Mike couldn't help but notice that ever since this woman showed up, she hadn't taken off that huge wide-brimmed hat—not during dinner, not even while everyone was chilling out.
She stayed completely shrouded in shadow the whole time, which was seriously weird.
Serena gazed at Mike's handsome face, looking pretty satisfied with what she saw. She introduced herself formally: "I'm Serena, and I'm part of the Volturi family."
The Volturi were basically vampire royalty. They preferred calling themselves the Blood Clan over "vampires."
Thanks to the Peace Accord they'd signed with humans, the Blood Clan was restricted to living in Washington State and Oregon—the two most remote states in the northwest corner of the U.S.
As compensation for being "confined" like that, as long as they stayed in those states and didn't cause trouble, nobody would mess with them.
Over time, a group of "vegetarian" vampires had emerged within the clan.
These ones got along with humans, stopped drinking human blood, and switched to animal blood just to keep their energy up.
Because of their super long lives and eternal youth, the vegetarians who actually liked humans would blend into society—sometimes even enrolling in local high schools or colleges as students to learn about the human world.
It helped make their endless lives feel a little more meaningful.
Of course, not everyone in the Blood Clan was so chill. There were radicals too.
Serena, who's over two hundred years old, was one of those who hated being trapped like that. She craved freedom.
This time, she'd snuck out of Washington State and headed east all the way to New York City—the Big Apple, the most bustling spot in the whole country.
And... that was pretty much it.
The Church's power hit her hard, showing her just how brutal reality could be.
The Church's mysterious side—and even regular human tech—could wipe out an ancient race like vampires in minutes.
Serena hadn't even gotten to enjoy the city life for a few days before the local Church folks zeroed in on her.
After some run-ins, she took advantage of their carelessness, using her insane physical abilities and her natural "charm" gift to slip away.
Not daring to stick around big cities anymore, Serena decided to take a detour back to Washington.
That was the only place vampires had any real room to survive.
And wide-open, sparsely populated Texas was the perfect escape route she'd mapped out for herself.
Originally, with Pastor Jeff covering for her, she planned to just lay low in the small town of Deford for a few days before heading out.
But life loves throwing curveballs. Right then, she ran into the super handsome Mike.
For a vampire with an endless lifespan, things can get pretty boring without some kind of goal.
So now, Serena had decided Mike was her new target. She wanted to take him back with her to Forks—that little town in Washington.
Mike had no clue what was going through her head, but that rotten, decayed smell coming off her was enough to make him uncomfortable.
When she introduced herself, he just nodded half-heartedly and kept things super cold.
"You were awesome at that game on Monday—I was there watching. For a human, you're already top-tier..." Serena kept going, acting like she didn't notice the guy brushing her off.
"Thanks," Mike replied flatly, his eyes flickering as he gave another brush-off answer.
Meanwhile, over on the other side, Pastor Jeff was kicking back with George, sipping drinks and enjoying a rare chill moment.
"This gathering must've cost a pretty penny, huh?" George said, lounging on the grass with an ice-cold beer in hand, just shooting the breeze.
"You bet—this is a big event, after all." Pastor Jeff chuckled and shook his head, sounding relieved. "Good thing the Church reimburses me for it."
The Church was kinda like a semi-nonprofit. Even a pastor like Jeff didn't make much personal salary each month.
Local churches mostly ran on donations from believers. In a small place like Deford, those donations barely covered keeping the lights on—hosting a big event like this? No way without extra help.
George wasn't Christian, so he didn't know the ins and outs. He didn't really have a follow-up to Jeff's answer.
Things got quiet for a bit.
Maybe feeling the awkward silence, Jeff pulled out a credit card after a moment and changed the subject: "Hey, check this out—what's this?"
"You bragging about your money now?" George teased with a grin.
"No, no, no!" Jeff shook his head, glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby, then whispered, "I swiped this back from Serena..."
Hearing some juicy gossip about Jeff's marriage, George perked right up. "Why? I mean, it's smart letting your wife handle the finances after getting married. Why'd you have to 'steal' it back?"
"You don't get it," Jeff said, looking stressed. "Ever since Serena took my card, my mailbox has been flooded with bank statements and receipts for all kinds of luxury stuff.
Don't let my life look all put-together—I'm actually deep in debt to the bank."
Whoa, that was big news! So Jeff's marriage wasn't as perfect as it seemed. Mary's suspicions had been off.
George couldn't help feeling a little smug inside. Holding back a laugh, he advised, "If you can't afford it, why not just come clean with your wife? The key to marriage is understanding each other."
Jeff knew that, of course. He smiled bitterly. "I'd love to, but when we first met, I kinda hinted that my family was loaded..."
Guys and their pride, right?
Jeff was basically the type who'd rather go broke than admit he was fronting.
"Alright," George said, feeling bad for the guy. He kept pushing: "I still think you should tell her soon. Whatever happens, it'll make your life easier down the road."
"I can't," Jeff hesitated, then explained. "Serena's great aside from the spending. Especially her vibe—it's just... perfect."
Looked like Jeff was totally head over heels, completely enchanted by Serena.
To George, though, Jeff seemed way too ordinary for his stunning wife. They didn't match at all.
It baffled him why someone like Serena would ever choose to marry Jeff.
Back over on the shady side of the little hill, Serena tried a few more topics, but Mike still wasn't biting.
Finally, she realized he was just stringing her along.
Glancing again at his gorgeous face, she swallowed her annoyance and laid her cards on the table: "Mike, do you want a stronger body and a much longer life? Just say yes, and you can have it all—easy."
She wasn't sticking around Deford long, so she needed to lock this down fast with Mike.
This felt like she was about to force things. Mike caught the greedy look in her eyes and knew something was off.
'Better play along for now, then stab her in the back when I get the chance,' Mike thought.
He'd pulled that move once before—he had some experience.
Just as he was plotting his escape, little George came bounding over. "Hey, Mike! There you are. The three-legged race is starting—we gotta go crush Sheldon and Don..."
When he spotted the gorgeous Serena there too, the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
"Uh, sorry, didn't know you were... busy," little George said awkwardly, shifting gears and winking at Mike.
He was secretly super jealous of Mike's luck with women.
"Perfect timing—I promised Missy I'd team up with her. I'd have totally forgotten if you hadn't reminded me." Mike stood up, folded the blanket, then turned to Serena, who was still waiting for an answer: "I've got stuff to do, so I'll catch you later."
"No problem," Serena replied coolly, slipping back into her aloof vibe. "Think seriously about what I said earlier. If you change your mind, come find me anytime."
Mike acted like he hadn't heard a thing, grabbed little George, and headed toward the event area.
Watching Mike hurry away, Serena licked her red lips.
She was still totally confident in her plan. Because she knew—no mortal could resist the temptation of eternal life.