"You seem to be closer than just friends should be."

Camila's heart was beating so hard. She felt like it would burst out of her chest as she looked at Amelia's soft blue eyes.

"Oh, my God, you didn't have to do all this," she managed to utter.

The vampire returned her gaze towards Lucas and Camila followed her. Her brother was already beside Bella, patting her head as the horse lowered it closer to him.

"I had to," Amelia said, interrupting her thoughts. "He's just a child and living in this world isn't so easy for kids. They've already lost so much and there's too much of what they're yet going to lose."

Camila was now worried. What did Amelia think by this? She looked at her forehead and a cut she previously saw was no longer there. She had to remind herself that Amelia was actually a vampire. It was much harder to hurt her than she thought.

"Did something happen in New York?"

The other woman returned her gaze to her, eyeing her for a few moments. She looked like she was thinking whether she should reveal something or not.

"No, but," she paused a little. "You can never know what might happen. I can't promise this war won't go out of control. We're already dancing on a thin ice."

Camila shook her head.

"I don't believe you."

Amelia raised her eyebrow questionably.

"You don't believe what?" she asked back. Her voice was once again cold.

"I know something bad happened in New York, otherwise you wouldn't go there, along with all the other warriors," she said. "You just don't want to reveal what was all this about."

Amelia faced her with her whole body.

"First things first, I didn't take any other warrior with me," she replied cockily. "Just trainees and that was only because Janus wanted them to feel the real thing instead of the games they're playing inside that training rooms. And second, I've already told you New York isn't something that should concern you. You better go there, help your brother on his horse and make the best out of your stay in the complex."

Camila was a blown off with her response. She just looked at her, unable to say anything else.

As she didn't get any response, Amelia turned her head towards Lucas and Camila could hear her taking a deep breath. She did as Amelia told her and started to go to Lucas but when she noticed that the other woman wasn't following, she faced her again.

"You're not coming?"

Amelia seemed a little lost. Her eyes weren't focused on anything particularly.

"Umm, sure," she responded and joined Camila. "I'm sorry if I was rude with my response. I just don't want to discuss anything related to New York. Humans really shouldn't know anything about it. You're just an exception because he asked me about it and I didn't want to lie to him."

Camila wondered when Amelia made such an effort to explain her behavior to her.

"It's okay," she said and gave her a small smile. This time, Amelia didn't smile back. She didn't even look at her. "Kaley always says I can be a little pushy so I should apologize too."

The warrior nodded her head and they continued to approach Lucas and Bella in silence. As they got closer, Camila heard Lucas whispering something to his horse who was standing still, accepting the boy's caresses.

"Luke?" Camila called his name.

Lucas immediately turned around and ran to Amelia, hugging her firmly around the waist.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said with so much enthusiasm.

If Camila wasn't so focused on containing herself to hug Amelia too, she would've laughed at her facial expression. She could say Amelia wasn't amused by these "hug surprises". She didn't take them well.

"You're welcome," she said after composing herself.

Lucas still didn't let go of her.

"You saved my best friend," he said.

Camila's heart swelled at the vampire's soft expression. Amelia really did have a soft spot her Lucas. It was the only logical explanation for her behavior.

"Won't you go and ride her?" she asked.

Lucas finally moved away and nodded. Then, he looked at Camila.

"Cami, will you help me climb her?" he asked.

Camila smiled, running her hand through his hair.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

Lucas put his foot up and she lifted him a little so he could sit in the seat comfortably. Bella didn't even flinch.

"There you go," Camila said.

Lucas caressed the horse's head.

"Amelia, where's your horse?" he asked. "Join us, please."

She looked like she was thinking about it but the other vampire already disappeared towards the stall again. He went there to get Amelia's horse as if he already knew what her answer would be.

"I probably should," she said. "So much time passed since I last saw Jupiter."

Jupiter. Camila realized it was her horse's name. She named him after the planet.

