The Vampire's Fated

Chapter 17

LENA

I leaned back and moved my head from side to side, trying to relieve the tension in my neck. I placed the pencil down and looked at the clock—three p.m.

Wow, time flew by.

My eyes went to the drawing I did, only making my eyes widen. I must have been thinking about him, but how?

On the page of the notebook was a drawing of Emmett. My eyes skimmed over the details I drew. I captured his true features. The one from the night I met him, not his other face. I let my finger trace over the structure of his jawline to the lines near his eyes. The ones you make when you laugh or smile.

My heart raced in my chest as I stared.

Maybe having food with him would help me understand him more. There are a few things Claudia couldn't talk to me about and that I should ask him. I wanted to know more, but I was afraid I would see his true face, the face of what he is.

I turned over the page of the notebook, grabbed the pencil I had placed down, and drew again. I drew him again, but I pressed the pencil and drew what I remember, not of the face I saw but the one he wore when he burst in here.

I let my memory of what happened come. It was like a photograph in my head, something that would never leave, but it was a good starting part to learn more about what he was.

After half an hour of drawing, I placed the pencil back down and traced over the drawing of his true face. His vampire face. The deepest lines, the dark veins under his eyes, and the red eyes. His fangs prod threw his mouth, but not in a malaise way, but to defend. That was what he was doing. He was defending me. He wanted to keep me safe, but the one word I wanted to know—mate came back to my head. The way he said it, it meant more to him.

I sigh as I close my notebook and place it on the bedside table. Moving to the edge of the bed, I stood up and stretched. I felt a little cramped up after drawing on the bed.

Looking around, I landed on the bag Whitney and Sasha got me from my house. I should shower and get ready. Maybe a walk will help, even if it is around the house.

Sighing, I walked over to the bag and rummaged through it. I found a blue dress and grabbed some flats and underwear. I headed into the bathroom and closed the door. I quickly got undressed.

I switched on the shower and climbed in. I let the water cascade over me as I washed everywhere, including my hair. After rinsing off, I switched off the water. I leaned over to grab a towel for my hair, wrapped it up, and then found one for my body.

I quickly dried my body and placed the fresh clothes on with the shoes. Leaving the towel on my head and throwing the other one in the basket, I opened the door and headed back into the room, but I stopped to find Claudia sitting on my bed with my notebook in her lap. Her eyes looked between the two drawings I had done earlier.

"You are talented," she said, looking up at me with a smile. "You should show Emmett."

My heart fluttered at the mere mention of his name, but I said nothing. The notebook was meant to clear my head, not for anyone else to see.

Moving into the room, I walked over to the dresser and pulled out the chair. I sat down and removed the towel from my hair.

My hair stuck up, but I heard movement from behind me. "Sorry," Claudia said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I didn't mean to pry at what you were doing. The drawings of him are amazing, and you should show them off."

I looked over my shoulder and gave her a small smile. "Thanks," I murmured. "Maybe one day, but can we keep them between us? I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything."

Claudia nodded and smiled, but her eyes went to my hair. "Would you like me to help you with your hair?" she asked.

I smiled.

"Please," I said with a smile. "I'm never good at doing anything with it. Usually, it is in a ponytail, especially when I'm focused on art. I seem to get paint everywhere, including in my hair." I didn't know why I was babbling to her about that. It seemed weird. But Claudia smiled, grabbed the brush from the side, and brushed my hair. "I will dry it and straighten it if you like." I gave her a nod. I would have let her do whatever she wanted to it.

Forty-five minutes later, I stare back in shock at my hair. Claudia did some magic and made it look decent. It was straight. "Thank you," I said, moving up from the chair and checking in the mirror but looking over at her.

Claudia grinned. "My pleasure," she said and quickly glanced at the clock. "Do you want to check out the house?"

I stared at her, giving her a slight nod.

"Everyone left earlier," she said, holding her hand and taking mine. She gently pulled me along with her. A smile slid across my lips as she opened the door and pulled me out.

I looked around as we stopped outside the room I had been in for three days. My eyes went to the walls, where giant paintings were. There were so many. I remembered seeing some when I came here with Emmett, but they were going down the stairs. "Do you know who these people are?" I asked her as I stepped toward a nearby painting of a young girl, who could only be four, who was sitting under a tree with a puppy. She looked happy. My eyes went to her face. There was a softness in how the painter captured her features as if someone who knew her did it.

"I don't know," Claudia mumbled as she walked toward me.

I looked at her and smiled. "Sorry," I said. "It's the painter in me. I love the artwork."

Claudia grinned.

"I can tell," she said. "There is not much to show you, but most of the rooms upstairs are bedrooms for vampires to rest in or to stay when they need to be alone."

I gave her a slight nod as Claudia motioned toward the stairs. "But there is more downstairs. Emmett changed a few rooms into places where we can all hang out."

I said nothing as we walked down the stairs.

Claudia showed me every room downstairs. I didn't realize what she meant when she said Emmett changed some rooms for them, but there in front of me was a theatre with a list of movies on the side. A grand hall, which Claudia said had been fancy balls and parties held there, which sounded exciting. There was also a games room, an indoor swimming pool, and even a frigging tennis court just outside.

I felt overwhelmed seeing it all.

Claudia guided me back towards a hallway we hadn't gone down before. "This corridor is Emmett's place," she said, looking at me. "He has a room upstairs that he only uses to shower and change in, but down here, he has an office, his own little dining area, and a little patio."

My eyes went around some rooms until we stopped outside one. Claudia faced me with her hand on the door and smiled. "I think you will like it here," she said as she pushed open the doors, and there, not too far from the door, was Emmett.

My eyes widened.

His eyes met mine.

Fuck, he looked hot. He wore a suit.

"Lena," he rasped as he cocked his head to the side, checking me out. His eyes traveled up and down my body, sending a shiver through me.

My eyes watched him, but my mouth fell open as he moved his head to the side. It wasn't the way he looked or what he was doing; it was what was behind him that surprised me. It was the painting behind him.

My painting.

How the hell did it get here?