Blood Currency

| Chapter 3 |

| SEBASTIAN''S POV |

I stared at Sawyer who sat silently across from me. Her hair must have once been beautiful, but now framed her shallow face in dirty oily strands that clung together. Her jade eyes burned with fire and life that was distinctly human. She reminded me of humans from years ago when we first started to reveal our presence in the world.

"Hello, Sawyer," I said. "It's a real pleasure to finally meet you." She says nothing abs see just sits there. Looks like this is going to be more difficult than I previously thought. "Look, Sawyer, I can tell just by looking at you that you have had it rough for a long time. But trust me, we vampires would never even think about hurting you." Again, she didn't respond. I was growing more and more frustrated with her the longer she sat in silence. I will have to have her checked out by a doctor before she is sent to the adoption house.

I was going to be an actual participant this year since the Council is being irate with me since I haven't found an Omega that I had deemed worthy to be my donor. Their words, not mine. I was a high profile vampire so they seemed to be very interested in my personal affairs and whether or not I had found a donor or not.

"Sawyer, please say something, I just want to help you. I know that this seems scary and brand new, but I would never hurt you as I had stated formally." I watched her. She sighed heavily. She pointed to her throat and shook her head. It clicked in my head finally. "You're mute," I said in shock. She nodded. "Did someone hurt you?" She shook her head. "Were you born like this?" I asked. Again, she shook her head.

"Okay, once we are done here, I'm taking you to see a physician. Okay?" She looked at me with horror in her eyes. She violently shook her head. It appears as though she doesn't want to visit the physician as recommended.

She whined low in her throat. So she wasn't entirely mute. What could be ailing her?

"Sawyer, can you read and write?" I suddenly ask to get her mind off of things for a spell. She calmed down rather quickly. She nodded and pointed to her side--no, her pocket. I watched as she pulled out a pad of paper and a broken pencil. Luckily it appeared as though she had a pencil sharpener as well. She quickly sharped the end of one of her pencil pieced and started to quickly write something across the page.

She pulled the piece out of the notebook and slid it across the top of the metal table between us. I read the note allowed so that it can be captured on the video feed that is watching us presently.

"Please just let me go home," I said before rolling my eyes. "Sawyer, we are not going to let an 18-year-old girl back out into the freezing cold. It just started the first snow of the season. It's only going to get worse from here. I'm sorry, but no. You will be adopted by a family that is in need of a donor." She glared at me with a small sound that resembled a growl before scratching her pencil across the paper again.

I read it aloud. "f**k you, leech." I crumpled the page and stood up, my chair scraping across the floor and nearly falling over as I did so.

"Listen here, Sawyer. You may be an Omega, but you're a little s**t that has been getting on my nerves for the last three years. I couldn't do anything about it before you were 18, but now I can. Once you're in that adoption house, I can't help you. Just know that not every vampire are as nice to their Omega's as the world likes to say they are," I threatened. I don't know why I did, but it caused her to quake in fear. I felt horrible at that moment. But I refused to apologize. Tears filled those beautiful eyes of hers, but I couldn't back down.

"I just want to finally get to the questions that I have been wanting to ask all night," I said. I just got a soft sniffle in return. "Is there anyone else that knows you're an Omega besides your parents and that elderly woman you were with prior to being seized?" I asked. She shook her head no. I ran a hand down my face. I couldn't tell if she was lying or not since she was mute.

"How long have you lived in that alleyway?" I asked. I was at the spot of this makeshift home of her's just before the Trackers caught her a block away. The box was starting to be weighed down by the freshly falling snow. It was evident that she had nowhere to stay warm for the onslaught of winter that was just days away now. How was she going to keep warm in that thin blanket was in that box of hers?

Just remembering it made my heart lurch in my chest. She was the only reason why I planned on going to that adoption house that we were sending her to. I didn't tell my crew that I planned on taking her home with me. The smell of her blood was nearly driving me up the wall. I had started as a tracker back in the day since my nose was stronger than most vampires, but I worked my way up the ranks over the years to become the captain of this division. I could smell that her blood was definitely O-negative when she almost climbed over the top of me to escape the police vehicle my deputies had placed her in. It wasn't my fault that I was sitting in the back of the truck when they caught her.

She slid another piece of paper towards me. I didn't even realize that she was writing, I was so lost in thought.

"Seven months," I read. "Where else have you lived before the alleyway?" I asked.

