Page 33 of The Vampire and the Barista

“Let’s eat. I don’t know about you lot, but I’m starving,” Mathis commented, walking to the tray.

Ivan arrived back at the coven. He kept watch but didn’t see another car following him. Maybe it wasn’t someone following him but someone following Jamie. His dad, maybe? He walked inside and hunted Seth down. He found him in the garden with AJ and Gio, by the current campsite and training area.

“Hey,” Ivan said, walking up to them.

“Jamie get off to work, okay?” AJ asked.

“Yeah, but we were followed for some of the journey. I managed to shake them in the end, but it might be best if no one leaves the coven alone.”

“That would be wise, I’ll message everyone later,” Seth replied.

“Have you seen Kitty and Karl? I want to check they’re okay?”

Gio laugh. “They’re fine. If you look over there, you will see Jessamy teaching them martial arts.”

They all turned to look where Gio pointed, and the four children were indeed in a training session, copying a move Jessamy was making.

“We thought we’d start their training straight away, especially because of what happened yesterday,” Gio added.

“That makes sense, thanks for that.”

At that moment, Kitty looked over at them, her face splitting into a massive smile when she saw Ivan. She waved before going back to the move she was being taught.

“I can’t believe she likes me. Not once has she shown any fear of me, even seeking comfort from me yesterday,” Ivan said, still a little confused by the show of trust so soon.

“Children, even human children, are good at figuring out someone’s character, who’s good and who isn’t. You were with her brother helping save them, for that alone, she’ll completely trust you,” AJ told him.

“Thanks. I’ll try my best not to shatter that trust. I can’t believe I have a mate and a new brother and sister.”

“Believe it, my friend,” Gio said, touching his shoulder.

“Dave told me he showed Jamie the library and offered him a job,” Seth said.

Ivan smiled. “Yeah, he, of course, said yes. That library is literally his dream job. Dave, Max and Jamie will have fun working together. But now I’m off back to my office, catch you all later.”

Troy pulled out another folder to read. They had been reading for what felt like years, when in fact it had only been a few days. Troy hated being stuck for so long in an office. “Stefan, Cairo, you guys are vampires. Don’t you have super speedy reading skills?”

“Please say yes,” Sean said, grinning at them. “You guys could probably read everything in this room in like ten minutes.”

Stefan and Cairo laughed.

“We can read quickly, which is why we’re both reading three times as much as you are, but we also don’t want to miss anything important, so slow and steady it is,” Stefan replied.

“What’s the matter, kitty, reading getting too much for you?” Bert taunted.

“Not in the slightest, old bean, not like your pungent scent.”

Bert scowled. “What scent? I don’t smell.”

“You might want to ask for a second opinion on that, old bean.”

Bert sniffed his clothes. “They don’t smell.”

“Ignore the kitty, he’s been cooped up too long,” Cairo told him.

Bert looked at Stefan. “Dave isn’t here, can’t you accidentally drain the annoying cat?”

Stefan laughed. “Unfortunately not, that would upset Cairo, which would upset Dave and then there would be lectures and probably lots of scowling.”