"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Alissa demanded, wide-eyed as we walked to our Career Choices class from lunch.
"Yeah, Sara," Cat seconded, eyebrows raised, but her mouth twitched into a little smirk.
"Last week was just... busy. That's all!"
"No, you aren't too busy to tell me you had your first kiss," Allie hissed, "This is huge! And with Mason freaking Warde!"
"Go on, tell us everything."
I sighed as we sat down at a circular table and tossed our backpacks at our feet.
"It was on a mountaintop after a long hike. That's all."
"Did he use tongue - ?"
"No, Allie, it was a first kiss," I interrupted, feeling my cheeks burn.
"You're no fun. And you, Cat? Anything with Will?"
"Nope, nothing," she put her hands up in surrender.
"I shouldn't have to interrogate you," Allie pouted, crossing her arms, "I had no idea. From the way you were acting at lunch today with Mason, it seemed like you were rather cold to each other, actually."
"Cold?"
"Yeah, did you guys fight?"
"Not at all. I didn't get to see him this weekend; I went fishing and then hung out at the library to do homework."
"I thought it would've been about Caleb," Allie probed, watching my expression for a reaction, "But if you guys didn't talk..."
"Oh," my mouth became a thin line. Because of Alissa, I wouldn't have needed to tell Mason anything for him to know about that. "There's really not much to tell - "
"You went out walking with him."
"I went out walking alone and he joined me."
"Either way, when you two were walking back -"
"I nearly tripped and he caught me," I snapped, "That's all."
"You were wearing his jacket," Allie leaned out of the conversation, sensing dangerous waters, "Look, I'm just saying, I'd be suspicious if I were Mason."
"I'm grown. I can control myself."
"No one's saying you can't," Catalina steadied.
We were instructed to take out our resumes and exchange with each other for review, then. With the conversation successfully diverted, I resigned myself to a little bit of sulking. Both Mason and Caleb were attractive, no doubt about that, but Caleb didn't get to claim me. As much as I knew he couldn't help that, it still ticked me off.
I met Mason at his car after school, knowing what I'd find when I arrived. He stared out at the trees bracketing the school, gaze unfocused.
"Let's talk?" I suggested and he looked around.
"Let's."
I wanted to roll my eyes, but resisted, stepping into the car instead. We were silent as he peeled out of the parking lot.
"My place?"
"Sure," I agreed.
"Maybe we should talk before we lack privacy."
I took a deep breath, "Allie's thoughts are far more scandalous than what actually happened, I'm sure."
"No, I'm fairly certain her mental image of Caleb Hayes holding you is accurate."
"He followed me -"
"He should not be following you. For all he knows, you're seventeen."
"I told the Lawatscoh some truths," I explained quickly, watching his expression out of the corner of my eye, "I told them I was a hunter and that I was just playing at being a high schooler."
"And why do that? So Caleb can pursue you more freely?"
"No, I'm still keeping up the facade - "
"So why then?"
"It's not something Caleb can control! I couldn't just sit by and let him think he was a freak."
Mason's mouth became a thin line as his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel, "So he bonded you. Is that it?"
"You're familiar with it?"
"I've seen it in their thoughts before. Their leader, Owen, bonded a woman named Emma. It's the same emotion a vampire feels for their mate, but... different. I hadn't known it was a proper phenomenon until we discussed the topic at length on the mountain. It's an instant-mates system, isn't it?"
"It is."
"So?"
"So what?"
"What will you do?"
"Stay faithful to the partner I'm dating," I said firmly, definitively scowling now, "Mason, just because some guy likes - "
"That emotion is far from 'like'-"
"It does not matter. Every bit of research I've encountered on the topic suggests that, regardless of mating system, a supernatural can find love again."
"After their partner has died."
"Not necessarily!" I rubbed my forehead, "Is it not enough that I'm dating you?"
"You're not fending Caleb off as if you're someone who's spoken for."
I noticed that we passed the entrance to his drive and gripped the door handle tightly, "I've felt guilty that he's had to feel like a psycho for bonding to someone he thought was seventeen. Someone who, in reality, is four or five times his age. I've gone easy on him because of that. But now they know I'm choosing to date you, not only as a fully-fledged adult, but as someone in-the-know-
"Where are we going?"
