Sienna

I felt it when I stepped into the house.  It felt as if something was pulling me toward the backyard.  As I approached the sliding glass door leading to the enormous backyard, I caught a whiff of that same scent from the other day.  It had lingered in the air the first time I stepped into the cafe.  It smelled of leather, teakwood, and the beach.  The last time I was at the cafe, it was heavy in the air.  His eyes still haunted my dreams, but not in the wrong way.  He did not frighten me when I saw him that day in the cafe.  I had actually never felt safer than when he was standing there, and I had no idea why.

I followed Dad through the house and outside.  I stopped in my tracks when I saw him standing there.  I knew Dad worked with vampires, but I had no idea he worked with him.  Dad introduced me to everyone as I waved at them.  Gwen came up and walked me over to get a drink.  I grabbed a bottle of water and smiled at her.  Dad didn’t date anyone as I was growing up.  He told me he never had the time.  He always said between work and raising me that, he didn’t have the time to devote to another person.  He ensured that I understood that it wasn’t my fault but that he chose not to date them.  When he met Gwen, I was thrilled for him.  I was 14 then and worried she would be put off because he had a daughter.  Gwen accepted me right away.  She is five years younger than Dad and had no issues with me.  I was just happy that Dad found someone that made him happy.  They have been together for two years now.  I am still surprised that Dad hasn’t asked her to marry him yet.  They both told me they were in no hurry to get married and were enjoying their time together.  I peeked at him as I was walking with Gwen.

“What is wrong, Sienna?”  Gwen asked.

“Who is that?  I have seen a few of these people before, but not him.”  I tell Gwen.

“Oh, that is Luca.  His family owns all the resort hotels along the beach and many more upscale restaurants in town.  He is also the vampire king.”  Gwen explains.

I knew Dad had connections and knew some very important people in Miami, but I had no idea he knew the vampire king.  It made sense.  His family would need lawyers for whatever legal problems they ran into.  I stayed by Gwen while Dad made his rounds among his colleagues.  I could feel his eyes boring into my head, but I forced myself not to look at him.  I fought with myself.  I felt the pull towards him, but I had no idea why.  I was human and not even an important one at that.  Nothing I was feeling made sense.

“Sienna, come with me. I would like to introduce you to someone very important,”  Dad says.

Please don’t let it be him.  I kept my hand on Dad’s arm, and sure enough, he led me over to him.  I hoped to avoid him until I could figure out these feelings, but luck was not on my side today.  I plastered a smile on my face and stood beside Dad.

“Luca, I would like you to meet my daughter Sienna,”  Dad said.

“Hello, Sienna; it is nice to meet you finally,”  Luca says.

He took my hand in his, and holy shit, the jolt that shot up my arm was intense.  He didn’t take his eyes off me as he kissed the back of my hand.  I felt tingles as his lips touched my skin.  My hand felt cold when he let go, and I wanted him to hold it again.  I had no idea what to do with all these weird feelings.  Luca then introduced me to the other two guys standing there.  Rico and Viktor were his business partners.  I figured out that they were also his second and third in command.  It is basically the same as a beta and gamma in a wolf pack.  They were both very nice to me.  I mentioned that I was going to get food.  I needed to get away from Luca for a while.  It felt weird to be away from him, making me even more confused.  I knew that wolves had mates and that they recognized their mates by scent.  I knew vampires had the same thing; only they called their mates their beloveds.  I have absolutely no idea how they find their beloveds, though.  I need to talk with Avalon.  She will tell me how it all works for vampires.

“Sorry, dad, but I need to leave.  I need to get back and prepare for school tomorrow.”  I tell him.

“It’s fine, princess.  I am just glad you came today.  I will see you in a couple of days.  Make sure to call me and let me know you got home safely.”  Dad says.

“We need to head home as well.  I would be more than happy to give Sienna a ride home.”  Luca states.

“That is not necessary.  I drove here, and I can drive myself home.”  I comment.

I told everyone it was nice to meet them and hugged Gwen.  Once in the house, I quickly climb into my car.  I am glad I drove today.  Whitney had offered to drop me off, but I told her I could drive.  I didn’t want her to leave her family dinner early to pick me up.  I pulled into the garage at the house and closed the door.  I was the only one home right now.  I knew that Whitney and Lainey had something pack-related going on this weekend.  I had no idea where Avalon was.  That’s when I realized that her parents work for Luca.  She once told me they were the vampire king's two most trusted advisers.  That means Avalon knew who he was when she saw my sketches of him the other day.  I hadn’t meant to show her, but she had been there when I was flipping through the book his sketches were in.  She asked who he was and I told her a guy I had seen at the cafe.  She hadn’t said anything after that.  

“I didn’t expect you home till later tonight,”  Avalon said.

“I have been home for about half an hour.  I need you to tell me how a vampire knows when they have found their beloveds.”  I say.

“Why?”  Avalon asked.

“One of my father's clients is none other than the vampire king himself,”  I answer.

I explained what happened when he touched me and kissed my hand.  I can see the shocked look on her face.  I confronted her about knowing who he was when she saw the sketches.

“Sorry, I figured you knew who he was.  I know you like sketching beautiful people and objects, and he is very sexy.”  Avalon replies.

“I understand.  I am not mad.  Now, who do you know when you find your beloved?”  I asked.

“From what I have been told, when a vampire touches his/her beloved for the first time, they feel a jolt or spark where they touch them.  We can also find our beloved by their scent.”  Avalon tells me.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.  I had a feeling she was going to say that.  I have no idea if I have a unique scent since I didn’t ask him that.  I knew that when I felt that jolt and those tingles, it probably meant I was his beloved.  I open my eyes and look at Avalon.  I can see the look of concern on her face. 

“Sienna, that means that you are the king’s beloved.”  Avalon points out.

