SEBASTIAN

"You did great there. Shira said it was alright to let you help," Silas says as he returns, taking a seat beside me with a small smile. I let out a sigh of relief at the news.

"Thank god," I say.

"Thank the divines indeed. She may not show it, but when she found out you were turned very young, she was a bit forgiving," Silas replies, his face softening as I sigh.

"It's fine, I suppose. I've learned to deal with it. A lot of people say I'm good at adapting to things." I shrug, and Silas's eyes brighten at that. He lets out a small laugh.

"You really are. I've never seen a vampire try to live as a human. Most of the ones I've seen go straight to crime, using their power and strength to take whatever they want—blood, money… everything, I suppose." Silas shrugs.

I wince. "I guess I'm the first, huh? I haven't told you this, but the first week after I was turned, I tried… well, feeding from a cat. But I felt so guilty, and it took me so long to even try to bite it. It scratched me first and ran away."

Silas bursts into laughter. "Seriously? What kind of vampire are you? I swear…" He wipes a tear away as I roll my eyes.

"It's nice to know that even after turning, you still hold on to your sanity. Most vampires don't. Being turned usually brings out the worst in someone, but I guess you don't have a 'worst,' huh?" Silas teases, leaning in closer with a wink.

It must have been meant as a joke, but for me, it only served to embarrass me. Now that I'd finally drunk some blood from the juice box Silas gave me, my skin had returned to a healthy shade. But even so, I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as Silas leaned in, grinning and elbowing my side playfully.

"Don't be a stranger. We've known each other for weeks now. I think it's high time I get to be called a friend, right? I mean, I'm the first person to know your secret. I feel so special!" he says, assuming I'm uncomfortable when I lean away.

But that's not it—not really. I'm just too hyper-fixated on how close he is, how warm he feels, and how I can clearly smell his shampoo… and even what he ate for breakfast.

"Augh," I groan, scooting away from him in embarrassment. Silas pouts.

"Okay, I get it," he whines, but I just shake my head.

God, maybe Kath is right about this. If it weren't for her putting the idea of liking Silas in my head, I wouldn't be having these thoughts at all!

She should just keep her fujoshi tendencies to herself. Watching so much BL and smut must have rotted her brain if she thinks Silas and I are a good match.

And now, because of her, I can't even be alone with Silas without my brain circling back to what she said.

Sure, he's easy on the eyes. He is handsome, after all. His eyes are the perfect shade of gold, and he's just an inch shorter than me. A perfect height to bend down for a—what am I thinking?!

"Ugh," I mumble to myself as Silas looks at me with a confused expression.

Curse you, Kath, for planting this idea. I didn't even know I was gay until now.

—

Torie and her girlfriend, Ashley, were at it again. I could hear their breathy giggles and those weird, loud smacks coming from my older sister's room.

Seriously? Are they making out right now? When I'm literally in the house with them?

Ashley's voice drifted through the thin walls, her giggle soft but audible. "We should be quiet. Your brother's here, right? What if he hears us?"

Too late, Ashley. I can already hear you both, you doofuses. One of the perks—or curses—of being a vampire is heightened hearing. I can pick up a whispered answer on a quiz from across the room... or the enthusiastic activities of two people making out three doors away. It's a double-edged sword, really.

"No way," Torie whined. "I bet he's busy playing on his Switch. Just kiss me already."

I groaned, finally jamming my earbuds in and blasting the loudest music I could find. There was no way I was letting them un-virgin my virgin ears today. This wasn't even a one-time thing—they did this three times a week! And it was always when I was home. Did they ever stop to think about me?

Jeez.

Desperate to distract myself, I grabbed my Switch and fired up a random game. Just as I got into it, my phone buzzed on the couch beside me. I picked it up without looking, swiping to open the message.

[Hey! Did you do your homework yet?]

It was Silas. The Silas. I almost dropped my Switch on my face. Embarrassing, I know.

