His jaw dropped. “That must have been awful. How long were you locked away?”

“Too long,” I growled. “I wasted away without blood to sustain me. I could only manage the occasional nibble on a wrist when I caught it slipping my food through the hole. Several years after my imprisonment, I began debating killing myself. But then she came and liberated me.” I paused. It always awed me how she’d come to my rescue and saved me. Forgiven me for numerous sins and taken me under her wing. I owed her everything.

“Who saved you?”

“My queen did. She released me from my prison and taught me about vampires. How to feed unnoticed. What we were capable of.” The most important thing she’d given me, though, was friendship.

All this talk of my past and how I’d lost my humanity made my spirits sink. And there was only one cure for that.

I leaned forward, the material of my blouse parting and revealing my braless state, a fact the good doctor noticed. He didn’t have a choice given that in his kneeling position they were right in front of his face.

“Thanks for the background,” he said straightening and turning from me. “I’ll probably need to ask some more questions later, but this will do for now.”

I watched his back as he stuffed his notebook back in his bag. I’m beginning to think the doctor is hiding his true reaction to me. Curious, I stood and glided over to him on soundless feet-a cool vampire trick for sneaking up on dinner. “Would you like for me to show you to your room?”

He didn’t jump as expected. In fact, he didn’t turn to face me at all. He just picked up his bags and, clutching them to his midsection, nodded his head. I moved towards the hall, turning my head only once to give him a sultry smile and check he followed. I caught him unawares-my favorite kind. I got a brief glimpse of his face, tight with strain, but as soon as his eyes met mine, he wiped his face of all emotion.