We walk out the back of the school and toward the beach. The party we’re going to tonight is at the same house we went to before, so it’s just a short walk there from here.
“I keep feeling like I’m going to do or say something to ruin this,” Jude marvels, shaking his head. “I guess fate really doesn’t mess up, ‘cause you’re kind of perfect for me.”
I think that’s the nicest thing anybody has ever said to me.
Jude and I talk a bit more about what school was like for us as we walk to the house.
“I’ve got the be honest,” I say, as we approach the house. A ton of vampires are already congregating around. “I’m not much of a party kind of girl.”
“Me either.” He laughs. “Well, a party guy, I suppose. I just don’t like parties. I thought you did; that’s why I invited you.”
I shake my head. “Nah, I’d rather stay home. But I do want to make friends. So this is a good thing. Maybe we can make friends or something while we’re here.”
We make our way into the party, and I spot Brody and Kolton immediately. They’re hanging out with a few guys that I recognize from around school. They wave at me when I walk in with Jude, but they don’t walk over to interrogate us. It’s progress.
“Does that mean they like me?” Jude asks, yelling over the music that is playing.
I shrug. “I don’t think they ever really disliked you, they just didn’t want you dating me. They just approve of us now.”
My brothers would never approve of anybody who wasn’t my mate; I know that for a fact. If I hadn’t met Jude and Henry, I would most definitely be single throughout all my time at Elite Academy. My brothers would’ve made sure of that.
Honestly, I’m so glad I met my mates now before I dated anybody else. Brody and Kolton couldn’t have stopped me forever. And I get why people date before they meet their mate—they get lonely. But the idea of saving everything for my mates is romantic, and I’m glad I did it, even if it wasn’t intentional.
“Do you want something to drink?” Jude asks. He holds my hand as we walk through the crowd. Eventually we enter a room that is nearly empty. There are two couches. A couple is making out on one, and the TV is playing some kind of human TV show I’ve never seen before.
I nod. “Sure.”
I haven’t eaten since I woke up around eight o’clock. Vampires can get by on just drinking blood once a day, but we’re stronger when we drink more.
Jude walks off toward the kitchen, and I sit down on the other couch, trying to ignore the couple that is making out.
I guess I get it, being so attracted to somebody that you don’t care who is watching when you kiss, but I feel like I’m too shy to ever kiss a guy in public like that. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the girl climb on top of the guy’s lap. My face grows warm, and I realize I don’t want to be here. I stand up from the couch to head toward the kitchen where Jude just went. But as I’m about to walk into the kitchen, I feel a sharp pain in my back. I turn around to see who is standing there, but there is nobody.
The couple that was making out is now staring up at me in horror, and I realize there is something sticking in my back. I reach a hand back and pull it away when I feel something warm and sticky touch my hands.
It’s blood.
Did somebody just stab me?
I try to reach behind me to pull whatever I was stabbed with from my back, but I feel dizzy. I end up sitting down on the floor, and then everything goes black.
Wednesday, September 9
6:37 pm
Hospital.
My alarm goes off before the sun goes down. I would hate Wednesday if it weren’t for the fact that I take Asa’s class today, and even though I should hate him, I’m excited to see him.
But as my mind becomes more aware, I realize that my alarm isn’t going off. And in fact, whatever noise I am hearing isn’t even coming from my phone’s alarm.
My eyes open and look around. That’s when I realize I’m not in my dorm at all, but I’m in a hospital room. I’m thinking it must be a human hospital that has a vampire doctor or something, because the hospital room is not great. You’d think humans would get better hospitals considering how fragile and puny they are. But the room is small, and it smells funny.
Asa is curled up in a chair right beside my bed asleep, which confuses me. But then I look on the couch and see that Henry and Jude are there and they’re are asleep as well. Henry is leaned back, with his feet on the floor. But Jude is lying down with his feet on Henry’s lap, which is the cutest freaking thing I’ve ever seen. I wish I could take a picture of the two of them.
