Page 78 of The Awakening
I turn off the coffee pot, grab my keys and head out the door.
Thirty-Six
Junichi
A vampire’s aura and the strength of it exist on a spectrum. Some people say that only purebreds have true auras. This is just some elitist aristocracy bullshit.
We all have auras to varying degrees. Obviously, purebreds have the strongest auras because they are the “heart” of our existence: the origin of where we as ranked vampires stem from. The power of a purebred’s aura naturally draws the rest of us in toward them, acting as a kind of epicenter and creating a layered community of vampires around them. It’s why Haruka and Nino’s realm has grown from something like fifty to three hundred ranked vampires within the past year and a half since they’ve moved here.
As a first-gen vampire—one generation removed from purebred—I’m especially sensitive to the pull of their energy. There is a rule of thumb among snobby first-gen families called “keeping near the heart.” It’s an antiquated expression that’s still being practiced, both intentionally and unintentionally.
In my case, I was raised very intentionally under this edict. As an adult making my own choices, I am still operating under this system, albeit unintentionally.
The idea is that a family bearing first-gen children should make certain their children are connected, somehow, someway, with a purebred vampire. The purpose is to keep the family’s bloodline as high as possible—God forbid your family line slips into second- or third-gen. So far removed from the heart of our natures that your generational bloodline is slowly crawling toward humanity, like a slug into a muck-filled and fruitless pit. It’s why Ren was chosen as my source when I was young.
If you hook me up with a clean-blooded purebred in my developmental years, guess what I’ll innately want and seek for the rest of my life? A fucking purebred. Even if things don’t work out between Ren and I, what will I try to find? Another purebred. All the while maintaining my family’s honorable and dignified bloodline.
This is why Hisaki is always questioning me about how to get closer to Haruka (even though Haruka isclearlynot available as a potential mate—delusional twerp). How did I end up being close to Nino and Haruka? How is it that I can come and go to their estate as I please, when any other vampire in our aristocracy needs to make a formal appointment with them?
Part of it is likely my upbringing. The unintentional pull. The bigger part is that they’re not like your average purebreds, and I’m not like your average first-gen. I think, somehow, our temperaments just match. We’re friends.
They don’t talk down to me or try to make me feel inferior, and I don’t bow at them and speak in flowery, formal language. Both Haruka and Nino hate that. They don’t judge me for sleeping with humans despite my rank, or for not bonding with Ren—althougha lotof vampires in our aristocracy openly condemn me on that issue:
“Why on earth haven’t you bonded with him and what are you waiting for?”
“How dare you keep Lord Ren waiting? Selfishly focusing on your own travels and career.”
“Yes, your father was notoriously stern, but my God, isn’t it about time you settled down?”
I have legitimately heard these things—and much more—at aristocrat functions. Usually from the older ones. Scolding me and ignoring the fact that Ren is a monster. Which, quietly, everyone thinks. He’sactingrealm leader for a reason. No one truly respects his authority. But he’smymonster. I’ve been assigned to him, so I should do what’s right and lock myself in the cage with him.
Damn that.
When I’m on the front steps of the Kurashiki estate, I stop dead, standing completely still in the frosty morning air with my breath fanning out in front of me. Usually when I visit, I sense the strong pulse of Haruka and Nino’s combined aura, but… there’s a second, unique energy now. It’s weaker, but it’s there. I swallow hard as I knock on the door. Almost immediately, it swings open.
“Hey,” Asao says. His eyebrow is raised as he steps aside.
“Hey…” I respond, distracted.
“They’re waiting for you.”
“Is… is he alright?”
Asao smirks. “I think you know he’smorethan alright, Jun.”
Frowning, I stalk past the old vamp and weave my way toward the back of the estate, down a long hallway, outside through the breezeway garden, and then I’m standing at the outer door of Jae’s guest room. I slide it open and peek inside.
Jae is still in the bed but he’s sitting upright. Nino is sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him. Haruka is standing behind his mate. They all turn to look at me. Nino’s jaw drops in a panicked look. A silent scream that only I can see based on everyone else’s juxtaposition around him.
Haruka smiles, calm as ever. “Hello, Jun.”
I feel it. I know why Nino is silently screaming at me, and I want to scream myself as the reality of it registers in my mind. I want to scream and run out of the room, then maybe come back inside and try again. Thiscan’tbe right.
Nino closes his mouth and quickly moves to stand beside his mate. I’ve stepped inside, but now I’m standing in the doorframe, frozen like an idiot with my stomach in knots. “Hey.”
Jae is staring at me. Blinking. His hair is a mess from lying on it for seven days, but his skin is flawless. It might be my imagination, or maybe it’s because the sunlight is pouring in through the window behind him and silhouetting his frame, but he looks celestial. A gorgeous, ethereal, creamy and messy-haired angel.
The angel speaks. “Jun?”
