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Jeremy stopped by our table once more to deliver our sodas. Dalton gulped down half of his in one go.
"Where did you work?" I asked once he came up for air.
"I stocked shelves at the dollar store. It wasn't glamorous, but I really liked it; it was kinda fun to group the items together and make them look good." He scrunched up his nose. "That probably sounds lame, doesn't it?"
"Not at all," I assured him. It made perfect sense to me; Dalton's life had been messy chaos, so I understood why he would find joy in putting things in order, even if they were small.
Jeremy came by once more to deliver the plethora of food we ordered. Baskets and plates covered every inch of the table, and before the waiter even had time to leave, Dalton had a mouth full of fries.
As much as I wanted to speak with my mate, I didn't bother him while he ate. I just focused on my own food, and tried to keep my smile from being obvious. I didn't want Dalton to think I was laughing at him; I was just so happy to see him eating, and to hear his quiet moans that showed he was enjoying his food.
He surprised me by asking, "Have you always lived here?" when he began slowing down once half of his plates were empty.
"Not always. When I was young, my family moved around a lot." There was more to the story, which I felt was necessary to share with Dalton. I'd been giving him time to adjust to me and his surroundings, but for us to move forward with our bond, he needed to know about my identity. So, I elaborated, "Humans weren't always so accepting of my kind."
Dalton stopped chewing and blinked at me. "Your kind?"
I nodded. "I'm a vampire." I waited a few moments for a reaction, but got none. "How do you feel about that?"
He swallowed his food and tipped his head back and forth. "I know there are lots of different species in the city. I've never met a vampire before you, but you seem normal." Dalton groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Not that you wouldn't be normal. I just mean…I wouldn't have guessed you to be a vampire. Not that there's anything wrong with it."
He sighed and I couldn't help but chuckle. "I understand what you mean. And you might be surprised at just how many vampires you've encountered; many of the guards in the prison aren't human."
"Huh," he said simply before taking a long sip of his soda. "You're not like them. You're nice and I really like you." Dalton's cheeks pinked, and I wondered if his words jumped out before he realized what he was saying.
While it meant so much to me, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable by drawing attention to his admission, so I replied, "They're good guys. They have to be tough on the prisoners to make sure everyone stays in line. It keeps everyone safe."
"That makes sense," he nodded.
"It's why I didn't like being a guard back in the day." When Dalton's eyes widened in surprise, I added, "I was a guard for many years, but it was never a good fit. I was more interested in helping people after they were released; I wanted to make a difference in their lives and guide them onto the right track. I wanted to help them become the best version of themselves."
Dalton gave me another half smile that melted my heart. "It's awesome how much you help everyone."
"Not everyone," I corrected sadly. "I want to, but some people just don't want to be helped. They have too much darkness inside. They can't cope with life outside of prison, and fall right back into their bad habits."
Dalton's face fell, and he picked up a fry just to scoot it around his plate. "What if that's me?" he asked quietly.
I stilled his hand by putting mine on top, and his gaze rose to mine. "It's not going to be you. I can feel what kind of man you are. You've made mistakes, but the fact that you're worried about repeating them speaks volumes. You're in charge of your destiny, and remember, you're not alone."
He tucked his lip between his teeth for a moment before asking nervously, "What happens when my parole is up? I don't know if I can do it on my own." His vulnerability was beautiful, and I appreciated how open he was with me. What he didn't know was that he had a partner for life - an eternal life, but I thought it was too much to tell him at the moment.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily," I told him with a squeeze to his hand. "I'll always be here for you. I promise."