“Everleigh.” Asa jumps up from his chair, coming closer to the bed. “Are you okay?”
I try to sit up a little straighter, so Asa props some pillows behind my back. “What happened?”
“Everleigh, I’m so, so sorry.” Asa fingers rest on the bar of my bed, but they’re twitching, and he has a wide-eyed, panicked look on his face. “The way I treated you… I can’t even—”
Before Asa can finish whatever he was going to say, Jude and Henry both jump up and run over to my bed.
“Everleigh, are you okay?” Henry grabs my hand.
I furrow my brows. “I’m fine.”
Everybody is acting really strange.
But then again, I am in a hospital bed.
“What happened?” I turn to Jude for the answer. “The last thing I remember, I was with you. Well, you went to get us a drink. There was this couple making out on the couch, so I decided to come find you. And then… nothing.”
“Somebody stabbed you in the back with a silver stake.” Jude’s voice breaks as the words leave his mouth. “It was so close to your heart, Everleigh. They missed by a tenth of an inch. They almost killed you.”
That’s when I remember… the blood… the pain.
But why would somebody want to stake me? It doesn’t even make sense.
“Who did it?” I ask.
“We were hoping you’d know.” Henry shares a look with Asa and Jude. “You don’t have any idea who might have it in for you? Maybe somebody that doesn’t like you?”
I shake my head, completely baffled. “No. I mean, I get along with pretty much everybody.”
Asa let’s out his breath in a huff. “That really is no help, Everleigh.”
I roll my eyes. “Sorry. I don’t know anybody who is capable of murder. What do you want me to say?” I cross my arms over my chest and look at him. “What does it matter to you anyway? The last I checked, you hated me.”
“When have I ever said that I hate you? That couldn’t be further from the truth.” Asa’s mouth falls open, like he’s genuinely surprised by my admission.
I dart my gaze from Asa to Henry, just really not wanting to have this conversation right now.
Henry aims a pointed look at Asa. “Maybe you should have this conversation with Everleigh when she’s not in a hospital bed. She almost died.”
“Almost died is maybe a little dramatic,” I say. Because even if it was a tenth of an inch away from my heart, I don’t want to consider the fact that somebody wants me dead. Or maybe it was a fluke thing. I don’t know.
“Dramatic? Your brain must be foggy from the blood loss.” Jude grabs my hand on the opposite side from Henry. “Everleigh, I watched you bleed out last night. I thought you were going to die. I’ve never been more terrified in my life.”
Poor Jude. I can’t even imagine what he was thinking while watching me on the floor. And I definitely can’t imagine what he was going through when I was admitted to the hospital. If our roles were reversed, I would be freaking out.
I squeeze his hand. “Jude, I’m okay now.”
He tries to smile, but it’s more of a grimace.
I turn to Asa and Henry. “So we really have no idea if this person was even targeting me, targeting somebody else, or it was just random?”
“You’re royal, so we can only assume they were targeting you,” Asa says.
I roll my eyes. “I’m hardly royal. Seriously, I’ll never be queen, so we can veto that. If they really wanted all the royals dead, wouldn’t they start with somebody who actually has a chance? I’m fifteenth in line.”
“The point is, we don’t know. So we are going to stay close to you, just to be safe.” Asa’s hand is clenched, and he never breaks eye contact with me as he makes his declaration.
I’m confused.
I really thought Asa hated me, and now all the sudden he’s all about my safety?
I guess he could be doing it for my dad. They’re best friends. Of course he doesn’t want anything happening to his best friend’s daughter. But the thought of spending more time with Asa makes my stomach feel queasy. I don’t think my heart can handle anymore rejection from him.
“Asa, I think Henry and Jude will be fine to keep me safe.” I offer him a smile, trying to lessen the blow. “Honestly, it’s probably not appropriate to have a guy who isn’t my mate around a lot.”
