Page 30 of Monsters Within (The Creatures We Crave 1)
Nodding, she continued, “Evaluation tomorrow morning with a professor from each sector in the pavilion?”
“Yes, please. First thing in the morning so we can determine housing and firm up their schedule before move-in day Sunday.”
They were so quick, it was clear they had gone through this rodeo a few times. I found my eyes volleying back and forth as they spoke.
“Okay. Where will we be housing them tonight?”
Estrid sat at the edge of her desk, crossing her arms under her breasts as she mulled it over before answering, “Neutrum guest housing should suit their needs for now.”
Snapping the notebook closed, Victoria offered a dazzling smile that took my breath away. She looked like a completely different person.
Wait, oh my god. She had fangs! She was a vampire.
Surprisingly, I didn’t panic. I did the exact opposite. Chuckling to myself, I thought of how Hannah would be pissing herself right now if she met a vampire. My amusement was short-lived, though, because everything else associated with Hannah was a sensitive topic still, whether I wanted to admit it to myself or not.
A part of me truly did want her to change and prove she could be better. I wanted to see her blossom into someone I could be friends with, but she was in my past now, it seemed.
My mirth was quickly obscured as I saw Victoria’s eyes shift colors once more to a grey-blue. This time when she spoke, her attention was still focused on me. “It’s okay to mourn a situation. Someone doesn’t need to die for it to feel tragic. Your pain and emotions are valid. Allow yourself to feel them, and you will be on the path to healing, or at least learning how to live with the emotions without drowning in them.”
Was this chick reading my mind?
My face screwed up into shock, and Estrid intervened. “Victoria is our lead counselor here. She’s a special and rare kind of vampire. An empath. They are extremely caring, compassionate, and understanding beings who also possess the ability to easily see another’s perspective.”
Bobbing my head, I muttered, “Cool.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say. It was a weird feeling to be so exposed to someone you didn’t know. It felt so intimate, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to dive into my issues with a stranger. First on my list was to open up to my monsters.
Thankfully, no one pushed the matter further, and her eyes returned to their original gleaming silver as she gestured towards the door. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your temporary housing.”
Pushing out of our seats, Elwin held onto my hand and tucked me into his side, silently lending me his strength as he always did. His selflessness and constant concern for myself, Kylo, and Lucien was undeniably so attractive.
Before following Victoria out, I glanced over to Estrid and attempted to find the proper words to thank her for everything that had just occurred. She’d changed our lives.
“Thank you,” I started, trying to infuse my gratitude in every word. “I don’t know where we would have ended up if it wasn’t for you. This is the first time in my life that I’ve felt welcomed with open arms, and I truly don’t have the words to explain how much that means to me.”
Biting my lip, I fought the urge to run over and hug her as her eyes glimmered with kind affection. “Your new life is just beginning, Alexandra. It won’t be easy, but you won’t be walking your path alone anymore.”
This would officially go down as the best birthday I’d ever had. What a pleasant twist of fate.