Again she took her time to write the next answer. I looked over her handwriting. It was worse than a child's. But if her mother never put her into the school system, I could understand why her handwriting would be so childish. She wasn't the best at spelling, and I could see the corrections that she was making on the paper.

This is one of the things that I plan on fixing when I adopt her as my donor. Look at me, I was already making plans for her life in my manor, and I haven't even adopted her yet.

"Anywhere I could," I read when the paper was handed over to me. "Sawyer, has anything violent happen to you while you were living on the street? Unwanted s****l advances or assaults of any kind?"

This time she glared at me before writing her answer quickly again. "When the vamp tackled me to the f*****g ground," I tried to keep my temper in check this time. She was still grating my nerves, but I had to get used to it if I was to make her my donor.

"Fine. This is all for now. I'll take you to see the physician in the morning. For now, you'll stay in my office. I have so much paperwork to fill out. Just behave and everything will be fine."

~^-^~

I put a blanket and pillow on the couch in my office for Sawyer to use while she was in my care temporarily. I was already having Clementine and Hendrik prepare a room for her while I did the paperwork needed for the adoption. This was simply to let those working in the agency know that I was willing to start looking for a donor. Then there was paperwork needed in order to get Sawyer into the adoption agency. I wanted to be the first ones there to look her over, but I knew that there were already several other high ranking vampires interested in the poor girl already simply from the rumors going around about her.

Sawyer said nothing, not surprisingly, as she took the blanket and wrapped herself in it. She didn't use the pillow but instead curled into a tight ball on the floor in front of the couch. She left all of her clothes on, as well as her shoes. I sighed. It was if she was expecting to make a run for it as soon as she could. Not that I blamed her. She was probably terrified of us. Who knows what that mother of her's told her growing up.

Soon, I heard the soft, slow breathing that indicated that Sawyer had fallen asleep. Growing up on the street, she must have learned to fall asleep fast and in the strangest of places. I would get that information out of her sooner or later, but who knows how long that will take before she is willing to give up more information about her tragic life.

I tried to remain as quiet as I could as I finished the paperwork that I had for the evening. I looked over at the sleeping girl. I could only see the back of her head from how she laid. But from the looks of it, she looked to be sleeping peacefully. I couldn't wait until I could see her in a king-sized bed in a room all her own. I wondered how she would like it when she got to have anything in the world that she would want.

I let a small smile slip onto my face before I realized I was letting my mask slip. I shook my head and went back to work. I needed to finish this since, in a few hours, I would be taking Sawyer to a physician to get checked upon. I would hate to have to put this off and miss my chance to adopt her.

I finished my work just as the sun was starting to rise above the horizon. The morning light filtered into the room and cast a glow upon Sawyer's still sleeping figure. She hadn't moved from her one position all night, so I hoped that she wouldn't wake with any aches or pains.

She groaned when the light hit her face. She stirred from her slumber and finally began to rise. She sat up and took a look at the office, most likely confused. She huffed indignantly before turning her glare towards me. I scoffed since I didn't find the girl intimidating at all. I stood and gathered my suit jacket, paperwork, and briefcase in which to care said paperwork.

"Sawyer, follow me, I'll show you to the latrine in order to freshen up. I let my help know to bring you a fresh change of clothes. The ones you currently own will be returned to you upon cleaning." She made a small noise that sounded put off, yet she said nothing. Not that I was expecting her to. I started to walk out of my office, but I didn't sense her following me. I turned to see her stubbornly sitting there still wrapped partially in the blanket provided to her. I sighed.

"We don't have all day, Sawyer!" She turned away from me and stuck her fingers in her ears like a fussy child. "Now, I'm not bringing you anywhere smelling like a gross alleyway dumpster." She scoffed, so I know she heard me even though she plugged her ears. "I will carry you if I have too." She obviously didn't want me doing so, so she reluctantly stood up, but pouted as she finally started to follow me. She reached into her pocket for her tiny notebook. She scribbled something and shoved it into my chest as hard as she could. Yet, I still barely felt it.

I grabbed the note and read her terrible handwriting

I hate yu Im not doing anything yu want me 2

I nearly hissed at her. I didn't want to scare her more, but I had to do something to get her clean. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her after me. I took her to the bureau's female communal showers and saw my helpers, Clementine, standing there. She startled when she saw us. Her curly red hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, a few tendrils spilling around her round face. In human years, she was 119, but still rather young for a vampire. She only looked to be 19 though. Her eyes were seafoam green, hinting more towards a blue color than green though, and her chubby cheeks were splattered with freckles, which was odd for a vampire, but she had them before she was turned.

