Chapter 15: HUMAN

MAKENA

I sighed and plopped onto my bed after kicking off my shoes. It was 4 a.m., and I knew everyone would wake up soon. Getting back, I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it over the wall undetected, but I managed. It was risky, though, and I promised myself I would never do it again. I had no choice this morning; there weren't enough hours left last night.

A smile crept onto my face as I thought about Val. Val had finally agreed to move into the apartment after learning about the wolfsbane I took to avoid going to Brindle.

I didn't want to tell him because I knew he would feel bad, but he asked again after our conversation, and since I'd decided I wouldn't lie to him, I told him the truth. I told him why I had wolfsbane in my system.

He became emotional and begged me to never do it again. I promised I wouldn't, and in exchange, he agreed to move into the apartment. Upon arriving, I was unable to leave him, which was why I had just returned home.

I was determined to find a way to check up on him again during the course of the day, even though I was not sure how I would manage to sneak out, given how many people were around me all the time. I also intended to send Erika over to ensure he had everything he needed in the meantime.

I was ecstatic that he had agreed to move into the apartment. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I would start looking for his family as soon as possible, and I had already arranged some books for him to start learning more about vampires.

It would have been quicker and much simpler to find his family if I hadn't had to do it covertly and instead used my father's resources, but I couldn't, as I still needed to figure out how to tell my parents about him; the thought was terrifying. If he had been a werewolf, sure, but the fact that he was a vampire made it all the more terrifying.

I trained with my father's men every morning, and occasionally my father; the training began at five, which was an hour away, so I chose to take a short nap. But my phone rang, and I frowned, wondering who could have been calling so early.

I picked it up and saw it was Erika, so I put it down and mind-linked her instead. Erika said she just wanted to make sure I had returned home, which I confirmed; another thought then occurred to me.

She must have sensed he was not a werewolf, and her calm demeanor surprised me. I was not expecting her to take seeing a vampire so well.

On that note, I asked her if she was awake, and she said yes, so I called her to my room. A moment later, there was a knock at the door, and I got up to open it for her.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked as soon as she stepped inside.

“No. Why would you think something’s wrong?”

“You sounded a bit off on the link.”

“There’s nothing wrong. Please, sit,” I said, and she sat down.

“First, I want to say thank you for last night, for everything you’ve done.”

“You’re welcome. He’s handsome, by the way,” she added with a smile when I returned. She was right; even with his rugged appearance, you could still see it. He reminded me of someone, though I couldn’t figure out who.

“So, what’s up?” she asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I’m sorry for not being upfront with you about what he is, but I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone. You know how insane everyone would go if they found out there was a vampire living in our midst," I said, my desperation clear in my voice. Erika looked at me for a long moment, completely silent... then burst out laughing, confusing the hell out of me.

“What’s so funny?”

"You," she said, still laughing, and I asked what she found funny about me. "You are trying to scare me, and as usual, you failed."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know he is not a werewolf, Makena, but he is certainly not a strigoi."

"He isn't?"

"Stop it. You're busted," she said, still laughing, and I found myself laughing as well, not because anything was funny, but because I was completely confused.

"Okay, fine, you got me. But I bet you don’t know what he actually is.” Erika rolled her eyes.

"You mean, besides being human?" She thought he was human? That made no sense. Humans gave off clean, unmistakable auras; Val’s was anything but clean. I was his mate, and I could feel it deep in my bones. Why didn't she feel it?

After realizing she truly didn’t feel his aura, I let out another fake laugh, playing it off like she was right and the whole thing had just been a joke.

I thanked her again for everything, and we briefly discussed our plans for the day. I kept gauging her throughout the conversation, trying to see if she truly did not know what he was, which she didn't. She truly believed he was human.

I wondered if there was something wrong with her wolf because there was no way she would not have sensed something different about Val, even if she couldn't tell he was a vampire since she'd never met one.

It was nearly five o'clock when we finished, so I prepared for training and went downstairs.

Stepping out onto the training grounds, I found everyone already there. It was a typical outdoor training day, the kind I cherished as a little girl. The sun had not yet risen completely, so the morning air was crisp.

I spotted my father right away and went in his direction, but I also noticed some new faces that I had never seen before.

My father had hired more men. It had been eating him alive that he still didn’t know who had tried to kill me. If I were honest with myself, I had not allowed it to sink in, so I knew it would eventually hit me, too. My mind had been too preoccupied with Val, with the worry, the secrecy, and the emotions I wasn't used to dealing with.

I didn’t waste any more time standing around. I walked onto the field, tied my hair back, and jumped right in. I greeted my father as I took my position, and he mirrored me, asking how I slept, to which I responded as we sparred.

Soon, things switched up as the real training began, and my muscles screamed in protest, still sore from lack of proper rest, but I pushed through.

My father put me through more tests than anyone else. His strikes were precise, his movements disciplined. But I held my ground, countering when possible, shifting quickly, and taking advantage of my agility. I caught him off guard a few times, and while he did not say it, I could see a glint of pride in his eyes.

We trained like that for a while, alternating between hand-to-hand combat, footwork drills, and endurance exercises until sweat soaked through my clothes and my lungs burned. When it was finally over, he gave me a pat on the back and dismissed everyone for the morning.

I walked back inside, my limbs aching in the best way. Once I reached my room, I peeled off my training gear and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the dirt, sweat, and tension.

After that, I changed into a soft cream blouse and light trousers, tied my damp hair into a loose braid, and went downstairs to join my family for breakfast. As I did, the thought of telling them about Val returned. My father seemed to be in a better mood. Maybe just letting it out was the best way.

Snow agreed, but it didn’t make it easier. I was terrified of what they were going to say.