Affinity

Chapter 23: Recognition

"Are you sure you're okay?" AJ had grabbed the car door when Nastia went to close it and was now leaning over, giving her a pleasant view of the pulse in his neck. What she would give to taste the heat he radiated...

She instead sucked in her breath and asked in an exhale, "Why does Ethan want you to stay away from this guy?"

He glanced back at where Ethan was loading his trunk. "This is my first time meeting him, too. Did you seriously just avoid my question?"

"Yeah, she does that," Pam said from the backseat where she had already buckled herself in.

"Figures," he said, smirking.

"I'm okay! Can you answer my question, or will I need to ask Ethan?" Nastia asked.

"Ethan is on edge as it is. Don't bother him about it."

"Then you tell me."

"It isn't my place to tell you," he said casting a wary glance towards their trainer as he took his place behind the steering wheel.

"Are you going to ride with us, AJ?" Pam asked hopefully. Nastia glared at her best friend in the rearview mirror through narrowed eyes.

"No... Te veo allí. I will meet you there," he said, closing Nastia's door before walking to his own car.

"You can ride with him if you want," Nastia sighed. The vampire hasn't encouraged Pam's crush on AJ since she found out he was her Affinity, for obvious reasons. So then why do it now? Because she couldn't help the twisting blade of guilt she felt for developing her own feelings for him.

Pam merely shook her head, declining the suggestion without consideration. That is how her unrequited crush has sustained itself all these years. By never acknowledging it, never taking decisive action to explore that infatuation, it sits within digging deep roots. Such trivial matters were not worth pondering though.

Gunther was a dangerous foe and Nastia couldn't afford to be distracted around him, especially by trifling teen romances and useless love triangles. She needed to know who she was dealing with and fast. With those thoughts, Anastasia asked Ethan about Gunther as soon as he started driving.

"Why do I want AJ to stay away from Gunther? The fact he is a child beater isn't enough of a reason?"

"You made it sound like he did that to train a Helsing."

Ethan side-eyed her. "Guess there are those in the order who do believe that, given the circumstances, his actions were justified. Growing up, I justified it to some extent."

"I'm not saying I agree with his training methods or that it was right, but there has to be more to it than that." Her blood boiled at the thought of anyone touching AJ, but she kept her cool to get the full story.

"You're right. Saying he beat us is too simple. It's a long story, but I'd actually like to hear yours first."

Her heart stopped. "Mine?"

"Pam has told me all about her home life. But I have yet to hear anything about your family. Are both your parents still around?"

"Oh, yeah. They're around. There isn't much I can say. They don't really care what I do or where I go most of the time. I am not... worthy of their attention. I have an older brother, but he is out of the house living his own life." She tossed this out with an air of nonchalance, hoping her answers didn't seem too evasive.

"Okay, I figured that was the case. Pam told me you spend a lot of time at her house with her family and AJ has told me you were well off. I just wanted to hear what was going on at home from you... and just so you know, Nastia, you do not need to prove your worth to anyone. Don't go selling yourself short. It's a hard lesson to learn, but I promise you are not just what your parents made you."