The man soon returned, guiding a beautiful black horse along with him. But Amelia wasn't looking at them. Her eyes followed Lucas who was already heading ahead.

"Can he ride by himself?" she asked.

Camila snapped her eyes back to her.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry. I mean, he always has someone to watch over him but he's good on his own. He and Bella really do have some sort of connection," she explained.

Them man finally got in their close proximity and Amelia patted her horse.

"I missed you, buddy," she said.

Camila had to smile.

"He's beautiful."

Amelia looked at her.

"Thanks," she said sincerely. "Do you ride?"

"Yeah, sometimes. But usually, Lucas gets to Bella before I even can grab a chance to approach her," the singer said with a small laugh escaping her mouth. "He can be very possessive."

The other woman laughed and Camila's heart skipped a beat. She could look at her the whole day. She could listen to her laugh without ever getting bored. She was absolutely sure of it.

"Come, you can properly meet Jupiter. Maybe he lets you ride him," Amelia interrupted her thoughts and Camila approached the horse.

He immediately kind of snorted in distrust to the stranger but Amelia just patted his head.

"It's okay, buddy," she said calmly, probably trying to transfer her calmness to the animal. "She's a friend."

Camila lifted her arm so Jupiter could see it and patted him behind his ears. He snorted again and she grinned.

"He's great."

Suddenly, Amelia offered her a few sugar cubes.

"Give them to him," she said. "Trust me, he'll be very grateful."

She took the sugar and lifted her open palm closer to Jupiter's head. The house smelled a little before deciding the small objects were good for eating and took all of them from Camila's palm.

"Good boy," Amelia cooed.

It was time for the next step. The vampire took the leash and gave it to Camila. She looked at her in confusion.

"You can walk him a little," she explained. "Just take the leash, start walking and you'll see if he's gonna be willing to follow you. Horses can be very tricky animals and it's very important to gain his trust before you hop on him."

All the possibilities were already running through Camila's mind. Jupiter could easily snatch out of her grip and ran away or he could attack her. She knew everything about that, due to Lucas's obsession with horses so Amelia actually didn't need to explain it to her.

"I'm not sure about this," she said but Amelia quickly stepped closer.

"I'll be by your side too, don't worry," she reassured her. "He seems calm so far."

For a few more moments, Camila weighted whether she should give it a try. Her eyes wandered around in search for Lucas and she spotted him down the riding area. The boy seemed fine and comfortable and she didn't want to interrupt him.

Then, she grabbed a leash and started to walk ahead, just as Amelia told her.

At first, Jupiter seemed unsure and unwilling but after she gently pulled the leash, he finally started to follow her. She smiled in satisfaction.

"See," Amelia said as she appeared to Jupiter's right side. "This wasn't so hard."

Camila turned a little, guiding him.

"No, it wasn't," she replied, looking at her feet. "Thank you for all of this. You didn't have to do it but I'm really glad to see Lucas has people who care about him."

Silence. Amelia didn't say anything back.

"He seems like a good boy," she finally uttered and Camila let out a breath she was holding. "Umm, he told me about the attack."

Her head snapped up.

"When?"

Amelia cleared her throat.

"When he first approached us on the bus for the complex," she replied. "After he told us, I was surprised he was so comfortable around me and Damien after experiencing something so bad. I know how these attacks look like and I'm concerned about us not knowing anything about it."

Camila gently patted Jupiter's head, as they continued to walk over the riding area.

"Yeah, about that," she started. "We didn't really let this out to the press. We wanted him to recover in peace and the press would only fuss over it. Because he's my brother and everything. So after that vampire ran away, we immediately took him inside, in one of the club's rooms and made sure that no one of the present people wouldn't speak a word about it."

Camila could see Amelia nodding.

"Is that the reason why you signed for this?"

"Partly. He had a lot of nightmares and everything. He really had a hard time trying to move on. He's just a kid. The other reason was me wanting to give my family some sort of security. I know my status helped me to get it faster than any other people but I can't bring myself to feel bad for wanting to protect the most important people in my life."

