Chapter 5

Dante's pov

I closed the door, joining both our offices, and smiled. For someone who acted all calm and collected, he was a total train wreck. I couldn't help but listen to his thoughts when he was all but screaming at me.

His eating like a starving wolf was so funny and cute. Staring at him with his mouth full like a chipmunk.

It has been a while since I saw someone take pleasure in eating meals. I no longer needed human food for sustenance. I could eat them, of course, and I did eat them, but it was more for show as they all tasted like nothing to me. But watching Christopher made me happy.

I felt a kind of satisfaction watching him eat and enjoy the meals, I could not eat and enjoy.

He thought I was testing him. I laughed to myself. Why the hell would he think I was testing him with food? For smart, he was so dumb it was cute.

He kept a very perfect, put-together nerdy boy persona, but under that, he was just a blubbering mess. My blubbering mess.

Watch it, Dante! I didn't need to start talking about him in the possessive. The last thing I needed was to get obsessed with him.

Yes, he was special. Yes, I wanted him. Yes, he tasted so good. But what I didn't need was me slipping into obsession. Obsession was dangerous

I walked to my room and got dressed for the meeting. I preferred to work at night. The night was the best time for vampires.

Not because of the clique's stupid reason given about us being allergic to sunlight. Only newly made changelings were fully allergic to sunlight. The older you got the more resilient you became to sunlight.

I wasn't sensitive to sunlight in any way. I'd gotten so old that sunlight didn't affect me at all. I and most vampires just the night as it was easier to feed then.

It was evening already and I had a meeting with a potential client. I didn't need to be there but I like to manage the purchases of my company myself. It gave me a sense of purpose. When you've lived so long, you cling to any form of stability you can.

I got dressed and went off to the meeting.

……….

I was standing outside Christopher's window staring into his room. The meeting had gone fine. The acquisition was going well.

I had been driving back home when I found myself. Driving to Christopher's address. I hadn't seen him off and I just needed a glance at him.

So here I was, standing outside his building, staring up at his apartment window, trying to catch a glimpse of him.

This wasn't sane. I should be home or off somewhere looking for someone to feed from, not here, pinning for a boy like an obsessed new changeling.

Obsessed

No, I wasn't obsessed, but the words just laughed at me. I was standing outside his apartment building. I was obsessed.

I took in a deep breath and let out a mock laugh.

Dante, Dante, Dante what have you done

I'll just pursue him then. Fuck him, drink from him a little bit, and then let him get back to his little life with his perfect family.

I couldn't possibly keep him for myself. This life was dangerous for him. I'd just have a little taste and let him go. The sooner the better.

I had to devise a plan to get him to acknowledge his desire for me.

……..

Next morning

I decided to go pick him up from work myself. The faster I got him to let go, the faster I got to have him.

I sent him a text to come down and waited. I watched him walk out of the apartment building and walk to the car.

He walked up to my car and buttoned down his shirt and blue dress pants. He knocked on the car window and I smiled, winding it down.

I saw the shock on his face as he registered it was me.

“Get in; we don't have all day.” he opened the door and got in, looking shocked.

“What happened to Tim?” I asked, looking very concerned and stressed.

“Nothing happened to Tim, he had today off and I didn't make accommodations for your pickup so I had to come pick you up myself”

I watched him nod believing me. This kid was entirely too trusting, there were people out there who would eat him alive.

Irony right? Seeing that I plan on doing that literally.

“Buckle up” I fastened my seat belt and started the car.

“Have you gotten breakfast?” I asked as I drove past a convenience store.

“No, but I planned on getting something on my way to work”

He looked out staring at the local fast-food chain we were driving by.

“Well, let's get you something for breakfast.” I drove us to the drive-through area.

“Place your order”

He nodded and leaned towards the intercom, his neck right in my face. His pulse was so close to my lips that I could see and feel his pulse on my lips.

I swallowed and tried to steady myself. I wasn't supposed to be hungry. I had fed, and that should have lasted two weeks, but I felt the urge to bite down.

I counted his heartbeat and tried to control myself. He leaned away as he finished his order.

“What're you having?” he asked, expectantly, waiting for me to place my order.

“I had a full breakfast, so nothing,” I lied and drove to the front station to collect his order.

I took his to-go bag and handed it to him. While he was scrambling to get his card out of his wallet, I handed the cashier a hundred-dollar bill and drove away.

“No, you don't have to pay….” He began to protest, but I just raised a finger, shutting him down.

“I don't have the time to waste, you can pay me back later”

I wasn't lying. I'd never collect his money, but I planned on collecting a lot more from him. So paying for a meal was only fair.

He nodded in agreement and didn't say a word again.

………..

We walked into the house, Christopher clutching his food bag.

“You can use the dining to eat,” I offered d, but he shook his head.

“My office is fine if you don't mind.”

“Ok well go have your breakfast, we have a long day today”

I walked away to search for Kerion. I had instructions for him. Stupid instructions might I add.

As if hearing my call, Kerion came to my office.

“Sire, you wanted to see me?”

He bowed and asked.

“I want the kitchen functioning. Get people out here and make sure the kitchen is fully functioning by noon.”

He bowed and walked away not questioning my reason.

He just needed to get foodstuff and cookware. I had a kitchen but it was more for show. The stove I had there was a show stove, it hadn't been used since I bought it. The fridge was empty, the cabinets were empty. So I'd need to buy everything afresh.

What if Christopher was allergic? Not that he had any in his medical records. .I just needed to double-check with him.

I walked back to Christopher's office trying not to think of the fact I was changing my house for someone.

……….

I opened the door to see him sipping on his coffee order. I noted in my head to ask Kerion to order a coffee machine.

“Hey, Boss,” he raised his cup to me. “Thanks for the meal, I owe you one”

I nodded and got straight to the point. “I'm stocking up the kitchen and I wanted to ask if you had any allergies or foods you particularly disliked”

He shook his head. “I am not allergic to anything not that I know about but it doesn't matter either. I won't be lurking around your kitchen or anything”

I rubbed my forehead with my fingers in frustration. Can't this boy just let someone take care of him?

“From now on, you'll be having your breakfasts here to ensure that time is not wasted on your way here and so I can see you eat. You seem to have a habit of missing your meals. So is there any food you don't like?”

I asked again and he sat there for a moment thinking before saying no. I walked out frustrated and happy. I sent a text to Kerion telling him to get a coffee maker too.

What brands of food did Christopher like? I have never shopped for human food myself so I needed his opinion.

I stopped myself in my tracks. If you'd ever told me that I'd be worrying about what a human wanted to eat, I'd have laughed you off, but here I was worrying about one.

A vampire worrying about what a human liked or disliked was a new one.