Impassioned |Book 1|

Chapter 11

Grayson had picked me up, taking me into my bathroom and running a bath. We sat together, him behind me, as he held me against him in the steaming water. My head was laid back between his shoulder and neck, Grayson's finger lightly running up and down my stomach. He had to leave soon, since he had already stayed longer than he had intended to. I didn't know how I would get through the last couple of weeks without him, but I had no choice. I began replaying the events in the bedroom over in my head, my stomach fluttering as I remembered how possessive he had been. Something about Blane's scent had made him snap, but I wasn't complaining. I sort of liked that side of Grayson, the side that demanded for me to know I was his, and no one else's. I pondered on his words, that Blane wasn't human. After a moment, I turned my head, looking up at him. "If Blane isn't human, then what is he?" I asked quietly, feeling his finger stop it's movements against my stomach.

Grayson glanced at me, turning me around in his arms, which went around my waist. "I'm not sure. Just from the little bit of his scent I got, he seems to be a hybrid of sorts."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Vampire? Or something else."

Grayson shook his head. "No, definitely not vampire. It was too sweet to be vampire."

"Sweet?" I asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Every person has their own scent. It's how you distinguish who they are. But, each species smells a certain way. You, for example, have a simple smell, since you're human. There's not really a bitterness or sweetness to it, it's just there. Vampires have a darker, seductive scent. It's what helped us hunt humans back in ancient times. Humans were drawn to our scent, so it made it easier to hunt without drawing much attention to ourselves. Wolves have a more animal like scent, since they're part wolf." He paused, chuckling a little to himself. "It's actually more of a wet dog smell."

I smacked his chest, my eyebrows pulling together. "Grayson, stop it."

He rolled his eyes, rubbing his hand up and down my back. "The merpeople smell like the ocean, since it's their primary place of living. And the fairies have a woodsy scent, since the woods is where they originate."

"What about the witches?" I asked, interested in what he was saying.

"There's is more herbal, not woodsy, but a stronger scent." he answered.

I sat up, placing my hands on his shoulders. "You said Blane's scent was sweet. What would that mean?"

Grayson thought for a moment, acting like he didn't really know the answer. "I'm not sure. Sometimes, when there's a hybrid, their scent can change. I wouldn't know what he was unless I was around him and able to smell the scent better."

I nodded, my eyes shifting to his hair, knowing he wasn't going to like the next thing I said. "So, say I was able to get something with his scent on it? Could you tell then?" I mumbled, my fingers playing with his hair nervously.

He narrowed his eyes, his hands tightening on my waist. "Why are you so curious about what he is?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of jealousy to it.

I rolled my eyes, moving up higher on his legs, wrapping my arms around his neck. "It's not like that. I'd just like to know. He was really nice, and he's just moved to the school. I don't wanna shun the guy just cause we don't know if he's dangerous or not."

Grayson gave me a look, sighing. "Yes, as long as I can smell his scent better, I can tell what he is." His voice darkened as he sat up, our faces inches apart. "If he touches you, I'll kill him, Grace. I don't care what he is, he better not touch you."

I smirked, pressing my lips to his slowly, before pulling back. "He won't. He already knows I'm taken." I said, running my finger over his sharp jaw.

He studied my eyes a moment, before slowly nodding, sitting back into the tub. We got out once the water had turned cold, Grayson helping dry me off, since I was sore from his actions in the bedroom. He picked me up, sitting me on the bed, before going to my dresser and pulling out a new pair of underwear. He helped me slide them on, getting me a T-shirt and shorts to put on, since it was nearly dark out. I let him put them on me, watching as he dressed himself back in his suit. After he finished, he came to stand between my legs, his hands caressing my cheeks gently. I laid my head against his stomach, breathing in the smell of him, knowing he was getting ready to leave. One of his hands went behind my head, cradling it to him, while the other rested on my back. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me, already beginning to miss him as we held one another.

After a few minutes, Grayson pulled back, crouching down so we were eye level to one another. He held my face in his hands, his eyes boring into mine. "I have to go, Love."

I nodded, my hands grabbing onto his forearms, tears pricking my eyes. "I know." I replied, my voice wavering.

"Don't do that, Love." He said, pulling me into him, his hand cradling the back of my head. "I'll come back next week, okay? I should have some free time, hopefully."

I buried my face in his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his skin. "Okay, please take care of Roger. Tell him we love him."

Grayson nodded, squeezing me softly, before pulling away. He pressed his lips to mine, moving them slowly, promising he would be back soon. We pulled away, and he stood, going over to window and sliding it up. I stood and walked to him, watching him sling his leg out, before turning back to me. "Be careful, Grace. You and your parents stay in at night, and don't invite anyone in you don't know. I'll figure out whose doing all this." he promised. I nodded, caressing his cheek and pulling him into another kiss. This one was faster, more needy, and Grayson was the one to pull back. He wore a small smile, leaning back in to press his lips against mine in a short peck. "Don't kiss me like that. I'll never leave." he joked, causing a giggle to tumble past my lips.

"I love you. Be safe, Grayson." I said, stepping back so he could leave.

He nodded, giving me another smile. "I will. I love you."

I watched him climb the rest of the way out the window, dropping down to the ground below. I remained standing in the window, watching as he walked to the middle of the backyard, pulling something small out his pocket. He tossed it, and I watched it erupt into a light, a portal. Without looking back, he stepped inside, and the portal disappeared with his body. It was bittersweet, seeing him. He had only been with me a few hours, but I cherished every moment. He had responsibilities that were bigger than the two of us. Running his realm, making sure the people stayed in line, both within the realm, and outside of it. I never would comprehend how he did it, but he did.

With those thoughts in mind, I finally realized that one day, I would have those same responsibilities. I was destined to him, by some higher power that I wasn't even aware existed. The thought scared me a little, forcing me to move slowly back to my bed, and sit down. My knees had grown weak at the realization that I was a queen. Well, not officially, but I would be. One day. I would one day be Grace King, Queen of the vampiric realm. It was surreal, how a simple human like myself could be destined for such things. I didn't question it much, reminding myself that Grayson was my mate for a reason. He would guide me, teaching me his peoples ways. It would be okay.

My thoughts then went to Blane, curiosity coursing through me as I wondered what he was. He seemed normal enough, at least to me. Maybe he didn't know he wasn't human? No, how could one not know they weren't human? None of it made sense, but I was determined to figure it out. What if he had something to do with the breach in the portal? Could he know something about it? Did he know of the existence of vampires? Could he sense Grayson was my mate when he was around me? Was that even a thing? I knew I had to be careful, but also needed to get answers. Grayson hadn't gotten anywhere since he had been back home. He needed all the help he could get. Finally growing tired of the questions swimming in my mind, I forced myself to close my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.