Asa doesn’t seem at all fazed by what I’m saying, he just turns to Jude and Henry. “I’ll take first watch.”
Henry and Jude both nod in agreement, and I huff out an annoyed breath.
Why does nobody ever listen to me?
8:17 pm
Something missing.
The doctor releases me from the hospital after a quick check. Henry, Jude, and Asa all come back to my dorm with me. It’s a bit unnerving to have all three of them in my room, but I have a feeling this is going to be our normal for a little while. There is no way they are going to let me out of their sight after what happened.
What I don’t get is why Asa is here. He doesn’t even like me, so why is he pretending to care? It just makes this crush I have on him harder. It makes it more obvious that it’s completely one-sided. I just want to get over him. Instead, he’s literally hovering over me in my dorm.
“I should go to class.” I swing my legs over to get up, but Henry puts out a hand to stop me.
“Nice try. You’re staying in this bed all day.”
I poke out my bottom lip. I don’t want to stay in bed all day.
Unless maybe Henry or Jude climbs in bed with me. That has potential.
“I’ll be back around midnight or one.” Henry heads toward the door. “Be good for Asa, okay?”
I narrow my eyes and purse my lips.
Of course he’s leaving me here with Asa.
I focus my gaze on Jude, hoping he’s not abandoning me too.
“I’m going to head to class. I’ll bring back your assignments.” He grins at me before walking out the door.
I am now officially alone with Asa and I’m not sure I’m okay with it. So much for avoiding him.
“Scoot over.” Asa motions me with his hand.
I sigh and do as he says. I’m glad that I have a king size bed, because I need space between us to even think.
What I want to know is why Henry would leave me alone with Asa. He knows how I feel. I told him. And yet, he ran out of here like he couldn’t wait to leave. To be honest, I’m a little peeved at him for doing this.
“You look upset,” Asa observes.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Do I?”
That’s because I am. I’m really freaking upset. I don’t want to be here with Asa. In fact, he’s about the last person on the planet that I want to be alone with.
“You’re mad at me.” He furrows his brows. “I get it. I would be mad at me too.”
I don’t respond. I don’t know how to respond. How am I supposed to explain to him that I’ve pretty much been in love with him for the last five years? How do I explain that every time he ignores me it’s like shoving a knife into my heart? And how do I explain that I still feel this way, despite the fact that I have met my mates? I shouldn’t feel like this. It’s not right. So, I just keep my mouth shut.
Asa shifts in the bed, and at first I think he’s getting up. But he’s not. Instead, he scoots closer to me. I raise an eyebrow, wondering what he’s doing, but he just leans closer until his lips touch mine.
When our lips touch, my entire world shifts. My heart beats faster.
Asa is my mate.
I have three mates, which doesn’t make sense, but it also makes a lot of sense. It’s why I have felt this way about Asa for all these years. It’s why I couldn’t get him out of my mind, despite the fact that I had met my mates. It’s because he was always supposed to be mine all along.
He runs his fingers through my hair, and they get caught in a tangle at the nape of my neck. I haven’t even brushed my hair today. I know I must look like a complete mess and Asa still kissed me despite all this.
My heart is so happy that I feel like it could burst.
But despite the happiness, despite the fact that I have three mates who adore me, I still feel like there is something missing. I just don’t know why I feel this way.
I push the thought away for now and just focus on Asa.
My Asa.
He really is mine. And I am his. It’s fate, and nobody can tell me otherwise.
Asa pulls back and he looks at me, pursing his lips. “Are you mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” I ask. Because how could I be mad at the fact that Asa, the guy I’ve obsessed over through all of my teenage years, is actually my mate.
“Because I’ve known for a long time and didn’t tell you.”
My mouth falls open. Of course he knew. “Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“I couldn’t, Everleigh.” He shakes his head. “You were just a kid. I think the first time I realized you were my mate, you were thirteen.”
