5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Leander

“How was the class?” Montgomery asks, dipping his graying head as I enter the black SUV.

I fasten my seatbelt and gaze out the passenger’s window at the students meandering about the campus entrance.

“I suppose demonstrating my skills, as you suggested, was a good call. I think I’ve already gained the respect of most of the students.”

My butler hums, merging with the traffic. “Establishing your authority from the start is always the best approach.”

Chuckling, I shake my head. A certain example comes to mind, one that involves a specific dark-haired and bright-eyed hockey jock that I seem unable to forget.

It is unusual for me. Sex is something I indulge in without lasting impressions, though I suppose that spending the last few months shadowing my aunt instead of catering to such basic needs left its imprint on me.

Montgomery is not wrong about authority though. He’s a wise man, his age and time on Earth almost equating those of my aunt.

Nearly 500 years.

I glance at the old man. You wouldn’t give him more than fifty. He was turned when he was seventy-five, but the gift of vampirism has many perks. Not everyone enjoys them all, but lucky few do, and Montgomery is one of them.

With his neatly trimmed beard, green-blue eyes and gray hair, he’s the epitome of a silverfox, turning heads whenever he has to accompany me in public. But I’ve never seen him accept an invitation and I have a suspicion it might have something to do with his very unusual dynamic with my aunt.

Not that it’s any of my business.

We arrive at my mansion thirty minutes later. The gravel crunches under the vehicle’s weight as Montgomery pulls up in front of the massive building. I don’t let him get the door for me; I fail to see the need for such antics. As expected, it brings a slight frown to his chiseled face, but he knows better than to argue with me and simply graces me with a deep sigh.

“I see you are giving Montgomery a hard time again, Leander,” my aunt chirps from the top of the stairs, leaning her willowy frame against the marble column with the wisteria.

I smile, pausing by the fountain at the base of the stairs. I dip my hand in the water and stroke the head of the crow perched on the edge of the second tier. “I am capable of opening my own doors, Auntie. And besides, I’m not some celebrity.”

“I am pretty sure that being on the American Council of Elders qualifies you as one. Our counterpart in Europe would certainly agree.”

“Yes. But I am not a snob like them,” I quip with a smile.

My aunt pushes off the column and waves me inside. “C’mon, invite me in. I’ve got something I’d like to discuss with you and I’d rather we did it away from this blasted heat.”

I don’t mind it as much as some other vampires do. I love the feel of the sun on my skin, the warmth. Unlike popular beliefs in fiction and media, sunlight doesn’t harm us. It can be uncomfortable due to the lower temperatures our bodies maintain, but it’s not lethal.

I lead my aunt inside. We sit in the massive lounge and Montgomery brings us two glasses of rose lemonade with ice.

“So, what is it that you want to talk about?” I prompt, taking a sip. There is a hint of jasmine in the drink and that immediately reminds me of Hayden.

He was as delectable today as last night. Conflicted between wanting me and wishing he didn’t. I understand the struggle—I don’t tend to do repeats either. But I also don’t usually have such amazing chemistry with someone. It’s all I’ve been thinking about, along with the way his presence invaded all my senses as soon as I spotted him in the club. So I just had to have him, the urge was too strong to resist. My dry spell might have something to do with it, but I doubt it’s a big part. The two of us are simply compatible, his body molding so well to mine. The noises it makes, the way it tastes, the enchanting smells of flowers and musk that it exudes.

I cross my legs discreetly, not needing an awkward conversation with my aunt about my recent conquest. She’s been bugging me to settle down as is, and I’d rather not get into that when my day has gone so pleasantly this far.

“A few of the European clans have new additions to their ranks. I’m throwing a ball in three weeks, and I’d like for you to pick a suitor.”

I pinch my nose, irritation budding in my chest. Of course the topic I’d like to avoid at all costs is what she wants to discuss. Not Council business or how I am doing now that I have officially succeeded in her position. No, Aunt Andrea is here to talk about my nonexistent love life.

“Auntie, we’ve been over this. I’m not interested in a marriage.”

“No, I know. And we don’t have to rush things!” She smiles fondly, grasping my hand. “I’m just worried. Being alone is not healthy, especially for our kind. Loneliness and depression… you’ve seen what they can do even to a strong mind.”

I’ve seen the latest reports, yes. The number of suicides by garlic has been steadily growing. It’s one of the quickest ways for a vampire to go when consumed in high enough amounts. Nine out of ten times, the reason for suicides of this type is as my aunt suggests—loneliness and the inability to find a partner who’s willing to be part of our world.

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.