Chapter 3

HAVEN

Grace looked completely taken aback to see me. I could guess why; she hadn’t laid eyes on me since she was four.

I’d kept my promise, always there when she needed me, but I never let her see me. The only exception was in her dreams, and she was getting a little too used to that, my sweet angel.

I couldn’t keep my distance any longer. I needed to claim her as mine before anyone else got the idea they could lay a hand on what was rightfully mine.

“I’m sorry,” she stammered. “You look like... Anyway, what can I get you?”

What? Now it was my turn to be surprised. She didn’t recognize me? She’d seen me just this morning. How could she treat me like I was just another customer? That got under my skin.

“You can call me Haven.” I said, my brow furrowing.

She jumped, her eyes going wide again. I could feel her whole body react, her scent filling the room. It would be hard to keep my control if she kept doing that. Shit.

“But...I don’t understand,” she said, looking lost.

Did she think I wasn’t real? Had I messed up the whole situation?

“When do you finish your shift?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. I didn’t want her to think I was some creep, even if, technically, I kind of was.

“In two hours,” she replied.

“We can talk then.” I gave her a smile. “I’ll take a coffee. Black, no sugar.”

She jotted it down and blushed, nodding. She mumbled something about being right back, then scurried off to the counter in front of my booth.

I knew I had an effect on her, but she wasn’t the only one. I could feel how hard I was, and my fangs were itching to come out. It was so hard to resist her now that she was of age.

She brought me my coffee with a smile, leaning over the table to set it down in front of me, giving me a glimpse of her bra. Shit. My eyes were glued to her. She had such amazing breasts. I couldn’t wait to touch them for real, not just in a dream.

She blushed when she caught my gaze, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying to look elsewhere. I couldn’t claim her here. I needed to distract myself.

Just then, the diner door swung open, and in walked a couple of teenagers around Grace’s age. She lifted her honey-colored eyes to the newcomers, a smile spreading across her face when she recognized them.

There was a boy and a girl. The girl was petite with black hair and light brown eyes. If I remembered correctly, that was Lee, Grace’s best friend. I didn’t recognize the guy with her though.

Grace went over to them, looking both surprised and happy. Who was this guy? I could feel jealousy starting to creep in.

I knew Grace didn’t have a boyfriend, so who was he? I tuned my ears to their conversation while I sipped my coffee.

“Lee, Daryl... What are you two doing here?” Grace asked.

“Since you said that you were working tonight, we thought that we could spend the last hours of your shift with you—to lighten up your mood,” Daryl said.

“That’s...so nice of you,” Grace replied. “Please, take a seat. I’ll bring you our best ice cream. You’re going to love it.”

“Thanks, Grace,” Lee chirped.

Grace headed back to the counter, a faint blush on her cheeks. I didn’t like that one bit.

I glanced at the boy, and he was looking at ~my~ Grace with a certain look in his eye. No. This wasn’t going to happen. Grace was mine, and she deserved only the best. Not some lowly human like him who only thought about...

I didn’t even want to think about what he wanted to do to my girl. I was seething, and my fangs were threatening to show if I let my anger get the best of me. I couldn’t let that happen here. There were too many humans around, and it would be a hassle to erase their memories.

Grace brought them their ice cream, and I locked eyes with both of her friends as soon as she was gone. Lee started blushing and looked away, while Daryl seemed uneasy.

Hm... Maybe he didn’t only like girls. I smiled, and I knew that he was under my control when he smiled back.

“You two are going to finish your ice cream and leave. Also...Daryl, you’ll tell Grace how madly in love you are with Lee and that’s why you’re leaving,” I said quietly so no one else would hear me.

They nodded, and I could tell that Lee wanted to say, “Yes, Master,” but I didn’t want a human to call me that. That was reserved for my playroom, and hopefully, Grace’s lips. But that was for later.

Grace came back, so I went back to drinking my coffee as if nothing had happened. She noticed that Daryl was holding Lee close, and Lee was batting her eyelashes at him.

I couldn’t help but smirk, watching the cute couple. Perfect. Now they wouldn’t bother us anymore.

“Thank you, Grace,” Lee said excitedly. “They’re delicious.”

“Anytime,” Grace replied. “Hm... Since when are you two dating?”

“I’m madly in love with Lee,” Daryl declared, like the perfect little puppet that he was.

Good boy.

“Wow,” Grace said, surprised. “Congratulations to you!”

“We won’t stay long, then. I hope you don’t mind,” Lee said.

“Of course not,” Grace answered happily. “I...I have someone I need to talk to anyway.”

That made me smile. I could tell by her tone that she was looking forward to it. So was I. There was a lot to discuss, but I was confident that she would see things my way. All I wanted was for her to live with me. That was all I needed.

“Oh?” Lee asked. “Who?”

“You don’t know him.” Grace dismissed her friend.

“Really? I’m your best friend. I thought you were into Daryl, but...is it Haven again?”

“Haven?” Daryl looked puzzled. “We don’t have a Haven in our class.”

“He’s not from school.” Lee shook her head. “He’s…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Grace interrupted. “You two have fun. I need to get back to work.”

Grace retreated to the counter, her shoulders slumped. What was I to her? What had she told her friend about me? That I was just a figment of her dreams? Well, I was determined to change that.

I stood up, straightened my jacket, and approached Grace. She was sighing, her lower lip caught between her teeth in frustration. I hated seeing her like this. She deserved the world, my Grace, and I was going to give it to her.

I drew her into my arms, wrapping one arm around her waist. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise, just like the first time I’d appeared in her dreams. I smirked and leaned in, capturing her lips as I had so many times before.

Her lips were even softer in reality. She hesitated at first, but then she melted into the kiss, her arms winding around my neck as I held her close.

She remembered me, and for now, that was enough. I didn’t deepen the kiss here because I didn’t want to lose control. That would have to wait until we were alone.

“Haven.” She pouted, just like she had that morning.

“Not here, princess.” I chuckled against her lips. “You have a shift to finish, and we have a lot to talk about before we do anything else.”

“Oh no! I almost forgot about work,” she groaned. “Go back to your seat. I’m...I’m almost done.”

“Sure thing,” I replied, amused.

I pressed one last light kiss to her lips while everyone watched, then returned to my booth. I picked up my coffee mug and took a sip. I didn’t regret a thing. I didn’t want anyone to think Grace was lying.

Her friends looked stunned, which only made me smirk. I couldn’t miss the blush that spread across Grace’s face, or the whistles from her coworkers. She looked so beautiful in that moment. I was tempted to kiss her again.

Her friends left a few minutes later, and Grace went to change. She emerged in tight high-waisted jeans and a crop top.

She was showing more skin than I liked, but as long as she was comfortable. She approached me with a bright smile, and I had to resist the urge to kiss her again.

“Let’s go,” she said.

I would follow her anywhere, even to the depths of Hell if she asked.