pain, taking it away from her to make her transformation more tolerable. Any vampire who was not a part of the Night Hunters would kill Raven on sight.
Kristian released her.
Raven’s eyes fluttered a couple of times before opening.
“God, I feel so much better now. What did you do?”
Kristian smiled. “I only eased your headache.”
“I haven’t felt this good in months. I would hug you, but that would be too strange for me.”
Kristian sat in the booth in front of her. “Hugging me would be strange? I just had my fingers on your forehead. I think we moved past strange and onto uncomfortable.”
Raven laughed.
It brought joy to his heart to hear her laughter. Sadly, this young woman would not be so happy if her destiny caught up with her.
There were not many Trainers anymore. Most had quit or just given up. If Raven was put out in the world without any training or not even knowing what she was, then she could die. For some reason, some strange reason, he didn’t want Raven to become a slayer — he wanted her, just her.
* * * *
Raven watched Kristian from across the booth. Whatever this man had done to her to ease her pain, she would be forever grateful for it. The pain had gone and she felt like her old self again. Maybe she could get a decent night’s sleep, for a change.
“Thank you so much, Kristian,” she told him.
“You are very welcome, Raven.”
Raven turned to see what Veronica and Kristian’s associate were up to when she didn’t hear Veronica giggling anymore. Veronica moved quickly — she was sitting in the booth with the guy and they were kissing. Not just a simple first kiss but a tongue down the throat, I wanna take you to bed type of kiss.
“I see that I will be walking home tonight.”
Raven turned back to Kristian. “Is your friend usually so outgoing?”
“Yea, why?”
“I know Veronica, and I just don’t want your friend to get hurt. Veronica breaks people’s hearts. I think she should have been a man.”
Why did she say that? This man makes me want to tell him everything . If she was like this from a simple touch from him, what would she be like if he kissed her?
“Why do you think that?”
“Because she doesn’t care who she sleeps with and she doesn’t want any commitment.”
“Really? Is that what you think a man is all about? Sex and no commitment?”
Raven frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any disrespect to men but does that…” Raven pointed back to Veronica, “look like a person who wants to take it slow?”
Kristian looked past her than back to her. His light blue eyes watched her closely.
“You are right, but trust me, Shane will be the perfect match for her.”
Raven smiled again. She could not stop smiling at him.
“So, Raven, why are you up so late at night?”
“I don’t know. Even before my headaches began, I was up late at night. It got later and later as I grew older. Now, I don’t need much sleep. What about you?”
“I’m a night hawk. I like the night life. It’s so much more interesting than day life.”
“What do you do for a living?”
Kristian was quiet for a moment and Raven thought that she had overstepped a boundary.
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”
“It’s not that, Raven. It’s more like I am a night time patrol officer. I scan the streets to make sure that nothing bad is out there.”
“Oh, so you are with the police department.”
Kristian shook his head. “More like freelance. My company is a very private company. I think you might be interested in visiting it sometime.”
Raven frowned at him. “Why would I be interested in visiting your private company ? Wait! Are you being sexual because if you are I’m about to kick you?”
When Kristian laughed, Raven couldn’t help but notice the goodness in his laughter. It made her feel so good inside that she could make this man laugh.
Kristian looked down under the table. “I hope not. I may want kids one
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