Twice Bitten Not Shy [Vampires of Eternity] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Lynne St. James Page A

ease.
    Christian looked into Sebastian’s mind and saw that he was conflicted about this. They both knew that they needed to be honest with Gwendolyn. But there was great risk.
    Sebastian looked into Gwendolyn’s eyes and began. “Before we tell you, we need a promise from you…that you won’t tell anyone what you learn tonight.”
    “I’ve already promised Christian. What do I have to do to prove I won’t say anything? Sign in blood?”
    “No, a simple promise will be fine. All of this will make sense, I hope, by the end of the night.”
    “Very well. You have my promise not to divulge anything I see or hear this evening to anyone. Is that sufficient?”
    They could feel the agitation coming off her in waves, but they both knew that it was better than fear.
     
    * * * *
     
    Sebastian hated that he was lying in bed for this, but it didn’t look like they had a choice. From the feelings pouring from Gwendolyn, they couldn’t afford to wait any longer to explain things to her.
    “Gwendolyn, do me one more favor, please?”
    “I’ll try…”
    “Listen to all we have to say before you start asking questions, and please try to keep an open mind.”
    Sebastian could feel her inner turmoil, and he knew Christian would feel it more clearly, since his hands were on her. He took a deep breath he didn’t need and began their story.
    “We are cursed, twice cursed, actually, if you think about it. The first when we met Demetria. She ‘turned’ us about four hundred years ago.” He could feel the questions in her mind, but to her credit she held on to them. “Christian and I were in a pub in England and were entranced by her beauty. I don’t know how else to explain it. We took her back to my home. We were quite soused, which, unfortunately, was pretty normal for us.”
    Christian let him know that he was surprised he was telling her that much detail. But he understood that Sebastian wanted her to know everything. If Gwen was going to have to make a choice, she needed to know it all. Good and bad.
    “Neither of us remembers much of what happened once we were in my rooms. When we awoke the next morning she was gone but had left a note to meet her that evening. We both had bite marks on our chests which hadn’t been there prior to her visit, but we didn’t remember how we’d gotten them.”
    Sebastian stopped to take a drink from the mug on his bedside table. He wondered what she’d think of them when she realized he was drinking blood. As much as he hated to admit it, even that small drink gave him more energy. They had begun to feel the results of the curse about fifty years ago, but lately it had gotten so much worse. They should have had another fifty years before they were in this decrepit state, but something or someone was escalating it.
    “We slept most of the day away, which was quite normal after being out on the town all night.”
    Gwendolyn inhaled sharply. She looked tense again, and a quick glance up at Christian verified that. He could feel her disbelief. Perhaps they should have all been in the bed together, touching. It would have given him and Christian some much-needed strength and helped soothe her.
    “By the time we met Demetria in the courtyard, we were both different. We didn’t know what it was or why, but things were clearer, what you would call hyperfocused, and there were other differences. We were confused and hungry and way too cocky for our own good.” Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk, remembering how it had been. So different. They had avoided responsibility and, instead, chosen to be playboys, and live off their fathers’ money rather than living up to their responsibilities. How different their lives would have turned out. There was so much to regret.

Chapter 10
     
    “Demetria arrived with all the nonchalance of a queen, which, as it turned out, she was. We just didn’t know it. She was the vampire queen, and she was our maker. We had fallen headfirst into her web and