When I reached Caleb’s house for our usual drive to the studio, I found his house empty. There was a note taped on the blood fridge that said:

Enjoy your smoothie. A driver will be here shortly to pick you up. Love, C

I opened the fridge and felt the cool air rush towards me. Caleb kept his refrigerator frosty, almost frozen. It kept the blood fresh for longer. He’d always been a connoisseur of fresh, young blood…until he met me. That’s when he took up the hobby of acquiring blood bank meals. There was a black market for blood, and if you knew who to talk to and paid their price, anything was an option. Caleb ordered it by the gallon, so we’d never go hungry.

I sipped from the chilled straw already inside my stainless-steel tumbler. Today’s beverage was different than any other I’d tasted. Sweet and salty, with a hint of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I made a mental note to ask Caleb about it later.

Just as I started to close the refrigerator door, I saw a black envelope with my name scrawled across the front in silver ink. I opened the envelope and took out the thick card stock. It was an invitation to somewhere in Malibu. I checked the date of the invite, and it was for today. There was an address, and nothing else.

I shook my head, wondering what this could possibly mean. I picked up my phone to text Caleb, but I heard the front door open before I punched in the numbers.

A silver-haired man with sunken cheeks and an obvious limp ambled towards me. I ran for a kitchen knife, before I heard his low voice rumble.

“Ms. March. Caleb sent me. I’m one of his drivers. He said you might need a ride today to Malibu?”

My heart caught in my throat. “That’s right. I guess Caleb already left?”

The man nodded. “Indeed. I have a comfortable sedan waiting for you in the driveway that will suit your needs, if you’ll join me.” He held his arm out for me to take it. It was an old-fashioned gesture, and I trusted him. I should have been wary, but this man didn’t pique my suspicions. He knew my name, and he said Caleb sent him. That was enough for me. I slipped on my light jacket and sucked down the rest of my blood smoothie.

The chauffeured car twisted through the streets of Hollywood. The early-morning Los Angeles sky was unusually sunny today. I kept the UV-tinted windows up, and tried to make conversation with the driver. He had a hollow-cheeked face and an unusually quiet demeanor. I didn’t get the vibe that he wanted to talk to me, because every time I spoke to him, he replied with a one-word answer.

The car wove its way up the Pacific Coast Highway, giving me an incredible view of the sweeping surf down below the cliffs. It was quintessential California, with palm trees lining the road and a cloudless, clear sky overhead. On one side of me, I saw the limitless, turquoise ocean. On the other side of the road, the rocky Santa Monica Mountains loomed overhead.

I leafed through my purse, and found my cell phone. When I dialed Caleb’s number, the line was dead silent.

No reception.

One of the perks about Malibu was that it felt like it was a million miles from the city. The downside, of course, was that with the mountains on one side, and the ocean on the other, cell reception here was non-existent. My forehead beaded with sweat, and I wondered how much farther we had to go before we met up with Caleb.

Just then, the car turned down a long private drive and made its way towards the coast. There were no buildings as far as I could see. Cliffs dotted the shoreline, and migratory birds flew overhead. The grasses next to the unpaved road were as high as my waist.

I looked for Caleb’s car, but I didn’t see it. What if this was a trap, and one of Caleb’s enemies had set me up? How could I have been so stupid?

I jiggled the door handle with my shaking fingers, but it wouldn’t budge. It was locked, and I had no way to unlock it from the back seat.

Damn.

I looked into the rearview mirror and saw a hint of a smile escape from the driver’s lips.

“Almost there, Abby. No need for an early exit.”

I crossed my arms across my chest and sighed. Then, the panic set in. What if this man was taking me to Greyson’s clan? I’d practically offered myself up as a sacrificial lamb. My throat was dry and itchy. I reached for my blood smoothie, but the bottle was empty. Great. Now was in danger and starving.

“How much longer?”

“We’re here,” the driver said. The car skidded to a halt just before we reached the sandy beach, and the doors unlocked. I jumped out as soon as I heard the door unlatch.

“Have a nice day, Ms. March.” The driver tipped his hat to me, and then sped away. I shook my hair out, and looked around at the deserted beach. The shoreline was lined with caverns, each one a cave that filled with water as the tide splashed against the rocks. I had no idea why the driver brought me here, and if Caleb really had arranged it. Just then, I heard my name being called from a distance.

“Abby. Over here.”

I looked down the beach and saw a man underneath a rocky outcropping, overlooking the scenic ocean.

Caleb.

My heart leapt inside my chest as I ran towards him.

“Caleb, what are you doing? You’re crazy. What about work today?” I screamed into the wind.

He picked me up and carried me to a cool, dry cavern near the water. It was dark and private inside the private, rocky enclave.

“What? I’m not allowed to surprise my girl?” His eyes squinted in the faint sunlight.

“Not when you’ve got a movie to shoot.” I faux hit him.

He laid me down gently on the rocks, and settled in behind me. His strong, muscular arms surrounded my chest, and he kissed my neck gently. The air smelled fresh, and reminded me of summers spent at the beach when I was a kid.

“I’m the boss, so what I say goes.”

“Is that so?” I playfully ran my fingers through his hair, and nuzzled into his shoulder. “Maybe you can play hooky, but I have a job to do.”

“I know.” He kissed my temple gently. “Your job is to love me.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Is that what you think?”

“It is,” he said solemnly. “And my job is to love you.”

With that, his teeth bit my earlobe seductively, and his tongue traced a path down my neck. My body shivered at his touch, and I leaned back into his warm, strong embrace.

“This place is gorgeous, Caleb.”

“It is,” he said as he looked at me and smiled. “I want to show you something else.”

He took my hand and lifted me to my feet. The rocky flooring of the cavern was slippery, and I had to steady myself against the wall so I wouldn’t fall. Caleb guided me as he led me farther into the cavern. It was nearly pitch-black, and so dark I couldn’t see in front of my face.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered.

I laughed. “I don’t need to close my eyes, Caleb. I can’t see a thing.”

“Close them anyway.”

I did as he commanded, and his strong hands lifted me into his arms. He walked a few more paces, and then around a sharp corner. I felt the air change. The wind stilled, and the air around us warmed. Caleb’s fingers brushed my face, and he whispered gently into my ear.

“You can open your eyes now.”

When I lifted my eyelids, I held back a gasp at the gorgeous site I saw before me. A glowing, turquoise lake surrounded us, more brilliant and breathtaking than any lake I’d ever seen. Light from above streamed through small openings in the cavern rooftop, and flooded my vision. A small canoe was docked a few feet away from us, and the waves of the lake lapped against its sturdy wooden sides.

“What is this place?” I looked around with wonder.

“A filming spot for my next movie. I found it during location scouting, and knew I wanted to take you here. What do you think?”

“It’s breathtaking.”

Caleb kissed me on the forehead, his warm lips softly caressing my sensitive skin. He was so tender, I hardly believed he was the same man I’d fought with earlier. “I want to make things up to you. I want to spoil you all day.”

I laced my hands in his and gave him a gentle squeeze. He’d already made my day more than perfect, just by him being here.