Okay, this is officially weird. I mean, Ididbasically destroy Kyla in a duel. I was expectingsomekind of backlash. But they seem... proud? My world is momentarily turning upside down when suddenly, I see Sebastian and Derek heading toward us.
And just like that, I know my world is about toexplode.
Derek knows my parents well. He grew up nearby, and they adore him. But Sebastian? Oh, that’s a different story. Trying to explain why I’m dating both of them? Yeah, that’s not a conversation I’m ready for.
“Mr. Vexx, Mrs. Vexx,” Derek greets them, as polite as ever. My parents smile back at him warmly.
“Derek, it’s so good to see you,” my mother says. “We were just about to ask Zaria about you.” My eyes widen, and I can feel the impending doom building.Please, no. Not now.I try to steer the conversation away from impending disaster, but of course, my parents are too sharp for that. “Oh, and who’s this?” my father asks, turning to Sebastian.
I take a deep breath, quickly introducing them. “This is Sebastian. He’s a friend of mine.”
Sebastian, sensing the awkward tension in the air, steps up with his usual charm. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Vexx.”
My mother eyes him curiously. “And what are you, exactly?”
“I’m a vampire,” Sebastian says, his tone casual, though I can tell he’s trying to keep things light.
My mother’s eyes widen in fascination. “A vampire? Oh, how interesting! We don’t have many vampire families around here. How wonderful.” Everything seems to be going fine until my mom drops the bomb. “Where is Sam?”
I wince, and Derek sighs, clearly tired of the Sam subject. “We don’t talk to Sam anymore,” I say, trying to keep things short.
Cue the inevitable question from my mother. “Well, you should ask Derek out, dear. He must be single now, right?”
Sebastian gives Derek a side-eye, "What the hell is with both sets of parents rooting for the two of you?"
Derek just shrugs and mutters, “They just don’t know you very well.”
Sebastian rolls his eyes, but before the situation can get any weirder, my mom gasps. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize Sebastian was your boyfriend.”
And just like that, the awkwardness hits its peak. I groan inwardly.Here we go.Taking a deep breath, I say, “Actually... I’m dating both of them.”
The silence that follows is heavy. My parents look at me, processing what I just said. My mother blinks, clearly trying to wrap her head around this new information. Then she takes a deep breath, looks at me, and says, “Well... you cast that protection hex on yourself, like I told you, right?”
I stare at her, half-offended, half-amused. “Mom, seriously?”
“Well, did you?”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah, of course I did.”
“Good,” she says, nodding in approval. “That’s all I needed to hear.” But the boys are trying with unbelievable restraint not to laugh. And just like that, the tension dissipates, replaced by a kind of weird, awkward acceptance. My parents don’t seem mad—they’re just... taking it in stride. Meanwhile, I’m trying not to die of embarrassment.
“It's good for our Zaria to have so many friends,” my dad finally says. “And we’re glad you have people who care about you.”
Sebastian and Derek exchange glances, looking as surprised as I feel. My mother gives me one last look, smiling warmly. “I'll explain it to your father later,” she whispers conspiratorially.
“Thanks, Mom,” I mutter, relieved and utterly mortified at the same time.
The Days Are Different
The screech of my alarm jolts me awake like it’s trying to summon the dead, but this time, I’m not alone. It’s not even 7 a.m., and I already want to hex something. Maybe the alarm. Definitely the alarm. I reach for it, but before I can get my hands on it, Derek swats it off the nightstand with a sleepy grunt.
“You’re welcome,” he mutters into the pillow, his arm still draped lazily over my waist.
I chuckle softly, nestled between two warm bodies—Derek on one side, Sebastian on the other. Apparently, getting up was never going to be easy, but now it’s a little more… complicated. Not that I’m complaining.
As much as I’d love to snooze back into oblivion, I’ve got things to do. Spells to perfect. And now, two mates to drag along with me. Fun.
Carefully, I untangle myself from the human (and non-human) pretzel I’m in, trying not to disturb the peace. My feet hit the creaky hardwood floor of my dorm room—ourdormroom now, sort of—and I stretch, feeling the familiar sense of chaos wash over me.