Midnight (Book One)

Chapter 21~ Vega

That next night Arsin explains the rules of the house to me. "This is a safe house for vampires who are avoiding the hunters for some reason or another." Arsin stops and looks at me. "No hunters are allowed to stay here because they would in danger all of us understand?"

I nod. "Yes."

I follow Arsin down the dimly lit hallway and downstairs where the kitchen and living area are.

"Daddy!" A kid runs up to Arsin and hugs him.

Arsin picks the curly haired boy up. "This is my son Eric he's five," The boy smiles showing his small fangs. "Eric daddy's working go play."

Eric nods then disappears up the stairs. After Arsin finishes showing me around I find Jay sitting outside smoking a blood cigarette with a young purple haired girl. I use my keen hearing to listen.

"You know you'll be in trouble if Arsin finds out your new girlfriend is a hunter." The girl says.

"She's not my girlfriend Shadow...at least not anymore," Jay tells her. "You wouldn't understand."

"No, I understand completely you have hope on rekindling your relationship with her. Look, Jay, I'm telling you this as a friend get rid of her," Shadow hissed putting out her cigarette. "Watch it!" Shadow exclaimed as she bumped into me.

"You know Jay maybe she's right I should leave."

"No, Shadow is just that way."

"I'm putting you and your friends in danger by just being here." I tell him.

"Look I want you here," Jay says kissing my cheek then embracing me. "You mean the world to me but I know you would never hurt us." Jay whispers in my ear.

I nod my head. "Anyway, what's up with that girl Shadow?"

"She's just really protective."

"Well she doesn't seem to like me very much Jay," Jay begins to laugh as I frown. "That's not funny Jay." I shove him teasingly.

"Yes, it is you just don't know Shadow like I do." Jay stubs his cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe. "Come on let's go." Jay grabs my hand.

"Where are we going?" I ask

"You'll see." Jay smiles.

"Okay." Jay and I walk around to the side of the house and into a small garden.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Jay sits down on a nearby bench and looks toward the lights of the lighthouse.

"Yeah, it's nice. Is it a  lighthouse?"

"Yep, that marks the direction toward freedom for most vampire criminals but it's the getting past the guards that's the problem." Jay looks at me. "Some vampires die trying to escape to freedom including children."

"I'm sorry to hear that Jay." I sit down next to him.

"I remember when I was about to be one of those people."

"You tried to leave?"

He nods. "Yep Vega after you exiled me that broke my heart."

I turn my head feeling guilty. "I'm sorry Jay but you were conspiring with the enemy."

"No, I was trying to stop the war between vampires and werewolves." Jay stands up and turns his back toward me.

"Why would you do that?" I ask.

"Because I-I wanted us to be able to be happy together without the fear of werewolves always constantly threating our species." I walk in the front of Jay to see a tear running down his cheek.

"Jay when I exiled you it broke my heart I cried for months after that but I never let anyone know I was hurt over a criminal. I still care for you so much that I tried to figure a way to fix things between us and the werewolves that's why I have to find Spade he might be the answer to all of our problems." I wrap my arms around Jay embracing him.

"I still love you, Vega." Jay whispers in my ear then passionately kisses my lips. "We should head back in the house. We walk back into the house and sit down at the dinner table with Arsin and the rest of the vampires.