Chapter 5 | Restless Thoughts and Haunting Presence
1143 Words
Seraphine’s POV
The last few school days blurred into a haze of watching, waiting, and wondering. I tracked Vesperus like a shadow—making sure he wasn’t feeding, hypnotizing, or unleashing hell on the student body. But somehow, the bastard played the part of a normal high schooler so well, I almost believed it.
Almost.
He laughed at the right times. Walked the halls like he belonged. Even answered questions in class with that smug, perfect smirk that made me want to strangle him. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have believed he really was eighteen.
But I did know better.
So when the final bell rang Friday afternoon and everyone scattered, I noticed. One second he was there. The next… gone. Like a ghost. Like vapor. Like trouble.
I stalked home, frustration burning beneath my skin. I couldn’t stop thinking. Who sent him? Why now? What the hell was his angle?
Morning came too fast. Sunlight sliced through my window like a dagger. I jolted awake, grumbling under my breath and stomping into the kitchen, ignoring the clock and the world.
I headed straight to the wine fridge.
Pop. Sip. Relief.
Except it didn’t last.
Because just as I tilted the bottle to my lips, I heard it—that voice.
“I was beginning to think you overslept.”
I choked, the wine burning as it shot down the wrong pipe. The bottle slipped from my fingers, crashing against the floor, exploding in a mess of glass and red.
And there he was. Perched at my kitchen table like he owned the place, helping himself to a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.
My Cocoa Puffs.
Soaked in blood.
“You have three seconds to explain what the hell you're doing in my house,” I snapped, snatching the box of cereal from his reach and circling to sit across from him, every movement sharp and laced with venom.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink.
“This is where I’m staying now,” he said casually, finishing his food like we were roommates instead of sworn enemies.
I stared. Blinked. “You’re joking.”
“Nope.”
“You can’t just decide to move into my house like it’s a five-star vampire Airbnb.”
He rose from his seat and washed his hands in the sink like he hadn’t just lit my entire morning on fire.
I clenched my fists. “Start talking. Now.”
Vesperus finally turned to me, face unreadable. “I’m not here to start anything. I’m on a mission. And your house is… strategic.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Strategic how?”
“Your name carries weight,” he said. “Even in the darker circles. If I’m staying with you, people will think twice before they try anything.”
My stomach twisted.
“Lucian?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
A flash of something—fear? pride?—flickered in his eyes. “Please. I’m not scared of a mangy wolf.”
But the tension in his jaw said otherwise.
I muttered under my breath, “Coward,” and yanked open the fridge beside the wine cooler. Rows of blood cups sat in neat rows—my emergency stash. I grabbed one, pierced it with a straw, and took a long sip.
Sweet. Metallic. Cold.
It wasn’t fresh, but it would do.
I leaned against the counter and stared him down. “You being here complicates everything.”
He leaned closer, just enough to test me. “I’m not the one pretending to be human, Sera.”
“You think pretending is easy?” I hissed. “You think I don’t want to tear into people every damn day? I’m trying to live a normal life. Blend in. Not everyone wants to be a walking cliché of vampire ego.”
He smiled. Infuriating. Charming. Dangerous.
“I just think it’s a waste,” he said. “All that power, all that speed—and you’re playing house.”
I scoffed and looked him over. That’s when I noticed his outfit. The school uniform, half-heartedly worn. His white shirt hung loose, a few buttons undone, exposing way too much chest for a school day.
My eyes widened. “You cannot go to school looking like that.”
He smirked. “Why? Distracting?”
I glared. “Disgusting.”
“Could’ve sworn your jaw dropped.”
I stomped on his foot—hard—and stormed for the door.
Behind me, I heard his laughter. Then the sound of footsteps.
Of course, he followed.
I picked up my pace, zigzagging between trees using half my vampire speed just to shake him.
No use.
He caught up easily.
“You could just run to school,” he said, not even winded.
“And reveal what I am? No thanks.”
He tilted his head. “Still obsessed with pretending?”
I didn’t answer.
He kept talking anyway. “We’re vampires, Seraphine. We hear everything, see everything. We’re faster, stronger, immortal. Why would you want to be anything else?”
I paused, the words catching in my throat.
“Because…” I started, then breathed out. “Because humans have things we don’t. Simplicity. Warmth. They laugh. Cry. Feel… more. You ever notice that?”
He didn’t answer right away. His expression shifted—slightly softer, like he was seeing me differently. Or remembering something.
“I guess,” he said. “There’s beauty in that. But you’re not just vampire, are you?”
I flinched. The truth cut deeper than I expected. He was right. I wasn’t full vampire. And no matter how hard I tried, the human part of me always clawed its way back to the surface.
Just then, a scent hit me.
My breath caught.
Lucian.
The unmistakable scent of wet pine, spice, and smoke filtered into my nose like a memory—or a promise.
I turned, eyes scanning the street.
There.
Across the road, Lucian stood in his wolf form, piercing eyes locked on mine. His presence sent a shiver down my spine and made my fangs ache with hunger.
The urge to run to him, to taste him, overwhelmed everything else.
But before I could move, he bolted—gone in a flash of gray fur and thunderous paws.
I stood frozen, the cup of blood in my hand suddenly feeling like a joke.
I should’ve run after him. Should’ve used my speed. Should’ve—
But it was too late.
The bus hissed to a stop beside me.
I climbed on without a word, slid into the back seat, and stared out the window. My thoughts were loud. My heart louder.
Lucian. Vesperus. Blood. Secrets.
This wasn’t just about fitting in anymore.
This was about survival.
And I didn’t know which part of me—vampire or human—was going to win.
- Writer
