Date With A Vampire

13.

**Jayce's Pov.**

"I don't want to be a vampire, mommy. What if I scare the other kids off?" A boy no older than seven questioned standing beside his mothers car who stood in front of the other before kneeling down.
"No one will run off because no one will know." She reassured him and his brows knitted.
"B-But what if-"
"Jayce." His eyes swelled with tears and she sighed softly before brushing her child's tears away.
"I know it's a big secret you have to keep to yourself but this is how you have to live. If there was a school for kids like you, I would send you there, but you have to be a human for me baby." She told him and he frowned.
"What if I mess up?"
"You won't." She smiled softly.
"You're only a child and no one would believe you, something like being a vampire to a human would only sound made up because vampires don't exist." She told him.
He stared at her frowning.
"But mommy-"
"We're not going to keep talking about this, look all the other children are going in already, what did we say we were going to do on our first day?" She asked him and he frowned.

"Make friends-"
"Yes, make some friends and blend in." She said with a smile and it just made him dizzy.
"I'll be back here at two to pick you up, so have a good first day." She told him pushing him forward.
He wanted her to hug him.
So he could have something to cling onto.
To maybe change her mind about sending him here.
He didn't want to be a vampire where he had to hide.
But if he didn't hide.
He'd scare the other kids.
And in worse case scenarios.
He could be ripped away from what he called home.

"Hi I'm Adrian!" This pale boy was standing at his desk with curly brown hair and light brown eyes, he almost looked like a doll.
Jayce's brows were knitted.
"H-Hi-"
"What's your name?" The kid known as Adrian asked him and he was starting to feel anxious.
"Jayce." He spoke softly.
"Jayce? Cool name! Hey Jayce I don't know any kids here yet, do you maybe wanna be friends?" He asked the other.
Jayce stared.
"F-Friends?"
Adrian smiled big.
"Uh huh!"
The feeling of warmth ran over Jayce as he sat in his desk before smiling softly.
"Sure." He smiled.
"Let's be friends."

My eyes shot open and everything suddenly ached.
I thought I died..
I looked around and didn't recognize anything in this room.
Where was I?
I sat up but only hissed in pain before the wound on my side began to bleed again.
My face flushed red as the white bandage soaked the red color in.

"You're finally awake I see, about time, we were beginning to wonder how long you'd sleep." I blinked a few times to this guy who walked into the room, he made me think of a doctor but there was nothing professional on him except his tone of voice talking to me just now.

"You busted your wound open, just how fast did you-"
"Where am I?" I demanded.
The blond stood there before frowning at me.
"You're at your friend's boyfriends house, where else do you think you'd be after what happened to the two of you?" He asked me and everything suddenly went numb.
"We were attacked.."
"Uh huh." The blond pulled the bandage off and I hissed glaring at him as he smirked softly.
"Sorry, I guess I should of told you to relax." He told me.

"Where's Adrian?" I asked him trying not to kill him.
He stared for a moment.
"Fully recovered, it only took him two days but we're keeping the two of you under house arrest for a few more days-"
"House arrest? I have a home--a family, school even! I can't-"

"You can and you will." My eyes fell on the door where this brunet stood.
His eyes matched this blonds perfectly.
Brothers?
I glared in response which only earned a smirk from the brunet.
"We've already taken care of the three of your families letting them know you're on some kind of trip, it's only temporary until we know it's safe for you to leave." He explained and my eye twitched.
"Why wouldn't it be safe?" I asked him and the blond looked at me.

"Because the one who tried killing you, Adrian and Nick is still out there and wanting anyone involved with our dear cousin, dead." He explained to me and I stared at my fresh bandages.
"So we're supposed to just stay here because of a pissed off vampire?" I asked.
"Look if you want to go out there and let Magna kill you, go for it, we're not huge fans of having two humans and a half blood in this home that's kept us safe either." He told me.

"Did you just call me a half blood?" I glared.
"You're a vampire but you pose as a human, might as well take the middle road and call you what makes sense." He shrugged and I frowned deeply.

"Is he finally awake?" My eyes fell on the door where Abel stood.
His arms were crossed and was taking me in as if debating something.
"He is." The blond glanced to me.
"Try not to rip your wound open again, healing takes more out of me than you realize." He scolded and I frowned bracing myself to stand.

