81ADRIA’S POV.As he passed me by, my world stopped. It felt like everything stood stuck in place, or maybe I was just the one who got stuck in my head.Lucien passed me by? All along, I’d been scared to think about what would happen if I met Lucien because I already knew we weren’t meant to be, but I had still been going on in hopes that I was probably kidding myself, that Lucien would be overjoyed to see me, and would tell me it didn’t matter if our kind were enemies.And that was why my heart broke afresh when he walked past me at that moment. It was what I had known. I had only been trying to deny it, but at the moment, I could no longer deny it. Lucien and I were probably over.I took in deep breaths as it felt like I’d burst into flames right there. The voices around me felt like distant echoes, and the girls following him seemed to me to be devils, it felt like they were laughing at me. I knew they were not, but it still felt that way.I closed my eyes, and took in more deep b

83ADRIA’S POVHis eyes held a malicious glint when I made that statement, and I spotted the little upturn in his lip.“Teach you?” He asked, slowly, turning to face me, and although I was a little hesitant there, I eventually nodded.“Yes. I… I would like to learn to use those skills.” I replied, and he gave a wide smile.“Then let’s meet here again tomorrow night.” He said, walking towards me.“Tomorrow night?” I asked, and he nodded.“Tomorrow night, I will show you a bit of what we can do. We will take it little by little. Remember, a giant jump makes you skip all the little details, and I’ll teach you how to love yourself just the way you are.” He assured me, with a hand on my shoulder, and at that moment, I felt a connection to him.He had said he was lonely. Did people avoid him because of what he was? Was he like me? Did he suddenly wake to find himself a vampire?He was going to teach me to love myself just the way I was. How had he known I had been hating myself for being a

85ADRIA’S POVThe wind carried my hair along with it, not letting it drop, or touch my shoulders for a second, and it also found a way into my clothes, ruffling them, and making me feel lighter than I’d felt in years.My legs bounced across the forest effortlessly, and although I put my best into it, I was never able to catch Derek, not even when he slowed down for me.We played tag with our superhuman speed, and when he was to catch me, he caught me effortlessly, which made me scream, and giggle.But when it was my turn to catch him, I never caught him, he was simply too fast—too fast for me.After running around for hours, we sat on the rock, breathing hard.“It was fun.” Derek said with a chuckle, as he threw a stone at a bunch of grapes on a tree.“I haven’t had fun like that in years. It was epic.” I replied to him, getting up to pick the grapes which had fallen on the ground. “They look fresh.” I replied, turning them over in my hands.We began to munch on the soft, and juicy g

87ADRIA’S POV.I wasn’t even trying to suck. The blood just came freely, pouring into my mouth, and down my throat, filling every corner of my body, feeding my desires sweetly.I continued to gulp more blood down my throat, and the cow let out pained groans. How had I been running from blood all that while?Why had I not accepted my nature? Who knew blood could be sweeter than honey? At that moment, all I wanted was to drink. Derek was totally forgotten, so was everything else around me.I gasped as the blood refreshed me, like I was taking in sweet fruit juice. In moments, everything around me seemed to clear, and I couldn’t hear a single thing, not even the cow’s cries.A hand alighted on my shoulder, and squeezed lightly, but I didn’t stop. Derek had made me drink, and so I was going to keep drinking, and drinking. He had gotten a full cow anyway, so I was very sure I would have some left after drinking to my fill.Finally, after some time, I released the cow, and realized we both

89ADRIA’S POV.“Adria. Is there something you have to tell me?” My mum asked immediately, turning to face me, and I stuffed my toast into my mouth, trying to act casual.“Adria.” She called again, and I tried to munch as fast as I could, so I could reply to her.I swallowed, settling into a sofa, and opened my mouth to speak.“Something I have to tell you? I don’t understand.” I replied, still acting innocent.“You’ve been returning home really late at night, and this morning, your room smelled nauseating. It smelt like blood.” She attacked, turning off the television.“So, you think I ate all those cows, or something?” I asked, dropping my toast on the center table.“Adria. Let’s be truthful…”“I’ve been so miserable, mum. Being a vampire isn’t what I wanted. I tried to see if I’d heal, or die, last night, so I cut myself repeatedly. The blood dried, I healed, but the smell stuck to my body, and I was too tired, and depressed to wash up.”When I had become such a good liar, I wasn’t