There are two types of vampires; the turned like Clementine, and the born such as myself.

"Heaven's to Betsy, sir, y'all nearly scared the bejeezus outta me," she was once a good southern girl who had a strong Christian faith. Don't get me wrong, she still does, but when she was turned, she was excommunicated. At the time, the church was none too pleased with our kind. Still, aren't, but they are far quieter than they were a century ago.

"I'm sorry," I said. "This is Sawyer, take good care of her. But she's a bit of a flight risk, so watch out." I quietly whispered. "Sawyer, this is Clementine. She will help you bathe. You can trust her." Sawyer didn't do anything other than set her near-permanent glare on the girl beside us. Clementine looked slightly concerned.

"Sir? She won't attack me, will she?" I sighed.

"I doubt it. But do keep a close eye on her." Clementine nodded and tried to lead Sawyer into the bathroom. But the blond just stood her ground. Clementine tried to beg and plead with the human girl. This clearly wasn't going anywhere. If she doesn't start moving on her own, I'll carry her in there myself.

I could only imagine how well she'll take that. It brought a small smile to my face, my fangs barely started to dig into my bottom lip as I did it.

"Miss Sawyer, please will ya just listen to me? I'm askin' with all the grace and goodness that I can," Clementine tried to explain. I sighed and threw the human girl over my shoulder. She started making all sorts of notices of protest so at least I knew she could make some noises. Why won't she talk then? Her vocal cords clearly work.

"Mister Sebastian, uh, what do I do?" She asked. "I ain't never had a human this gosh darn stubborn before. She's worse than my mama's mule. An' that was the son of an ass." Clementine giggled at her own pun. I sighed.

"Sawyer, you are to get into that showering right this minute, or I'll carry you in there and bathe you myself. And I don't think any of us want that outcome, do we?" I asked. She swiped the clothes from Clementine and rushed into the bathroom. Clementine followed close behind her, but I don't think I had to worry about Sawyer running away today. I listened as the shower started. Clementine started talking to the other girl cheerfully as if she didn't just refuse to take a shower moments before.

Clementine was resilient like that. She was always willing to give people a second, third, fourth, and even hundredth chance if she thinks that they will eventually become friends. I waited for nearly an hour while the human girl bathed. I heard a hair drier run for a while before they both finally stepped out; Sawyer finally clean and dressed. I had to do a double-take. She was so pretty.

Her strawberry blond hair was now clean and didn't slick to her scalp with oil. Her skin shown with a pleasant, almost healthy glow. The clothes picked for her fit her nicely. The dark-colored blouse matched well with the season as well as the black skinny jeans that we provided for her.

"You clean up nicely," I said, trying to hide my appreciation for the now cleaned up look of the girl. Now if only she doesn't run away, it could stay this way. I trusted only myself with this girls health. Knowing how the council and other vampires are becoming with their omega's, it is hard to place them in a good home where they will not be abused physically, mentally, emotionally, or sexually. I have heard of several omega's being killed on accident because their alphas are too careless with them and take too much blood, beat them to death, or neglect them until they die of multiple reasons.

"Let's go. We need to talk with the physician still before you can be adopted," I didn't want to tell her I planned on being the one taking her home. I looked at Clementine to silently tell her to prepare a room for the girl.

"Here we are," I said, as we went a few halls down to our in house physician that had finally gotten started for the day. She was a few centuries older than myself, so I trusted that she knew what she was doing. She still looked very young none the less. I motioned for Sawyer to sit on the examination table.

"Hello, Captian Sebastian, what seems to be the problem with the omega?" She asked, her tone both friendly and professional. Her name was Lysa. Her hair was dark and pulled into a high professional-looking bun. Her eyes were whiskey in color.

"Malnutrition, mute, and who knows what else," I said, listing what I believed to be wrong with the girl. Lysa nodded before getting to work. She started with trying to take Sawyer's blood pressure.

"Sir, I think I'll head back home to see if Hendrik needs help," I heard Clementine whisper. I nodded in acknowledgment before she left. I focused on Sawyer. She glared and fought with Lysa every step of the way. I sighed. This was going to be a long process.