I SAT IN THE rear of the dimly lit auditorium, my ankles crossed and my Converse-clad feet propped on the back of the seat in front of me. The seats were worn, even threadbare in places, and the linoleum floor was scuffed and cracked. A strong citrus scent in the air told me it had been recently cleaned, but I could still detect a musty odor underneath. The college was small, poor—the kind of place that still put education above profit.

In other words, it was exactly the kind of place happy to get my call offering to add them to my speaking schedule. I had been booking one engagement at a time for the past six months, hoping each one would be the last. There was an end goal in sight and I hoped I wouldn't have to traipse all over the country talking in Podunk schools waiting for the men I searched for to find me.

My fingers ran over the holes in my jeans as students shuffled in. Their sneakers squeaked on the floor and the murmur of their voices filled the air. None of them paid attention to me, which, honestly, was how I preferred it. Of course, my casual dress helped. Normally, I would have been in a dress suit to give my presentation and answer questions but my flight had been delayed. I'd barely had time to drop my suitcase off at the hotel and get to the college in time. As such, I pled embarrassment and convinced a professor to show the video in my place with the promise I'd stick around in case I was needed for questions.

An impeccably dressed man moved into the row in front of me while giving me a nod and a quick smile. This was no student. Or professor for that matter. His suit probably cost more than the dean's annual salary. No, he was definitely out of place. My eyes locked on him. I dropped my feet to the floor and straightened in my seat. Nervous flutters swarmed in my belly and I was unable to look away. The man undid the button on his dark gray suit jacket and glanced around as if searching for someone before taking his seat. I felt woefully underdressed next to him. Conversations faded to an end as the lights dimmed further. Just before the doors shut, a tall, lean man slipped into the room and took the seat beside the one in the suit.

"Where were you?" The suited man's voice was low and tight and I doubted anyone else heard him.

The new arrival glanced over with a smirk, flashing a dimple on his left cheek. "I was just grabbing a bite, brother. No reason to worry." His English accent rolled through me, making those flutters start up again, for an entirely different reason.

The video began to play at the front of the room but my eyes never left them. For brothers, they couldn't look more different. One was perfectly styled from top to bottom. His dark hair swept to the side and the suit had obviously been tailored to fit him. He sat straight in his seat with his attention on the front of the room. Only occasionally did he shift focus to his brother.

The other man leaned back in his seat, his legs crossed and his chin propped in his hand. He looked around the room, not interested in what was going on at the front. His hair was cropped short so it didn't need to be messed with and he was in need of a shave. His eyes found mine and he smiled, giving me a little wave with the fingers of the hand his chin rested in. I glanced away, embarrassed to be caught staring, and heard him chuckle.

My gaze turned to the front of the room and the images playing on the large screen. The narrator droned on about werewolf and vampire mythology as found in cultures throughout the world and throughout history. The information was interesting in its own right but the focus soon switched to a discussion of the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Legend said that a curse limited the vampires' power to the night and the werewolves' to the full moon. Unlike most myths that twisted and morphed to fit with various cultures, the Curse of the Sun and the Moon stayed fairly consistent from society to society and age to age.

The video was mine, the research was mine and I had seen the damn video enough times, I could recite it in my sleep. I leaned back to watch the others in the auditorium. The brothers seemed particularly interested in this part of the presentation. As the video ended and the lights came up, a middle-aged man in a faded brown suit came out on the stage, clapping his hands. Professor Simmons, if I remembered correctly. "Wonderful. Just wonderful. I'm so delighted that our school had the opportunity to be involved in this tour. If you haven't had the opportunity, make sure to check out the exhibits in the main hall as well. Are there any questions?"

I sighed in irritation as the first two questions were about things already discussed in the presentation, but that was typical. No one had an attention span anymore. The suited man in front of me raised a hand to get the professor's attention and I feigned disinterest. "Yes, I was curious as to where and when this information was obtained? Particularly those parts referencing the curse." His voice was clipped and elegant.

There was a slight hesitation as the professor looked around the room before answering. His eyes fell on me. I gave a him a smile and a small shake of the head. That question was better answered in private. "I'm afraid that information is not available at this time. Are there any other questions?"

No one else spoke and people began to move toward the exit.

"Remind me again why it is we came here?" The more casual brother stood and straightened his leather jacket. He wore a dark Henley and faded jeans. His taste in clothes wasn't much different than mine, but I would bet good money he spent more on one shirt than I did on a whole outfit. With the lights on, I could see his hair was a light reddish-brown and his eyes were a pale blue. Both men were far too attractive for their own good. Or mine, for that matter.

My eyes darted to his brother as he answered. "I told you I wished to speak with the person responsible for the article I sent you." He rose and buttoned his suit coat before running a hand down it to be rid of any wrinkles. Not that there were any. They wouldn't dare. I doubted there was even a speck of dust on his shoes.

"Well, it would seem they are not here, brother. What now?"

I interrupted before they could devolve into a full argument. Standing, I placed my hands on the back of the seat in front of me, gripping it for support. "Perhaps I might be of assistance?"

Both men turned their attention to me and heat flooded my cheeks. I took a deep breath and told my hormones to calm down. I was here for a purpose and it wasn't to get laid. Besides, if these were the men I thought them to be, they'd been walking the Earth for a thousand years. I doubted they found much of anything interesting anymore, let alone someone like me.

Mr. Perfect smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He tugged on the ends of his sleeves. "I find that unlikely unless you happen to know where we might locate a C. Grimes?"

I held out a hand. "The C stands for Cassidy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.…"

"Smith," he supplied after he found his voice. "I am Elijah and this is my brother Niklaus."

Smith was a ruse, a fake name to throw people off, but this could be none other than the Originals. Finally. Two of the siblings of the Original family—the first vampires, turned by magic instead of blood. They were like super vampires. They still had to drink blood, but they could compel other supernatural creatures, walk in daylight and they were impossible to kill. I hoped they wrote off my racing heart as attraction instead of anticipation. I'd been searching for these two for a long time and they'd proven damned hard to find. Niklaus studied me with his pale blue eyes as if looking for some deception on my part. I gave him a small nod. They'd know everything soon enough. I just had to get them to listen to me first.

I shifted my gaze back to Elijah. "To answer the question you asked Professor Simmons, this project is the culmination of seven years' work. The data was collected from several different sources. The information I was interested in was largely ignored by other academics but it was still there in their findings. I just had to dig for it."

His eyes narrowed slightly and he still wore a false smile. "My brother and I wish to invite you to dinner to discuss your research in more detail. If you are available, that is. We find it quite fascinating."

I bet they did. I had every intention of accepting, but I wondered whether it would be better to go someplace public or somewhere private. In public, they would be less likely to kill me before I could tell them everything but in private we would be able to talk more freely. Then I realized it was unlikely to be my choice anyway. Not with these two.

"Sure. Dinner would be great. Let me grab my things." My laptop was still hooked up to the projector and I made my way to the front to retrieve it. The weight of their gazes made my scalp prickle with unease. Turning to head back, I found Niklaus smirking and Elijah gripping the seat in front of him, making me wonder what exchange had taken place between them after I stepped away.

"Shall we go?" Elijah said as I walked back to them.

With a nod, I led them out of the auditorium. I glanced back as we entered the main part of the building. "I need to check with the professor before I leave. I'll just be a moment."

Niklaus's jaw tightened but Elijah merely nodded. "We will retrieve the car. Take your time."