CHAPTER TWENTY

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           ERIC HAD BEEN SILENT ON THE DRIVE BACK TOWARD HOTEL CARMILLA. The vampire was still fuming at the incompetent behaviour of Stan and Dakota glanced out of the window as he parked in front of the building, cutting off the engine of the black sedan he had rented. His anger was not directed toward her, she knew this but she still felt uncomfortable.

The hotel lobby was almost empty as they entered and Eric didn't head for the elevator like she guessed he would, instead he went toward the bar. 

Dakota decided not to follow him and did go toward the elevator, pulling out her phone and sending a quick update text to Lafayette, though she doubted he'd be awake. If Eric noticed her absence, he didn't mention it and the elevator doors closed before her. The woman wasn't alone, the bell boy stood behind her, offering her an awkward smile.

The blonde pressed the button that would lead her to her floor and typed away on her phone, his thoughts reaching her mind in the process. She blamed the fact she hadn't have to put up her wall so much lately.

Gosh, i'd do anything to be home right now. Why the hell am I still working at this shithole?

 Dakota tried to hold in a smile as she replied to the boy in her mind, Probably because it pays good with all these nightshifts.

I wish. It's just enough to get by.

Dakota glanced up from her phone slowly, eyes widened slightly wondering how on earth he had just heard her thinking. The boy seemed frozen as she turned toward him, not daring to look at the blonde next to him in the elevator. 

Look away, Barry. Just ignore her. You're going insane.

"Did you just ...?" she stammered.

The bell boy, Barry, moved his arm, pressing the button quickly for the elevator doors to open. They hadn't gone up yet, so the door opened. He sprinted away from her and disappeared into the crowd of the lobby. Dakota opened her mouth to protest but he was already gone. 

Dakota rushed out of the elevator before the doors closed again and stalked after him, trying to see over the crowd but to no avail. From the corner of her eyes she saw him disappear down a hallway and she quickly made her way toward him.

"Wait! Barry!" she called, almost bumping into an older woman as she tried to catch up with him.

Dakota grunted at the force as someone wrapped an arm around her shoulders, stopping her from going any further down the hallway. Eric gave her a pointed look as he pulled her away from the hallway and into another. Taking a step back, he let go of his hold on her and the blonde rubbed her shoulder, frown on her face.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, looming over her frame.

"There was this boy and he-"

"I don't care who or what he is." Eric said quickly, eyes hard as he peered down at her. "You do not under any circumstances go off on your own in this hotel, is that clear?"

"Excuse me?" Dakota raised a brow, appalled by his behaviour. "You don't get to tell me what I can and cannot do, Eric."

"I can and I will." he took a step toward her, his chest almost touching her own. "This hotel is crawling with vampires who'd love to drain you dry and some might even do it without hesitation. You stay in your room or you stay close to me. That's final."

"Fuck you." Dakota said, surprising herself as she stalked around him. 

"Get back here," he said, grabbing her wrist and making her turn around. "look, i've already seen the looks they've given you. They will kill you, Dakota. I have no authority here and you're not mine, which means they're free to claim you as they please. It's for your safety."

Dakota blinked, anger slowly dispersing and she looked at the hand that was still holding her wrist. He dropped it. All Eric had ever done since she met him was protect her and she couldn't be mad about that. He was right, this hotel was roaming with vampires and she hadn't spend enough time around others to know how dangerous they actually were to human kind.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I'll try not to do it again."

Eric brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face and behind her ear and Dakota had to clench her jaw to stop herself from turning all shades of red. He grinned slyly at her, satisfied with her answer before telling her to follow him toward the bar.

Dakota took in the bar area, hoping to spot Barry but he had been long gone by now. The blonde had never met another telepath before, beside Sookie and all she wanted to do was to talk to him about it, something he was clearly not interested in. 

"What do you want?" Eric brought her back from her thoughts.

The woman hadn't heard what he had asked and he noticed the distant look on her face. "What?"

"I asked if you wanted anything to drink?"

He led her to a booth on the right side of the room, sitting in front of her on the surprisingly comfortable leather seats. Dakota shook her head, declining the offer as she took the room in, it was a fancier version of Fangtasia, the only thing missing were the poles and scent of spilled alcohol and sweat.

"Do you mind if I get a drink?"

Dakota furrowed her brows, confused for a moment before a pretty girl a few years younger than herself stopped beside their booth, smiling at the vampire. Dakota met his gaze and shrugged her shoulders, and with a slight shake of her head Eric scooted so that the girl could sit beside him. 

"Hello, there." Eric grinned, fangs dropping from his gums.

Turning to look at the vampires and humans in the bar, she tried to ignore as Eric sunk his fangs into her neck. The girl gasped, closing her eyes as a smile graced her features. Eric had actually ordered her off a menu and Dakota pulled a face. 

"Oh, that's it baby." she moaned.

Eric pulled away, holding her throat loosely in his hand and raised his brows. "Baby?" He let go of her and scooted away. "I'm over a thousand years old."

"Are you not having a good time?" she asked, panic in her voice.

"There's just not much thrill left in feeding on the willing."

Dakota narrowed her eyes at him, letting out a huff. Blood leaked from the two puncture wounds on her neck and the girl absentmindedly traced them with her fingers, smearing blood further down her neck.

"Should I pretend not to want it?" she offered, unsure.

The vampire turned her way. "Only if you're very, very good at it."

The girl gave a nod and Eric attached his mouth back to her neck, drinking from her. Dakota for some reason couldn't tear her eyes away as the girl comically tried to hate the thing he was doing. There was no truth to her words as she told him to stop and Eric gave up, pulling away.

"Off you go." he muttered, dismissing her as he handed her some cash. The girl got up and took it with a smile, walking off. "Tell your manager you were magnificent. I'll back up your story if he calls."

"That was pathetic." Dakota said, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back on the seat. "And gross, too."

"Do you expect me to starve?" he challenged. 

"If it would rid be from seeing another desperate attempt to feed, then yes."

Eric snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm sure you'd be much better at pretending, would you let me feed on you? I'm still quite hungry."

"That's never going to happen, Northman."