He glanced sideways.
"I'm prolonging our privacy," he said calmly, responding to the high-pitched anxiety in my voice, "We can drive around town or head toward Soldotna... or if you want to head home..."
"Soldotna," I conceded, realizing that I was unlikely to be very productive if I left this unresolved, "What would make you feel better?"
"If you stopped seeing him entirely."
"I've already promised to brief them on the hybrid situation. They do deserve that much."
"Does he have to be there?"
"I should speak to the group as a whole. After that, I'll explain to Caleb that I'm spoken-for. Is that alright?"
"I'd rather you not speak to him at all."
"I think you're being unreasonable."
He huffed, staring out the front windshield as the road flew beneath us at far higher-than-legal speeds.
"Is this common for your kind?" he asked suddenly, a frown forming on his lips.
"What?"
"Dating around?"
"It depends," I allowed slowly as I gauged his expression from the corner of my eye, "It's not often that we find two or more potential matches at a time, but we're supposed to be cautious, regardless."
"What does your clan advise in situations like this?"
"If it's reasonable, we're meant to explore both options, but obviously, if either potential mate is adverse to the idea then we refrain. It's basic respect."
"Is that why you're not bothered about Caleb's interest?"
"I guess? It's not as if I'm not taking you seriously. I am. And as I've told you, I'll explain to Caleb that I'm dating you. I respect you and have feelings for you, so I'm going to honor you."
"Simply because you met me first? If you'd met him first and started a relationship, you'd be having this conversation with him instead of me, wouldn't you?"
His mouth quirked slightly, like he'd sipped something bitter.
"I did build rapport with you first," I hedged, unsure of what he was trying to say, "But there's more to it than that; you've properly earned my admiration. You've got a good moral center, are a talented musician, and are extremely level-headed in life-or-death situations."
"But would I win in a fair fight against Caleb?"
"Fight!?"
"Not literally," he assured me, shaking his head. Though his expression dimmed, "I'm just wondering... no, I know he'd be a better partner for you."
"You know this?" I snorted, raising an eyebrow, " Regardless of how smart he may be, I have nearly a century's more knowledge than he does. That means he can't meet me on the intellectual level that you can, and have."
"He's not of the race that killed your mother and brother," I flinched at that, "And he could give you children."
"The enemies of my family are those that seek to harm humans; last I checked you were better than that," I said shortly, shaking off the harsh reality he'd pointed out, "And I've raised thirteen children, albeit adopted. I could do with or without more. It doesn't matter to me."
He pressed his lips together, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he thought.
"I'd like to win your hand honestly," he confessed, glancing over at me. His green eyes resolved. "That means letting Caleb have a shot at courting you. I want to prove I'm better than the competition; I want to know that you had options, but that you chose me, in the end."
"Mason - "
He shook his head, a small smirk forming on his lips, "No more insecurity. I'll show that pup how a real man treats a woman."
My stomach dropped and I felt suddenly cold.
He reached over to touch my taught hand, "What's wrong?"
"I just don't want the pair of you actually fighting."
"The agreement we made with the Lawatscoh prevents that," he assured me.
He rubbed my fist, relaxing out my fingers to intertwine them with his.
"That doesn't account for weird half-breed women with strange dating preferences."
He chuckled, "Then you have my word; unless he does harm to you, I won't lay a finger on him."
"What's your definition of harm?"
"Any touch without your consent," he said automatically and his eyes narrowed, "Though I imagine that you'd eliminate him yourself - "
My fingers seized around his.
"What?"
"That's not funny."
"I wasn't insinuating that it was. Serafina, your heart - "
"Bad memories," I put a free hand to my temple and pressed.
"Alright," he soothed, continuing to rhythmically stroke the back of my hand with his thumb, "Let's take your mind off it."
"What do you suggest?"
"Shopping? Sightseeing?"
"Shopping?" I echoed skeptically.
"You enjoyed clothes shopping. I can take you again."
"It's not a good financial decision."
"You wouldn't be paying."
"Even worse," I groaned.
"But who doesn't like spending someone else's money?"
