6

Kay's POV

"What kind of job do you have to afford a truck like this?" I asked Jay as we pulled out of the car park.

"Well, it's kind of a lame job. I've already explained part of it to you earlier. I'm basically just an errand boy for the Vampire Council. Most rogues are, if they want to make any real money. Living like a human isn't very lavish, after all." Jay replied.

"Pfft, you can say that again." I snorted, thinking about my own circumstances growing up. "Growing up, I never had any real money, nor any real family. I met Sadie when I turned 16 after I ran away from the foster home I lived at. We both lived on the streets for a while. She had just ran away from her pimp, so we were both kind of on the run. After a while, the pimp caught up to us and we had to seek help from the police. They didn't do anything useful, they just arrested Sadie for prostitute, and sent me back to the same group home. Sadie only had a week sentence, so I just waited for her to come out. Once she was free, we ran away again.

"We had to run away to a different state, and eventually we got hired working at the restaurant that we both currently work at. We saved up enough to rent out an apartment, and now here we are. That place was my first real home, and now I don't feel safe returning to it. I know the threat is gone, but every time I think about going back there, I can just see that man- err, vampire- busting down my bedroom door to get to me. I think Sadie is lucky to have her memory of that night taken away." I sighed.

Jay remained quiet, taking in my ramblings. I felt a bit embarrassed after exposing my dark history, but I needed to talk about it with someone. Now that I think about it, maybe it's too early in our friendship for me to just dump out all that dirty laundry onto him? Wait, are we even friends? We've barely been talking to each other for only a day. Who am I kidding, I'm a mess.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to trauma dump my whole life story onto you." I mumbled.

"It's okay." Jay replied. "You've just been through something traumatic. It's normal to need to talk about it with someone. Sometimes it's easy to just say everything to a stranger."

For some reason, I felt like crying. I couldn't understand why, but tears started flowing out of my eyes. Maybe it's the fact that my life nearly flashed before my eyes. Or, perhaps, it might have something to do with the fact that I'm not actually human, and everything I thought was fantasy is actually real. My entire way of life has been flipped upside down, and honestly I don't know how to feel about it. Sure, it's cool that I have epic vampire powers, but what if I never found out about this? Not only that, but who the hell were my parents? I have a lot of questions, and the only person who can answer them is the one sitting in the driver's seat next to me.

I glanced over at Jay out of the corner of my eye. He was focused on the road, gripping the steering wheel tight. At some point, he had turned on the radio, but I was too lost in my thoughts to notice. I leaned my head on the window and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

----

Jay's POV

I pulled into a car park located near the destination Kay put into the GPS. I glanced over at her to see her sleeping, snoring ever so lightly. It was difficult tp build up the courage to wake her. I never have been good at waking people up, after all.

Finally, I nudged her slightly on Kay's arm to wake her. She stirred slightly, and fluttered her eyes open.

"Hey, we're here." I said softly.

Quickly, Kay wiped the drool off her chin and pulled the mirror down to fix up her appearance. There wasn't much to fix up, since her hair was already in braids and she doesn't have any makeup on. Still, girls will be girls.

"Damn, I just realized I'm still wearing your clothes." Kay pointed out, looking down at her shirt. "Is it obvious that I don't have a bra on? Actually, you know what, I don't want you to tell me, because then I'll know you looked at my chest."

I looked away awkwardly. I knew from the start, since I was the one to lend her the clothes, and I had practically been flashed over and over the entire time we were at the hospital. Still, I am a gentleman, and I wouldn't dare comment on such things to a lady. Instead, I handed her the jacket I always wear, the one that says, "Fallen Hope" in the top center of the back.

"Thank you," Kay said, blushing as she put on the jacket.

"My pleasure, Princess," I said, bowing my head slightly towards her.

I got out of the car and rushed to the truck to pick up her crutches. After that, I opened the door for her and helped her get out of the truck.

"If it weren't for my super healing, hopping out of that truck would've hurt like hell." Kay giggled.

"It sure would. Now, where are we headed?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"We're going to the place where Sadie and I work as waitresses. She's at work right now, so I told her I would meet her there and we could go home together." Kay said as we walked towards the elevator.

During our walk, we made sure to take slow steps to ensure the act we put on seemed real. We made small talk along the way, getting to know each other a little bit. We talked about things like our favorite colors, types of music we both listen to, etc. We actually have a lot in common, despite the fact that she's obsessed with something so childish as anime.

