SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
SHERIFF ALEXANDER TOWERED OVER ABBEY as they waited for Arym to be released from the facility. Everything appeared to be white, the long corridors, the ceilings, and even part of the main desk. Abbey thought that it was a bit of a strange setup. People walked by, and she wondered if they were all vampires. The red sheriff could sense that Tessy was about to come around the corner, and sure enough, they both appeared. After Abbey had signed a single piece of yellow paper at the front desk, they all made their way toward the security exit, flanked by two black security guards. Nods were exchanged as they exited the building.
Abbey hugged her child. “How are you? What did they do in there?”
Arym shrugged. “It was kinda weird. People came in to read my mind and then drew blood for tests. This guy came into my room in the middle of the night, and Tessy escorted him out; I never saw him again after that. One doctor said he was gone and wouldn’t be back. Not sure what that means; maybe I don’t wanna know.”
Alexander smiled and nodded. “We’ve received permission for you to return to the apartment. Tessy and I will escort you.”
“I wish I had a dog like Tessy. Oh, Mom, they gave me blood to drink, and you wouldn’t believe how good it tasted. It made me feel like a thousand times stronger.”
Abbey had mixed feelings about her daughter. She loved her, but now she also was a little frightened of her. What if she lost control of herself? Life would never be quite the same, and all they could do was deal with it. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since her daughter had been turned. Now the child would be back in bed, and she had many unanswered questions.
Back at the apartment, they passed a family moving in across the hall. Obviously, one of the movers was a vampire. He carried a large sofa by himself, making it look easy. Arym looked depressed as she sat at the kitchen table and stared off. She felt awkward in her own home. Alexander explained that it would take time for her to get accustomed to her new state of being but reassured her that she would be okay. She patted the dog, knowing she would miss her because Tessy had been a great companion and guardian. Everyone could use a loyal friend like her.
Alexander and Abbey were attracted to one another, but neither was prepared to make the first move. Both were single and a little lonely. Alexander could have read Abbey’s mind, but he refused to do it; he considered it a personal trespass, although situations had forced him to do it in the past. He knew he would never see her again once he left the apartment. Tessy ran up to the sheriff and nudged him with her nose; she wanted him to ask her out, but he told the dog to be good.
“All right, Abbey. My card is on the table. Please memorize the number and destroy the card. Otherwise, some evil vampires might be able to track me down and do me in. We have to go, but I’ll check in if I have the time. We’ve been quite busy lately. Some days it seems like the world is being flushed down the toilet.”
Abbey squeezed Alexander’s hand. “Thank you so much for your time and understanding. I don’t know what we would have done without your help.”
The sheriff nodded and blurred off down the hall and out of the building. Tessy gave Arym one last look before following Alexander.