Camila said everything. It was the first time she spoke about her reasons for using her celebrity status in her advance so openly.

Amelia didn't say anything else but Camila needed only a few hours in the vampire's close proximity to notice certain things.

"I can tell you aren't very happy with us being here."

Amelia's head snapped up.

"Why would you say that?" she asked defensively.

Camila didn't want to start a fight. It was clear that the vampire had a temper and her patience wasn't as high as other people's.

"It seems like you don't want us here," she explained.

Silence again. She could tell Amelia was thinking hard by her furrowed brow. Then, she sighed.

"I have a lot on my plate," she finally said. "I'm responsible for everything that might happen on the battlefield and we do have a lack of warriors. That's why I'm currently working on getting the newbies in shape for a fight. Taking care of humans inside of the complex only complicates things and adds more responsibilities and," she paused a little and looked at Camila. "You can't deny the high level of arrogance and, let's call it self-fullness between your human companions."

Camila swallowed hard. That was what Amelia really thought about them. About all of the celebrities inside of this complex. She didn't want them here. Camila really couldn't believe they were having this conversation.

"Is that what you really think about us?" she asked in a small voice.

Amelia looked aside.

"I'm sorry if it's not something you expected me to say," she replied. "I'm not a liar and I'm pretty straightforward in everything so yes."

Camila felt a little disappointed. Amelia had already done so much for her and her family. She had done things she didn't have to, like bringing Bella in Montana. And Camila was sure she had her reasons for wanting to be close to Lucas. But hearing directly from her that she was actually in a way forced to do this hurt her. She now understood better why the vampire never smiled during their flight to Helena or ride to the complex.

As she stayed silent, Amelia looked at her again.

"I can't tell if you're different from them and I definitely won't say it just because you're on my list but once again, I do understand why you decided to join this project," she explained. "I think it's very nice of you wanting to help your family and protect your brother. No matter what, I want to help you guys and I think you shouldn't feel bad. Let's just say this is the point where I should start to see things differently."

Camila smiled a little and stopped so she could pat Jupiter again. The horse stayed calm and collected. It seemed like he was enjoying himself.

"I think this is the first time we talked so much," she said, chuckling. "Not that we had a lot of chances for a talk but still."

Amelia smiled back. It wasn't wide smile Camila wanted to get out of her but it was still something.

-

Amelia felt strange. After the honest conversation she just had with Camila, she felt strangely relieved. When she first decided to bring Lucas's horse, she knew this would in a way include his sister too but she never imagined herself having this particular conversation with Camila. They didn't know each other well enough for Amelia to open up like this. But she couldn't help herself. When they started to talk about Lucas being attacked by a red-one, she simply couldn't restrain herself from telling her everything.

Camila was friendly. She was ready to know other vampires and to give this life a chance. Amelia could see it.

"I'm not a very talkative person," she said.

"I noticed. But again, thank you for everything," Camila thanked her for maybe tenth time this evening. "Especially now, when I know you didn't want to do it but you still did."

Amelia nodded.

Then, Lucas finally decided to approach them. He stopped his horse only a few feet from them and waved his hand.

"Amelia, C'mon!" he yelled. "You promised you would join me."

She had to smile.

"What do you say about your sister joining you instead?"

Camila's eyes widened.

"You want me to get on Jupiter? I'm not sure if this is a good idea," she replied. There was a fear in her voice.

Amelia wanted to reassure her.

"He's comfortable enough for this, trust me," she said. "You can ride him if you want. I could help you and..."

The ringing for her phone interrupted her. That ringtone. It's couldn't be anything good. She pulled the phone out of her leather pants and looked at the screen.

Alexus, one of her warriors.

"Umm, guys, I have to answer this," she said. "Could you wait for me?"

Camila just nodded her head but Amelia could tell she was curious. She wanted to ask her. Luckily, she didn't have time for explanations. Instead, Amelia just answered the call, heading away from them.

