Julian had tried to catch me after class twice this week. He’d blown up my phone every day, asking for updates, wanting to meet.
I wasn’t avoiding him for personal reasons. I just didn’t have anything to report, and I knew Julian would give me shit about it. He didn’t think I should be doing this. I was too rash, tooemotional. I always went in for the big kill rather than working as a team. At least, that’s how he said it.
Curiously, I hadn’t had the urge to hunt lately. Any time things got a bit too real, a bit too much, or the nightmares got too bad — though strangely enough those hadn’t happened since I’d arrived, strangely enough — I’d find myself running to Tristen, begging him to give me something to hunt.
He’d indulged me for now, putting me with a team, trying to keep me safe, but it wasn’t healthy. I knew it. My mom wasn’t wrong in that aspect. I was running from something alright. Myself.
Thinking of my mom, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
I hated to ask her, but it wasn’t like I had many friends I could talk to about this thing with Tate. It was just too embarrassing to think of asking Xinyi. What was I going to say to her? My boyfriend or whatever Tate was liked kissing me well enough but wouldn’t take it further? What did that say about me?
Blowing out a breath, I leaned against the counter, ignoring the others milling about the bathroom.
Me: hey mom how did you let my dads know you were interested in more?
Mom: more?
Mom: In what context?
Mom: Like dating?
Mom: Cause we didn’t really do the traditional dating thing. It was more of a ‘I licked it so it’s mine’ scenario.
My nose curled up in a grimace. Way more information than I wanted to know about my parents.
Me: First, gross.
Me: Second, ew.
Me: Thirdly… uh… so I met this guy and we've been... kissing. A lot.
I paused and stared down at my phone. How much did I tell her? Did normal children talk to their parents about sex or the lack there of? I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like we were a typical family.
Deciding to just go for it, I texted her again.
Me: He won’t go any further. Every time I try to shift us in that direction, he bolts. So how do I get him to… you know?
I dropped my face into my hands with a groan. My face heated tenfold. This was the most embarrassing thing I’d ever had to do. I wasn’t sure I’d survive it to even use her advice.
When my phone dinged her response, I took a deep breath and glanced down at it, half in terror of what she would say.
Mom: ooooh. You mean how to let him know you want to go to pound town.
Me: Mom. Please don't make me regret asking you this.
Mom: sorry. sorry.
Mom: Um... well if he's a vampire or werewolf he's gonna already know.
Me: what do you mean?
Mom: like they can smell you.
I frowned. I knew we all had heightened senses, but what did wanting to have sex have to do with smelling someone? I said as much to her.
Me: smell me? I don't get it.
Mom: they can smell your arousal, Jack!
