Page 13 of Pucking Vamps
Vampires who date other vampires don’t have to worry about it, but the truth is that there simply aren’t enough of us. We are also spread out, and each clan has its own rules about finding a mate. Some are laxer like our Adetu Clan, but others are very strict, allowing only those of certain standing and bloodline to enter into union. As such, a lot of those who get turned don’t live past a hundred years, choosing to go rather than spend an eternity with no one by their side.
“Auntie, you know I would never—”
“I do! I do! But I worry, Leander. Your father…” she trails off, her eyes going distant as she relives some memory from the time her brother was alive. “No one saw it coming. I had no idea. There were no signs. We all thought he was fine, that he’d gotten over losing your mother.”
She’d died because of some complication when I was born, thirty-four years ago. It happens sometimes with purebloods like us, which is why we are so rare and why some of us think they are at the top of the world. Historically, the British and French families are particularly guilty of that, but then again, I don’t tend to interact with them even when given the chance. As for my father, he took his own life when I was thirteen, leaving me in my aunt’s care.
“I am sure you will find someone to your liking this time,” Auntie continues in her chirper tone, clearly wishing to move on from the painful subject of my parents. I share that sentiment, so I let her shove the tablet with the guest list in my hands. “The Benicaz from Switzerland will be attending with their five daughters, the Ivanovs from Moscow, the Sommers and the Hawtreys from England. Among other prominent families.”
“Okay, but I am still not interested.” I roll my eyes and exhale through my nose.
It doesn’t seem to faze her. “I’ve already received more than twenty queries for private time with you. I think you should have a look and attend a couple.”
I groan like an uncivilized beast. I can’t believe her bullheadedness.
“Work with me here. I’ve refused all the offers for arranged marriages, even the ones that are good for the prosperity of the Adetu clan. Just like you asked me. I’ve respected that. The least you can do is try this for me and give me some peace of mind.”
I stare at her dark green eyes, the color not too dissimilar to mine, just like her dark mane of curls and the ethereal paleness of her skin. I love my aunt, I really do. She’s an ambitious, charismatic woman who has only good intentions. I know that. But my father’s death hit her the hardest and she can get a little too suffocating at times. Too worried.
I can take care of myself and I can find my own partner, the one who will just slot into place and complete me without me having to sit through tea and cakes and entertain posh conversation. I just haven’t found them yet, and as much as Auntie hopes, I won’t find them at those pretentious balls our kind likes to throw.
As much as I want to argue, I bite down the irritation and nod. “Fine. But you will lie off for at least a year. Even if I don’t find a match.”
She beams at me, laugh lines crinkling her eyes. “We have a deal. Though I’m positive you will.”
We sip lemonade and go through the usual Council business, discussing blood donor sources and accommodation facilities for the newly turned. If not treated with care, they can be a bit of a menace and threaten this fine line of secrecy that prevents the whole world from knowing we exist.
Some people are already aware we do. Certain individuals in high places, those who volunteer to feed us their blood, some of those who end up in our employ. We have ambassadors too, vampires in important positions in the government, the Armed Forces, various organizations.
Auntie claps her hands once her glass is empty and stands up. “It was lovely to catch up with you as always, Leander. I am most excited to see you at the ball.”
I smile, opting for one of my most charming ones. Things won’t go her way. I will figure something out, because there is no way I’m going to settle for someone who isn’t my person. My mate, if you will. It’s a big deal for us vampires, though I am only half convinced that it’s even true. That there is someone who completes me and hijacks the entirety of me just by existing. Someone who I can’t get out of my mind, even though I’ve been trying.
My smile turns into a smirk, but I don’t let it manifest fully, forcing it back where it came from just like the tingling sensation that thinking about a certain jock unleashes under my skin. Sex with Hayden… I wouldn’t mind it again. I am sure that, like me, his itch needs some more scratching of the noncommittal type.
“Have a pleasant trip, Auntie. I’ll see you in three weeks.”
“Don’t forget to go through the list!” she reminds me, popping her head out the car’s window.
“I won’t,” I promise with a smile.
She looks pleased. Which is fine. She can believe as she wishes, but I won’t let her misplaced worry drive me into a corner and trap me there. That’s simply not happening, and I’m willing to play dirty if I have to.
Chapter 6
Hayden
I’d love to say that after a jerking off session in the cramped shower I’m feeling a lot like my usual self. But the truth is that the tingling hum within me doesn’t settle even a bit. I’m just as on edge as I was during Leander’s class, and the more I try not to think about him, the more my mind focuses on him.
Irritated, I fill a glass with cold water and lower myself on the worn-out couch with my laptop, so I can study and do homework. But I can’t concentrate, the letters and words not even registering no matter how many times I read the same paragraph.
Seeing as there is no point after a further hour of trying, I decide to clean my place. I don’t have many things, just some clothes, a bunch of chargers, and a couple other bits and pieces that I keep neatly organized in the smaller of my two suitcases. It’s not that I don’t want or like stuff, but it’s a pain in the ass accumulating it when I don’t have a place of my own. Every time I have to move, it makes it a logistical nightmare, so I’ve decided that everything I possess has to fit in my two suitcases and the duffle bag. When I make it big and become rich, I’ll have an entire room dedicated to random objects I wanted to buy at different stages of my life. I even keep a list, with number one being a limited-edition figurine of my favorite spaceship from my favorite book.
Just as I’ve stashed away my clothes and the clutter from my desk in the second suitcase so I can thoroughly clean my bedroom, the bell rings. I stare at the obnoxious cookie-shaped clock hanging above my door. It came with the lease and shows just past 11:45 pm.
I already ate—scrambled eggs with ham and jalapeños—so it’s definitely not takeout. It’s not my designated takeout day, and I would remember ordering it. Is it one of those promoters then? But they wouldn’t get past the grumpy old man at reception. They usually leave their leaflets with him.
“Who the fuck could it be?” I mutter to myself, clicking my tongue as I head for the door.