Too bad I have no idea what I want.
I shrug. “Politics isn’t so bad.”
Brody snorts, like he can’t believe I said that. “Just wait until Friday.”
I groan.
Friday I have my Science of Born vs. Bitten class. It goes all into so-called ‘science’ about what makes born vampires different from bitten vampires. It’s all a bunch of crap, but they teach that it’s actually science that born vampires are better than bitten vampires. I think it’s absolutely revolting.
“I might oversleep every single Friday.” It’s a good idea, really.
“Nice try, but it’s a mandatory class, even for those who aren’t majoring in politics.” Kolton wrinkles his nose is disgust.
I know my brothers feel the same way as I do. My own mom is a bitten vampire. And if you want to get technical, my dad isn’t a born vampire either. He also wasn’t bitten though. He is part of the first family, which makes him superior in the eyes of the Elite. I don’t understand their point of view, and even though I am literally majoring in their point of view, I probably still won’t understand it once I have my degree.
“I guess they want to spread their agenda to as many people as they can.” Brody crosses his arms over his chest.
“What class do you have Friday?” Jude raises an eyebrow.
I feel anxious to answer his question. What if he doesn’t feel the same about born versus bitten vampires as I do? What if he is an elitist? That would make things very awkward in our relationship. But I also know that fate doesn’t make mistakes. I just have to trust that he isn’t an elitist.
“Science of Born vs. Bitten.” I play with the ends of my hair as I tell him. It’s just something I do when I’m anxious sometimes. It helps ease my anxiety.
Jude nods. “My mom was born, but my dad was bitten. They both seem the same to me. I don’t get why they try and separate us all.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness that Jude feels the same.
“I was worried you would feel differently.” I grin. “I should’ve known better.”
“Oh. I just figured you were an elitist, being that you’re royal. Didn’t your uncle invent the term elitist?” Jude asks.
Fair question.
However, my uncle’s views are not my own.
“Our dad thinks differently.” Kolton takes a seat on my couch, getting comfortable. I’m glad he’s sticking around to talk to my mate and getting to know him a little bit.
“Our mom is bitten too,” I tell him. “She technically has elite status because she was bitten by my dad. Anybody bitten by a member of the royal family is considered elite. But we were raised to think everybody is equal. It doesn’t matter if they’re born or bitten. It doesn’t even matter if they’re a vampire. Humans, vampires, shifters, and all other paranormal creatures are all equal.”
Jude’s entire posture relaxes. “Good. I was so worried to talk about certain things in front of you. I thought if you knew I didn’t buy into the elitist mentality that you wouldn’t want to be with me.”
I had no idea he was feeling like that. The fact that he was makes me feel like I’m a bad mate. Shouldn’t I have known? Shouldn’t I have felt something through our mate bond?
I hear a shift behind me, so I turn around and see Kolton and Brody stand up from the couch.
“We’re going to head back to our room. Talk to you later, little sis.” Kolton waves as he and Brody walk out my door.
I turn to Jude. “I’m sorry that you felt that way. I feel bad for not knowing.”
He shrugs. “How could you know if I never expressed how I felt?”
“You always know how I feel through our mate bond.” I bite the corner of my lip. “I feel like I’m a bad mate or something.”
“It’s always stronger for the guy.” He grabs onto my hand. “Once we complete our mate bond, then you’ll be able to recognize how I am feeling more.”
That is true. While a girl will have a little intuition, the guy just knows from the beginning. It’s actually not something that we know why it’s that way. It just is, and it has always been. Even if the girl is a vampire and the male is a human, the human male will feel compelled to touch his mate. It’s overwhelming from what I understand.
“We should probably complete our mate bond soon,” I say.
He grins. “I want to. But I also want to make sure your back is fully healed before we take that next step.”
Right.
I almost forgot about my back.
I mean, it’s almost healed. It would be healed already if it wasn’t such a severe wound. Since it was so close to my heart, it’ll take a little longer to fully heal.
He’s right. We should wait.
It just seems like there is something always in the way.
Thursday, September 10
1:57 am
Not the right time.
There is something about the way Henry looks at me in Defense class that makes me feel weak in the knees. Then there is the smirk he gives me when he catches me staring at him, but how can I not stare?
Henry is a good looking man. Something about his warm green eyes and sandy blond hair makes me want to gaze at him all the time. Never mind the fact that I can literally count the abs through his tight t-shirt. I swear he wore that shirt just to torture me. The other girls in class can’t take their eyes off him either, which makes me feel a little possessive. The only thing keeping me from doing something about the other girls is the fact that I know Henry is mine. They don’t have a shot with him. So let them look at what will never be theirs.
I think Henry also picks defensive maneuvers that ensures he gets to put his hands all over me in the most intimate ways possible. It’s torture to have him touch me like this and not be able to do anything about it because of my fellow classmates. Honestly, I’m about to say screw it and drag him out of this room. He has an office, right?
