Tessa’s POVMy entire body tingled with satisfaction when I woke up the next morning. The sun was hardly awake, and neither was Joseph. He was sleeping soundly from beside me. I couldn’t help but smile.He didn’t leave. Just as he promised. I leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. I just wanted to curl up and nuzzle myself against him, but I had to get ready for school. My heart was pounding against my ribcage as memories of last night played repeatedly in my mind.He wants me to go with him to the mountains over spring break. We are in a dating trial period, and I was determined to make him see that it was worth it. I wanted to be worth everything to him, just as he was worth everything to me.He wasn’t going to regret this decision.I kissed him again as I slid out of bed. Our clothes were still on the ground from last night and I couldn’t help that stupid grin on my face. I grabbed my clothes and threw them in my hamper before grabbing a sweater and a pair of jeans.I went into t
Tessa’s POVI stood frozen at the doorway of Joseph’s office. He was on the phone, talking to someone I couldn’t hear. But he was telling them about me.He looked up from his computer suddenly and saw me standing before him.“I’ll call you back, Carter,” he said just as he hung up the phone. “Hi,” he said to me, his lips forming a smile.“I’m sorry for interrupting your phone call,” I said, stepping into his office and shutting the door behind me.“You are never interrupting me, Tessa.”My face flushed at his words and I’m sure my grin looked goofy to him.“Is everything okay?” He asked, staring around my face questionably.My eyes widened and I nodded quickly.“Yes,” I said a little too quickly. “I just wanted to see you. I’m sorry.”“Stop apologizing,” he said with a faint smile. He motioned for the chair in front of his desk. “Sit.”I nodded and took a seat in front of him, tugging my fingers nervously. I suddenly forgot why I wanted to see him.“Who were you talking to about me?”
Tessa’s POVThere was silence in the room as everyone turned to face me. My eyes were on Joseph, and he gave me a wary look in return.“I’m going home to the country to see my father,” I said, turning to address everyone. “I haven’t seen him in a while, and I miss him.”I ran my fingers through my hair, and everyone began to murmur amongst themselves, turning away from me.I looked at Ruby who looked like she was trying hard to not burst out laughing. I gave her a warning look but then grinned at her face.After class, I didn’t wait for Joseph like I usually would. I would meet up with him afterward, but Ruby wanted to come over and help me pack for my trip. We leave tomorrow night, and I was beyond nervous. I told Joseph that I was going to need a night with my best friend before I went away with him, and he understood.I went to my locker to put some things away and grab some things while Ruby went to the bathroom. Just as I shut my locker door to meet up with her near the bathrooms
Tessa’s POV“What am I supposed to pack to meet his family?” I asked, rummaging through my drawers with a frown.Ruby was standing in my closet, staring up at the dresses that I own.“Oh my god, Tessa,” Ruby chuckled, pulling out a very short black dress. “You have to pack this.”The dress was a gift and never worn. I never had a reason to wear it. Brian bought it for me for a cocktail party, but I didn’t feel comfortable wearing it, so I wore something else. I remember the look of disappointment on his face when I showed up wearing a casual dress.“I’ll pass,” I told her, shaking my head. “Brian bought it for me.”“It still has the tag on it,” she said, taking the dress out of the closet. “Who cares who bought it? It’s cute as fuck. It’ll make Professor Hottie go insane for you.”“Since when do we call him ‘Professor Hottie’?” I chuckled.She shrugged.“Since you started your secret affair with him,” she replied with a sly grin. “Pack it,” she added throwing the dress on the bed.“Wh
Tessa’s POVJoseph looked almost mournful when he told me this story and my heart tugged for him.“He didn’t handle the transition well at first,” Joseph explained. “He was angry with me for fucking up his fate. I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to do it. I haven’t been able to do it again since.”He went quiet for a moment as the memories surfaced in his mind.“You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to,” I said softly. “I understand.”“No, you should know some of the backgrounds before we arrive,” he said, taking a deep breath. “At first, I thought he was dead. As did his doctors. But then he woke up and he was… hungry.”Something was telling me he wasn’t talking about food. My stomach tightened at his words.“Did he hurt anyone?” I was afraid to ask.“Yes,” Joseph answered. “A lot of people died that night. It took me a while to find him and calm him down. I gave him blood from the blood bags I stole and made him go to school with me. I went back to the school to re-dom
Tessa’s POV“Don’t tell me you live in a castle, Your Majesty,” I half teased, unable to take my eyes away from the magnificent building.“I do, but not full-time,” he answered. “That’s the Vamp House.”“The Vamp House?” I asked, raising my hands. “It’s much more than a house.”Joseph laughed.“Yes. I suppose we went a little overboard with it,” he said, shaking his head at whatever memory was surfacing in his mind. “But it needs to be big for the tribe.”“I don’t understand,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “Does the entire tribe live there?”“A lot of people live there,” Joseph explained. “I have an apartment on the second floor of the Vamp House and Carter has his apartment on the third floor that he shares with Nathanial, both of them being single and always busy with work, so it’s easy for them to share the floor. But they also have their own homes that they live in most of the time. The rest of the floors are reserved for the warriors and other vampires who don’t have their ow
Tessa’s POV“A monster, huh? That’s a little cruel,” Bernard said, folding his arms across his chest. “After I saved your life?”“Bernard was the neighbor that turned you?” I asked, glancing at Joseph questionably.“He is,” Joseph answered. “Which is the only reason why I allow him to enter my home when I’m not here.”Joseph stepped further into the house, still holding my suitcase.Bernard was eyeing me carefully and I fought to urge to meet his eyes, but I kept my eyes fixed on the ground, afraid to make any sudden movements. Though, Joseh seemed oddly relaxed.“She has an odd scent,” Bernard spoke about me as if I wasn’t even there.“You know she can hear you, right?” Joseph asked, rolling his eyes.Bernard finally pulled his eyes away from me to glare at him.“You’re bringing a human into a village of vampires with blood that appears highly attractive,” Bernard said, his tone growing dark and angry. “What is wrong with you?”“She’s off limits,” Joseph said through his teeth. “Nobo
Tessa’s POV“How long have you been there for?” Joseph asked, eyeing me carefully.“Long enough to hear about a cookout tomorrow,” I said, a faint smile playing on my lips. “Are we going?”“No.”He began to walk toward the stairs, and I could tell he wasn’t planning on saying anything else on the subject.I stood to my feet quickly, following him up the stairs.“No?” I asked disappointment in my tone. “Why not?”“It’s too soon to throw you in the mix of things,” he answered. “The others are wary of your presence, and I don’t want to put you in danger.”“I should probably break the ice at some point,” I told him once we got back to the bedroom. “That’s the whole purpose of me being here, right? To see if I can do it.”He turned to face me, seriousness on his face.“We should take it slow,” he said.“I don’t want to hide here for two weeks. I want to go out and see things. I’m going to be encountering others at some point. I’d rather it be sooner than later,” I told him, folding my arms