“Me and Asa.” Cayson sighs. “I didn’t want to turn you. I was fighting against my own nature not to do it. I was going to follow you home and find out who you are. I was going to find a way to be a part of your life, but I didn’t want to turn you. Asa said if I didn’t turn you, he would. And that’s why we fought.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“Asa said that he wouldn’t watch me go through what our friend did.” Cayson shakes his head, like he’s shaking away a bad memory. “So… I decided to change you. I know I should have asked your permission—”
I cut him off. “No. I’m glad you did it. I probably would’ve thought you were nuts if you asked me anyway. I didn’t believe in the supernatural when I was human. And my life… it was miserable. I was counting down the days until I left for college and never had to see my family again. You just… helped me move up my timeline.”
He frowns. “I’m sorry things were so bad.”
I shrug. “It’s okay.”
Cayson takes a deep breath. “I do have one more thing to tell you.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Um… well…” He rubs a hand at the back of his neck. “This room is ours, not just yours.”
My mouth falls open. “Seriously? The school allows that?”
“We’re mates… soulmates. They couldn’t keep me away from you if they tried,” Cayson says. “But they wouldn’t try.”
“Oh,” I say. “Okay.”
“Are you okay with it? I mean… I can sleep on the floor or whatever.”
“You can sleep with me,” I say quickly. Too quickly. “I mean… cuddling would be nice.”
He smirks. “Cuddling?”
“I don’t know exactly what this whole ‘soulmates’ thing means, but I can feel it.” I put a hand to my heart. “It’s stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. And it’s not just a feeling… it’s also a physical thing. Like… I want to do a lot more than just cuddle.”
“There is something you need to know before we take that step.”
I look at him, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Whenever soulmates are intimate for the first time, it completes the mate bond.” He seems scared as he waits for my reaction.
“What does it mean to complete the mate bond?”
He purses his lips. “I forgot that you’re new to all this for a second. Um…” he pauses. “Completing a mate bond is… kind of like a marriage, except stronger. The bonds between soulmates can never be broken.”
My jaw goes lax. “Ever?”
“No.”
I wait for panic.
I’ve been asked out on a date one time in my life. One time. I was in another town, shopping for some back to school clothes. Dad let me take his car and it was nice to just get away from our small town for a little while. While I was there, I stopped by a bookstore to look around and I ran into this guy. He was really good looking and we had a lot in common. After a short conversation, he asked me if I wanted to go out on a date. I completely panicked. Instead of answering, I just turned and ran from the store.
But now, there is no panic.
No anxiety.
Only… excitement?
“Tell me more about the mate bond,” I say, after a few breaths. “I feel like there is more to it.”
He nods. “It links our souls together. Not just our souls, but our minds and our thoughts and our feelings. We will be able to hear each other’s thoughts and feel what the other feels. But I’ll teach you how to block your thoughts from me. It’s really easy. You only have to share the thoughts you want to share.”
It links our souls together?
That sounds big.
But… don’t I already feel like my soul is attached to his? I feel so much for this boy I just met.
“I know I probably should be freaking out, but I’m not.”
Cayson smiles. “Good. I don’t want you to be freaked out.”
The two of us just sit there and talk until the sun begins to rise.
I start to get a little sleepy as it peeks over the trees, so we go to bed. And we just cuddle, but I don’t think I’ll want to wait much longer to complete our mate bond.
10
8:00 pm
Mean girl.
One of the weird but cool things about vampire school is that it happens at night.
Cayson tried to explain it to me, but I’m still figuring it all out. Vampires don’t burn in the sun, but they’re naturally nocturnal. So, we have a harder time being awake during the day, where a human is opposite. I kind of like it. Especially since I know I can still enjoy the sun.
Before going to class, Cayson got me more blood. It’s weird, because I love the taste of it, but when I think about it, it’s so gross. I guess that’s another thing I’ll get used to over time. I also asked where the blood bags come from and he explained they’re from different blood drives and such. He also told me that when he was first turned, he had to drink directly from a human and compel them to forget. I’m glad that’s not the case anymore.
After eating breakfast, I went to take a shower and realized that I literally don’t have clothes. I was still wearing Cayson’s shirt and I don’t have anything to wear. Cayson seemed to forget about that fact too. He found a girl similar in size to me and borrowed a pair of jeans for the day and he’s letting me wear his shirt again. He got my sizes and is going to the store to grab a few clothing items for me to wear and promised we will wake up early Saturday evening to go shopping. I feel kind of weird having him buy me clothes, but it’s not like I have another choice. I can’t go naked. And I also can’t go to my house and just steal clothes from my closet. This is my only option. But I’ll find a way to pay him back.
My first class of the day is history. Nothing exciting, until I look at the book and realize it’s ‘History of Vampirism.’ That’s actually pretty cool and I’m excited to learn more.
When I walk into my first class, I realize all thirty students are here. And every single one of them is staring at me. Even the teacher is staring, which makes me very nervous. I walk up to his desk.
