by Rachel Lenna
decision for him. Loyal, courageous and totally the right character to become a great vampire meant I told Zeke to turn him while I saved the sick twisted guy to be his first meal.
As full, fully fed vampires we can be quite calm and civil around humans, even mingling with them like Sam, Tyson and I are now at Cookie College – this was Sam’s idea to loosen us up a bit and have some fun after the last six years – the lady and daughter Sam saved as a human were forever grateful that even though they though he was dead they became great advocates for the rights of women. Never once wavering on their beliefs and always seeing Sam as a hero. All because of that one moment where he chose to save them and so I chose to save him.
Sam was shot in the back while he fought the guy and knew he was dying. Zeke didn’t hesitate back then, we trusted each other. He knew if I said something there was a reason for it. He bit Sam and now, over three hundred and something years later here we are.
“Not with this girl.” The girl shakes her head, her scent snapping me out of my thoughts. She looks as if she is trying to convince herself too. She is oblivious to my thoughts, sometimes I forget humans are so slow. “Nuh uh no way.” She has no clue I have been day dreaming. Vampire thoughts move a lot faster than humans can even dream of. For her it has only been a second but me it has been hundreds of years’ worth of memories rolling through my mind like a movie. I shake off the cloudy fog and concentrate on her, ignoring her scent.
“Me thinks thou protest too much.” I say grinning at her.
Her jaw drops open and I have to use all myself control not to laugh at her shocked expression. She clearly wasn’t expecting me to call her on her lie. Her aura is embarrassed now and she's gone bright red. “You’re adorable!” I can’t help but touch her.
I gently move a lock of hair away from her face. And take a breath in as a sharp sizzle spreads over me. Her eyes grow wide with shock as her scent smacks me in the face hard again. A mixture of wild flowers and vanilla making my mouth water and the inner beast in me spark to life. I have neglected him to long. I need to go.
“I need to go. I have to get away from you.” I say a little too harshly, instantly regretting it as her face falls flat. I yank my hand back and move away. I feel the battle between beast and saint roaring through me. “I need to go.” I repeat but stand there staring at her helplessly. I try to see into her future, see if there is anywhere I can repair the first impression but realise with a start that I can only see up until the dance at the College tomorrow night.
Not good! Knowing that when I can only see to a certain point and absolutely nothing will move forward beyond that last moment something major is going to happen to the person and they have no control over it at all. All their paths are taking them to that point. No! I just met her. She makes me feel alive. I will protect her.
The light and joy in her face is instantly gone, in its place is a woman who is not happy. “Typical.” She mutters as she walks off without another word to me. “I always pick the crazies.”
I look at her retreating back silently agreeing with her. I am crazy – crazy that stupid me didn’t realise I had just met my Eternal Mate.
Wait seriously? I have just met my Eternal Mate? Oh. My. God! It didn’t even occur to me until the thought of losing her after only just meeting her has me going all territorial on her innocent ass.
They say when you meet your eternal mate and make eye contact that’s it, you’re a goner. Just that one look or whatever they become your priority. So this is what it feels like? I like it! I frown as all these feelings and emotions come filtering through me. I allow myself to feel the warm buzz until I jolt with a start, realising that she must be in some kind of danger since I can’t see beyond the party tomorrow night.
“The danger must be at the party.” I mumble to myself, still standing in the middle of the field. “I will have to go to protect her.” She doesn’t need to know that I will keep an eye on her from now until then either, after all its only two days… what could possibly happen in two days?
Savannah
“Why do all the hot ones always have to be so stupid or crazy?” I complain to my best friend in the whole wide world, Sophie Timmons as I throw my books down on the desk in the small auditorium and plonk myself roughly into the seat next to her.
The Cookie College of Technological Studies is, even though the name sounds like something you eat instead of study at, the highest quality, highly advanced technology educational facility this far north of the country.
The teachers are absolute experts of their fields and highly sort after, often being offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to move away from here. But they don’t. They all choose to stay here. Giving us a wealth of knowledge and the college as a whole one of the best academic scoring records in the world.