"I'm 23! I can watch whatever I want. And besides, anime isn't just for kids. There's the gory ones, and the mature content types, too. Not that I, uhh, am into those types of things." Kay defended herself once I pressed about why she would enjoy such a thing.

Quickly, we arrived at the restaurant. I opened the door allowing Kay to go inside first, and followed soon after.

"Gasp! Kay, honey, I heard about what happened! Sadie told me everything. You didn't have to come into work tonight!" An older female said, coddling Kay like a baby.

"It's okay, Maggie. I'm here as a guest today." Kay replied with a warm smile. "Me and my friend here would like a table, please."

Maggie glanced in my direction, then gave a teasing smile to Kay. "Your 'friend', huh?"

Kay blushed, and glared at the woman playfully. "Yes! My friend, we are friends."

"Mhmmmm" Maggie said, before leading us to a table. "This is the most romantic table we have, and you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city from here. Of course, Kay, you already knew that since you work here." Maggie winked before passing us our menus and walking away.

Kay sighed. "Sorry about her. Everyone knows I'm a lone wolf, so of course they would take any opportunity they have to tease me. Especially since I brought a boy in here with me."

"It's not a problem. Humans are just like that," I replied with a smile. "What's the best thing to eat here? Also, don't worry about the bill, I can cover it."

Kay gave me her advice on what's best cooked, depending on who cooks it, etc. After deciding what we wanted, we went back to our small talk while we waited for our food.

Soon, a waitress appeared, someone we both recognize.

"Kay! Who is this handsome devil you brought with you?! When you said you were bringing a friend, I expected it to be another girl!" Sadie gushed, eyeing my body up and down like a piece of meat.

"He goes by Jay" Kay said, giving me a wink.

"Oh em gee! It totally rhymes with your name, too! It's definitely meant to be. How the heck did I not meet him sooner?" Sadie said, still ogling my body. "How did you break passed Kay's enormous social walls that she's built up? Not only that, but how the HELL did you manage to get her to come out into the world?"

After a breif pause, Sadie leaned in to Kay's ear and loudly whispered, "These aren't your clothes! We have a lot to talk about when we get home tonight, especially the part about you finally popping your cherry."

"Sadie, please!" Kay said, blushing and glancing around to make sure no one was loIoking. Sadie was causing a scene, and people were definitely looking.

----

Kay's POV

I knew Sadie would have a cow when she saw Jay with me, but I didn't expect her to be our waitress today. It must've been something Maggie set up to tease me. After continuously teasing me, she finally took our orders and walked away, but not without blowing a kiss to Jay.

"She is the complete opposite of you." Jay said, looking back and forth between me and Sadie.

"Yeah, we get that a lot. But you know what they say, opposites attract and all that." I said while twiddling my fingers under the table. "Don't take her flirting seriously. She's like that with everyone, even girls. It's just the way she is."

"Noted," Jay said, still looking in the direction of Sadie. For some reason, it hurt my heart to see his attention on her.

"So, umm-" I started to speak, not really sure what to say. I just wanted him to stop looking at Sadie.

"It seems my influence is still strong on her mind, and she's stable. You have nothing to worry about, if that was what you were going to ask." Jay said, assuming my thoughts for me. Luckily, I was okay with that this time.

"Yeah, that's good." I said, glancing down at the table.

'I can't believe Sadie said that in front of Jay! I know she whispered it, but she doesn't understand the man has super fricken hearing! Ugh, he's probably judging me right now. He probably even thinks this is my first date! Well, I mean technically it isn't a date, and even if it was, it would definitely be my first...' I thought as my inner dialog went on a tangent.

(Little does Kay know, Jay completely ignored that comment, and instead was focused on his influence skill. He was testing how well it works, if there are any issues, and any improvements he should make in the future. Anyways, back to the story!)

"So, Kay, do you like working here?" Jay said, inspecting the restaurant. It wasn't the fanciest restaurant, but it still had class to it.

"Yeah, it's locally owned, and the owners are nice. The staff feels somewhat like a family to me, but it's more in a professional sort of way. They're all I've got around here, so I care about them a lot. Customers can be super rude though," I giggled when I said my last sentence.

"Do you make enough money to live comfortably?" Jay asked.

