charlotte wanted to prove to Lord Hunt that she was going to stick to her goals. There wasn't going to be anything that pushed her out of what she had set out to Willow Creek to do. The castle was beautiful in every aspect. Each room was lavish and well kept, as though time had barely touched it. But as the hour drew closer, Charlotte became more and more unsettled. Charlotte was back in her room fifteen minutes prior to
After Lord Hunt left, Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed, holding the handkerchief to her wounded hand. The pain in the slice was still minimal as the feeling of his lips lingered on her skin. Every time she thought about it, the image of him flashed in her mind. It wasn't as scary as she thought it might be, but the act of feeding she did find to be more intimate. Lord Hunt had looked stunning as he did, but there had been something more alluring about him. The wild waves of his hair hung loose as it spilled down his shoulders and back. Deep red eyes focused only on where he was placing his lips next. Then the very thought of the feel of his mouth, warm and hot over her skin sent shivers down her back. Charlotte shook the imagery out of her head and tried to calm her racing heart down. There was no reason to get worked up over something like that. The whole thing had just been a stunt to try and shake her resolve. But she was determined as ever to find a way to learn more about
The next week was terribly long for Charlotte. Not just because she had to busy herself with tedious tasks with an injured hand, but because she was anxious to speak with Lord Hunt again. The cycle continued the next day as though they had never had their talk. Every afternoon that Lord Hunt issued out his task list, Charlotte swore she caught his eyes lingering on her for a second longer than they did anyone else. When at last it was her turn to offer blood again, she found herself eager to have a moment alone with him. Although, she did have to admit that being made to wait twelve days instead of just a single week was a little irritating. Lord Hunt had promised her a meeting once a week and had yet to follow through with that promise. If he had meant for it to be two weeks, then that was what he should have said, she felt. It was just something else that she intended to talk to him about when he finally showed up to her room. Just as he had nearly two weeks prior, Lord Hunt arri
"What are you doing?" Lord Hunt questioned. His eyes moved from her face and down to her exposed neck, then back again. "I've learned over the last few years that some truths are hard to obtain. Some of them make you uncomfortable and sometimes it's necessary in order to learn the things you want to know," Charlotte explained. "So, what is it that you think you're offering me that isn't what you've already agreed to?" He asked, slowly walking back towards her. "You drink from a cup, the blood you bleed from your servants. But I imagine it can't taste the same or feel the same as feeding directly off a living person. I think that's why you lost yourself in it the last time. I don't know why you restrain yourself the way you do and I'm sure you have your reasons, but if you can answer the simplest difficult questions for me, then I'll offer you a living taste," Charlotte said. She held still without moving her hands away from the collar of her shirt and spoke with conviction. Som
The next afternoon, once Charlotte finished her task of the day, she took to the library as soon as she could. She was eager to find out what all she could learn about Lady Bennett before her next meeting with Lord Hunt. Her hope was that she would be able to find out enough about her that it would open the door to getting to know him a little better. Lord Hunt didn't want to answer terribly personal questions, but maybe she could find a way around that to get little bits of information like this from him. The castle's library was immense. This was something she realized after coming in through the doors. During their tour, they had briefly walked past the doors to the library and so she hadn't had a chance to gauge how large it was. Now that she was standing in it, she wondered just how long he had been building his collection of books. If he was as old as she was guessing he might be, then she supposed he had several hundred years to build his collection. It was one of the things
Her silent panic was interrupted by a distinct click of the library doors from the outside. Charlotte perked up the moment she heard the click. At first, she thought there was no way that the doors could have been locked. Why would they be? Unless of course, someone had been assigned the task of groundskeeper or something of that nature. Then, there was a chance that they would have the keys to the various doors around the castle. It meant there was a chance that Samuel did have the keys to the library. After she gathered the scraps of her research and the documents she pulled from the library's files, she went over to check the doors. If only to ease her anxiousness about the possibility of being locked in. Charlotte had just about convinced herself that she was being ridiculous to think that she might have been locked in until she reached the doors. Because a tug or two on both of the double doors to the library confirmed what she feared. Samuel had locked her in after causing th
At the end of her chores, Charlotte sat in her room and stared at the set of keys that Lord Hunt had given her. It was a peculiar thing to give to someone knowing that they were trying to uncover your past. While he had admitted that he found her to be interesting, he hadn't given a straight answer whether or not this was just a game for him or if he was testing to see how far she was willing to go. She didn't have enough answers about his intentions to determine that or not. Finally deciding that she would go ahead and take the bait that he laid out for her, she snatched up the set of keys. There were only two other rooms that she was not permitted to enter on the property. Lord Hunt's personal study and his bedroom. Charlotte hardly believed he would give her the liberty to enter his room, but she was willing to say that one of the keys on the ring went to his study. Exactly what she would find there, she didn't know. Lord Hunt's study was on the other side of the castle from whe
The question stuck in Charlotte's mind for the next two weeks. So did the look in his eyes as he decided to give into her wants. One personal question each history lesson was a little lackluster, but if she asked the right questions, she might be able to get more out of him. The idea of being able to talk with him about it had her anxiously awaiting the day that he would inform his servants it was her turn to supply blood.When at last the day came, she found herself anticipating his visit all afternoon. Charlotte could hardly keep herself still long enough to concentrate on doing anything. Every hour that ticked by seemed to last longer than she remembered them ever being. Different scenarios ran through her mind as to which way this could go and how Lord Hunt might respond to the question she had for him. As the hour slowly rolled around to ten o'clock, her anxiousness turned into excitement. She wanted to see him. So much so that when the knock finally came on her bedroom door,