“Your… what?”
“My execution. According to Bennie’s maker, that was the only way to make up for a transgression this severe,” I spat. I still remember them holding me down. Two guys, forcing me to my knees, twisting my arms until I was screaming in pain. Iremember looking up at Bennie. For a moment, I thought he’d choose them.
I’d been so mad at him for turning me into a monster. I’d been lashing out at him for ruining my life. For taking away everything I’d ever wanted. I’d never finish med school. I’d never be a doctor. And I’d never get to finally ask out that cute-as-fuck guy I’d been low-key pining after for years.
“But he didn’t,” Finn stated. “He chose you.”
“Yeah. He faced his maker and negotiated. He was the only one in the clan with technical knowledge. The one who held all the accounts. So, Bennie basically blackmailed him into letting us go. Officially, he was exiled from the clan. I was technically never a part of it. For the past three years, we’ve been on our own.”
We stayed silent for a while, the air between us heavy.
This was not how I’d wanted to spend our evening, and I don’t think Finn imagined this to be the way our night went either. He’d been the one who’d suggested a silly movie and takeout. Something low stakes. Relaxing. Instead, I was unloading all my emotional baggage on him.
It was unfair to him, but it also felt good. Freeing. Because I finally got to tell him everything I’d been holding back.
Almost everything,I thought. But I wasn’t about to dump even more on him tonight.Soon. I’d need to do it soon, but not now.
“Wow,” Finn finally said. “That’s… a lot.”
I nodded.
“I know. But we’re okay. I’m not gonna lie, it’s not always easy. Bennie is only fifty-six. In vampire society, he’s not even considered an adult.”
Finn laughed. “And you’re… how old?”
“In vampire years? Three.”
Finn giggled. “So basically, you’re still a baby. And Bennie is like, what? A teenager?”
I growled lowly, but it didn’t scare Finn in the least. He just laughed harder.
“I’m not a baby. Vampires have three categories. Fledglings are freshly turned, up to a year. Afterward, you’re a youngling. And after you turn one hundred, you’re grown. Or mature. Whatever.”
Finn kept giggling for a while, and I couldn’t fault him. Well, I could, but I didn’t want to. I just wanted to hear him laugh as long as possible. It didn’t matter if I was the butt of the joke. Hearing him so free, so happy after I’d thought I’d lost him was… everything. And more.
“Okay. But what do you do if you need help? How are you expected to follow the rules if you don’t know them?”
“We need to figure it out by ourselves. Usually, lone fledglings and younglings don’t survive long on their own, not without a sire present. So when they don’t have a sire, they usually join other clans.” I sighed. “But Bennie and I didn’t want that. I thought we were getting by just fine, but apparently Bennie occasionally asks another vampire for help. Aries. He’s clanless by choice, an arrogant prick, and I don’t like him or the fact that Bennie and I now owe him multiple favors, but the guy knows vampire society, and he owns a club that’s frequented by a lot of vampires and supernatural beings, so he’s like Switzerland—neutral territory. So I guess it’s better we’re indebted to him than another clan.”
Finn slowly nodded, then cocked his head.
“If you joined another clan… would that be for life? Or just until you matured or whatever?”
He was asking good questions. “Most vampires like clan life. Not every clan is into illegal stuff like Bennie’s was, you know? I’m told that clans are supposed to be like family. An eternalexistence can get pretty lonely if you don’t have others around you. But it’s not like you’re signing away your soul. At least with most clans. I think.”
“Okay. How do…” He stopped himself and gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m bombarding you with questions.”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. If you have questions, ask. I’ll always answer.”
Finn grinned but made a zipping motion over his mouth. “Nope. I mean, yeah, I have more questions. Especially about fledglings and clans and… okay, maybe about everything. But I feel like we both need a break.”
I gently extracted my hand from Finn’s grip, putting my arm around his shoulders to pull him closer until he was resting against my side and I could bury my nose in his hair.
“I don’t mind. I really don’t.”
Not when I could scent his hair and bask in his warmth.
“Okay. Uhm… how does a fledgling or a youngling or whatever find a new clan? Do they just… run around until they find a vampire and then follow them? Are there apps? Like Tinder for vampire clans?”
