demanded.
Slowly, he turned to face me. He had tears in his eyes, and his face was contorted with sorrow and fear.
“You’re going to leave me,” he stated. It wasn’t a question.
“No!” I gasped.
“How could you love me?” he asked. “I’m a monster!”
“What?” I whispered. “No! You’re not a monster!”
“Yes, I am!” he shouted, jerking his hand away and standing up. He towered over me. “All my life my mother told me what a monster I am! As soon as she found out what I was, she hated me! Everyone does!”
I glared at him – stunned. What did he mean when he said, “as soon as she found out” ? How could his own mother not know he was a vampire?
“Kai, I don’t understand,” I said, standing with him.
“Don’t you get it?” he yelled. “I’m a monster! A vampire! That’s why my mother hates me! That’s why everyone hates me!”
“ I don’t hate you!” I shouted at him, trying to put my arms around him.
“You do!” he screamed, and he turned to run away.
I quickly grabbed his arm.
“Kai!” I shouted quickly. “I’m a vampire, too!”
He paused. For a fleeting moment, nothing moved. Kai was as still as a statue, and even the breeze had stopped. It was eerily quiet.
“What did you say?” he asked in disbelief.
“I said I’m a vampire, too,” I answered softly.
Kai slowly turned to face me, and his eyes searched mine as if trying to discover the truth. I looked deep into his stormy eyes, letting him know that I meant what I said.
“You…” he whispered, “you are a… vampire?”
I nodded.
Kai’s arm raised, his hand coming close to my face. He paused briefly, and then he let the back of his fingers gently brush against my cheek.
“I should have known,” he said softly.
“I didn’t know you were, either,” I admitted. “Your parents, though. They…”
He interrupted me to remind me of something. “I’m adopted, remember?”
Suddenly, it all made sense. His mother had found out what he was, and she’d rejected him. As soon as she discovered he was a vampire, he was no longer her son. It wasn’t about his father, after all. It was about what he was.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, and I felt his strong arms around my shoulders. His head rested on top of mine, and I felt his breathing in my hair. I finally understood. Kai’s terror – his clinginess, his nightmares, and his deep fear of abandonment – it all stemmed from the rejection of his mother.
Now, it all made sense.
And now I knew why I hadn’t felt hungry around him. He wasn’t human.
Chapter Eight
The Kiss
Kai and I had been getting along wonderfully for several weeks. He was upbeat and funny, and we actually enjoyed each other’s company. It was so wonderful to see him smiling and laughing so much. The old Kai – sad, lonely Kai – had disappeared. Now, he was joyous.
It was almost Christmas, and I decided I needed to go shopping. Not all vampires celebrate human holidays, but my family had always found them – especially Christmas – endearing. I wanted to get Kai something special, so my brother dropped me off at the mall.
I had been there for hours trying to find just the right gift. Kai hadn’t called at all. He’d become considerably less clingy since the big revelation that he was a vampire, and it was a relief to be able to get out of the house without him calling every five minutes.
I headed to the music store to look through the classical section – hoping to find something Kai didn’t have. I couldn’t find anything, and I was getting really frustrated. The crowds were really getting to me, and I was thinking about going home and doing my shopping online.
I decided to check out the art supply store on the ground floor, and I headed over to the elevator. When the doors opened, I noticed Max inside. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, because school was out for Christmas break. He smiled wide.
“Alice!” he gasped excitedly.
“Max!” I
Slowly, he turned to face me. He had tears in his eyes, and his face was contorted with sorrow and fear.
“You’re going to leave me,” he stated. It wasn’t a question.
“No!” I gasped.
“How could you love me?” he asked. “I’m a monster!”
“What?” I whispered. “No! You’re not a monster!”
“Yes, I am!” he shouted, jerking his hand away and standing up. He towered over me. “All my life my mother told me what a monster I am! As soon as she found out what I was, she hated me! Everyone does!”
I glared at him – stunned. What did he mean when he said, “as soon as she found out” ? How could his own mother not know he was a vampire?
“Kai, I don’t understand,” I said, standing with him.
“Don’t you get it?” he yelled. “I’m a monster! A vampire! That’s why my mother hates me! That’s why everyone hates me!”
“ I don’t hate you!” I shouted at him, trying to put my arms around him.
“You do!” he screamed, and he turned to run away.
I quickly grabbed his arm.
“Kai!” I shouted quickly. “I’m a vampire, too!”
He paused. For a fleeting moment, nothing moved. Kai was as still as a statue, and even the breeze had stopped. It was eerily quiet.
“What did you say?” he asked in disbelief.
“I said I’m a vampire, too,” I answered softly.
Kai slowly turned to face me, and his eyes searched mine as if trying to discover the truth. I looked deep into his stormy eyes, letting him know that I meant what I said.
“You…” he whispered, “you are a… vampire?”
I nodded.
Kai’s arm raised, his hand coming close to my face. He paused briefly, and then he let the back of his fingers gently brush against my cheek.
“I should have known,” he said softly.
“I didn’t know you were, either,” I admitted. “Your parents, though. They…”
He interrupted me to remind me of something. “I’m adopted, remember?”
Suddenly, it all made sense. His mother had found out what he was, and she’d rejected him. As soon as she discovered he was a vampire, he was no longer her son. It wasn’t about his father, after all. It was about what he was.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, and I felt his strong arms around my shoulders. His head rested on top of mine, and I felt his breathing in my hair. I finally understood. Kai’s terror – his clinginess, his nightmares, and his deep fear of abandonment – it all stemmed from the rejection of his mother.
Now, it all made sense.
And now I knew why I hadn’t felt hungry around him. He wasn’t human.
Chapter Eight
The Kiss
Kai and I had been getting along wonderfully for several weeks. He was upbeat and funny, and we actually enjoyed each other’s company. It was so wonderful to see him smiling and laughing so much. The old Kai – sad, lonely Kai – had disappeared. Now, he was joyous.
It was almost Christmas, and I decided I needed to go shopping. Not all vampires celebrate human holidays, but my family had always found them – especially Christmas – endearing. I wanted to get Kai something special, so my brother dropped me off at the mall.
I had been there for hours trying to find just the right gift. Kai hadn’t called at all. He’d become considerably less clingy since the big revelation that he was a vampire, and it was a relief to be able to get out of the house without him calling every five minutes.
I headed to the music store to look through the classical section – hoping to find something Kai didn’t have. I couldn’t find anything, and I was getting really frustrated. The crowds were really getting to me, and I was thinking about going home and doing my shopping online.
I decided to check out the art supply store on the ground floor, and I headed over to the elevator. When the doors opened, I noticed Max inside. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, because school was out for Christmas break. He smiled wide.
“Alice!” he gasped excitedly.
“Max!” I
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