Chapter 2 The Unexpected Kiss

Kristof scooped up Daisy's limp form, cradling her in his arms. Her fragile body felt oddly comforting against his chest.  "I'll take her inside. You lots handle the luggage," he instructed his siblings. He was the one who knocked her out which was something he was weirdly feeling so bad about. Hence, it was his duty to see to it that she was okay.  Adele thinned her eyes suspiciously at him. "Behave, Kristof. No feeding on the maid." Oh, please. Did she think of him as Lyriq?  He nodded, being a man of few words. He carried Daisy into the mansion afterward. The others dispersed to unload the luggage, their murmurs fading into the background. He carried Daisy into the spare room which was a large, airy space with a four-poster bed. He gently laid her down, her soft breathing filling the quiet room.  As he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her, he was struck by her beauty. Her pinkish skin, her long, auburn hair, and her tender features seemed almost ethereal. A warmth spread through his chest. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in centuries, a longing that was both familiar and foreign. He was drawn to her, irresistibly, as if a magnet were pulling him toward her. Look at her, sleeping so peacefully when she'd unleashed turmoil within him.  Staring at her was like pealing off every control in him. He lost it. Her lips, soft and inviting, beckoned him. Kristof's gaze drifted to the pulse point on her neck, where her blood flowed like liquid gold. His fangs ached, yearning to descend into it. No. He clenched his jaw, fighting the primal urge. But his eyes betrayed him, returning to Daisy's face. Innocence. That was the word that came to mind. He'd seen countless humans, yet none had stirred him like this. Why her? He couldn't keep himself from bending closer, his breath fanning her cheek. He remained in that position for a minute, liking how the scent of her which was a sweet, floral aroma, filled his senses.  He couldn't resist any longer. He bent down and kissed her softly, his lips brushing against hers. Time suspended. The world narrowed to this moment. This moment... it was fleeting, but it was enough to jolt him back to reality. He pulled away, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.  What had he done? He had kissed a human, a maid, a creature he was supposed to stay away from. He stood up, his head suddenly throbbing. He had to get out of there, before he did something he couldn't undo.  Guilty thoughts swirled in his mind: 'I've endangered our entire existence'. 'Adele will be furious.' 'And Daisy... poor, fragile Daisy.' He rushed out of the room in a dash and ended up bumping into Lyriq in the hallway. "Watch where you're going, Kristof!" Lyriq exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Can't you see?" "I'm sorry," Kristof muttered, hating that he had to bump into Lyriq of all people. "So, did you manage to convince her that she tripped and fell?" Lyriq asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "She is not awakened yet," Kristof replied, avoiding the question. "Well, she better hurry up. I'm getting hungry," Lyriq said, licking his lips. "Lyriq, I told you, you can't feed on her," Kristof said sternly.

"Why not?" Lyriq asked with a playful smirk turning his mouth up. "She's a human. She's meant to be fed on." "Just go stay with her, will you?" Kristof said, trying to calm Lyriq down. "And make sure she doesn't remember anything about what happened. Try to convince her that she tripped and fell." Lyriq raised an eyebrow. "You mean the tasty little morsel we're supposed to devour?" Kristof's voice dropped to a growl. "You won't touch her." Lyriq chuckled. "Oh, come on, Kris. You're not still hung up on-" Kristof cut him off, striding away. "Just shut up, brother." Lyriq was usually like that – a pain in everyone's gut. He was carefree, nasty, silly, and plenty annoying. It was Lyriq who gave Adele the most headache.   Yet, of all four of them, it seemed as though it was Lyriq who was truly living. The rest of them were either too broody, too serious, or too busy. Kristof sought out Adele-of all the company available to distract him from thoughts about Daisy, she was the next best thing. He found her in the foyer. Talking to her might take his mind off of Daisy Flynn. "Which room is mine?" Kristof asked. Adele's eyes searched his face. "Hm, someone looks like they've just received a breakup text." "Hahaha. Not funny, Adele." Kristof scoffed. "What's wrong, Kristof?" She asked.  "I'm fine," he lied. Adele led him to a lavish bedroom with a stunning view of the mansion's gardens. "This will be your sanctuary," she spread her hands. Kristof nodded mutely, taking in the elegant decor. It was as though his sister could smell the moodiness off of him. "Is everything alright, Kristof?" Adele asked, noticing the troubled look on his face. "I'm fine," Kristof repeated. "Don't worry about me." "You don't look fine. Is it about Daisy? I understand it's hard to live with a human especially when we are trying to stop feeding on them, but we don't really have a lot of options, do we?" Kristof hesitated. He didn't know how to explain what he had done. No, he wouldn't tell Adele that he acted so impulsively, that he kissed the new girls. No, he wasn't going to do that.  "I just... I don't understand," he said. "Why does her blood smell so strongly?" "It's probably just the stress of the move," Adele suggested. "Give it some time, and you'll feel better." Kristof nodded, but he wasn't convinced. He knew there was something more to it. Something that he couldn't quite understand. "We'll get through this, Kristof," Adele said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're a family. We'll stick together." Kristof faked a smile. "I know." Talking to Adele had always been therapeutic except for this time when he had to hide what he truly felt from her.  "Well, if we're going to live peacefully here, we might need some strategizing." Adele clapped her hands together. "Let's meet by the fireplace in two hours to discuss hunting. We can't afford to wait until we are extremely hungry. It's already been hours since we last fed."  Adele was right. They fed on squirrels' blood earlier and those sure as hell didn't satisfy them as human blood did. If they don't start getting some refill, they might as well lose control and go gnashing their fangs in the townies.