• CHAPTER FIVE: VAMPIRE LOVE Q&A



    Leo’s arms were hugging me close, holding me secure, and somewhat trapped, but I made no effort to try and get out. His embrace was like steel, cold to the touch, and unbreakable, but it wasn’t the strength that bothered me. I was wishing I had thought to put on a sweater… I rested my head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. He gently wrapped his arms tighter, and I silently ran through all of my thoughts.

    So what if I didn’t know all of the technicalities of this? So what if he was a vampire? So what is I had just met him but already knew I was going to be with him forever? So what if I was technically cheating on Jared? Mmm… that thought struck a chord. With some difficulty, I tried to pull away from Leo’s hold. His arms dropped to his sides immediately once he realized what I wanted. He looked slightly confused as I studied his face. I had only known him for fifteen minutes, but when I looked into his eyes, I saw a lifetime. I was absolutely sure of the fact that he was my destiny, but a million questions had just sprung out of nowhere.

    “Sarah?” he asked hesitantly, “Did I do something wrong?”

    I shook my head and bit my lip, trying to assemble my questions. I took his hand and led him over to my bed. We both sat down, about a foot apart. I sighed and started tracing the pattern on my quilt. He caught my hand and titled my chin up so he could look into my eyes. The expression on his perfect face was full of worry and uncertainty.

    “Sarah? What’s going through your head right now?” he whispered softly.

    “I don’t really know. I’m kind of confused.” I replied, listening to the muffled TV downstairs.

    He swiveled his body so we were face to face and said softly, “I don’t want you to be upset. I’m sorry, Sarah. Everything changed so quickly for you. I know you probably have a thousand questions… I’ll answer anything as best as I can. Please, Sarah... It pains me to see you upset. I want to see a smile on your beautiful face.”

    I pursed my lips and blew out a long breath, then looked up at Leo. He squeezed my hand and waited patiently for my response.

    “Okay.” I sighed, “I want to know everything. Where you’re from, what’s next, and what I’m supposed to do for right now.” I said, and waited for his next words, the words that would tell my fate.

    He pursed his lips and glanced at me, the edges of his mouth curling up in a smile. “Everything? That’s a pretty high request, but I’ll try. Hmm, what to start with… Okay, my full name: Leonardo Edward Nordstrom.”

    “Leonardo?” I asked, suppressing a laugh.

    “Yeah, as in DaVinci. It made me feel ancient, so I started going by Leo.” he replied.

    “Leonardo DaVampire.” I whispered jokingly, wanting to hear him laugh again.

    He chuckled but then said seriously, “Okay, Sarah, now for all the other important stuff. I’m from a place called Wynder. It’s a vampire city far away from here.”

    “Vampires have cities?” I asked, trying to understand this new world that would someday be mine.

    “Yes. They’re all over the world.”

    “How do humans not know about them?”

    “Well, we try not to make ourselves known for what we are. It’s easier that way, trust me. We are able to interact with humans normally; it’s just... better if they stay out of our cities.”

    “Huh… So how did you know who I was and all of that stuff?” I asked, not wanting to go into the reason why humans should stay out of vampire cities. We would be able to talk about that later.

    “Well, when a vampire turns seventeen, they have to be ‘screened’ in their city hall. The screening bonds them to someone, anywhere in the world. Once you’ve been bonded, you’re connected to that person forever. They are your other half, the one that completes you. If one dies, then other dies too. Those bonded can’t be separated for long or they become very weak. I’ve heard it’s actually difficult to try and stay away.”

    “So, if you left right now and didn’t come back for a while, I’d get sick or something?”

    “Sort of. You’re still a human, so it would be slightly worse for you, but… let’s not talk about that now.”

    I nodded, the words ‘still a human’ echoing in my mind. I tried to shrug it off, saving it for a later date.

    After a somewhat awkward pause, Leo cleared his throat and said, “Anyways, a bond can never be broken. It’s also impossible to have more than one. After the screening is complete, the vampire is given the name, picture, and location of their partner and then sent off to find them.”

    “So that’s how you knew everything.”

    “Yes, but I still don’t know very much about you, except that you have a boyfriend named Jared, a single mother, and a very messy closet.” he said, grinning.

    I rolled my eyes playfully and then frowned as I thought of Jared. In one hour, everything I had ever felt for him had gone up in a smoke. The bond had tied Leo and I together and there was no room for anyone else. The phantom sizzle of Jared’s lips burned my cheek as I speculated what I was going to do about him.

    As if he could read my thoughts, Leo cleared my uncertainty. “About your boyfriend, Jared… If a person is bonded while they’re in a previous relationship, it’s best to end it right away. The sooner, the better. When your heart belongs to someone else forever, it’s somewhat impossible. . He’ll be okay though, he’s human, and he’ll forget after a while. Sorry… it’s not the most pleasant situation.” he said apologetically.

    “I guess it’s for the best.” I said sadly, knowing it would still hurt anyway.

    “Oh, I almost forgot. Your mother doesn’t have to know anything about this. She’s fine, and you can just lead a normal life around her. You can just tell her I’m your boyfriend for now. That is, after…Jared’s out of the picture.”

    “Oh… That’s… good, I guess.” I said. The whole Jared thing was a little depressing, and I hadn’t been sure how I was going to break the news to my mom that I already knew who I was spending the rest of my life with and I wasn’t even seventeen!

    Leo smiled gently and pulled me into his arms again. I settled into him and rested my head on his cold shoulder. We sat like this for a while, idly passing the time that would someday stretch into forever. It was just past 9:30 when I heard the TV turn off.

    He brushed his fingers along my cheek and I suddenly fell back onto my headboard. He was no longer behind me, but I heard him whisper, “Sleep well, Sarah....” as his chilly breeze swept through my room once more…