The lobby windows choked with wispy swirls of white-gray mist. Curling and undulating, the faint swath appeared as if Spirits were walking through, stirring it up with their passage.
"Wow," I breathed, leading the way toward the doors.
"Still getting used to Homer?" Mason inquired, opening the door for me.
When I stepped out I inhaled a deep breath of heavy, sticky air.
"This thing is unusual," I frowned, reaching a hand out and grabbing at the swirls, "No?"
Mason smirked, "It is. Homer's not usually humid."
I led the way to my car.
"Speaking of weather," Mason probed as he slid into the passenger's seat. "Do you have a favorite season? A favorite climate or place?"
"Oh, uh," I frowned. What could he gain from knowing something like that? My origin? My scowl deepened. "Do I get to ask you questions?"
"You just did."
"Don't get smart with me," I muttered as I started up the car and backed out, "I do happen to have a favorite place, but not a favorite season. What are your hobbies? People watching and brooding over your Evanescence collectible CDs? Wait... you're a vinyls kind of guy, aren't you?"
"I like both mediums," he said, raising his eyebrows conspiratorially, "But there is this thing called 'the cloud', now. So where is your favorite place?"
"The mountains," I noted vaguely, quickly taking us out to the main-road.
Thank goodness the library was only two minutes away. I was going to choke on this throat-tickling mint. Part of me wanted to roll down the windows, but that would be too obvious.
Obvious? You've been obvious already!
And I had to wonder at that. There was no way Mason didn't suspect something.
I'd been clumsy. If I'd had my Century, I'd have sent Stealth-Mages in my place; people specialized in blending in and getting information. Information I would've expertly sifted through from a distance.
I ran my tongue over my teeth beneath my lips.
"My mother did say that you were out in the mountains this weekend," Mason hedged, "That you had a bit of an incident."
I kept my eyes locked-forward.
"Yes."
"Something about a rabid bear."
"I'm fine."
"You should be more careful," he said and I narrowed my eyes at the edge of darkness in his tone, "The wilderness here is very dangerous, even if you're properly estimating it."
"Don't talk down to me," I scoffed, jerking the car into a parking space and cutting the engine.
As I hopped out and made a line to the library entrance, he caught up effortlessly.
"I'll go with you next time," he decided.
I blinked, freezing mid-step before the door. He closed the distance to grab the handle and held it open expectantly.
"Why?" I demanded.
"Because of the buddy-system."
He said it simply, as if it were obvious. To any eavesdropping humans, it would be. I glanced around, then sighed, passing through the door. The hair on the back of my neck prickled as he followed close behind me.
"Are you sure I wouldn't be in more danger that way?" I wondered, "I mean, you look and act like a would-be school shooter: should I really be alone with you?"
His eyes narrowed and his lips formed a thin line. He betrayed himself with a twitched half-smile, then, "I'll get back to you after an FBI threat-assessment. In the meantime, you should let Allie and Cat know that we're on a date."
I wrinkled my nose and scowled down at the floor. His brown dress-shoes looked too shiny in comparison to my muddy, second-hand hiking boots. And I wondered if anyone would even believe the pair of us as a couple. He'd been right about my baggy, ratty clothes and appearance. In comparison to that he was-
My eyes roved upward sheepishly, taking in the blue button-down and perfectly-knotted tie, all beneath a cream v-neck sweater. He tilted his head, interrogating my gaze. An old, teenage emotion unfurled its tendrils and coiled them around my heart: envy. Before everything had collapsed, I'd been able to dress nicely too.
Fucking vampires stole everything. Even the stupid, unimportant things.
Mason's jaw tensed as he held my gaze, quiet. But impatience narrowed his eyes. I swallowed. He broke, lifting a slow hand and immediately, I cringed away. It had been so sudden, instinctive, that it hadn't occurred to me to remain still and bear the touch for prying, human eyes. Mason simply stared, lips slightly parted and brows furrowed as I fumbled to recover myself.
"I'll let them know," I bobbed my head and turned on my heel.
Heads turned quickly back to their laptops as I laid-eyes on my friend group. Though I noticed that, despite her attempted nonchalance, Allie wiggled with excitement. By the time I approached them, I'd successfully calmed my frightful heartbeat.
It was Cat who spoke first, "Are you alright?"
I nodded mutely.
"You looked a little uncomfortable just then; he didn't do anything you didn't want, right?"
"He didn't. I just don't like being touched by strangers."
Allie finally sobered a bit.
"Touch you?" Trevor raised an eyebrow, "Ya'll have gotten that close? Already?"
"No," I said crisply, "He didn't do anything. It doesn't matter."
"Well, go on tell me everything," Allie enthused, patting the empty seat beside her a little harder than necessary.