"Where are Adrian and Devyn?" I asked him slowly walking down the hall.
"In the dinning hall eating dinner, we may be having to keep you guys here for now, but we still know to feed humans." He explained and I looked away.
"I'm not hungry-"
"You will eat Jayce, you lost a lot of blood the other night and need to regain your strength." Abel told me and I glared at him.
"Let me rephrase this then, I don't want to face Adrian and Devyn, I know they know and.."

"They won't reject you if that's what you're scared of happening." He told me and I looked at him with knitted brows.
He glanced to me smirking softly.
"Adrian put the pieces together and found out so when I told him, he already knew, and Maverick told Devyn when he brought him here." He said and I looked away.
"It's different though, I'm the best friend." I spoke softly and he looked at me before smiling softly.
"I think you're doubting your relationship with them too easily, they're not mad at you Jayce, it took convincing but if anything. They're sad you didn't tell them." He shrugged and I came to a stop which caused him to stop as well.

"You think I didn't want to tell them? From the first day I met those two, I wanted to tell them I was a vampire but the family I lived with wouldn't let me be what I was.. I wanted to tell them both every day because keeping the secret from them killed me." I looked at him.
Abel stared back.
"That's another thing we're having a meeting about today in the main hall, it was Nick's idea but we're going to talk about it again in which you'll confirm something for us." He told me pushing the door open that lead to the dinning room and I was terrified to face them.

But Adrian's eyes met mine and he nearly fell out of his chair from eating what looked like pizza.

"You're awake!" He announced and Devyn ran after him before the two nearly tackled me to the ground.
"We didn't know if you were going to wake up!" Adrian cried hugging me and my side was starting to hurt but this hug hurt so much more.

"You guys shouldn't be hugging me, you should be angry." I frowned deeply and Adrian glared.
"We were angry-"
"Angry you didn't tell us!" Devyn cut the other off grabbing my face.
"Our best friend has been a fucking vampire this whole time, do you realize how jealous we are? I mean sure you made us look like a pair of idiots making it sound like vampires didn't exist, but they do and you're a living example!" He grinned and my brows were knitted as I started to feel overwhelmed.
"You're not mad?" I frowned and Adrian looked at me.
"No Jayce, we're not mad. Sure we were sore you didn't tell us but after Abel and the others actually explained it to us on why you couldn't tell us, it made sense and we understood. We've just been waiting for you to wake up to actually hug you and to let you know," he took my hand in his and looked at me.
"We accept you for what you are." He smiled and the tears rolled down my cheeks looking at these two.
"You're our best friend and we're not going anywhere." Devyn smirked.

"Except to the table to finish your meals because we have a meeting shortly." Maverick commented walking in with the one who made my stomach twist but at the same time feel anxious around.
Nathan.
He paid me no mind as he walked over to the table with the other.

"Do you guys know about the meeting?" I asked and Adrian glanced to me taking his seat.
"Kind of, I overheard Abel talking to Styx about it and-"
"Who is Styx?"
"The blond kid who was fixing your bandages." Abel informed me and I blinked before mouthing an oh.
Adrian stared.
"But I can't exactly say anything because it's regarding you? So I guess we'll hear all about it shortly." He shrugged and I couldn't believe how calm these two were being.
We were in a home full of vampires and they made it seem like this was just another home.
I stared at the plate and felt sick to my stomach.
I couldn't stop thinking about what we were fixing to talk about.
That was regarding me..

"Are we all present?" This woman who Abel addressed as Zendaya questioned standing on the staircase next to her mate, Hendrix.
Styx looked around.
"It seems so." He told her and she nodded looking at everyone.

"A lot has happened the last few days my children, what we least wanted to happen has in fact happened, Magna has returned here and is after anyone involved with Abel, that includes us." She stated and my brows knitted.
Why was this guy after Abel that it would resort in the death of innocent vampires and humans?
I frowned deeply.
"If we just tell Dallas-"
"We're not involving anyone else." Zendaya declined looking at this girl in a light red dress and no shoes, her brown hair was done in curls that she had on the side which helped expose her brown eyes with a red tint to them.

