Chapter 13: Chapter 13

“You’re not taking me to some shady place for vampires, are you?”

“Why would I? I know you would not enjoy that,” he countered. “I’m not blind, Elena. You’re still tense around me, even after all the time we’ve spent together. Your heart rate increases whenever I’m near. I wish you would feel safe in my presence, not scared.”

His sadness was audible, and she came to regret her thoughtless question. Lowering her head, she gazed down at her purse that rested on her thighs. As always, she kept her protective charms in there, hiding her magic from other vampires.

“I’m sorry,” she answered, raising her head and watching the city lights passing by. Night had fallen, and this part of town had gotten a little quieter. She still had no clue where he intended to go. “It’s hard for me to get used to… um… having a vampire around me so often.”

“Don’t apologize. We will figure it out together,” he said, wanting to reassure her since he sensed her growing nervousness. “Actually, I think I’m very lucky,” he added after a short pause and threw her a glance. Even though it was brief, she didn’t miss the adoration gleaming in his ruby eyes.

“Why?” she mumbled and shyly moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Because my date for tonight is so pretty, nobody can compete with her.”

A rosy blush colored her cheeks. She fidgeted with the seam of her knee-length dress, feeling oddly happy at the compliment. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had said something flattering to her.

“You’re exaggerating. I’m not pretty,” she breathed, but his sharp ears picked up her words without a problem.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Elena. One would have to be blind not to see it. I need to be careful nobody takes you away from me tonight.”

She gaped at him, “Are you always such a flirt?”

“I want to steal your heart, so I’m doing my best,” he drawled with a seductive tone of voice.

Elena found his honesty refreshing, but it put her in a difficult spot. His expectations for their date were vastly different from hers. While he saw it as the beginning of something more, she was reluctant to open up. She had a bad feeling about her pending decision. Elena wished she could speak to her parents about it, as she would have done in the past. Her mother and her father had been supportive of her and would gladly have offered advice to her. She couldn’t stop thinking about whether they would accept a vampire as part of the family or not.

Her mother had sometimes told her stories about soulmates since she had viewed their bonds as a marvelous gift. Now, Elena wondered whether her mother would have been happy about her daughter sharing such a bond. It was hard to tell when a vampire was involved…

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Ryder ended up taking her to a large mall that housed various boutiques, stores, restaurants, and bars. Since most of the shops were already closed at this time, the people they encountered were couples or friends who were out drinking together. Elena curiously gazed around, but she didn’t figure out where Ryder wanted to go. They took an escalator to one of the upper floors, and she felt Ryder’s eyes on her.

It wasn’t long before his hand moved to the small of her back. His touch was light and barely noticeable, only testing the waters. She didn’t look at him and didn’t mention it because she didn’t mind the warm tingling that spread over her back. Elena missed Ryder’s victorious smirk, but she took note of his touch becoming a little more possessive.

They must have looked like a regular couple, walking together like this. This notion prompted her to blush. Maybe being with him wasn’t so bad. It didn’t feel bad. Instantly, a voice in the back of her head reminded her that he was dangerous. It was her fear that reared its ugly head. He was too strong, too fast—how should she trust someone who was significantly more powerful than her? Someone who could crush her without effort?

This time, however, she managed to shut the voice up. Ryder fought tooth and nail to win her trust; he did all those sweet little things for her… If he truly wanted to hurt her or use her magic for his own gain, then he wouldn’t bother going out of his way to assure she was comfortable.

“This is it,” he said, tearing her from her thoughts. She followed his gaze and found a restaurant nestled between a bookstore and a clothing store. It didn’t look very interesting from the outside, but when they entered it, her jaw dropped, and she understood why he had chosen it.

The restaurant was filled to the brim with flowers. The mouthwatering smell of food mixed with the sweet scent of the plants. Every nook and cranny contained flower pots—there were so many colors, she didn’t know where to look first. Hibiscuses, lilies, daisies, violets, and many more filled shelves, decorated tables, and even the ceiling was covered in greenery.

She was speechless, her reaction prompting Ryder to chuckle. “I take it you like the place I chose,” he said.

“It’s amazing. I’ve never been here before.”

“Good, maybe this will become your new favorite,” he answered before he spoke to one of the waiters. From their conversation, she deduced that he had reserved a table near the windows. The waiter brought them there and handed them two menus.

They sat down, Elena smoothening her dress and glancing around with awe-filled eyes. The plants hanging from the ceiling were illuminated by lamps that spread their warm light over their colorful petals, making them appear vibrant and exotic. The natural magic that resided within the plants resonated with hers—it was just as comforting as in her flower shop, so she felt right at home.

A wide smile spread over her lips, brightening her green eyes and emphasizing her rosy cheeks. It was the first time Ryder had seen her smiling for him. He was thunderstruck and could only stare at her, forgetting about everything around them. The sounds of conversation and the clinking of tableware and glasses moved into the background as she took the spotlight. Her scent was especially tantalizing tonight, too. He wanted to touch her. The vampiric part of him wondered what her blood tasted like. Was it as sweet and alluring as her scent?

“Ryder? Are you listening?” she said, and he woke up from his trance, blinking at her.

“What did you say?”

“I asked if you already know what you want to order,” she repeated, pausing as a thought hit her. “Um… do you even want to eat anything?”

“Of course, that’s why we are here. The food is way too good to miss out on,” he answered. “My kind does like to eat regular food every once in a while, you know? It doesn’t do any harm.”