"Well, that's a bit of a personal question. I mean, I get by. I don't make the same type of money you do, though, if that's what you're implying." I responded.

"Kay, you know you can improve your life if you had back to Vampire City," Jay hushed his voice so that only I could hear. "I'm not allowed back there, but I would help you along the way if that's what you wish to do."

I thought about it for a moment. Do I really want to just leave my life and go live with some insanely strong people I know nothing about? My only impression of vampires is the guy who attacked me, and Jay who has been banished from Vampire City. Speaking of which, I'm curious as to why he had been banished, but I feel like it's too soon to aak personal questions like that.

"I still have a lot here. Plus, I don't really feel comfortable going into unknown territory with no way to defend myself. I mean, maybe eventually I'd like to visit so I can learn about my family and their past, but I don't know yet. They would most likely try to take advantage of me because that's just how people are." I said in a serious tone.

"For someone so young, you gave such a wise answer. Yes, they would definitely take advantage of you as you are. I wouldn't just send you in there blind, though. I would train you, and perhaps we could harness your unique ability while we're at it. Regardless, even if you dont want to return home to the City, I would still train you. An untrained vampire on the loose is more dangerous to the lives of vampires, especially one who is basically a newborn and doesn't know our laws quite yet. You may potentially leak secrets you're unaware of."

Jay continued to speak in his soft tone that only I could hear. For some reason, this made me excited. It felt like we were spies on a secret mission, and all this talk about training and unique abilities and whatnot really made life feel like I was living in a manga. I grinned at the thought.

"Yeah, I want you to train me," I said, matching Jay's softly spoken tone.

Jay pulled his hand forwards towards me, offering a handshake. I shook his hand, and we both grinned at each other.

"A deal has been made. You will train with me and learn about our history and our ways, and I will do my best to take care of you while you are in my care. I am now your mentor, and you are my responsibility. Should the deal be broken, there will be consequences by the party who has broken the deal." Jay said, as if he were chanting a spell.

As soon as he finished his sentence, a tattoo formed on my wrist in the shape of a heart. Not just the cute shape we use on Valentine's day, but an actual blood pumping heart. I looked at Jay's wrist, and he had the same tattoo.

"What's this?" I asked, concerned about the witchcraft I just witnessed.

"It's a Vampire's Promise. Vampires are cunning creatures, but we are also quite prideful. In order to keep ourselves in check, we must make promises that cannot be broken. Depending on the promise and how high the stakes are, the consequences can be lethal if the promise is broken. Don't worry, though, we didn't form that kind of promise. Our consequences would be minimal, but I highly doubt either one of us would break the promise. We both have great things to gain by making the said promise." Jay said. "Also, this is how we can stay in contact with each other. I don't have a phone, so this will be our method of contact."

"Wait, wait. I didn't consent to this. Also, it feels like only I am gaining something from this. What's in it for you? Wait, what do you mean by it's our method of contact?" I bombarded Jay with my questions, slightly raising my voice. I quickly covered my mouth to hush myself, embarrassed by my tone of voice.

Jay grinned. It would have been a very beautiful grin, something that would melt the hearts of every teenage girl in existence, if it weren't for the ominous vibe I got from it.

"This is what I mean by 'method of contact'" Jay said. Actually, Jay didnt say anything. He was still grinning, but I heard his voice.

"How did you do that?" I asked, my eyes widened in shock.

"Think of this as part of your training. During our little 'date' here, I want you to practice speaking to me through the mark." Jay said with telepathy, still grinning at me.

"How do I even do that?" I asked, my interest piqued. Whatever issues I had with the mark before had suddenly vanished, because this was super fricken cool.

Immediately I looked down on the mark, brushing my fingers against it. Jay chuckled softly until I stopped. Seeing this, I started to tickle the mark. Jay started to laugh harder, pressing his hand over his mouth. I grinned a devilish grin.

"Don't you dare!" Jay's voice rang through my mind.

"Try and stop me," I replied back, speaking with my mouth. Immediately, my heart began to flutter, and I couldnt help but laugh hysterically. My entire body felt like it was being tickled, and when I looked at Jay, he was tickling his mark with a smirk on his face. He stopped soon after, since people were starting to stare.