Across the circle, everyone leaned in.
"Are all small town folks this gossipy?" I chuckled, but remained standing, "He invited me to study, that's all."
"It's just... no one really knows anything about the Wardes," Will said, pen poised over his notebook as if he were about to scribe my every word, "At least, not about their kids. They've been in-town for three years and yet they're just... odd. They don't talk to anybody but themselves and their clique of friends."
"Allie gave me the low-down," I shrugged, "Kira and Mason are adopted-"
"Kira, is adopted," Allie corrected and I winced, "Mason's their biological son."
"My point is that you seem to know plenty."
I glanced over at the coven. The bulky male, mullet male, and wisp female were as I'd left them. The blond female had joined the group, though she appeared to be reading what looked like a smutty romance novel. Mason sat alone near the windows, emboldened by the heavy mist. I wrinkled my nose.
"You don't have to sit with him if you don't want to," Cat assured me and I glanced back around. She was perceptive for a human. "Or if you want to step away we can make a signal."
"We'll swoop in and extract you, if you need," Allie enthused.
"I'll just shoot you a text," I shrugged, eyes roving the library, "We're in public, so..."
"Ignore the gossip," Cat assured me in earnest. "The Wardes are probably all good people."
Allie rolled her eyes, "The Pastor and Doctor, sure."
"Pastor Warde speaks with my abuelita every other Sunday, which helps her a lot with her dementia. And Dr. Warde sees her in the clinic. She's always very gentle. They must be excellent role models for their children."
"The Doctor can be my role model any time," Trevor snickered, elbowing Anthony.
"Oh, yeah," Allie rolled her eyes, "Every guy here has had his blood drawn by the Doctor herself. Perverts."
Even Tim and Will shifted self-consciously at that.
"Oh?" I wondered skeptically, "Is she the only phlebotomist in town?"
"No, but she organizes these wonderful blood drives," Cat enthused, "Super helpful! The extra gets donated to other townships and villages that are short on supply in their hospitals."
My eyebrows shot toward my hairline and I resisted the urge to glance at Mason again. That would certainly explain his claim better. I supposed I couldn't be upset about the coven consuming excess or near-expired blood reserves if they were replenishing them.
That still didn't excuse the kidnapped priest, however.
"She's a smart woman, I'll give her that," Allie huffed, scowling at Trevor as he continued to snicker with Anthony. "Alaska's got a skewed men-to-women ratio and she's an attractive lady. The blood drives are never wanting for donors."
It was pretty clever, I supposed. I studied Mason contemplatively. At how he stared absently out the window. His shoulders seemed to stiffen under my gaze.
"Get after it, girl," Allie raised her eyebrows at me and nodded toward Mason, "One of us has got to score."
Trevor's head snapped around, "'One of us'-?"
Allie waved a hand at him without looking, nearly clipping him over the nose.
My cheeks cooled as blood rushed from them.
This isn't actually a date, I reminded myself, You're studying him.
"Alright," I acquiesced and took a breath.
As I walked toward Mason, I pulled a few books from my bag and determinedly clapped them down on the table in front of him.
"Hello to you too," he greeted.
"So..." I began hesitantly, glancing over at his coven. They continued working on their assignments, though Kira's leg had begun to bounce up and down with agitation. "...we're saving the 'meet the family' thing for later. Smart."
"Not all of them are my family," Mason pointed out, pulling his notebook from his bag to place before him, "Just Kira."
I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"Is that an injury from over the weekend," Mason prompted, eyes affixing on the little bracelet of white gauze on my forearm. Thank goodness I'd thought to cover the already-healed area.
"Mhm," I nodded, pulling the sleeve over my wrist and thumb.
"Does it hurt?"
"No, t'was a mere flesh wound."
He chuckled at the reference.
"Maybe you'd enjoy a movie night with myself and my family?"
I fiddled with the corner of my books, "Give me some time to get used to you."
"Of course," he soothed and my eyes darted back to his face.
It was such a strange thing to sit in the presence of a vampire and not be wholly repulsed. Even intrigued to a certain degree. The strange, silver burst simply was less alien than the blood-red I'd known.
"You know what I like to do on my weekends," I started, "What do you do on yours?"
He appraised me, green eyes glittering as the crooked smile on his lips twitched, "Listen to music, play the piano, and hike."
"No videogames? All the kids these days are into them."
"Some, I suppose. I usually play them for the soundtracks."
"Jeez, you're more into music than I am," I shook my head.
"I'm a next-level fanatic. You couldn't come close."
I snuck another glance up through my lashes to find him gazing softly at me, as if memorizing. He entirely lacked any tension in his posture. It was... disarming. Was that the reason why they picked up such human mannerisms? To lower the guard of their prey?
