15. 14

14

Serina

I woke with the kind of soreness that seeped into your bones, a reminder of the turmoil I had been through. My mouth felt as parched as a desert, and without hesitation, I snatched the glass of water sitting on the nightstand, gulping it down in one go.

The room swam slightly as I stood, my side screaming in protest. My weapons laid next to the bed. Surprise rippled through me as to why they would let me keep them.

I leaned down, grabbing a stake and clutching it close for support more than defense before shuffling out of the room.

Padding down the stairs, every step incurred a wince, but I couldn't help noticing the streams of sunlight pouring through open windows. The guys were gone, and the silence left room for a strange normalcy to settle in.

This place, this supposed Vampire lair, was disarmingly nice—clean lines, plush couches, a kitchen that smelled faintly of cinnamon. It was all so... homey, the complete opposite of the dark, gothic havens I had envisioned like you’d see in movies.

Should I leave? The thought buzzed around my mind like an annoying fly. They wouldn't expect it.

I had told Bastian I would stay until I was healed, but none of them were here to stop me. Yet a shiver ran through me at the thought of being alone again, vulnerable to whoever wanted to scare me, someone ballsy enough to leave that message on my mirror.

I wasn't keen on admitting it, even to myself, but I wasn't ready for a fight. Not yet. I needed to heal first, then I'd take off.

Lost in these thoughts, I barely registered the sound of the front door opening until laughter spilled into the living room. Bastian, Nox, and Thorne sauntered in, their camaraderie palpable as they shared private jokes, acting for all the world like any group of friends returning from a morning out rather than a trio of monsters.

The mood shifted instantly when they caught sight of me, barefoot, stake in hand, standing in the middle of their living room.

Conversations tapered off, three pairs of eyes locking onto mine, each reflecting a different emotion—amusement, concern, curiosity—but none of them fear. It was so bizarre, this moment, standing there with creatures of the night who laughed and joked like they weren't part of the darkness that had chased me for the past year. Actually, all my life.

“Easy, Serina, we won't bite... unless you ask nicely,” Nox teased, his impish grin contradicting the Vampire lore that painted him as a predator.

His voice broke the tension, and I almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Almost.

“Serina,” Bastian began, nudging Nox for his comment. His tone held a careful blend of warmth and caution. “I didn’t know you’d be up already. You look like you could use some more rest.”

I hadn’t caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, but I was sure if I looked as bad as I felt, I would probably agree with him.

Thorne followed close behind them both, a paper bag from Mickey's Diner clutched in his hand. I’d recognize that bag anywhere. The rich aroma of steak and eggs wafted from it, hitting my senses hard enough to elicit an involuntary growl from my stomach.

My cheeks warmed with a mix of embarrassment and something else; was it gratitude? They knew.

Somehow, they knew my favorite comfort food, and it was here, in the hands of a Vampire, three Vampires who thought to get it?

Was this some sick and twisted dream?

I lowered the stake slightly, unsure whether to be on guard or to give into the strange sense of safety that seemed to wrap around me like a warm blanket.

The normalcy of it all, the joviality in their voices when they walked in, the domestic scent of breakfast—it was disarming. It felt like some half-remembered dream, a life where monsters didn't ruin my life, and mornings started with laughter and good food with my dad instead of aching wounds and overflowing sorrow.

“How about we all eat first, and then we can give you a tour of the place before you get back to bed?” Thorne suggested as he moved to the dining room table and set down the bag of food. He cast me a raised brow. “Unless you’d like to eat in bed? We could do the tour later.”

“Uh, no, this is fine. I need to move around. The sooner I’m better, the sooner I’m out of here,” I said, taking my seat.

“I’ll grab your meds,” Thorne chimed as he walked toward the bathroom that I had seen Nox in last night. Nox and Bastian both took their seats.

“So, any leads?” I asked, opening the to-go plate and not waiting for their response before I dug in. It was delicious and something I hadn’t had in so long. I almost wanted to cry at the memories that shot to the forefront of my mind from this meal.

“No,” Bastian said plainly, Nox and him both digging into their own plates of food.

I could feel Bastian eyeing me, a tension settling over the room again. I knew I wasn’t ready for a hunt, but maybe we could do some research?

I had to do something to keep moving or else I’d fall into the darkness of my mind, and I refused to be swallowed by it.

I was afraid that if I did, I’d never come back out.

“I’ll message Sam to see if she’s heard anything. Maybe tonight we could—”

Bastian cut me off, “Did you not hear me, Serina? I said you are not leaving this place until you are healed. You can’t keep going at this rate; you’ll be dead before the end of the year. If you want us to help you, we will. But we will do it right. Not hunting and killing everything that moves hoping to find answers.”