Amelia: "Hey, is everything alright?"

Alexus: "Yeah, I'm in Hot Springs with Daxx and it's pretty quiet so far. But Sasha just called me. She and Osien ran into a small group of red ones in Bend, around ranger station. They took care of it so I'm just informing you."

Amelia was surprised.

Amelia: "Hmm, strange. We didn't have any encounters there for a long time."

Alexus: "Yes. Do you think they're up to something again?"

Amelia: "I'm not sure. We should probably talk to Janus about it. Are you sure they don't need any help?"

Alexus: "Yes, don't worry. Sasha just asked me to inform you."

Amelia relaxed her shoulders again. She was so glad she didn't have to go out so far.

Amelia: "Okay then. Be careful, yeah? The night is long. And if you see or sense anything out of ordinary don't hesitate to call me."

Alexus: "I understand, boss. See ya when we get back."

Amelia ended the call and sighed. She looked back. Camila and Lucas were already looking at her. The singer's face was a little alarmed.

She sighed again.

Amelia knew that today, she actually let Lucas into her life. There was no chance that the boy would want to stay away after she brought Bella inside the complex. And it was pretty clear Lucas was coming in a package with Camila. And while Lucas was just an innocent little boy, Camila for certain wasn't that naive. She already had her suspicions.

But Janus was clear when it comes to that matter. Humans had to stay away from this way. As far away as possible.

She lightly shook her head to get rid of all these thoughts and then approached them again.

"Amelia, you promised me we'll ride together," Lucas complained which made her smile.

"I know and I'm sorry," she said before grabbing Jupiter's leash which was still in Camila's hands.

She looked at her and Amelia instantly knew she was full of questions.

"Is everything okay?"

The vampire patted Jupiter's head.

"Yeah, one of my warriors called me to fill me in about the situation outside," she replied. "Not something..."

"I should worry about, I know," Camila interrupted her, finishing her own line. "And is everything okay on the field?"

Amelia looked at brown eyes. For a moment, she felt somewhat uneasy, staring at the dept of Camila's eyes.

"Yes, everything is calm and clear," she replied and then quickly got on Jupiter's back. "I think I should join him before he gets really angry with me. Do you mind waiting for us for a little while?"

Camila just nodded her head.

"I'll be over there behind the fence," she replied and then headed out of the riding area.

Amelia observed her for a short time before she joined Lucas. She caught up with him and they were riding next to each other.

"You're good at this, buddy," she said to him.

Lucas smiled.

"Yes, I love to ride a lot," she replied. "We'd always go to see Bella whenever Cami had a chance to visit New York. She has an apartment there and I'd always went there with her."

Amelia could hear a bit of nostalgia in his voice. Honestly, she couldn't blame him. Living with the blue coven meant a lot of adjustment and it was particularly hard for younger members of the human race.

"Do you miss your life outside of this place?" she asked.

Lucas seemed to be very observant and smart for his age.

"A little," he answered honestly. "I miss my school friends and Mrs. Patterson. She was the best."

Amelia assumed he was talking about his teacher and smiled.

"Cami seems to be happy here," Lucas spoke again. "She and Kaley were spending a lot of time with that other boy."

"Boy?" she asked in confusion. Whom was Lucas talking about?

"Yes, that other boy who was with you on the bus when we came here," she explained better. Amelia thought about it for a while before it clicked.

"Damien? My cousin?"

The boy shrugged.

"I guess. He's very nice."

Just as he glanced to the fence where Camila stood watching them, Amelia followed his gaze. But apart from Camila, she noticed something else. A woman approaching from afar. She squinted her eyes to see better but couldn't put her finger on the person.

"Hey, Lucas, do you mind continuing without me? I have to go ask your sister something for real quick."

He nodded his head and she immediately led Jupiter towards Camila. As she started to approach, she could see better the person.

Her breath hitched. It was Xenia.