“Um, hi.” I push a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m Riley Green. I’m new.”
Obviously I’m new.
Why do I have to be so awkward?
“Hi, Riley. I’m John.” His smile is friendly enough. “Do you want to introduce yourself to the class?”
I swallow hard and look behind me.
Yep, everybody is still looking. Great. Perfect. Just what I wanted.
I clear my throat. “I’m Riley. I’m from Colorado. And I died, like, a week ago. And then I woke up in a coffin and the last almost twenty-four hours have been crazy.”
Yep.
Great introduction.
Clearly everybody is going to want to be my new BFF.
I walk over to the one empty spot in the room. It’s directly in the center, which makes me feel really awkward, but I sit and try not to look at anybody. They’re definitely all still staring.
‘John’ gets up to teach the class. I let out a breath in relief when he does because most people turn away from me. Not all of them. But enough that I feel like I don’t have to sit up so straight.
I wonder why he has us call him John. I’ve never called a teacher by their first name in my life. It feels so… disrespectful. I make a note to ask Cayson about it when we get our break.
I found out that we don’t have ‘lunch.’ I guess vampires only need to eat once a day, so our thirty minute ‘lunch’ break is just a break. People can use their time to study or socialize. I also find out that school doesn’t last for seven hours like it does for humans. We only have four hours worth of classes. I’m glad about that.
During the middle of class, a folded up piece of paper lands on my desk. It has my name on the outside, so I open it. I’m a little nervous to see what it says. Anytime I got notes at my old school, they were usually people being mean to me.
Hi, new girl. I’m Ashley. I saw yo
u come in with Cayson yesterday.
I want to roll my eyes. Like, no kidding. Everybody saw me come in with Cayson yesterday. But I refrain.
I do want to make friends here and clearly Ashley is trying to start a conversation with me.
Hi. It’s nice to meet you, Ashley. I’m Riley.
Yeah, I came in with Cayson.
I don’t feel comfortable telling Ashley that Cayson turned me into a vampire, so I keep that bit of information to myself. I’m not exactly sure what the rules are about turning somebody, but I think there is an exception because he’s my ‘mate.’
I look around for the Ashley girl to pass the note back to her, but a hand reaches out and grabs the note. I can only assume she’s Ashley.
The girl kind of reminds me a little bit of Cassie. Not her personality. Obviously I don’t know the girl yet, but definitely her looks. She has the same shade of blonde hair and big blue eyes.
I wonder what everybody’s story is here. Like… how they got turned. Or maybe they were born? I don’t know a lot about vampirism yet. In books and movies vampires can never have children of their own, but I wonder how realistic that is. I add that to my mental list of questions to ask Cayson later.
The girl beside me slips the note back on my desk.
You know Cayson has a girlfriend, right? I’m just telling you as a friend. I don’t want you to get your hopes up.
I try not to react to the note.
I mean… what she’s saying stings, but I don’t know if I really believe her. I’ve been around enough mean girls in my life to recognize that she might not be telling me the truth. It’s something I’ll have to ask Cayson myself.
I don’t bother responding to her note because I don’t have time for girls like her. I literally just died and got away from a girl just like her, so I don’t want to voluntarily let another mean girl into my life.
The girl doesn’t give up though. A few minutes later, another note lands on my desk.
You should hang out with me and my friends during free period.
I would literally rather eat dirt than hang out with this girl, but I can’t say that because it’s rude.
Instead, I tell her the truth.
Thank you. That’s sweet. But I already have plans.
The second I fold the note up, Ashley snatches it from my desk and frowns when she reads it. She turns and glares at me, her blue eyes darkening a shade.
Well… I think I’ve just pissed off the queen bee.
I grin.
Bring it on, Ashley.
11
10:00 pm
A theory.
The thing about vampire school, or Mystic Academy, is that we stay in the same classroom the entire day. At ten, we go on our thirty minute ‘break,’ or ‘free period,’ as Ashley called it. On the way out the door, she bumps her shoulder hard against mine. I just roll my eyes at her immaturity, but I don’t give her the satisfaction of reacting. I can tell by the look on her face that she really wanted me to react.
Cayson is waiting for me outside the classroom. He sees what happens with Ashley, so he steps in front of her.
“Are you causing a problem for my mate?” Cayson asks her. I can see his jaw flexing as he speaks. He’s really pissed at her.
Ashley’s mouth opens wide as she glances over at me, then back at Cayson. “She’s your mate?”
Cayson nods.
Ashely gets over her shock very quickly. She stands up straight and crosses her arms over her chest. “Does your girlfriend know that?”
“What girlfriend?”
“That redhead I always see you with.”
Cayson laughs. “That’s my sister.”
Ashley narrows her eyes. “Whatever.”
She stomps away leaving me there with Cayson.
He turns to me. “Did she cause you any trouble?”