I bristled at his words. “It got me this far.”

“Yeah, it brought you to death’s door,” Bastian spat.

“You know, being a hardass doesn’t earn you any brownie points,” Nox said over a mouthful of food.

I shot him a glare.

“One more day and there wouldn’t have been a death to avenge, Serina. You would have joined him,” Bastian finished, and I couldn’t argue.

If I had waited any longer, I probably wouldn’t have made it. But would that have been so bad? In whatever afterlife I would have—hell, heaven, somewhere in between, would he have been there?

I shook the thought from my mind.

“Fine,” I snapped, shoving the last of my eggs into my mouth. The truth was, I was too tired to argue.

I’d play along until I was strong enough to leave. Two weeks. I just had to get through two weeks of this, and then I could stay somewhere else. Just because I had agreed to work with them didn’t mean I had to stay here.

“I think I’ll take that tour now.” I glanced toward the house, realizing again just how much sunlight was streaming in.

My brows furrowed. How the hell were they not burn to ash? Every encounter I had with them was before the sun had fully risen, but now? It was mid-morning, and sunlight was streaming through the windows. Nox had rays hitting him directly. I had been so distracted by the normalcy of it all that I hadn’t thought to ask.

“First, would you like to tell me how you’re able to go out in the sun?” I asked, looking between the two of them.

Bastian lifted a hand with a ring on his right ring finger, and Nox did the same. “Magic. These daylight rings have been bound by magic from a Witch. They allow us to move freely throughout the day. They’re rare, and not many Vampires have them, but it’s good for you to know. Now you can be on the lookout.”

I knew Witches existed, as one of my best friends was one, but they normally stayed close to their covens. I wondered what would make one of them help Vampires. And what would make them create something that would give monsters even more of an advantage?

Thorne came back to the table with meds and his own plate of food, distracting my thoughts. I noted the ring also on his finger as he handed me the painkillers. I took them down quickly and stood.

“I’d like to go back to bed now,” I said, turning away from the table. Eating had only served to make me more tired.

Nox stood abruptly. “I’ll walk you. Can’t forget about the tour,” he added as he took the lead, nonchalantly showing the kitchen, living room, and office, before pointing to the bathroom on the ground level of the house. “I believe you’re already acquainted with this bathroom,” he said with a grin, and heat rushed my cheeks.

Had he known I was watching? He winked, and it was answer enough. He moved up the stairs, showing me where all their rooms were before he led me back to Bastian’s room—my room.

He opened the door for me, and I walked past him, my wooden stake within my reach, just in case. I turned to face him.

“Get some rest, Serina,” Nox said before closing the door behind him.

Knock, knock, knock.

The light taps on the door woke me up before Bastian entered the room.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, sauntering over to the bed.

“Yeah? Why?” I replied, sitting up slowly through the ache.

“Because you’ve been asleep all day. It’s dinner time, and it’s pizza-popcorn night, so if you’d like to join us, we could go downstairs. Thorne and Nox have started their pizzas already, and—”

“What did you just say to me?” I raised an eyebrow.

“It’s dinner time?” His eyes widened as if I didn’t know what dinner time meant.

“No, after that.” I squinted at him, trying to process his words.

Did I mishear him? Was I dreaming? Did he just tell me three Vampires, over a hundred years old, were having a slumber party?

“Pizza-popcorn night?” he questioned, the corners of his lips twitching into a mischievous smile, looking at me as if I was the weird one for inquiring about what that was.

“Yeah, what the hell is pizza-popcorn night?” I asked again, unable to stop my blink of disbelief.

“It’s when we all make our own pizza, eat it for dinner, and then pick a movie and eat popcorn? Quite simple, really. It’s everything the name suggests it is,” he explained with an air of nonchalance, as if such a thing was an everyday occurrence for monsters.

I couldn't suppress a laugh, picturing the scene in my mind. I couldn’t see Bastian making a pizza with his more serious demeanor but tonight, now that I was paying attention, he was wearing gray sweatpants and a tank that fit him just as well as his suit did. Fuck.

Three Vampires, gracefully assembling their pizzas, discussing toppings with the seriousness of connoisseurs. A slumber party that defied the laws of nature honestly sounded like a fun time compared to my life as of late, so I decided I’d give in a little.

“Okay, I guess count me in. Do I get to make my own pizza?” I asked, and he smiled at me. So bright and full, it thawed my heart of ice ever so slightly.

“It wouldn’t be a pizza-popcorn party if you didn’t get to make your own pizza. We went and bought all of the stuff while you were asleep. Come on,” he said, offering me his hand to help me stand.

And for the first time in my life, instead of grabbing for my weapon first, I grabbed the hand of a monster—or what I had once believed was one.