That means that people from anywhere and everywhere want to study here and Mount Cookie, the city, in the last twenty odd years has become a booming economy. Once a quaint little town of five thousand with a beautiful Mountain that looks like a chocolate chip cookie is resting on it, has now become a small city of about twenty five thousand.
Families moving here for the school and somewhat country bumpkin lifestyle have brought other family members who then brought even more family members. People from overseas have shipped entire businesses here just so their children can go to the school. A place they can bring them up in relative safety without worrying about what’s around the next corner.
For myself I was given a scholarship here. I lost my family in a car accident when I was fourteen and have been in foster care ever since with a lovely lady named Nancy. She has cared for me very well, I was lucky to get her. When I turned eighteen the college took over my care with the scholarship. Nancy and I talk sometimes but she has her hands full with new kids and is so busy.
“Because then life would be too easy.” Sophie replies automatically, shaking me out of my thoughts. We have this conversation every time a hot guy starts taking to me and then does something royally stupid. Like flirt with me and then run the other way faster than the speed of sound. Or turn out to be an alcoholic or something. I seem to attract the funky ones without even trying.
Yes okay I approached this one but how could I not? He’s hot, new and talking to himself. That’s a sign he’s human and not perfect. Six foot something of solid chunky muscle with bright green eyes and hair the same dark as night colour mine is. He has Ryan Goslings body on a young Brad Pitt’s head. I giggle to myself. Yum yum!
“Ahh-hmm!” I return non-committedly when Sophie raises an eyebrow at me. She gives me the I-been-busted-day-dreaming-about Hot-Boy-and-the-washboard-abs-look. The guy is stunning so I can’t help it – and I wouldn’t be the only one either.
I know this much though, since I haven’t seen him around and I have been at Cookie College for two years now he’s really new. This is the start of my third. So that means he is either a real newbie or has transferred from another college making him a prime target for all the girls. I know he won’t go for someone like me, no one rarely does, but a girl can dream. “But that just sucks. Life should be easy.” I mumble.
“True.” Sophie agrees pulling out her lip gloss and pocket mirror, before puckering up. “But we are twenty something’s – early twenty something’s might I add. We shouldn’t be settling down, we should be having fun. That’s an easy life. Not your monogamous wait for Mr Prince Charming mumbo jumbo.”
I roll my eyes at her. Her version of fun and my version of fun are two very different things. She flirts with boys easily, has killer looks with her bright blonde hair, big boobs and tiny body. Then there’s me. Taller than most boys with hair as black as night, curves and deep tanned skin that requires no sun to keep it that way. “Boys fall at your feet.” I remind her. “You can say that and get away with it.”
“Boys would fall at your feet too honey.” Sophie smacks her lips together, checks herself out again while fluffing up her hair and then puts the mirror away. “You just gotta sto
p rejecting them all.”
“But I…” I start but Sophie cuts me off.
“Savannah Mills I love you.” She says holding up a finger to stop me talking. “But you’re a prude. You just need to loosen up a bit and you will see they aren’t that scary. Then they will see you’re not that scary back.”
“I’m not a pru… Oh my god there he is!” I gasp and grab her arm. I watch as Hot Boy enters the room. The noise level goes up an octave as all the other females notice him too. There is almost an excited buzz in the air. The whispers are all asking each other who he is and if he’s single.
I really do stand no chance with him. I concede realising my attempt at ‘getting a life’ Sophie’s way is nothing but a humiliation moment waiting to happen that I wouldn’t be able to live down any time soon if it were to happen. I was right to storm off on him. Saving face that way is better than having egg on it. The guy probably thinks I’m a silly little nerd who is way out of her depth.
He would be right.
I watch quietly out of the corner of my eye as a swarm of women surround him simultaneously. He shake’s them all off him gently but firmly in seconds before choosing to walk by himself to a seat near the back row. He plonks himself in between two guys who both look