The morning rolled around sooner than I had hoped. Grayson and I laid tangled in the bed, the bloodied sheets from the night before laying in a heap on the floor. We had showered before laying down, so both our skin had been cleaned from any remaining blood. Grayson was laid behind me, his left arm hooked around my waist, while his right was under my head. I laid with my back to him, his head nestled between my shoulder and neck. His soft breathing nearly lulled me back to sleep, but, much like the morning before, Grayson's phone rang through the room.
He groaned, slowly untangling himself from me as he leaned behind him to where his phone lay on the bedside table. He grabbed it, grumbling to himself before answering. I rolled over, watching him speak to whoever was on the other line, telling them when he and Emma planned on leaving, and when he planned on coming back here. "Yes, she's right here." he suddenly said, glancing at me with a smile on his face.
My anxiety pricked, not knowing who he was talking too and wondering why they were asking about me.
He held the phone out to me, his grin still on his face. "It's my mom. She wants to speak to you."
I swallowed hard, nodding softly and grabbing the phone. "Hello?"
"Grace! Ugh, it's amazing to finally hear your voice, Dear. How are you?" Grayson's mother's voice filled my ear.
I started at Grayson, my mouth agape as I fished for words. "I'm good, Mrs.King. It's nice to finally speak to you. How are you?"
"I'm good, Dear. Grayson tells me you'll be coming to visit in a few weeks?" Her voice was soft, but held power and confidence when she spoke.
"Yes, Ma'am, if that's alright with you, that is." I replied nervously.
Her laugh filled the phone, light and airy, as if I had told a joke. "Of course, Dear. My husband and I look forward to meeting you. I wanted to ask what your favorite foods were? I'm a bit of a connoisseur, so I look forward to having someone to cook for. I wanted to make sure we had things you would like."
I glanced at Grayson once more, feeling myself relax at how kind the woman who raised him was. I was venturing to a new realm, full of vampires who I didn't even know existed up until a few weeks ago, and she was worried about making me comfortable. It was sweet, and really showed her character wasn't just being talked up by everyone. "Thank you, Mrs.King. Anything is fine. I'm not a very picky person. I do enjoy trying new things if you need a Guinea pig."
She laughed once more, and I could practically hear the smile in her voice. "I do, actually. I'll have Grayson send back some things with him. I'm sure Emma already has a list of things to bring back."
I giggled at her words. "I'll suggest some things to him and her before they leave."
"Okay, Dear. Well, I'm sure you want to spend as much time with Gray as you can before he leaves. I'll let you get back to it. Have a good day, Sweety. I can't wait to meet, again!"
"Yes, ma'am, you too!" The phone clicked, and I let out a breath, handing the phone back to Grayson. "She seems so nice." I mumbled, giggling softly as my nerves seem to leave my body completely.
Grayson still wore a smile, laying the phone back on the bedside table. He rolled back over, his head resting on my naked chest as he inhaled deeply. "She is. She's genuinely excited to meet you, so try not to get worked up about it when I'm gone."
"I won't. I'm excited too." I mumbled, running my fingers through his hair. "What time will you be leaving tomorrow?"
"Before sunrise. The protection spell wears off at sunrise in the morning."
I smiled, nodding my head, trying not to get emotional at him leaving. "Is it gonna hurt when you leave? With the mate bond thing?"
He picked his head up, his gaze locking onto mine. "No, I won't let it. I'll be back, Sweetheart. I promise." I nodded again.
"I know. I just... I don't know. I've never felt this way, so it's new."
He gave me a loving smile, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "I know, I haven't either. But it won't be for long. I'll come back, get you, and you can spend the rest of your next break with me. It'll be worth it." He laid his head back on my chest, his arms wrapping around me. "Like you said, a lifetime is nothing compared to forever. A few weeks is nothing if you think about it."
I smiled at his words, a genuine and happy smile. He was right. Deciding to just enjoy the time I had with him, I relaxed against the pillows, letting his steady breaths lull me back to sleep.
It was dark out when we finally made our way out the bedroom. Emma and Preston were sitting in the living room, some sitcom playing on the TV that neither of them seemed to be watching. Grayson led me through, stopping to grab his keys and turn to the two vampires lounging on the couch. "I'm taking Grace home, so if you'd like to say your goodbyes for now, go ahead."
