Devour by Andrea Heltsley Read Free Book Online Page B

through me. I’m not used to being looked at this way.
    The waiter brings us a carafe of blood and Mr. Gregoria proceeds to pour us all a wine glass full. I thank him and take a sip of the thick, red substance. It has been warmed up to body temperature in an attempt to mimic the real thing.
    I swallow the smooth but slightly bitter metallic blood and sigh in satisfaction. The blood high won’t be nearly as strong when I get it straight from a human, but it will be enough to take the edge off. That’s exactly what I need to get through tonight.
    I find that I’ m actually enjoying the male attention. I feel sexy and desired. It’s heady and empowering. I study Cody and know he would be a good mate. I would have to spend more time with him to find out if we have any chemistry. Maybe later at the dance we will have a few minutes together.
    Cody is easy on the eyes too. His ear length, blonde hair and hazel eyes make him stunning. He is muscular and lithe. He has a grace about him that makes him nothing short of amazing.
    Thayer , on the other hand, is not an option. Although he is being the perfect gentleman tonight, I know the real Thayer and I’m not too fond of him. Grown up or not, I will never be interested.
    “So , Callie, are you looking forward to the ball tonight? You look absolutely divine this evening, my dear,” Mrs. Lucia says.
    I smile politely and nod. “I’m looking forward to the ball. Coming out is a big deal and I can’t wait to make my family proud by choosing a worthy mate.”
    I tried to make the answer sound as political as possible, like my parents taught me to do in mixed company. I can see her eyes light up with hope, and I hate that I’m going to be the one to squash it. I won’t pick Thayer, but maybe he’ll get lucky with one of the other girls.
    “A mate for someone in your position in the community would be highly so ught after. I’m sure you’ll have your pick of all the males there,” Mrs. Gregoria explains.
    That makes me brighten a bit . All the males? A girl should be so lucky. I have to remember that Jane has first dibs though. She would kill me if I backed out of our deal. I would never do that to her.
    “Make sure you save enough time to dance with me, Callie. I would love the chance to talk further with you,” Cody tells me in no uncertain terms that he is interested in me.
    “Of course, I would be honored.”
    As if not to be outdone, Thayer speaks up. “Please save a dance for me as well. I would love to spend a little more time in the presence of such beauty.”
    Ugh, gag me with a steak knife. There’s no desire to get anywhere near Thayer. I can only hope he forgets or that by slipping through the shadows, he can be avoided. Cody, on the other hand, intrigues me. I never thought of him as mate material because I was never looking for a mate. Now, imagine the possibilities.
    I nod and take another sip of my blood.
    “ Callie, how does it feel to know you will be competing with five other girls for all this male attention? There are a lot of you coming out this year. Normally it is considered a crowd with four girls,” Mrs. Gregoria asks.
    I take a Moment to formulate my response. “If the guy is right for me, there’ll be no competition. I’m not worried about that. Yes, there are a lot of us this year, but there’s a great selection of guys to complement each and every one of us.”
    She look s pleased by my answer and turns her attention to my parents. “How does it feel to be possibly losing your little girl to her future mate? You must be a little saddened by the prospect.”
    “We will miss Callie very much when she finds her mate. She deserves to be happy, though, and we will be happy for her.”
    “I couldn’t agree more about Thayer. We love him dearly, but would be thrilled if he was able to find his mate tonight. I would love a daughter in law,” Mrs. Lucia says.
    There’s no way to ignore the way she’ s looking at me and it makes me want