“I know,”  I whisper.

“What are you going to do?”  Avalon asks.

“I am going to have to avoid him.  I am a human, and your vampire king deserves a beloved who is a vampire.  I doubt your kind will accept me as their queen.  Besides, I have no desire to be the queen of anything.  He is way out of my league and I am sure if he isn’t around me or if he doesn’t see me that he will move on and find someone more fitting of his position.”  I comment.

“Sienna that is not how all of this works.”  Avalon remarks.

I tell her that is my decision.  I am sad that I might have to avoid going to the cafe, but I know that is where he will be, knowing I might be there.  I feel pain as I think about not seeing or being around him.  I know that this is the right decision.  I shut my door and sit down on my bed.  I feel something running down my cheek, and I wipe it away.  I had no idea when I started crying, but I wiped the tears away.  This is how it has to be.

This week has been terrible.  I am not sure how I made it through my classes this week.  It has taken all my concentration and willpower to focus.  I have slept like shit.  I was lucky if I managed more than five hours at a time.  I am still seeing his eyes every time I close mine.  Whitney and Lainey have been almost forcing me to eat.  I have barely had an appetite.  Avalon has tried to talk with me about Luca multiple times, but I change the subject immediately.  I haven’t been to the cafe all week and desperately want to go.  I am sitting in the library on campus right now.  I have a shitty cup of coffee sitting beside me.  I look at the time, and I sigh.  I need to go back to the house.  I will be home alone all weekend.  Avalon is going somewhere with her mom, and I am not sure what Whitney and Lainey are doing, but I know they will be gone.  I slowly walk back to the house.  

“Are you done avoiding me?”  Luca asks.

I stop and stare at him.  He is sitting on our couch.  I have no idea how he got into the house.  It is possible that Avalon either let him in before she left or gave him a key.  I take a deep breath and continue to walk to my room.  I don’t even look at him.  I set my backpack down and walked back out.  He is still sitting there on the couch.  I walk into the kitchen and grab a glass filling it with water.  I make a grab for the counter when I feel myself wobble a bit.  Before my hand lands on the counter, I feel a jolt travel up my body.  Luca is there, and his hands are on my hips, stabilizing me so I don’t fall.  Before I knew it, I sat on the couch with him beside me.

“What are you doing here,”  I ask.

“I came to see you.  We need to talk.”  Luca answers.

“We have nothing to discuss,”  I reply.

“Sienna, you are my beloved.  There is much we need to discuss.”  He says.

“I can’t be your beloved.  You are the vampire king, and I am a human.  Your kind will never accept me as your queen.  Besides, I don’t want to be the queen of anything.  I am happy with my mundane human life.  I want to finish school and then go to work and apply what I have learned.  If I were your queen, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.”  I point out. 

“That is where you are wrong.  My mother, the current queen, is half-witch.  My mother is loved by all.  No one would care that you are human.  I know you feel the sparks between us.  I knew you were my beloved that day when I walked into the cafe.  Your delicious vanilla blackberry scent hit me like a brick wall.”  Luca tells me.

“Your majesty I am no one special.  You deserve someone who is special and like you.  You deserve to find a queen within your own people.”  I try to explain.

“I will  have no one but you.  You are my queen.”  Luca growls.

I try to explain to him why we can’t be together.  He counters my points with points of his own.  I get up and walk into my room, closing the door behind me.  I do feel better, and I know it is because he is here.  As soon as he touched me, I felt more energized and generally better.  I notice he is gone when I walk back into the living room.  Maybe he finally realized I was right and we were not meant for each other.  That thought makes my heart hurt, but it is the only way.

Dad is standing in the kitchen the following day when I arrive.  I called him last night after Luca had left and asked what he was doing this weekend.  I have decided to stay with him tonight so I won’t be alone.  I know he can sense something is wrong when I push the food around on my plate instead of eating it.  I still don’t have much of an appetite. 

“Luca called me last night,”  Dad says.

“Dad..”  I start to say.

“Sienna, he told me about you being his beloved and how you have been avoiding him all week.  You can’t avoid him.  I can tell you are suffering because you are fighting the bond between the two of you.”  Dad comments.

“He deserves someone more than just a mere human,”  I reply.

“Sienna, you are not a mere human.  You are an intelligent and beautiful woman.  You two were chosen to be together.  His parents already know he found you.  They are more than thrilled that you are his beloved, and they were more than happy when they learned you are my daughter.  I really think you should give this a chance.”  Dad adds.

Dad’s words haunt me the rest of the day.  Part of me wants to give this bond a chance, but part says I don’t belong in his world.  I planned to stay with Dad but decided to go home and think about what Dad told me this morning.  I stop dead in my tracks when I hear his voice.

“Welcome home my queen.”  Luca says.

All I can do is stand there and look at him.  I have a feeling that this is going to be a long night.  I can’t think of anything to say to him.  I sit down in the chair across from him.  I am trying to think of something to say when a phone rings.  I grab mine, but it turns out to be his phone.  I hear him growl at something as he hangs up.

“I came here to talk with you more, but unfortunately, something has come up.  I will be back to discuss our situation with you.”  Luca says.

“It’s fine.  You have more important issues to deal with.”  I tell him.

He pulls me into his arms as he leaves.  I am unsure what to do, so I wrap my arms around him.  He pulls away, looking at me, and then he is gone.  This is a good thing.  Maybe being away from each other will make him realize that I don’t belong in his world.  I lock the door after he leaves.  I don’t know why I suddenly feel sad that he is gone.  I need to research vampires more, specifically, what happens when they find their beloved.  All I know is that I want him to return, but I know he has something important to do.  I walk back into my room and shut the door.  I need to sleep, and I am glad I have the house.  This will give me time to think about everything.