I can’t help but think how taboo humans would think my relationship with Henry is. I’ve seen their TV shows before. They put so much emphasis on age, which I think is just dumb. Having an older mate seems like a good thing to me. Both Henry and Asa have more experience with life, and they can help me not make the same mistakes they did.
Henry’s hands are on my hips and he pulls me into him. I feel a hard body part poke at my butt, so I look behind me, raising an eyebrow. He just grins and shrugs his shoulders.
I like that I affect him like this, but now is definitely not the time. Even if my body strongly disagrees with that.
“That’s enough for today,” Henry tells the class, but he keeps me in front of him.
He’s probably using me as a shield for his massive boner.
Henry turns me, and he nudges me toward the door. He guides me down the hall and into an office. All I can think is that I hope my fantasies are about to come true.
“You’re so distracting during class.” He runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I swear I stutter over my words every time I look at you.”
My eyes widen. “I’m distracting? How about you’re distracting? I could actually count all eight of your abs through your shirt. And let me tell you, I probably counted them about fifty times. And your smile… I think it melted my panties off.”
My face grows warm as I realize what I just said.
Melted my panties off?
Subtle, Everleigh. Next time just shove your tits in his face and tell him you want to have sex.
“I like when you blush.” Henry rubs his thumb along my cheek, grinning. “Are you a virgin, Everleigh?”
I nod.
I wasn’t exactly planning on waiting for my mate or anything like that, I just have never wanted to have sex yet. I’m only eighteen. High school didn’t seem like an appropriate time to lose my virginity. I didn’t want my first time to be in the backseat of a car. I want it to be somewhere special.
“I like that your mates are the only ones you’ll ever be with.”
>
I jut my neck up, looking him in the eyes. “Henry, are you a virgin?”
He throws his head back and laughs hard. “Everleigh, I’m ninety years old.”
I shrug. “It’s only fair to ask you the same question you asked me.”
He runs his hands down my arms. “No, Everleigh. I am not a virgin. I’ve also never had a girlfriend.”
I’m glad he hasn’t had a girlfriend.
While it’s not uncommon for vampires to date somebody while they wait for their mate, most vampires don’t enter relationships with anybody. Instead, they opt to save their love and commitment for their mate. They still have physical relationships, just not emotional ones.
“There were never any guys in your high school that you fancied?” Henry asks.
I shake my head. “Gross, no. Brody and Kolton were friends with most of the guys, so I knew exactly how they treated other girls. Plus, I watched a lot of them go through puberty. It wasn’t a pretty sight.”
His shoulder seem to relax a bit.
“Don’t tell me you were jealous of guys that didn’t exist.”
He smirks. “Maybe a little.”
“You share your mate with two other guys and you’re not jealous of them, but you are jealous of hypothetical guys in my past?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Why would I be jealous of Asa and Jude?” He rubs his hand along the base of his neck and his lips are pursed, like he’s genuinely baffled by the fact that I would think he should be jealous of Asa and Jude.
It really must be a fate thing. Even Jude isn’t jealous in the slightest.
I wonder, if our roles were reversed, would I be jealous? I feel like I would be.
“I’m glad I don’t have to share you.” I bite my lip as I admit it. I know it sounds bad, but I really don’t want to share any of my mates with somebody else. They’re mine.
Henry pulls me into his arms. “You’ll always have all of my attention for the rest of our existence. Don’t doubt that. You’re the only girl who holds my affections.”
My heart flutters with excitement at his words.
He leans his head down and meets my lips. Softly at first, but then he stops holding back. He kisses me passionately, showing me just how much he loves me through the way his lips devour mine. My hands find their way to his head and I run them through his hair. He moans against my lips. So I do it again.
We walk backwards as he kisses me, and I feel my back hit the wall. He presses into me, and I feel his erection press into my stomach. It’s empowering to know that I am the one who has done this to him. I, Everleigh Ingram, have turned him on.
He pulls away from my lips slightly. “Everleigh, as much as I adore you, we have to stop now.”
I frown. “Why?”
He pokes a finger at my bottom lip. “Don’t pout. Now is just not the right time. I can’t explain it, but I feel like we’re supposed to wait a little bit longer.”
I want to deny his words, but I feel it too. There is something missing. And until I figure out what it is, I can’t complete my mate bond with any of my mates.
“I should go back to my dorm then.” Because if I stay here, there is no way something won’t be happening between Henry and me. “I have some homework to catch up on from yesterday.”
He releases his hold on me and I step away from the wall.
I’m sad that our make out session is over.
Henry smacks my butt. “Go study. I’ll see you soon.”
3:07 am
I want the world to know.
I really don’t have that much homework, so I finish it up pretty quick. Calling Jude to hang out crosses my mind, but I realize I haven’t talked to my parents since they dropped my brothers and I off on Saturday. I’m sure they would appreciate a call from me.
I dial my dad’s number, knowing my mom is always forgetting to charge her phone.
