The Vampire's Second Chance novel Chapter 12

Sebastian

"And there is also this donkey," Suron began laughing, shaking his head.

I paid him no attention. My mind was elsewhere. The urge to follow Christine back to her home and watch what bedroom she went into by the windows was so damn strong. I had to ensure she was alright, especially since she went into the house with many racist bastards.

She was here, though. She was here in this coven. I found her the same day I arrived. What were the odds of that? I grinned slightly, looking over my shoulder. Gods, wouldn't it be great if she popped right back out of the house and walked down the cafeteria? She has to eat sometime.

The phone buzzed in my pocket. Rowan had gifted me this contraption, and I spent most of my time in my room trying to work it. It was 'the latest craze,' the humans had created. Having seen a few from when I was on the road, I had questions about how they gazed into the window, falling into a mindless trance watching cat videos.

It vibrated again. Pulling it out of my pants, a phone number appeared, and I slid across the green phone button and answered.

Who the hell was wanting to talk to me?

"Hello, it's Christine." The voice sounded feminine but not of my mate. My mouth opened to reply, only to hear Suron giggling beside me.

"Dude, you got it bad," he snorted. "You should have seen your face." I growled, sliding the red phone across the screen. I wanted to choke him, but I just got here, and I wasn't too sure about the rules of choking a vampire and leaving them in the dirt to revive themselves. "Aw, come on, man, lighten up," he shoved me. Shaking my head, I pushed the door into the cafeteria.

"Gods, you both have the same boring sense of humor. You're perfect for each other! Hey Darrin, throw me a bag, will you?" Suron raised his hand to catch a flying bag of blood. The bag had a straw attatched, and he stuck it inside the silver-like opening.

Suron led me to a table in the corner. Vampires did their routine assessment, seeing who I was since I was new. Committing the new smell to memory. The couples that sat together only kept their eyes on each other. I longed for that. For so long, I never thought I would find someone, and here I was amongst the coven with the most mixed-mated pairs.

"Alright, lover boy," Suron finished his bag. "You may be pining and longing for Christine, but she has been through some stuff," he pointed at me. "Now, I'm her keeper—" I hissed, grabbing his neck from across the table. His eyes widened, hands gripping my wrist that was held in a steady hold.

"Want to repeat that?" Suron shook his head, but my grip didn't falter. "I-I—" Suron tried to speak, but Adaline stepped up to the table. Her dress swayed as she stopped examining at both of us.

"Suron was asked to look over Christine," her voice grew soft. "Oh," her eyes widened. "Your heart is beating." Her hands clasped together, then tickled her lips. "Christine is your beloved?"

I didn't want the whole coven to know yet, it would be regrettable if everyone knew about my beloved, but with Adaline being the Elder's, it might be wise. Clearing my through, I let go of Suron.

Violence was not my style, not in the slightest, but I swear if anyone touched what was gifted to me, I was going to fucking kill someone. Christine was not in my line of site. The demon inside me was stirring, antsy, and unsteady. The bond had worked quickly, and my anxiousness would not bode well if she continues to push me away.

"She is," I muttered. The room that had grown silent turned their heads back to their meals. "And," I ground out. "If anyone tells her before I do, there will be consequences," my throat held a growl of warning. Adaline visibly swallowed as Rowan approached.

"You heard him," Rowan snapped. "Nothing leaves this room, and if word gets back, you will be banned from the premises." . The clock was ticking. My time was too short to try to have her come to me. Playing my cards well, finding out as much as I could about her before I begin to push the bond would be wise.

"I'll use compulsion on the humans in the room," Rowan adjusted his tie. "If word gets out, it is from our own kind." My heart slowed. The irratic beating in my chest when I became excited and angry was so new to my chest that it had me feel flighty.

"Sebastian is Christine's new keeper," Rowan looked to Suron. Sheepishly he nodded as they both strode away. "And, congratulations," Rowan winked.

Rubbing my hand down my face, I murmured, "sorry. Don't know what came over me."

I knew exactly what came over me, just didn't want to admit it. I was damn scared out of my mind of losing my second chance, my second chance at everything. Suron's eyes softened, and his hand reached out to touch my arm.

"I'm not a touchy person," I muttered. He scoffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, Christine is the same. Two peas in a pod, you both are." A child ran in the cafeteria. His face lightened as he saw Suron. Running, he jumped into his lap, making Suron give a gasp of surprise.

"It's my favorite human!" Suron pointed to the boy. "This is Allen. Say hello, Allen." Allen squinted his eyes, assessing me, then shyly waved and put his head in Suron's chest.

Hmm, alright then.

"Allen has had a rough living here, but he is doing great." He was so good with kids because he was one. "Just like you will be." The hint in Suron's tone had me rolling my eyes.

"Allen is autistic. He doesn't talk much, but when he does, he lights up like a Christmas tree, right?" Allen nodded, mumbling something in his ear.

"I'm not going to stalk her. I'm just going to check up on her, make she is alright." Suron hummed, pinching his nose.

Yeah, I'm stalking.

"You got my number," he sighed. Turning, I didn't look back. I didn't have time to deal with him. I was older, watched so many mates come together in my time and needed her. We needed our hearts to beat in sync with one another.

Patience. I don't have any. I've waited too long.

The sun had set, the much smaller moon of Earth rising above the tree line. Lamp posts came to life while I walked on the path to her home.

The lights were off in the house, but the television flickers of light radiated through the window. Looking inside, I see the other humans watching a movie, and eating. Christine sat on the stool in the kitchen, eating something from a flat box. My eyes narrowed, watching a taller human male come up behind her with a beer bottle in his hand. Gripping the window pane with my hands, I watched as he put his arm around her shoulder while she threw her head back and laughed.

The pane cracked, causing splinters to rise through the window. The television was too loud for them to notice me staring inside and the fury building in my gut. This human was touching something that wasn't his, and all I could imagine was watching his beating heart ripped from his chest as I stomped on it until it squashed beneath my toes.

He pulled away when she stood. Shaking her head, she smiled, thanking him for the food. Her body turned, straight toward the window. Ducking away in time, I watched like the stalker I had become. She climbed the stairs. Her back now to me, my heart hitting the drumbs in my ears how loudly it sounded.

Can she feel it?

I needed her to turn around and so I could know that she felt this same bond that so powerfully affected me. That was my biggest problem, I didn't know how much she could feel. Was her heart hardened so much being whisked away here by her mother and stepfather that she wouldn't give me the time of day? Or would she fall? Fall for the pull? Let it carry her to new heights as we get lost in each other. Either way, I knew I had a mission. She wasn't going to get away that easily from me because she was deemed mine by the goddess.

I'll watch her, protect her from the shadows by night. By day I will find ways to be in her life. I'll have her fall in love with me.

My body shifted, making sure I stayed out of sight. My heart leaped from my chest once more as I saw her stop halfway up the stairs.

Look, just look. Give me hope.

And look she did, right to the window where I sat hidden in the shadows.