"This will be our problem, I mainly wanted to address the main issue, the next one would be the fact our secret has been found out by the three outsiders in this room, but they are no longer considered as such. Instead these three are welcomed into our home, Adrian and Devyn are the first humans I've came across who have both agreed to carry our secret to their graves. They are our friends who we have also sworn to keep safe." She said with such a kind smile.
I looked to my two best friends who actually were smiling back about this fact.
They really were something.

"And lastly, we have Jayce Hart." She addressed and my eyes fell on her as she smiled.
"Please come up here for a moment." She told me and my legs moved on their own as I walked past the eyes on every vampire who stared at me.
I made it up to her and she smiled softly.
"We were informed of your living situation by Nick who was stressed to the point he asked for our help in convincing you to come here." She said and my throat went dry.

"Come here?" I frowned and she looked at me.
"You've been a vampire the last sixteen years of living and haven't once been able to live as one but forced to live as a human, something you weren't born as and something you never should of been forced to be." She frowned and I was beginning to feel flushed standing there.
"I know it's a lot to think about and something you may not even want to do, but we'd like to welcome you into living with us here at this mansion, Jayce." She told me and I stared at her trying not to let my emotions take over again.
"I'd like to think I speak for everyone when I say we'd feel better with you living here with us, rather than in a human household where they won't even let you drink blood." She stated and my brows knitted as the tears burned looking at her.

"I will not force you into making a decision right away Jayce, but I-"
"What happens if I agree, what about that family? They still care about me I think, am I supposed to just no longer exist?" I asked and the question itself hurt more than I'd like it to.
Zendaya studied me frowning.
"What we'd do is wipe their memories of you ever existing, we would get rid of the evidence and after that. We would call what we call our doctor who would come here and erase your memories of them as well-"
"But compulsion doesn't work-"
"It does when this doctor is more along the lines of being a witch with the magic they have, trust me when I say they have powerful things in their home that would make even the eldest vampire forget what they had for breakfast that morning." She told me and my eyes grew wide.

She smiled softly.
"I want you comfortable is what I'm saying and you don't seem comfortable living as a human when you're clearly a vampire. I want you to get stronger as what you are and what you're not, you don't belong there. You belong here with your own kind who can teach you and help you evolve as a vampire." She explained.

It was a lot to take in.
To give up what I called a home to come here and live as something I was and to live with those who would help me embrace that life.
..

"I've never even drank before, what if I lost control?" I asked her.
She smiled softly.
"You take small steps into learning to tame your thirst as we all have, I have a few children here who are ready to help you without even being asked because they want to see you evolve as much as I do. If you were not a vampire you would of died the other night when Magna attacked you three, but even though you are weak, you still managed to survive. It's a true miracle and I want to see where you go as a vampire." She told me.

I looked to Adrian and Devyn who were both looking right at me.
"What about my friends? Would I still be able to see them?" I frowned and she smiled softly.
"Of course, they're welcome in this home of ours. We trust them like they trust us, we wouldn't invite you to live here but also inform you that your friends couldn't be involved any longer. You three are friends, family even the more you think about it. They know your secret and declared they were staying right where they are." She smiled.

I thought about it.
All my life I wanted to know what it would be like to live as a vampire.
To hide but in the way I knew I was supposed to.
Where I could exist as a vampire and go home as one without being judged for it.

"It's a lot to take in, but just think-"
"I want to." I told her and her eyes lit up.
I didn't even register the fact the words were ready to leave my lips so fast.
But they did and it felt like the right answer.
I could be myself if I lived here.
I wouldn't have to hide.
It felt like the right choice.
To give up the family who took me in to tell me to pretend I was human.
The family who wouldn't let me embrace what I was.
But to only shame me for it.

"Are you sure?" I heard someone ask and I think it was Maverick.
I looked over my shoulder to the group and he raised his hands in defense.
"Sorry moving into a home of vampires can be a bit overwhelming, are you sure you don't want more time to think about this?" He asked me and my throat went dry.
Why was I suddenly feeling self doubt about my answer..?

"Maverick do not bring in the negativity please, the child has gave us his answer and we will help him adjust to living here. It's not like he says it is here, you'll see that." She smiled softly.
And it felt reassuring.
I wanted it to feel reassuring.
And with her.
That's how it felt.

I just couldn't put the real thought on this feeling.
I know there was warmth and comfort with each thing she said to me.
But it was like there was something else.
Something important.
..
What was it?