Paradigm Shift

Bonded

[Three days later]

* * *
Dean

Seth had called Stephanie to let her know what was happening, and I was trying my best to occupy myself so that I didn't spend all day thinking about Jasmine. So far (over the past few days) I had sorted through the blood supply and made a note of what we were short off, worked out in the basement, unpacked my luggage and made my way down to the indoor pool area where I checked the chlorine levels. I did the same with the outdoor pool and cleaned it while I was there and I had spent endless hours in the basement gym. I made my way down to the games room. Roman was already down there and was arranging the balls inside the triangle on the pool table.

"Fancy a game?" 

"Sure" I replied

I played for a while but my heart wasn't really in it and Roman noticed 

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Just anxious" I admitted. "I hate waiting, you know?" 

"Oh. I know" he replied.

"I'm both happy and upset that Jasmine's now a vampire" I admitted

"Why?" Roman asked

"I'm happy because she won't grow old and die while I stay the same age forever" I explained "But I'm also upset because I think I might have bonded with her"

"Well, yeah, that goes without saying!" Roman replied. "I mean, the two of you are practically in a relationship"

I shook my head. "I'm referring to a blood bond. I think I may have bonded with her. Unintentionally" 

Roman shook his head slightly. "What's so bad about that?" 

I took a shot at a striped ball near a corner pocket and missed. "The bond would have been formed from the moment they injected my venom into her bloodstream. She didn't have a choice"

Before Roman could say anything else, Seth appeared in the games room. 

"Stephanie was practically jumping for joy" Seth stated

"Of course she was. She just gained another indestructible employee" I answered. "She can work her as hard as she wants now and she'll never get tired or injured"

Seth picked up the black ball and threw it in the air a few times before rolling it towards the nearest pocket. It fell into the pocket with a thud and I threw my pool stick down on the table.

Roman glared at Seth. "Do you mind! We were in the middle of a game!"

"Yeah well Dr. Nyle called and said we could visit" Seth replied. "I thought you'd like to know." 

As we made our way to Zen medical centre, I was both anxious and excited and I had zoned out for most of the journey as Seth's whiny voice droned on and on. I only caught on to a few words like gummies and Jasmine being better company than we were.

"Dean!"

I blinked "huh?"

"I asked if you are ok?" Roman repeated. "You zoned out on us." 

"Do you think Jasmine will still want to be with me now that she's a vampire?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't she?" Roman asked 

"Because the moment she became a vampire, my appeal disappeared. I'll no longer have that natural attractive pull she's used to feeling" I explained 

"But you said yourself that she showed no signs of being affected by that" Roman reminded me. "In fact, you said that was one reason you were so drawn to her because she was different."