[No…] I replied, not feeling too guilty about it. Procrastinating was practically my brand—I usually crammed everything into one chaotic session when the mood hit me.

[Great! Come over then :))] he shot back, complete with a grinning emoji.

Come over? Like, was he asking me to come over to actually do homework… or…? My mind spiraled into a thousand possibilities, each one more ridiculous than the last.

"Calm down, Sebastian," I muttered to myself, feeling my face heat up. "You've only known him for a month. It's not that deep."

But even as I tried to rationalize it, I found myself standing in front of his gate, clutching my backpack straps like they were a lifeline. My head was down, my face tinged red—probably making me look like some weirdo skulking through the streets. Real smooth, Sebastian.

I hesitated for a moment before pushing the gate open and walking up the porch. Just as I raised my fist to knock, the door swung open. Shira stood there, wearing a white tank top and black sweats, her sharp gaze pinning me in place.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

"I, uh—Silas called me over to do… stuff. Schoolwork!" I clarified, my voice a pitch higher than normal. My cheeks burned as her eyebrows rose in clear disbelief.

"I highly doubt that," she said dryly. "He's already finished all his work. He probably called you under that pretense but has something else in mind. Anyway, come in." She stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.

I let out a shaky breath and walked in, the faint scent of blood hitting me like a freight train. My stomach growled involuntarily. That should've been my first clue that whatever Silas had planned, it wasn't anything as innocent as homework.

"What do you mean, 'something else'?" I asked as Shira led me into the living room. My question was answered before she could speak. The coffee table was covered in beakers—some filled with crimson liquid, the unmistakable scent of blood thick in the air.

"Let me explain," Shira said, crossing her arms. "We need to test your self-control. You've convinced me to let you live and help us, but the academy still needs proof of your… restraint. If we're going to vouch for you, this is a necessary step."

What?! My stomach dropped. "I thought I was just helping Silas find Minerva! Why does the academy—or whatever council you guys have—even need to know about me? Can't I just... work behind the scenes?"

Shira raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You agreed to this the moment you said you'd help. Now, sit."

Before I could protest further, Silas appeared, bounding down the stairs with a box full of blood-filled tubes. My stomach churned and my mouth watered at the sight, betraying me. This wasn't just a test—it was a buffet being paraded in front of a starving man.

"Glad you made it!" Silas chirped, setting the box down on the table. He plucked a small vial of blood from it, the liquid catching the light in a way that made my throat tighten. "See, Shira? A normal vampire would've attacked me by now just for holding this. He smelled it the moment he walked through the gate, didn't you, Sebastian?"

I glared at him weakly, crossing my arms. I felt like a dog being trained to sit before getting a treat. Silas waved the vial in front of my face, grinning, the little shit.

"Stop that," I muttered under my breath, leaning closer to him. "Shira looks like she's ready to cut my head off."

"She wouldn't," Silas whispered back, laughing softly. "Probably."

Not reassuring.

"See? He's fine," Silas said, turning back to Shira with a triumphant smile. "I've given him blood a few times already, and he hasn't gone feral yet."

Shira didn't look convinced. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching me like a hawk. I swallowed hard, wishing I could disappear.

"And just so you know," Silas added, "I recorded what happened earlier. I'm sending it to my mother so she can finalize everything with the academy."

"What?!" I hissed, my voice rising. "You didn't tell me you were recording! You can't just decide things like that on your own!"

Silas blinked at me, looking genuinely surprised. "But you said you'd help me," he said, his voice softening, his eyes wide and pleading.

I groaned, feeling myself cave under his gaze. Damn it, why does he have to look at me like that?

"Fine," I muttered, slumping in defeat.

Silas's face lit up with a grin, and he pumped his fist in the air like he'd won the lottery. "Knew you'd come through!"

Meanwhile, Shira just rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. I couldn't help but think that Kath might be right—maybe I am in over my head.