Blood Mates

Q: How To Confess You're A Vampire To Your Boyfriend?

Alaia was still a blushy, giddy fool two days later. She knew it was crazy, but she was in love, and as long as she’s lived, she’d never been in love. Affectation, care, and even moments of lust had all been fleeting before.

She’d tried to grasp it, but it never worked when she reached. It just slid through her fingers like sand, and she was left not even remembering what she wanted or why she wanted it. Deeming it pointless before continuing on miserable and stuck in existence.

Not seen, not really known, never missed when gone…

Jasper had changed all that for her. He seen her, gotten to know her and Alaia didn’t think she could ever think of leaving him. Just the thought of it sickened her.

But she still hadn’t told him the truth…and she needed to tell him the truth. Somehow.

Walking into the lounge, she found her mother reading and Heaven watching tv. Walking in to join them, Alaia looked at her mom, “Mom?” Sophia looked up at her daughter and grinned, “Yes darling?” Alaia looked at her mom curiously, “How did dad tell you he was a vampire?”

Sophia was surprised by the sudden question and Alaia belched, “I’m sorry if it’s personal-.” Sophia shook her head, “No, it’s just…wow I hadn’t thought about it in SO long.”

Sophia waved her daughter over and when Alaia sat in between her and Haven, the tv was killed and Sophia gave her daughter her full attention. “Well he didn’t really tell me. I found out after seeing him feed on one of the villagers.”

Alaia looked at her mom afraid, “Were you scared of him?” Sophia nodded amused, “Naturally, he was sucking the blood from a man we called neighbor.” Looking at her daughter fretting, Sophia stroked her hair gently, “When your dad came home…he was himself around you and your brother. He laughed and played with the two of you, entertained you for hours. But then when we were alone, he wouldn’t come near me. He refused to-.”

Sophia stopped blushing unsure if she should go that far, but Alaia whispered in shock, “Dad denied you?” Sophia nodded slowly, “He was scared he’d hurt me. His attraction and bloodlust made him insatiable with hunger. He was scared he wouldn’t stop if he started.”

Worrying her bottom lip, Alaia whispered in confusion, “Why did you accept him? Even after everything? Even after finding out what he had become?”

There was a pause of thought until Sophia admitted, “Because when I looked at him, I still saw the man I loved more than life itself. The father to my children, and our protector.”

Alaia watched Sophia straighten herself a little, “I was at first horrified and shocked, and I thought for a while I was just being crazy. But when I caught him feeding, he had no choice but to come clean to me, told me the truth. It took a minute, but when we were keeping a secret from you kids, me and your father got to renew each other in his new body. And then…well you know.”

Alaia did know, and she hated she did. Turning to Haven, Alaia asked, “And you? How did my brother tell you?” Haven looked at Alaia a little amused, “In my dorm room.” Alaia smiled a little, “Yeah you two did meet in college…how did that happen!? You never told me.”

Haven giggled and candidly remembered, “I had been upset because the night before I’d seen him leave this party with a girl. I had been crushing on him and I thought it was mutual until he did that.”

Haven tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, “When he came to see me, he told me he was different from other guys. And not in just the standard way. I said I didn’t care so he asked me out and we started dating. But I noticed what he meant right away, I could tell something was off about him. And after a month of dating he broke down and told me why he was so weird.”

Looking at her sister in law, Haven admitted, “I’d guessed a thousand things, but vampire wasn’t one of them.”

Alaia shuddered as goosebumps broke out on her skin. “What’s the matter my love?” Sophia asked concern, “Your worry is all on your face.” Alaia bet it was.  “I don’t know how to do this.” She admitted softly.

“How do you tell someone you’re a monster and expect them to still love you in the end? You two are the success stories. But what about when it ends terribly?”

Neither of them could discuss it since they hadn’t lived it. So, she headed into her uncle’s room on the second floor and knocked on his workshop door. Desmond made weapons he sold on the black market; a booming business full of even darker souls than theirs.

“Ah niece!” Desmond greeted holding a gun he was remodeling, “What do I owe such a pleasant visit?” Shooting her a smirk he teased, “I thought you’d be sneaking around town with your little friend.”

Alaia blushed as she lightly said, “My boyfriend is at work. And…I needed to talk to family.” Desmond looked at her concerned, “Is everything okay?” Alaia slowly nodded but shook her head in the end, “No…no I’m scared Uncle Desmond.” She admitted fighting tears.

Desmond ushered his niece into a chair and Alaia looked around the room full of knives, katanas, and guns. It would have made a normal girl nervous, but to her she’d spent her entire life like this.

 A long, long life.

“What’s bothering you Alaia?” Desmond asked never seeing his niece so out of place. Alaia looked at her uncle who looked every bit of his older brother. Dark brown skin, bright brown eyes, and full lips to match his square jaw. Looking at him reminded her of looking at her father, which is why Alaia wasn’t scared to talk to him about this stuff.

He had always been like a second father to her.

Always.

“I can’t keep lying to Jasper,” She started to tell him honestly, “I love him, and I know he loves me. But he only loves the parts of me he knows. He doesn’t love the vampire. He loves the human girl he believes me to be.”

Desmond exhaled as his niece met his eyes, “I know you loved a woman a decade ago. I saw you grieving as if you lost her. I thought it rude to ask if she’d past, but…what happened?” Desmond slowly sank down into his desk chair feeling sad at the memory.

Slowly, he pulled out an old photo from his wallet, he looked down at it and smiled a little sad seeing the woman, “Her name was Ana. She was a human, a beautiful, sweet, loving soul. And god I loved her like I never felt before, I thought she was the one. I opened my heart to the possibilities of not spending this existence alone.”

Alaia didn’t like where her uncle was heading.

 And had a reason to when he said, “I lied to her too. I kept up the rouse I was just a human, when I got too tired to be out in the day much, I lied to her about what I did. I lied to her constantly and then she was attacked by a gang of men. And when I defended her, she saw me. Saw me for what I was.”

Alaia watched the light dim in her uncle as he admitted, “Seeing someone you care for look at you different. Knowing they’re seeing you for who you are, and not what you showed them, it’s terrifying. You lose your mind wondering if they’ll accept it.”

Desmond was lost in thought of what could have been when his niece placed a soft hand on his, “I’m sorry uncle.” Desmond was left alone to lick old wounds, and Alaia was left still unsure on what to do.

Taking a walkout side, Alaia was aimlessly walking around their property when she was suddenly grabbed. And then… she screamed.