Our Demons {Kai Parker Book 1}

seven: in which she recalls Benedict

"Before my sixteenth birthday, I was clueless and indifferent about the supernatural in the world. I was your typical teenager who had mommy and daddy issues, who went to school and had bullies to face, and who came home every night wishing for something more.

"When I turned sixteen, I promised to change my life by taking control of everything. That night, my parents fought again. They were screaming, slamming doors, at one point my mother grabbed a knife and slashed my dad's arm with it. I had a younger sister who was at a sleepover, and I couldn't take the chaos happening as I hid in my room alone, so I snuck out.

"The house was flashing with colours and lights, the smell of drugs and alcohol stained the air, people groping each other and kissing strangers, stumbling into rooms. I didn't want to be alone, so I stayed at the stranger's party. I stood by a wall listening to music and watching people too drunk to recognize faces.

"I wasn't the only sober one there that night. Across from me was an older guy; black hair, electric blue eyes, tall, staring me down with such intensity that I couldn't bring myself to look away. I mean, you go your whole life with people barely glancing at you, and when they did it was to calculate their attacks. But not him. He was different, and I didn't know if this was good or bad.

"He walked up to me, turning away from bodies and brushing past hands all the while holding my gaze.

"Hi, my name's Benedict."

"I went to shake his outstretched hand, but instead, his fingers brought my hand close to his mouth, where his lips planted a kiss so light I was about to faint. I didn't know why or how he had such an effect on me, but I didn't care either. I told him my name, and we danced. Not the crazy dancing that empowered by alcohol and driven by lust, no, this elegant, gentle, I forgot we were in a house surrounded by drunk teenagers because as his hand rested on the small of my back, his other hand held mine, his eyes searching my soul, I could have sworn we were at a ball.

"But then my phone vibrated in my pocket and reality came crashing down. It was my dad, and I knew I had to get home right away.

"I'm sorry, I have to go,"

"Let me walk you home."

"But I couldn't risk him finding out how damaged my life was.

"No, I'll be fine."

"The moment I got home and closed the door behind me he grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling me up the stairs and yelling. This was nothing new. Whenever she left after they argued, he would take out whatever was left of his anger on me.

"I didn't go outside for a week after that, bruises aren't that easy to hide when they're on your face. I couldn't even see my sister, he was scared she would tell the teachers at school what had happened to me. It wasn't her fault for not knowing though, she was only four.

"A week later when I got to school, Benedict was waiting for me at the front doors. And by the end of the day, I had forgotten all about the crazy life I had at home. See, Benedict was quiet but he didn't need words to tell me how he was feeling. He held out a bouquet of flowers, shuffling from foot to foot.

"You were gone for a week."

"It was a fact, I couldn't deny it. He had obviously asked around, and I feared him coming to know of the abuse I was enduring. I was thankful when he dropped the topic, smiling warmly and said,

"I was hoping you'd let me take you out,"

"I should have said no and not just because he shouldn't have found out about my parents, but because of who Benedict really was. He was a vampire, centuries old and for some reason, he was attracted to the idea of being with me. We went out a few times, each time being cut short when I feared my parents would find out, but after the fifth date I knew I liked him and for that reason I had to push him away.