The school day is finally over, and Jerimiah only had English with Blanchette. Even though he hated not being in the same classes as her he knew it is for the best as no schoolwork will get done as the mating bond grows stronger every time, they are near each other.
After school Blanchette walked past Jerimiah as he is getting on his motorbike, “see you tomorrow.” Blanchette smiles sweetly, and so distracted by the sight of Jerimiah that she loses her footing and trips but in an instant, he is by her side preventing her from touching the ground. Jerimiah could feel his skin a bit hot from using his Vampire speed, but it went away as soon as he stopped and the one second it took him to get to Blanchette was really not that bad.
“You should watch where you are going,” Jerimiah says making sure she is standing on both feet.
“Thank you,” Blanchette says, blushing. Blanchette does not know what comes over her but she leans into Jerimiah, his touch is making her explode with butterflies in her stomach.
Blanchette and Jerimiah are so smitten with each other that they don’t notice Seth; Blanchette’s ex-boyfriend, “hi Jerimiah, nice ride.”
Blanchette tries to compose herself, “Seth, hi.”
“Hi,” Seth says dragging his hand through his blond hair and looking Blanchette over with his crystal blue eyes.
Seth diverts his gaze from Blanchette to Jerimiah with a warning sign in his eyes.
“Can I help you, Seth?” Jerimiah asks, feeling like a wild dog in need to protect what is his.
“Nice ride,” Seth says again.
“Thank you, I guess.”
“So where have you been all this time?” Seth asks staring Jerimiah down.
“What is it to you?” Blanchette interrupts.
“I am talking to Jerimiah,” Seth responds rudely to Blanchette’s question.
“What is it to you?” Jerimiah repeats Blanchette’s question.
“Are you to like an item?” Seth asks mockingly.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Jerimiah says, putting his arm over Blanchette.
“Guys, please. Seth, we are not an item, ok.” Blanchette says taking Jerimiah’s arm off her.
“We could be,” Jerimiah says not knowing why he would say such a thing, ‘Dammit, this mate bond thing can really mess with a person,’ Jerimiah says turning away from the situation and getting onto his motorcycle before he does something stupid.
“Buy Jerimiah,” Blanchette says but wishes she could just get onto his bike with him.
“Bring your helmet with tomorrow and I will take you for a spin,” Jerimiah says before putting his own helmet on and speeding off.
“You always had a thing for bad boys and motorbikes,” Seth makes a snarky comment.
“Seth, please let it go. We have outgrown each other, and you are better off finding someone that feels the same about you than what you feel for them.”
“You mean you have outgrown our relationship. Mark my words, you will regret it,” Seth says walking off when he saw Blanchette’s mother driving up.
“Was that Seth I just saw talking to you? Are you guys back together?” Blanchette’s mom asked smiling as she always liked Seth.
“Yes.”
“Great, I have always liked that kid,” her mom says as she drives off.
“I mean, yes, it was Seth. No, we are not together again.”
“Oh,” comes a disappointed sigh from her mother.
"Mom, we have been over this," Blanchette says rolling her eyes.
The next day Blanchette got into the car, ready to go to school with her scooter helmet on her lap.
"What is that for?" Blanchette's mother asks.
"I am going for a ride on a motorbike after school today," Blanchette says all exited.
"Over my dead body!"
"Mom, come on!" Blanchette begs.
"With who are you going?"
"If it is Seth will you allow it?" Blanchette tries.
"Yes, but it is not Seth, is it?"
"Mom..." Blanchette drags out.
"With who is it? Is he a boy from school?"
"Yes, Jerimiah," Blanchette says, slowly looking over to her mother to see her reaction.
"Thee Jerimiah? The one that you always had a crush on years ago?"
"Yes."
"No way! He is a bad kid. I forbid you to go near him," her mother says firmly.
"Mom, come on, you don't even know him!"
"Neither do you!" her mother says getting angry.
"Why don't you like him?" Blanchette asks, never really understanding why her mom didn't like Jerimiah.
"Because he does not ever stay in the same town as us, and I remember his family always being so unruly coming to our town and walking around as if they own the place."
"Mom, things have surely changed, he lost his whole family," Blanchette tries to soften her mother's heart.
"Well I have my theory about that," her mother says biting her own lip to hold her tongue.
"What theory," Blanchette wonders.
"Nevermind, just stay away from that kid."
“Tell me, what theory?” Blanchette insisted her mom tells her.
“Well, rumor has it that he killed his family and their gang on his sixteen birthdays.”
“So, you really think it was possible for a sixteen-year-old kid to kill so many people single-handed?” Blanchette laughs in disbelieve.
“Well, that is what your grandmother told me.”
“Really? Why would granny entertain such a bizarre story?” Blanchette asks as she can not believe her beloved granny would talk such nonsense.
“You ask her when you see her again.”
“I will.”
After school Blanchette’s mom is already waiting for her making sure she does not take a ride with Jerimiah. Jerimiah noticed and wondered what Blanchette’s eye-rolling at her mother is about.

“Hi Mrs. Perrault,” Jerimiah greets Blanchette’s mother as he walks past her car with open window.
When Jerimiah got home, he stopped at all the houses to see how far they are with the foundations as he had plans tonight to do a great deal of the work using his Vampire speed and strength.

“Hey Beta, I am wondering, do you think it will be bad for me to turn into a Vampire amongst the packs strongest tonight?” Jerimiah asks, about to share his plan of action to speed up the building of the houses.