Page 20
Story: Seth
“Hello?”Aubrey had tried to keep her voice low, not wanting to wake Seth.
The vampire squealed, loudly, at Aubrey’s voice.She whipped around to face Aubrey while she pressed her back up against the front door, her eyes wild and searching.Not wanting to present herself as a threat, Aubrey locked down her muscles and lowered her gaze to the floor, cursing herself for startling the other woman.She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat as she tilted her head up and watched the fear evaporate from the other woman’s features.The vampire sniffed the air and Aubrey watched, puzzled, as the vampire beamed at her.
Even with her perfect eyesight, Aubrey couldn’t track the blur the smaller woman made as she rushed forward and pulled Aubrey into a hug.The hug encompassed her, and the scent of apples and lemongrass assailed her senses.Tears pricked at her eyes at the embrace.It had been the first hug she ever received that felt…motherly.Before she could sink into the small vampire, she pulled back and smiled at Aubrey.
“Hi.You’re Aubrey, right?I’m Liv.”Her words were spoken fast and if she wasn’t a vampire, she would have missed it.
“Yes, I’m Aubrey.It’s so nice to meet you, Liv.I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Liv pulled Aubrey into another hug that relaxed the last of her muscles.
“I knew that Seth was safe, but I’ve missed him, so I thought I would drop by and see him for a few minutes.”
Liv’s words caused a stab of guilt.She apologized for keeping Seth away from his family.Liv waved her off, pulling back from the hug and giving Aubrey a glowing smile that had her relax further.Liv reached for her hand and led her to the table, and Liv grew quiet the longer they sat in silence.
“Are you worried about me hurting him?Because I wouldn’t…I couldn’t, ever.”
Liv’s laugh washed over her, settling some of the nerves that flared.
“Did Seth tell you about his parents?”
“He glossed over it.”
“They weren’t cruel in the sense that they hurt him, physically.They ignored him all throughout his life.When he met Kai, he found a family for the first time in his short life, and he clung to his family.And I clung to him—we all did.But there was always a sense of loneliness about him, even surrounded by those who loved him.When he came by after the class the night he met you, we knew immediately that he found his mate, that he found you.It made complete sense to us that he would find an immortal to love.”
Aubrey worried her bottom lip with her teeth before she voiced her worry from the past week.“I don’t know if I’m good enough for him.My mother was a horrible example of a person and I’ve only had one friend in my life up until this point.”
“Because you’re worried about it makes you perfect for him.Let me let you in on a little secret.Once Seth makes up his mind, he’s never going to change it…ever.”
“He wants me to change him.”
Liv’s brows drew down as her intense gaze pinned Aubrey to her seat.“Is this relationship not as important to you as it is to him?”
Aubrey reached for Liv’s hands and gently squeezed.“No, he’s everything to me.I don’t want to hurt him.I don’t remember my transition, other than waking up scared.Hurting Seth is the last thing I would ever do.And what do you think?You, Kai, and the rest of his immortal family—does anyone have concerns because they haven’t met me?”
Liv giggled as she squeezed Aubrey’s hand.“I like you already.So will the others.But you have to remember that this is a decision that Seth has to make for himself.”
“What if he regrets me turning him?What if I’m not who he wants?”
“Aubrey, honey, Seth is the greatest judge of character that I’ve ever met and he’s never been wrong.Can you feel his emotions?”
She nodded.“Although he can feel mine more acutely, for some reason.”
Aubrey sat back against the kitchen chair, relieved that all of her fears that had been holding her back from what she most wanted in her life no longer mattered.She loved Seth, and that was all that counted.
The vampire squealed, loudly, at Aubrey’s voice.She whipped around to face Aubrey while she pressed her back up against the front door, her eyes wild and searching.Not wanting to present herself as a threat, Aubrey locked down her muscles and lowered her gaze to the floor, cursing herself for startling the other woman.She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words stuck in her throat as she tilted her head up and watched the fear evaporate from the other woman’s features.The vampire sniffed the air and Aubrey watched, puzzled, as the vampire beamed at her.
Even with her perfect eyesight, Aubrey couldn’t track the blur the smaller woman made as she rushed forward and pulled Aubrey into a hug.The hug encompassed her, and the scent of apples and lemongrass assailed her senses.Tears pricked at her eyes at the embrace.It had been the first hug she ever received that felt…motherly.Before she could sink into the small vampire, she pulled back and smiled at Aubrey.
“Hi.You’re Aubrey, right?I’m Liv.”Her words were spoken fast and if she wasn’t a vampire, she would have missed it.
“Yes, I’m Aubrey.It’s so nice to meet you, Liv.I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Liv pulled Aubrey into another hug that relaxed the last of her muscles.
“I knew that Seth was safe, but I’ve missed him, so I thought I would drop by and see him for a few minutes.”
Liv’s words caused a stab of guilt.She apologized for keeping Seth away from his family.Liv waved her off, pulling back from the hug and giving Aubrey a glowing smile that had her relax further.Liv reached for her hand and led her to the table, and Liv grew quiet the longer they sat in silence.
“Are you worried about me hurting him?Because I wouldn’t…I couldn’t, ever.”
Liv’s laugh washed over her, settling some of the nerves that flared.
“Did Seth tell you about his parents?”
“He glossed over it.”
“They weren’t cruel in the sense that they hurt him, physically.They ignored him all throughout his life.When he met Kai, he found a family for the first time in his short life, and he clung to his family.And I clung to him—we all did.But there was always a sense of loneliness about him, even surrounded by those who loved him.When he came by after the class the night he met you, we knew immediately that he found his mate, that he found you.It made complete sense to us that he would find an immortal to love.”
Aubrey worried her bottom lip with her teeth before she voiced her worry from the past week.“I don’t know if I’m good enough for him.My mother was a horrible example of a person and I’ve only had one friend in my life up until this point.”
“Because you’re worried about it makes you perfect for him.Let me let you in on a little secret.Once Seth makes up his mind, he’s never going to change it…ever.”
“He wants me to change him.”
Liv’s brows drew down as her intense gaze pinned Aubrey to her seat.“Is this relationship not as important to you as it is to him?”
Aubrey reached for Liv’s hands and gently squeezed.“No, he’s everything to me.I don’t want to hurt him.I don’t remember my transition, other than waking up scared.Hurting Seth is the last thing I would ever do.And what do you think?You, Kai, and the rest of his immortal family—does anyone have concerns because they haven’t met me?”
Liv giggled as she squeezed Aubrey’s hand.“I like you already.So will the others.But you have to remember that this is a decision that Seth has to make for himself.”
“What if he regrets me turning him?What if I’m not who he wants?”
“Aubrey, honey, Seth is the greatest judge of character that I’ve ever met and he’s never been wrong.Can you feel his emotions?”
She nodded.“Although he can feel mine more acutely, for some reason.”
Aubrey sat back against the kitchen chair, relieved that all of her fears that had been holding her back from what she most wanted in her life no longer mattered.She loved Seth, and that was all that counted.