"Someone who doesn't really need anything," I answered, looking to him incredulously, "Take me to an all you can eat buffet and I'll happily make use of that bill, but as far as expensive material things, that would probably just ruin my cover- "
"A sewing machine, then?"
"Anne mentioned that I could borrow hers."
Mason's lips crooked in a lopsided smile and he spared me a mischievous glance.
"What?"
"I know what you'd want."
"Oh?"
"Can't tell you. It'll be your birthday gift."
"You're really going to make me wait three months?"
He grinned in answer.
"Come to think of it; when's your birthday?"
"December thirteenth."
"When, exactly?"
He chuckled, "Nineteen-oh-six."
I let out a low giggle to which he raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, bambino," I crooned to an eye-roll from him.
"And you?"
"Nineteen-oh-two," I smirked, admiring my nails mockingly.
He clicked his tongue, "So you were just barely an adult when the first world war finished up."
"That's right," I tilted my head back and forth, contemplating what to say on the topic, "I was a nurse."
"That explains your anatomy grade."
"You were twelve or so?" I leaned sideways over our held hands, crossing the invisible line along the center console and settling in.
He smiled faintly, sensing the other unspoken questions.
"Inspired by the wartime propaganda, but too young to take part," he confirmed, his posture relaxing against the seat, "That wasn't my only influence, though.
"My father was a hardworking wheat farmer and proud of his occupation. Hardly slowed even when an incident with the thresher left him with a permanent limp. Paul did his best, but-"
"Paul?"
"He was the doctor in the local township," Mason confirmed with a nod.
"But if your family were farmers. You must've lived somewhere sunny."
"Paul has always had a soft spot for small towns, places often-overlooked by the rest of society. Even outside of compulsion, he's very persuasive and likable; he's hardly ever had trouble convincing others to meet him in a space where he can safely work. And his results added credulity to his name. If a need was dire enough, he'd don heavy cloaks and head to where the emergency was."
"Impressive," I breathed, still unable to connect a vampire with such... goodness.
"His reasoning, his disposition, is an incredibly pure and honest thing to listen to," Mason smiled gently and squeezed my hand, "I never read my biological father's mind, but I believe he was a similar man. I've been blessed to have been turned by someone with my best interest in mind and cared for by another who sees me as her own son."
"Extremely blessed. Most people are not vampirized by those who care about them."
"As Kira and Samuel have enlightened me," he frowned, a slight widening of his eyes and furrowing of his brows betrayed mild horror, but it was gone before I could interrogate it. "The rest of us were vampirized -" he tried out the word "- by Paul."
"Have you ever-?"
"Never."
I pursed my lips. He turned to raise an eyebrow at the expression.
"I may require that of you."
"Pardon?"
"What I am is... an amalgamation of a few things," I started slowly, but willingly, "One of the ingredients, so to speak, is vampire venom."
"Really?"
A little smirk formed over his lips, much to my surprise.
"What?"
"Your hatred seems a little hypocritical, doesn't it?"
"No. The magic's mode of action is different -"
"Does it cause loss of humanity, per chance?"
"Yes-"
His grin widened.
"It's seriously not the same," I scoffed, rolling my eyes, "My ancestors were very careful about our creation. They didn't want to create just any other supernatural weapon. We have all sorts of checks and balances."
"What do you need from me?"
"Two and a half milliliters of venom. Twice a year."
"How would you like it administered?" he smirked again, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes.
I raised an unamused eyebrow.
"Right, I'll make you a vial. How much does it take to vampirize a human?"
"Five milliliters," I said simply, "The average bite injects about five milliliters so long as the vampire is only biting, not feeding."
"Oh," he tilted his head, "That's not much..."
"You're thinking of the transformation pain?"
He nodded, nose wrinkling.
"We think that ten to fifteen milliliters leads to faster transformation. The Theous use about two or three bites to vampirize humans, but we would never run those experiments ourselves, so it's all speculation."
Mason pulled into a parking lot and I glanced about at the familiar, squat buildings of Soldotna, curious. In one smooth swoop, he backed into a parking spot and was around at my door, opening it for me, in the blink of an eye.
"Where -?"
His green eyes glittered, "An all-you-can-eat buffet."
I beamed.