Emma smiled and nodded, standing up from the couch, her fiery red hair bouncing on top of her head in the messy bun she had styled it in with every step. "It was so good to meet you. I can't wait to show you around once you come visit."
I smiled back, accepting her hug as she opened her arms. "It was nice meeting you, too. I can't wait."
We pulled away, and Emma's eyes immediately went to my throat. She smiled giddily, a small squeal falling from her lips. "I'm so happy for you two! I can't wait to have a sister!" she exclaimed, noticing the bite mark on my neck. "I think I would let him heal them before going back to your parents, though." she mumbled teasingly, winking jokingly at me.
I giggled and nodded, turning to Preston, who had made his way over.
He smiled politely at me, nodding his head. "I look forward to seeing you again. Call if you need us for anything before Grayson comes back."
I nodded, smiling back at him. "I will. Thank you, Preston. Tell the twins I said bye?"
"Of course." he replied, nodding his head once.
Grayson nudged me gently, leading me to the door and out to his car. He opened my door for me, shutting it once I had climbed in. He made his way to the driver side, climbing in himself and starting the car. It was a warm night, so he turned the A/C on low, letting the cool air fill the car as we drove back to my parents. The ride was quiet, both of us sitting in a comfortable silence, but also dreading saying our goodbyes. After what felt like much too short of a drive, he pulled into my parents' driveway, parking the car behind my Jeep. We remained quiet for a moment, before Grayson reached over and grasped my hand in his much larger one. Our eyes met, and I could see the different emotions swimming in his brown eyes.
"I'll be back, I promise." he whispered, not wanting to break the silence in the car.
I smiled sadly. "I know, Grayson. I'll be waiting."
He gave me a sad smile, leaning over the console and capturing my lips in his. The kiss was soft, slow, but still full of passion nevertheless. I could practically feel his sadness at leaving seeping through the kiss, and couldn't stop a few stray tears from running down my cheeks. He pulled away, wiping one of the tears from my cheek. "Hey, none of that. I don't want you sad while I'm gone."
"I know. I can't help it, though." I mumbled, my eyes searching his.
"I know." he replied, kissing me once more.
He looked down, pulling out something wrapped in a piece of cloth from his pocket. He looked back up at me, holding it out towards me. I silently took it, opening the cloth up to reveal a necklace.
I raised my eyebrow, glancing back at him, before lifting the necklace out of the cloth to get a better look. It was on a silver chain, that was just long enough that the pendant could be covered by a shirt if I wanted it to. The pendant was a silver heart locket, with what looked like a red ruby in the middle. I turned it over in my hands, glancing at Grayson once more. "Thank you." I mumbled, lost for words.
Grayson smiled softly, mumbling, "Open it. I need to explain it's contests before I go."
I did as he said, gently opening the locket, finding a tiny vial filled with a thick red substance. "Gray...is this blood?" I asked, my eyebrow raised.
He nodded. "Yes, it's mine. And before you say 'ew' or something snarky, I have a legit reason for giving it to you."
"What's it for?"
"When you drank from me, it formed a bond. It's different from the mate bond, the mate bond is strictly emotional. A blood bond is more physical. Basically, if you're ever in danger, I'll feel it. I'll be able to find you. You drank enough from me to last about two weeks, give or take. When the affects wear off, I'm asking you to take a small amount of the blood from the locket to keep the blood bond open. Just in case I, for some reason, need to come back before the end of your semester."
I stared at him, my eyebrow still raised. "So, you can like, feel my emotions or something?"
He chuckled, nodding. "Essentially, yes. It's not everyday emotions, though. It has to be strong. Like you're scared for your life, or you're absolutely furious about something. I can't just feel simple, everyday emotions."
I blushed a little as a thought crossed my mind. He noticed, urging me to ask the question he knew was coming. "So, say I'm super, like...in the mood. Does that count as a strong emotion?"
He bit his laughter, grabbing my hand in his. "Yes, I'll know if you've had a dirty dream about me."
"Will I? Cause I watched True Blood, and this seems pretty similar to that, ya know?" I said, matter of factly.
"Yes, they're are affects of drinking vampire blood, similar to your show. Only Pure Bloods can give blood to a human without turning them, though. So the affects are not all the way the same to your show. It won't get you high, so it's not addictive. It does, however, give you certain emotions about the one you fed from. The circumstances of how you were fed the blood dictate the type of feelings the blood gives you." He paused, smirking. "Your emotions will be very good ones. So don't worry."
