Jesse

13

There was nothing like sinking my teeth into someone who enjoyed a bite. Taking willingly would always beat needing to feed off the innocent or taking against a bad guys will. Knowing I wasn’t hurting anyone always gave me a relaxed sense of being ok with what I have become.

I fed in Zander’s blood club, then I made sure to start tracking where I had come from, how I got here. Brian took care of making sure Zander got off his ass as I did and when I got back to his bar, I had no answers. Nothing to show for my work. All I could say is the person cleaned up the place I was being held in. That wasn’t even evidence I had been down here against my will.

I sat and had a beer. Looking around and waiting for Jr. to get here was just revving me up in worse ways that I wanted to admit.

I was tipping the bottle back when I felt hands on my shoulders, going up and down and then around my rib cage as if they knew me.

“I suggest you get off of me.” I told the man as he put his chest to my back.

“I’ve seen the way you and Brian look at each other… he likes when I service him. It will only cost you a bit more since you’re new.” I grabbed the mans wrist, twisting until he let me go and I inhaled his scent. He was a vampire, young and eager and thinking he could get what he wants.

“I suggest you stay away from me, have I made it clear?” I asked him as I pushed at his wrist again making him try and pull away.

“Whatever you want just let go.” He held his other hand up as if that was a surrender.

“Jesse.” I heard Brian call my name and I let the mans wrist go before turning my glare on him. “What was that?”

“That? Was me being touched and propositioned by someone I didn’t want.” I told him and moved to grab my beer and I went to a booth instead of sitting at the bar. I watched him go to the guy and he had some words before the guy seemed to search for me before leaving the bar.

I stayed in the seat and watched the others have fun, and then I saw my son searching for me at the entrance. I got up and headed to him but he saw me and met me in the middle of the bar. Before I could say anything he pulled me in for a hug and I was surprised but slapped him on and back a couple times before he pulled away.

“How are you feeling now?” He asked as the music picked up and I took a deep breath.

“I’m good, still can’t remember anything.” I told him honestly and he nodded before he scanned everything behind me and the nodded his jaw at someone. I turned my head and saw Brian holding two more beers at us.

“He is your friend?”

“A new one yes , my friend I came to find is with his mate for now.” I told him before we were headed to the bar.

“Nice to meet you, thank you for taking care of my father.” Jr. held out his hand for Brian and I watched them shake hands slowly.

“Easy to do. I’m Brian.”

“Jesse.” Jr. told him and I saw the look Brian gave me and I shrugged, “most people who knew him first call me Jr. or Luke.”

“Luke? Where does that come from?” Brian asked not knowing my full name.

“Middle name for us is Lukas. With a K, so shorten that and it’s Luke.” Jr. told him with a shrug.

“Gotcha.” He nodded slowly and I smiled at the usual awkwardness between anyone who knows our names are the same. “So, are you staying one more day? Or heading out now?”

“He will probably need to sleep.” I told him and looked right from Jr to make sure before looking as Brian.

“Well you know there’s always room in one of Zanders clubs for you and your family. I’ll call and make sure the one near your room is cleaned or cleared out.” Brian told me and I nodded before watching him do just that.

“You stare any harder and he might lose brain cells.” I heard Jr before he laughed and I looked at him like I didn’t know what he meant. “If you like him and that’s why we’re staying another night, don’t blame it on me.”

“You drove here on your own, you have to be tired you didn’t stop and rest.” I told him and he shrugged before looking around.

“I’m more hungry than tired.” He told me honestly and I nodded.

“There’s a blood club where we’re staying. Which is good since you can feed and sleep.” I told him knowing I wanted one more night in a safe place, for the both of us.

“Ok. I’ll try and stay out of your way tonight.” He smirked as he lifted his bottle to his lips and I shook my head slowly.

“Not going to happen.” I wanted to roll my eyes, tell him that Brian didn’t believe in love and therefore wasn’t my type, but even as I told myself that, it was like my brain wasn’t believing it either.

I didn’t know what it was about Brian, but the pull to stay just one more night was strong.

“He got her home.” I looked over at the sound of his voice and saw him holding up his own phone.

“Zander?” I asked to make sure and he nodded.

“Who is that?”

“The guy who owns this bar and the club… you remember him from the coven. He was the right hand man.” I told him and he seemed to think back before nodding slowly. “When his sire died, he left the coven, created sanctuaries in the new world.” I told him knowing that’s what they were called at first.

“You hated everyone in the coven after Edgar… that’s why you left.” He said and I sighed. It was true, in the coven we were in it was ok to be your self, that’s where I told them about myself, the whole reason I was in a coven was because of the acceptance I felt I needed. Once that was no longer needed, I opened my eyes to what was really going on.

“Edgar was condemned for his past, not who he was when I met him. That wasn’t acceptance, it was a little boy pissed off and wanting justice.”

“I never agreed with what happened to him.”

“Drop it Jr.” I begged not wanting to get into old hurt tonight. I wanted to focus on something that would be good for us. Something to help solve what was going on.