I didn’t know what had prompted me to say yes to this man.

At first I’d assumed he wanted what most guys wanted at a celebration like this—to see how far they could get with me. But those guys—the “players,” as my friends and I had called them back home—almost always tended to be drunk. And despite the hood creating shadows over his face, I knew that Jake wasn’t drunk. Because his eyes—such a unique shade of gray that they could almost be described as silver—were focused and clear.

He looked somewhat familiar, but I would never forget eyes like those, especially the contrast they had with his dark hair. And he was watching me so intensely that it felt like he was gazing straight into my soul.

When I said yes, I was as surprised as anyone. But I’d already said it, so there was no taking it back.

He reached his hand out to take mine, and his skin was so cold that I nearly flinched.

“What?” He stepped closer, placing his other arm around my back and pulling me toward him.

“Nothing,” I said. “It’s just—your hand is so cold.”

Something crossed over his eyes—panic, perhaps? But then they were cool and confident again. “Maybe you’re just warm,” he said with a smirk.

“Maybe.” I rolled my eyes, because if that was some kind of pick up line, it was pretty lame.

We swayed in time to the music, and I found myself at a loss for words. It had been so long since I’d attended a party like this. I supposed I was out of practice.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” he finally broke the silence. “Have you lived here your whole life?”

“No,” I said sadly, holding onto him tighter. “I was brought here a little less than a year ago.”

“So it’s your first Christmas in the Vale,” he realized.

I nodded in response, not trusting my voice to stay steady if I spoke.

“It’s mine too,” he said.

“When were you taken?” I asked, glad to have found this common ground between the two of us.

“A little less than a year ago,” he said. “Just like you.”

“A lot of us were taken around then,” I said.

“They were.” His eyes darkened—he must not like remembering his story of how he was brought here any more than I liked remembering mine. I couldn’t blame him… but I was also curious about his story.

Then I realized why he looked so familiar.

“I recognize you,” I said slowly. “Or at least I think I do.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Because I know we haven’t met before. You’re not someone I could ever forget.”

My cheeks flushed, and I cursed my body for betraying his effect on me. “You remind me of that swimmer,” I said. “The one who was on track for the Olympics.”

“You follow sports?” he asked.

“I was a gymnast.” I shrugged. “I was never good enough to try for the Olympics, but I was hoping to compete in college.”

“But now you’re here.” His deadpan tone got across what he meant—that now I would never be able to compete in the sport that I’d previously dedicated my life to.

“Yes,” I said. “Now I’m here.”

I waited for him to answer my question—to tell me if he was that swimmer—but he said nothing. I supposed I would have to prod further.

“Am I right?” I asked. “About who you are? Well… who you were? Before being brought here?”

“No.” He laughed. “I do get that a lot though. Apparently I look a lot like him.”

“You do,” I agreed, hoping I hadn’t made him feel insignificant by comparing him to a minor celebrity. “And that’s a good thing. I always thought he was attractive. So I meant it as a compliment.” I shut my mouth immediately afterward, realizing that I sounded like a babbling idiot.

His eyes shined in amusement. “If you meant it as a compliment, then I’ll take it as one,” he said.

We continued to dance, and I sunk into his arms, inwardly thanking Tanya for forcing me to come out tonight.

Then the music went off—before the song ended. It was like someone had pulled the plug.

People groaned and complained in the crowd.

“What’s going on?” I pulled away from Jake and looked for my friends. My heart rose in my throat when I couldn’t find them where I’d left them.

“Vampires.” Jake whispered in my ear. “Look.”

I looked at where he was facing, and sure enough, five vampires dressed in their black guard uniforms stood around the Christmas tree.

What were they doing here? Vampires never guarded the human village. The wolves were enough of a threat to keep us out of trouble. We were usually guarded by higher up humans— usually the humans who had generations of family in the Vale. Vampires were only called in for emergencies.

Judging by the hushed chatter throughout the crowd, I wasn’t the only one who was confused.

“I need to leave,” Jake said, his eyes darting around the square. “Now.”

“Why?” I held tighter onto his hand, not ready to let him go. I had no idea if I would see him again.

And if he was in trouble… I wanted to help. Which was silly, because I barely knew him, but I wanted to help nonetheless.

“They’re looking for me.” He pulled the hood higher over his head and turned away from the guards.

“Why?” I asked.

Because what would they want with a human from the Vale?

There was only one answer I could think of—they wanted to bring him into the dungeons of the palace.

If he was brought there… he would never come back.

“Never mind why,” I said, not giving him a chance to answer—and still not letting go of his hand. The guards all blocked the road that led to the vampire’s town, but the street leading to the Tavern was unmanned. “I know a place where you can hide.”

“Where is this place?” he asked, his voice low.

“Somewhere secret,” I told him. “They won’t find you, I promise.”

“You trust me?” He raised an eyebrow, and I was surprised to find a hint of playfulness in his silver eyes. “Even though we just met?”

“I’m not sure why, but yes,” I said, not needing to stop to think about my answer. “And if we want a shot at getting away, we have to go now.”

He gave me a small nod, and I led him out of the crowd, breaking into a run the moment we turned into the nearest alley.