“Nah.” I wave a hand. “She just did her standard mean girl duties. She tried to warn me to stay away from you because you have a girlfriend, which I didn’t believe. And then she tried to invite me to hang out with her during free period.”
“If she bothers you again, let me know.” He grabs my hand. “I got you some clothes that should fit if you want to change.”
I grin.
I would very much like clothes that fit. I’ve been wearing Cayson’s shirt since we met, which is nice for when I’m sleeping, but it would be nicer to wear something my own size. And these jeans that I borrowed are just a little too big, so I have to keep pulling them up. I’m scared they’re going to fall and I’m going to moon the entire class.
We make our way up to our room so I can get dressed, and I see quite a few Target bags. They were probably the only store open this late, but that works for me. Probably fifty percent of what I own are Target clothes anyway.
When I start pulling out clothes, I’m amazed that Cayson knows my style even though he’s never seen how I dress. The only thing he’s seen me wear, other than his t-shirt, is that stupid dress that my step monster had me buried in. Just thinking about that makes my blood boil.
I was going to be forced to wear the ugliest dress for the rest of eternity, a dress that I hated, just so my dad could please my step monster. Even in death he took her side. It’s… annoying.
“Is everything good?” Cayson asks. “I didn’t know what to get. I just grabbed a bunch of random stuff.”
“Graphic t-shirts are my favorite,” I say, holding up one of them. It’s a Pac-Man shirt. “How did you know I like Pac-Man?”
“Aren’t you a little young for Pac-Man?”
I shrug. “When I was really little, my dad bought a Pac-Man machine for our living room. I was too short to even reach the controls so my dad had to buy a stool for me to use.” I smile at the memory. “I actually forgot about that. My dad… he and I used to be close before he got remarried.”
“What happened to your mom?” Cayson asks.
“She died when I was three years old.” I take off Cayson’s shirt and slip on the Pac-Man one. He looks away when I do, which is cute. But also, I’ve decided he doesn’t have to look away. He’s my soulmate.
“I’m sorry about your mom.” He clears his throat. “My mom died too. The guy who changed my brother, my sister, and me… he killed both my parents.”
“I’m sorry.” I frown, thinking how horrible that must have been.
“It was a long time ago.”
It doesn’t change the fact that it must have been awful to go through.
“I still wish I could have been there for you.” I step closer to him, putting a hand on his arm.
He grins at me. “The more time we spend together, the more I realize just how much fate got it right. You really are my soulmate.”
“Did you think fate made a mistake at first?”
Cayson laughs. “When I saw your dress… maybe.”
“That stupid dress.” I take off the jeans I borrowed for the day, trying not to think about that dress anymore. I grab a pair of jeans from the bed. “I have a question, though. Is this all the vampires there are that are my age?”
“Uh, no,” he answers. “Mystic Academy used to be a school for all vampires when they’re teenagers. But about ten years ago, there was a big divide. So only the vampires who are turned go here and the vampires who are born go to another school.”
“Vampires can have babies?” I raise an eyebrow. I was curious about that.
“Of course,” he says. “You can’t believe everything you see in movies. Certainly you realize that by now.”
I do realize that. I’m learning vampires are nothing like they are on TV. I can see myself in mirrors, I don’t burn, or sparkle, in the sun. I don’t feel like running around and biting people. And I definitely don’t have the urge to kill. I mostly feel the same, except I don’t think about food anymore. A cheeseburger doesn’t even appeal to me.
“Does that mean vampires age?” I ask.
“Yes and no,” he answers. “When a vampire is turned, they a
ge until they hit their early to mid twenties and then they stop.
I tilt my head to the side. “But you look… maybe nineteen.”
“I have a theory.”
I pick my dirty clothes off the floor, tossing them into the hamper. “What’s your theory?”
“My brother found his mate right away. So… he aged fairly normally. And my sister… found her mate a few years later. She aged normally, too,” he explains. “But I always stayed the same. I think that now that I’ve met you, we will age together. It’s like… fate knew what it was doing. I mean, it would be weird if I looked twenty-something and you looked like a teenager. At least to humans who see us.”
That’s actually kind of cool. “I like the idea that we’ll be growing up together. Even though you’re technically two hundred and something years older.”
He grins and takes a step closer to me. He slides his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
I feel his lips in my hair and I sigh, leaning into him. “I hope I’m not a disappointment.”
“Never,” he whispers.
12
Wednesday, November 13
12:30 am
Friends?
After class is over, I’m approached by a couple of girls.
The first girl has a huge smile on her face, dimples on both sides of her cheeks. She’s got her long, blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail with a ribbon in it and she has the biggest blue eyes I have ever seen. If she wasn’t smiling so big at me, I’d be terrified that she was coming up to bully me. But then again… the jury is still out on that one.
The girl beside her isn’t smiling quite as big, but she still has a pleasant look on her face. She has black hair that is cut into a bob, and big brown eyes. She almost reminds me of some kind of girl I’ve seen in an anime. She’s adorable.
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