I nod. “Right. Of course. I was a kid. But it explains the crazy intense feelings I had for you then.”
“I could feel your love for me. That’s when I knew. And I stayed away after that. When your dad invited me over, I’d make excuses. And I made excuses for four years.” He rubs a hand at the back of his neck. “I wanted to let you live out your college experience. I wanted you to make friends and just enjoy this time without having a mate. I didn’t want to hold you back.”
“Could you not see how much it hurt me?” I shake my head, unable to comprehend why he’s continued this behavior. “You’re my mate. I know you could feel how much it hurt me. Why would you do that to me?”
“You’re right. I did see, but I tried to ignore it out of respect for you and your dad.”
My dad… “Does he know?”
Asa shakes his head, his face paling. “No. I don’t know how to tell him either. It almost feels like I’m betraying him by being mated to his daughter.”
I put my hand against his arm. “Hey, he knows it doesn’t work like that. Fate doesn’t let us choose.”
“But I will have to tell him.” His eyes widen. “Everleigh, I don’t know how to tell him.”
Yikes.
That is going to be a very awkward conversation. They’ve known each other for one hundred and fifty years.
“I have to talk to your dad before we complete the mate bond.” Asa cocks his head and studies me as he says it. And I realize he’s probably right to do so. If he goes home already mated to me, things would be even more awkward.
I nod. “Okay. I understand.”
But he better not make me wait long.
“And I have to tell my parents that I somehow have three mates.” I chew the side of my lip. “That’s going to be a super awkward conversation. I haven’t even told Brody and Kolton yet. They only know about Jude.”
It’s a big deal because I tell Brody and Kolton everything, and now I’m keeping something big from them. I don’t like it. It’s important to me that I keep them informed on what’s going on in my life.
“Maybe wait until I talk to your parents before you tell them,” Asa says. “I just don’t want your dad to find out from anybody else but me. He deserves the truth.”
I can absolutely give him that. I know it’s important to him.
“You do know that you have a
lot of sucking up to do for being so mean to me.” I grin as I say it. “I mean, you were cruel to me for a long time.”
Asa grabs my hand and kisses it gently. “I will do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness. I know I will never be worthy of you, but know that I will love and adore you for the rest of our existence.”
I wasn’t expecting that response.
My heart races and my head is swimming.
I don’t know what I did to deserve three amazing mates, but I feel so lucky.
So why is there still something nagging at the back of my mind? There is something missing, I just can’t figure out what it is.
3:11 am
In the way.
A little after midnight, while I’m hanging out with Jude, Brody and Kolton come to my room. They don’t even knock on the door. They just burst in. They are bad about doing that. I usually keep my door locked, but Jude just got here and it must have slipped my mind.
Jude tenses when he sees my brothers walk in. I can’t blame him. Brody and Kolton were kind of awful to him for no other reason than the fact that he’s my mate. I know they apologized to him, but I hope they can eventually become friends. My brothers are important to me, and I want my mates to like them.
“You weren’t in class.” Kolton crosses his arms over his chest and glares at me.
“I overslept.” I shrug my shoulders, like it’s not a big deal.
Jude raises an eyebrow at me. He’s probably wondering why I’m not telling Brody and Kolton what happened, but I refuse to tell my brothers. They’re over protective. If I tell them, they will always want to be around. It would be hard to hide the fact that I have three mates from them if they’re always around.
I know I will have to tell them eventually, I’m just not ready yet.
Brody shakes his head at me. “Everleigh, it’s the first week of school. You can’t just miss class whenever you want.”
“I will be there on Monday, I promise.”
“If Lover Boy wasn’t in class, I wouldn’t let you get away with this.” Kolton motions a thumb toward Jude. “But I know you weren’t hanging out with him, so I’ll let it slide. You know we have to get our politics education. And I know it’s boring, but after this is done, we can do whatever we want.”
Vampire School (Elite Academy Book 1) Page 6