“Hey, Everleigh.” My dad answers the phone on the first ring, meaning he’s probably really excited to be hearing from me. Guilt filters through me because I haven’t called them yet.
“Hey, Dad. Hey, Mom,” I say, knowing that he has me on speaker phone.
“How is school?” Mom asks. “Have you made any friends? Any cute boys? Are your brothers being nice to you? Do you have good teachers?”
I laugh at the amount of questions. “I’m fine, Mom. School is good. I’ve made a lot of friends. Kolton and Brody are being nice. They were a little too protective at first, but they’re giving me my space now. And my teachers are good so far.”
I am so not telling them about my mates. Not yet anyway.
Asa wants to talk to my parents about us. I don’t envy him for that. How do you tell your best friend that you’re in love with his daughter? That is going to be a very awkward conversation. I just hope my dad doesn’t punch him.
Nah… my dad isn’t violent at all. In fact, he’s pretty open. I think once he gets over the initial shock, he’ll be completely onboard with it. He already knows that Asa is a good guy and he will treat me well. What more could a father want for his daughter?
“What about the boys?” Dad asks. “I notice you conveniently didn’t answer that question.”
“What do you want me to say? There are a few cute boys, but I’m focusing on school right now.” Partly true. I’m just leaving out the part where I found my mates.
“Good. You should focus on school,” Dad says.
“Don’t listen to him, honey. If you fancy a boy, you should go for it,” Mom chimes in.
I laugh. My parents really are the best. I know they would support me no matter what—if I hadn’t met my mates, and if I told them I had a boyfriend, they would be proud of me. They’ve always told Kolton, Brody, and me that they want us to be happy above all else.
“I am happy right now.” I chew on my lip, wishing I could tell them about my mates. But I also promised Asa, so I won’t yet.
“You can call us more, you know that, right?” Dad asks. I can hear the scold in his tone.
“Yes, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t call before now. I’ve just been busy.”
“You’re never too old for your parents. Remember that,” he says.
I lie back on my bed. “I know. And I love you both.”
“We love you too,” Mom says softly.
“We’ll let you get back to your studies,” Dad says. “But call us again soon, okay?”
“I promise.”
The call comes to an end, so I toss my phone onto the bed beside me.
Things have been crazy since I got here. I feel like I’ve hardly even had time to breathe. But meeting my mates is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I just hope Asa tells my dad soon so I can share this with my family.
I’m actually surprised that Brody and Kolton haven’t told our parents about Jude yet. But then again, maybe they understand that Jude and I need some time to ourselves before our parents find out. Once Mom and Dad know, it’s going to be chaotic. Mom will want them to come to dinner. Knowing her, she’ll want me to have a human wedding, which really isn’t necessary. When we complete our mate bonds, there is no breaking it. Humans have divorce. Vampires don’t.
I like the idea of being tied to my mates forever.
I’m ready to complete the mate bond.
I want the world to know that they are mine.
Friday, September 11
2:39 am
Science of Born vs. Bitten
I am fuming as I sit in my Science of Born vs. Bitten class.
The teacher is absolutely one of the worst beings on the planet. He’s the kind of extreme elitist that wants to eradicate all bitten vampires. I know that not all elitists feel this way, but there are a few, and unfortunately, this teacher is one of the extreme ones. While I am disgusted, a few people in the class actually agree with him. It’s astounding how ignorant some people are.
I want to make a difference. I know that. I always have. I want to stand up for the bitten vampire. But I know that right n
ow, in this class, is not the right time. Someday the right time will arrive. Until then, I just have to listen to hatred and ignorance at its finest.
It’s just one semester.
When I look around the classroom, I see a few people look a bit pale when the teacher talks about how we should eradicate bitten vampires. It’s clear that the majority of the class disagrees with him, and that is comforting.
The teacher looks right at me when he talks about ‘disgraceful’ elite families that think born and bitten vampires are equal.
My family has not been quiet about our point of view. My dad often has conversations with his brother, the king, about the very subject.
I raise my hand. “Excuse me, Sir. I thought this was a science class, not a class of us listening to your opinion.”
The teacher glares at me.
Glares.
But he does stop talking about murdering innocent people after that.
There are a few perks to being royal. Even though I don’t truly consider myself part of the royal family, I am glad that everybody else sees me as royal right now.
My teacher would probably kick out any other student who disrespected him the way that I did. It’s likely he would ban them from his class. But he can’t do a thing about me. Sure, he might try to complain to the school about me, but the school won’t do anything.
Though my views do not align with my uncle’s, he still likes me. I actually think he likes me more than his own children. And we are family. Uncle takes family bonds very seriously.
The teacher hands out blood samples—one sample from a born vampire, and one sample from a bitten vampire. We examine the blood under a microscope. I will admit, science is not my best or favorite subject, but I see no difference at all in the samples. Even after the teacher explains the differences, I just don’t see them. Over half the class says they can’t see. And I wonder… does being that prejudice make you see things that really aren’t there?
Vampire School (Elite Academy Book 1) Page 7
