I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. “I need to know where you’ve been,” I say worriedly. “Did you go anywhere other than the delivery locations Marco gave you?”

Grayson shakes his head quickly. “No, Liam, I swear. I just took the orders and delivered them like Marco told me to,” he insists.

Searching his face for any signs of deception, I press. “Are you sure you didn’t pass by any other place? Talk to anyone else?”

He hesitates for a moment before shaking his head again. “No, Liam, I didn’t talk to anyone else. I don’t know any of the people I delivered to.”

But then his expression changes as if remembering something. “Well, except for my teacher. She had placed an order for some soup.”

“That’s all the people you interacted with? No one else.”

“Yeah. I swear.”

My heart sinks at his words.

He is telling the truth, which means the vampire must have been watching him. I curse myself silently for letting him roam the streets without supervision.

Grayson looks at me, concerned. “Liam, what’s going on? Why are you so worried?”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “It’s nothing, Gray. Just... a little misunderstanding,” I lie, forcing a reassuring smile onto my face. “You’re safe, okay? That’s all that matters.”

He doesn’t look entirely convinced, but he nods, seeming to accept my words for now. “Alright, if you say so, Liam.”

I reach out to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. “I promise, Gray. Everything’s fine.”

He nods again, his expression still wary but a little more relaxed now. “Okay, Liam. I trust you.”

I let out a sigh of relief, but inside, I’m still shaken by the realization that the vampire is watching him. I’ll have to keep a much closer eye on him from now on.

I will keep him safe no matter what it takes.

Chapter 13

Selene

I’m sitting in my car, staring at the school building in front of me. My heart is pounding like crazy, and I can’t shake off this nervous feeling. I mean, I’ve been tutoring here for a while now, but today is different. Today, I’m not Selene, the tutor. The principal has asked me to substitute for one of the other teachers. I have no idea which class I will be teaching, and I’m a bit nervous.

So, today, I’m not Selene, the tutor. I’m Miss Black, the vampire teacher trying to blend in with the humans. I don’t need this anxiety along with my thirst, but it’s an opportunity I can’t pass up.

I glance over at the mini fridge I installed in the backseat. Six blood bags chilling in there, just in case my cravings get out of hand. I’ve gotta keep up this charade and make sure no one suspects a thing. It’s not easy being a vampire in a world full of humans, let me tell you.

But just as I’m about to gather my courage to go inside, I remember that it’s the first day of school, and there’ll be an assembly first thing.

I rush into the school assembly, trying to keep my nerves in check. My heart’s racing like a freight train, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got a permanent case of butterflies in my stomach. As I take a seat among the other teachers, I can feel their eyes on me. It’s like they can smell the nervous energy radiating off me.

Principal Johnson takes the stage, and I force myself to focus on her words. “Alright, everyone, settle down. We’ve got a bit of an announcement to make.” Her voice booms through the auditorium, commanding attention.

I glance around, trying to spot Mrs. Berkley.

Principal Johnson clears her throat before continuing. “As you all know, Mrs. Berkley had a bit of an accident last night. She’s going to be out for a while.”

Murmurs ripple through the crowd, and I can practically feel the tension in the air.

The poor thing broke her hip. Ouch. That sounds painful.

“And so,” Principal Johnson says, her eyes scanning the room before landing on me, “we’ve asked Selene here to step in as a substitute teacher for Mrs. Berkley’s science class.”

My heart plummets to my feet, and I can feel the blood draining from my face. Me? Teach a bunch of fifteen-year-olds science? Are they insane?