"See? We're connected now." Jay telepathically spoke. "Whatever your mark feels, I can feel it as well. We can speak telepathically with each other, so we will always have a way to contact one another. Honestly, this promise mark is actually a really big deal. In some cases, the punishment for breaking the promise can lead to death, but it's very rare and usually only happens when the consequences are stated or requested. Now, go ahead, try to speak with me through the mark."

I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on my thoughts. I wanted to use the telepathy as well. Not only that, but Jay mentioned this as part of my training. I don't want to find out what happens if I don't follow the task.

'Hello? Can you hear me?' I thought.

I opened my eyes, looking directly at Jay. "Is it working?" I asked out loud. Jay shook his head. I sighed and tried again, focusing my eyesight on Jay. I stared at him hard, thinking about sending my thoughts to him.

'Is it working now?' I thought, but there was no response from Jay.

"This is hard! I need a hint." I said out loud, placing my head onto the table.

"Giving up already? Come on, two more tries. After that, I'll give you a hint." Jay said, staring directly into my eyes.

I decided to look at his posture and body language to try to get a clue. He was relaxed, with his arms folded and a smirk on his face. He had the aura of pure confidence, something I definitely lacked.

'Okay, I can do this' I thought, concentrating on Jay once again.

Jay continued to smile, but didnt say anything.

My face scrunched up, focusing as hard as I could on Jay. I thought about his attitude, his looks, and everything about him that I was aware of.

'Pick your nose and eat it' I thought.

Jay said nothing, and continued to stare at me with that stupid smirk on his face.

"Nothing?" I said out loud. Jay shook his head again. I groaned and slammed my head onto the table.

'Big stinky farts with plops of poopies' I thought. Again, no response from Jay.

"Why do I suck at this? I feel like it should be something simple, but it feels so complicated." I complained.

"Actually, I don't know. I thought it would be an easy task for you, especially considering the fact you were able to dig into my memories before." Jay replied. "Not to mention, you have royal blood. Even common vampires can do this without a second thought."

I groaned, feeling ready to cry. That comment definitely didn't make me feel any better than before. Lifting my head from the table, I looked into Jay's eyes once again.

"I'm ready for that hint, now. I tried twice." I said.

Seeing that the mark was still in tact, he gave in. "You have to feel the connection. Kind of like when you tickled me with the mark, but not physical. It might help if you look at the mark." Jay said.

Staring at the mark, I searched for the connection. I concentrated, but all I could see was the mark. Closing my eyes, I imagined the mark. I thought about how it felt when Jay tickled me through it, and how it effected my heart. Holding onto that feeling, I atrempted a message once again.

"Is it working now?" I asked telepathically.

"Yes." Jay responded.

I opened my eyes, smiling, and saw Jay doing the same. It wasn't a smirk; it was a genuine, proud smile. My heart absolutely melted at the sight.

Thump thump. Throb throb.

The mark on my wrist reacted, throbbing along with my heartbeat. Jay reached his hand over, connecting his marked hand with mine.

"You need to learn to control your heart beat," Jay thought to me.

"How?" I thought back to him.

At that exact moment, Sadie came back with our food. I quickly pulled my hand away from Jay's hand, feeling my cheeks get hot. Jay, of course, had a calm demeanor as he thanked Sadie for the food. I didn't dare make eye contact, yet she also didn't tease me. After placing the food on the table, she smilled and walked away.

"It must be super busy right now," I thought to Jay. "Because I can't imagine her missing such a prime opportunity to tease me."

Jay looked in Sadie's direction, then back over to me.

"No, I think she's just respecting our privacy. She's chatting with that other waitress over there," Jay thought to me, nudging me to look.

Turning my head, I saw Sadie talking to the waitress Bella, both of them giggling with each other. Bella winked at me and gave me a thumbs up, glancing at Jay and then back to me.

"What the fuck! They're obviously talking about me!" I thought to Jay, who just chuckled softly.

"Can you hear their conversation?" Jay asked.

"Well, I wasn't paying attention before, and it's hard to notice any distinct sounds since all of the sounds of the restaurant sort of jumble together. Actually, the loudest and probably most annoying- sound is the clanging of dishes and whatnot back in the kitchen." I thought to Jay as I took a bite of my food. "I am definitely paying attention now, though."

"Good. Try and listen in on what they're saying. Train your ears to pick up information, but also, I think you'll get a kick out of their conversation." Jay thought to me with a chuckle.