She hurried and when she finally approached Camila close enough, she quickly got down. Her eyes never left Xenia's figure.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Camila asked in concern but before Amelia had a chance to respond, Xenia got close enough and slipped in between, throwing her arms over Amelia's neck.

"Babe, I've missed you," she whined. "Why didn't you pay me a visit when you got back."

Amelia could see Camila's widened eyes. It was clear that she was taken aback with Xenia's approach. She just removed her hands from her neck and looked at Xenia with annoyance.

"How did you find out where I am?" she asked, not bothering to exchange pleasantries.

Xenia only smirked.

"Damien was in the office and I kind of cornered him," she said casually and then stood on her tiptoes so she could kiss her but Amelia got out of the way. She grabbed her upper arms, moving her away from herself.

"If you haven't noticed, we aren't alone, Xenia."

The vampire woman turned and faced Camila.

"Oh, yeah, Camila Reyes," she said, unfazed. "The woman you choose to spend your time with over me. I'm Xenia, by the way. Amelia's..."

"Friend," Amelia's quickly interrupted her. "She's my friend."

At that statement, Xenia only frowned but didn't say anything else. Amelia could feel a headache approaching fast so she rubbed her temple.

"Why don't you go to my house and," she stopped a little to compose herself. "I guess I'll meet you there when I finish here, yeah?"

That seemed to be enough for her. She nodded her head and then tried again with a kiss. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut but didn't move away. She let her kiss her.

The kiss was short and then, Xenia just headed away from them.

"See you soon," she yelled.

Amelia exhaled loudly and looked at Camila. She could see her discomfort because the other woman didn't look up and had a strange facial expression.

"I'm sorry about her," she said. "She's...honestly, I don't know what to say."

Camila finally looked up.

"You seem to be closer than just friends should be," she commented.

Amelia was a little taken aback with that response. She would expect that from Damien or some of her warrior friends but not from Camila. She once again rubbed her temple.

"I think we should go," Camila said. "She's waiting for you."

The vampire turned around a looked at the direction where Xenia had previously left and sighed.

"You're probably right," she replied in defeat. "Listen, you and Lucas are allowed to come here whenever you want. I told Tariq you have a granted permission directly from me. So you don't have to restrain yourself to night hours only."

Camila gave her a small smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Something was off.

"Thank you for all of this," she replied quietly. "It'll for sure help Lucas to adjust more and to feel more at home."

She smiled. They both saw Tariq approaching Lucas and helping him to get off Bella. Then, the vampire took her leash. He started to lead her towards them. Amelia assumed he wanted to take Jupiter too.

"Tariq will take care of this," she informed them. "You can go home and rest."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Lucas asked, standing right next to her.

Amelia crouched down.

"I have to go through my schedule first and then we'll see," she replied with a smile. "I'll let your sister know. I think it's time for you to go sleep."

Lucas yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was really tired and it was already pretty late. Camila hugged him over his shoulders.

"Tariq, can you please take them home?" Amelia asked the other guy.

"Sure thing, boss," he replied. "Let me just take horses inside the stall and I'll join you."

Amelia nodded and faced the other duo again.

"He'll take you home so you wouldn't have to go alone through the complex," she explained. "I have to go meet Janus. I guess I'll be seeing you around."

Camila nodded and Lucas gave her a goodbye hug. Then, she headed back toward the main building. Her thoughts were already running in two different directions, completely forgetting about Reyes siblings.

She thought about Bend, the encounter with red ones and Xenia, who was waiting for her inside her house.

-

Author's note:

Here you go, guys. As promised, I put chapter 9 up. I don't have a lot to say about this but I do have something to say about me still not reading your stories. I would like to apologize but I just came back from my trip to Budapest and I have to unpack and focus on my job to make up for everything I missed. I promise I'm getting back to reading tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

If you liked the chapter, please consider to give it a vote or comment.

Next update: Sunday.

Stay true to yourself and have a nice day!