I rolled my eyes, closing the locket and sliding the necklace around my neck. "Thanks, Babe. Now I have to worry about waking my parents up even when you aren't here."
He laughed, squeezing my hand gently in his. "You're welcome. Now, let's get you inside."
I nodded, undoing my seat belt as he stepped out the car, coming over to my side and opening the door. He helped me out, leading me up to the front door.
I stood on the top step, coming a few inches below his chin, as he was still much taller than me. He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I love you. You know that, right?"
I nodded. "I love you, too."
He smiled, noticing the still very visible bite marks on my neck. He chuckled, mumbling, "Let me take care of those.", before barely pricking his finger on one of his fangs. He brushed a tiny drop of blood over each wound, before wiping it off with the end of his shirt. "Be safe, Sweetheart. I'll come back if anything happens, and you need me."
"I'll call if I need anything." I said, stepping closer to him and resting my head against his chest. "Are there anymore...things here?" I asked, whispering the last few words.
He shook his head. "None that will bother you. If you're in danger, I'll know. I'll come for you. Don't even worry about that." he said, wrapping his strong arms around me in a tight hug.
"How will you get here? It'll take time to go through a portal, so what if-"
He interrupted me, pulling back to hold my face gently between his hands. His brown eyes bore into mine, his tone and facial expression serious. "Nothing with happen to you. I can be in and out of a portal in less than a minute. You really didn't think I wouldn't prepare for this, Sweetheart?" He paused, waiting for me to answer. I simply nodded. He smiled and continued. "I am not leaving you here defenseless, Grace. If you need me, I'll know. And I swear to you, I'll get here in time. Whatever it may be. I don't want you worrying over your safety while I'm gone, because you are to important to me for me to just leave you without any source of protection. Any vampire here that knows the King family will recognize you're mine, and they won't touch you. My father has already informed every council leader who is in this state that you are not to be harmed. And when I get back home, I'm making another announcement to ensure the message is clear. The only vampires who don't know me, are the ones we're trying to catch. But I promise you, they are not here. And if they do come here, I'll be the first one to know. You're important to me, Grace." He paused again, pursing his lips.
"I know this is all a lot for you. I come into your life and suddenly, you're exposed to this whole world you never even knew existed. And of all people, the universe decided that I, the fucking leader of vampires, is who you were destined to be with." His eyes bore into mine, his forehead lowering to rest on mine. "You are my future. You're my peoples future. My people will not harm you. I swear it to you." he said, pulling me back into a hug.
I was stunned, I didn't know what to say. He was professing his love to
me, calling me his and his peoples future. What did a girl say to that? I ran over his words in my head, finally willing myself to reply. "This is a lot, and, I honestly haven't fully wrapped my mind around it. But, I love you. Regardless of how long I've know you, or how lovestruck and naive it might sound. I feel like I've known you my whole life." I looked up at him, caressing his jaw. "I love you, Grayson King. And I'm glad the universe chose me to be by your side. Thank you for letting me be by your side."
He smiled, his left hand running up my neck and finally resting in my hair, behind my head. "I don't consider myself a king. I never have. But I swear to you, when you finally decide to turn, you'll be treated as nothing less than a queen, Sweetheart. I love you."
I laid my head back on his chest, running my hands slightly under his shirt, my fingers feeling the ridges of his toned chest, memorizing them for the time being. He chuckled, the serious air around us shifting to a more lightheartedness. His arms tightened, but not enough to hurt me. "Stop that. You're making it hard to leave."
"Don't then." I mumbled into his chest, my voice muffled from the fabric of his shirt.
He kissed my hair, pulling away slightly. "I wish I didn't have to. I have to go back, though."
I gave him a reassuring smile, nodding my head. "I know. It's okay. It's just a few weeks. And I know you won't let anything happen to me, I'll be okay."
He smiled, leaning down to kiss my lips once more. "Call me when you can. I won't be able to tell time as well, so I don't want to call and wake you all hours of the night."
I laughed, standing on my tip toes and pressing my lips to his jaw. "Okay. Be careful. I'll see you in a few weeks."
"I will. I love you." he replied, stepping away from me and heading back to his car.
"I love you." I called back, watching as he gave me one more smile before climbing in the car and driving off. I took a deep breath, letting myself in the house, feeling the new feeling of emptiness as I made my way to my room.