But then again, the blood draws perfectly explained their food-source. The feeding from wildlife that I'd witnessed over the weekend could've been to sate their instincts in the absence of hunting humans. But what advantage could acting human, kidnapping a priest, and attending school possibly -
"What are you thinking about?" Mason's irritation cut my contemplation.
"Not your business," I snapped, a knee-jerk reaction, then rubbed one temple harshly in chastisement, "I was just wondering why you all moved here."
"Not a difficult question to ask... or answer," he placated lightly but began answering before I could bite out a retort, "We were in Northern Montana and wanted a change of pace. My mother has a passion for remote and underserved areas so coming to Alaska seemed a match."
"You weren't upset about leaving all your high school friends behind?" I raised an eyebrow then snorted, "Nevermind, you probably didn't have any there either."
"Ah, you won't let up with that bludgeoning tongue of yours," he conversed, cocking his head, "Though, I'm glad you're not so unimaginative as to curse."
"I'm a lady," I sniffed, pointedly tapping a finger on the table.
"I'm rather flattered that you've chosen to bully me. Even though you're clearly no good at it."
"Why?"
"No one's ever attempted to bully me before."
"You sure?" I let my eyes wander back to his coven mates.
"Hmm..." Mason followed my gaze and smiled, the gesture a little warmer than the mocking half-smiles he usually gave. "Since you mentioned it, they have become like family to me. But it's different when family teases you."
Something bittersweet ruminated in my chest, softening my tone, "Guess you're right."
"Do you have any siblings?"
Good thing I killed off family in my cover story too, I thought.
I wouldn't have been able to pretend my way through being an only child. Nor acting proud of fake siblings that no longer existed...
"Had," I explained, a lump bubbling into my throat, "It was a break-in gone wrong back where we lived. I lost my mother and my only sibling. If you've got any dead brother jokes, feel free to have at it."
"I'll think on them," he said lightly. I blinked.
Consideration? From a vampire?
Odd. Particularly as I hadn't shown him any.
"Would you have agreed to go out with me if I hadn't chosen to bully you?" I interrogated, "If I'd simply been infatuated by you?"
He squinted contemplatively over interlaced fingers, "I think so... yes. Yes, I would've."
"Why?"
"Like I said before," he admitted and the irritation reappeared in the furrow of his brows, "I can't figure you out. Not by my usual methods."
"Good."
"Are you infatuated by me?"
Though it occurred to me that I should mock-gag to his face, the comment probed an uncomfortable reality. His defined, freckled cheekbones and soulful eyes surrounded by those red-tinged lashes, like little suns, were mesmerizing. Yes, he was handsome.
I pursed my lips, "I think your eyes are interesting; silver sunbursts are rare in green eyes, aren't they?"
He missed a beat, eyes darting toward his coven then back, "It's not as rare as you'd think."
So they all follow the same diet? I wondered.
"Hm," I hummed aloud, but let it go, "Perhaps we should get to studying?"
"Before that," Mason said and the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement, "I'd like to schedule our next date, if you don't mind."
"I'm not going to run off," I muttered.
Which was true. I'd sooner kill him than run away. Whatever state my nerves were in, my pride wouldn't allow me to run. Not this time. Not while they still had that hostage.
"Mm, that wasn't too convincing," Mason chuckled, thinning his lips unsuccessfully when I crossed my arms and glared like a petulant child. "I want to invite you out. There's a weekly dance night at the Wine Palazzo downtown; will you attend this week with me?"
Despite myself, I sat up straighter, "Dancing?"
"You don't have to dance," he said quickly, "I mostly enjoy the people-watching."
The opportunity to dress up? To wear heels and do my hair and chat with new people? To finally do other exercise aside from walking my property?
Absolutely. Absolutely.
"I love dancing - what style?"
Mason's brows raised, "East-Coast Swing."
"I'm not familiar with that."
"It evolved from Lindy Hop."
Oh! It was a dance that came from the States. I knew it! Or its predecessor, at least. I opened my mouth excitedly to respond before I noticed the twinkling recognition in his eyes.
I snapped my mouth shut.
Cazzo.
Lindy Hop had been popular in the nineteen-twenties and thirties. I'd carbon-dated myself.
I stared mutinously across the table at Mason who'd threaded his fingers beneath his chin. He returned my hard gaze with a lighthearted and expectant one, as if merely awaiting my answer.
"When is it?" I acquiesced.
"This Thursday at five," he said easily, "My parents go every week so they'll be there, but I promise they won't interfere."
His parents? I perked:
The compelled priest!
"I'll be there."
He smiled at that and the gentle expression warmed his eyes. It looked so... human. Despite the wrinkling of my nose, my confused, traitorous heart skipped a beat.