BK 5 - Chapter 34 - Dexter
Dexter walked around the mall, trying to decide on the perfect gift for Grandma Valerie. He was horrible at shopping and knew he shouldn't have waited until the last minute, but he'd been busy. He was going to order something online and have it overnighted. His mom, Jade, said he needed to get out and be around the living instead of just in front of his computer screen. He'd joked he was a vampire and was basically dead, so why did he need to be around anyone? She didn't find it funny, so he was left to wander around the mall.
Dexter wasn't like his cousins. He hadn't gone to college when he graduated because he'd already taken college courses during high school. He graduated early, and at nineteen, he already had a job doing gaming design for a company out of Silicon Valley.
He'd always felt like a bit of an outcast from the rest of the family because he wasn't doing something that would help out at the group homes. He wasn't against it; he was just more comfortable around computers than people.
He also figured it was best to delay meeting his mate. Dexter didn't think anyone wanted a computer geek as a mate. He had his mom's shiny black hair, but he let it get messy, so it was all over his head. He also had her green eyes. His demeanor was more like his dad, Bill. He was big and muscular, like most vampires and shifters. Some women found him attractive and tried to flirt with him, but he didn't talk to them because he didn't know how to. He always messed up when he spoke to anyone outside the family.
Dexter was most comfortable with Grandma Cat. She would let him go on and on about the games he was designing, and she would even play them when he wanted someone to test them for him. She explained how she'd never had a chance to play games when she was growing up, so she's making up for it now.
"Dexter." He turned around when someone said his name and came face to face with his cousin Cameron. Dexter relaxed when he saw who it was.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked; that's when he noticed that Cameron wasn't alone. There was a young, beautiful woman with him.
"We're shopping. Dexter, this is my mate, Jamie. Jamie, this is my cousin Dexter. He's a vampire, so make sure you keep your neck covered." Cameron said softly so no one passing by would hear. Dexter looked at Jamie nervously but saw she was just as uneasy as he was.
"It's nice to meet you, Jamie." He said, holding out his hand. She shook it lightly.
"You too." Jamie didn't know what to think of Dexter. He was big like Cameron, but he looked kind of geeky at the same time.
"I didn't know you'd met your mate. I heard that Emma and Roger had," Dexter said as they began walking.
"We just met a few hours ago. Jamie's going to come to the birthday party tomorrow to meet everyone. You'll be there, right?" Cameron knew his cousin didn't like big gatherings.
"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it. Although no one would care if I wasn't there." Dexter looked away, watching the other shoppers pass by.
"That's not true. I would miss you, and so would Roger and Grandma Cat. She's been anxious to see if you finished the upgrade on your game." Cameron looked at Jamie, who seemed fidgety. He knew she wasn't used to being around so many people and was probably uncomfortable. He led her and Dexter into one of the stores. Jamie relaxed and smiled up at him. She took a deep breath and looked at Dexter.
"Do you have a mate?" Jamie asked shyly. She thought she better get used to speaking to Cameron's family because, from what he said, there's a lot of them. At least, this will give her a chance to practice. Dexter shook his head.
"No, not yet," He replied, looking away. Dexter had convinced himself that he was better off alone. Seeing Cameron with Jamie made him think having a mate wouldn't be so bad after all.
"I'm sure you'll find her if we can get you out of the dungeon." Cameron smacked him on the back, and Jamie looked at them in confusion.
"Do vampires sleep in dungeons?" She asked. Cameron and Dexter started chuckling.
"No. Dexter makes computer games and spends all the time in his gaming room at his house. We call it the dungeon because getting him to leave is hard." Jamie's face turned bright red with embarrassment. She was beginning to think she might be better off not meeting the rest of the family. What if she said the wrong thing?
"Get those thoughts out of your head. We weren't laughing at you. This is your first time around people like us, so it was a legitimate question. We laughed because Dexter's game room is dark, like a dungeon, and he usually sleeps there." Cameron kissed her forehead, and she instantly felt better.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" She asked as they looked at the clothes on the rack. Cameron leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"It was written all over your face that you were planning to put off meeting my family. Trust me, as soon as they meet you, it will feel like you've always been one of us." Cameron kissed her, making her knees weak. Dexter suddenly felt all alone again.
"Hey, I'm going to go to the gaming store. I'll catch up with you later." He waved at the kissing couple and left. He knew he should be looking for a gift, but going to the gaming store to see what was trending wouldn't hurt. He had to stay up to date with the competition. When he walked in, he smiled. Being around games and computers was his happy place.
He went to the back of the store where you could test out new games. Dexter saw a young woman playing a game, so he stood back to watch.
"Damn it. Who would make a game this stupid?" She yelled at the screen. Dexter chuckled behind her. The graphics weren't nearly as good as his games, and the people seemed unrealistic, so they probably used a bad assets pack. He was so busy looking at the screen that he didn't notice the woman had turned to look at him. His heart stopped beating when his green eyes met her dark amber eyes. She was petite with short, blonde hair.
"Have you played this game?" She asked. Dexter didn't know what to say? He was tongue-tied. Why was his body having such a strong response to her?
"No." He replied. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she studied him.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Dexter looked around to make sure she wasn't talking to someone else because there was no way he'd forget a face like hers.
"I don't think so. I'm sorry I interrupted you." He started to walk away when she suddenly squealed.
"Wait a minute, are you Dexter? As in Dexter Games?" She asked excitedly. He turned around with wide eyes. How did she know him? His face wasn't on any of his games.
"Uh, yes, but how did you know?" Dexter asked quietly. She beamed up at him.
"I'm taking gaming design classes, and your games are ones we study a lot. I'm fascinated by your imagination and the graphics you use, so I may have googled you until I found a picture. I needed to know who the mastermind behind the games was. I'm Raylee." She held her hand out to him, and Dexter reached out to take it. He knew before they touched what was about to happen, and the sparks confirmed it. She was his mate.
"Holy hell, that's some powerful static electricity," Raylee said as they shook hands. She was very outgoing and could tell Dexter was the opposite. He wasn't like the other gamers she'd met. They were all awkward or jackasses because they didn't know how to talk to a woman who gamed.
"Yeah, it is," Dexter replied. How was he supposed to tell her he was a vampire and she was his mate?
"Hey, do you want to get a coffee or something to drink? I would love to pick your brain a little." Raylee didn't know why she felt connected to Dexter, but she did. She wondered if he had a girlfriend. She was in awe of him. He had released his first game when he was thirteen and had made a name for himself all over the world for his games.
"Sure." They walked out of the store and went to the food court. Dexter hoped while they talked, he would come up with an idea on how to tell her what he was.
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Atzi watched the fourth young couple find each other. She and Xipil were in another realm the others weren't aware of. They were always watching. She knew they weren't the only ones watching. That's why she was pushing them along to meet their mates as soon as possible. There wasn't much time before everything they'd been preparing for would come to Earth. There were a few more couples that needed to find each other, and then all the players would be set. She just hoped they all survived.
