Page 35

Yes, I had my suspicions, but it was proven yesterday while alone with him. It swallowed the space like my first day and during the meeting; and continued to linger in my room.

Thankfully, I didn’t crave it, but it didn’t help thatherhunger dwelled in my bones.

My main reason behind my anger toward him? I wanted to hate him. But I couldn’t.

Alek had proven two sides of himself— one that opposed his brothers and another that resembled them. So, what could I make out of him?

That was the thing. I couldn’t, and it was confusing. I glimpsed at the way he cared for Mr. Amelle. It hit home as it was similar to Lorenzo and me.

But the Sephtis weren’t trustworthy. No vampire was.

I broke through the lake’s surface, inhaling a sharp breath. My bones rattled as I swam to the pier, my arms crossing against the wood once I reached it. I rested my head against my inner elbow as my breathing eased from the sudden swim.

It suddenly quickened when the familiar coppery, flowery scent brushed against my nose.

Alek delicately walked out of the forest, holding a vase with flowers. I remained still in the water, my chest caving. I didn’t want to see him. I couldn’t interact with him like this. So soon after my discovery.

Why was he here right when I was?

He paused right where the dirt blended with the sand, his feet grounded while he froze.

I had two options: swim away and wait it out, or walk out of the water and dash toward my room. Both would make me obvious, but it was a shot I was willing to take.

That was until his eyes met mine.

We were yards apart, yet I noticed the way his eyes deepened once they fell on me. How his eyebrows met and quickly relaxed against his forehead. The way he widened his lips but immediately pressed them into a straight line. How it looked as if he wanted to talk but run away at the same time.

Was that my heartbeat in my ears? That didn’t sound good.

Our eyes stayed glued to each other as Alek cautiously walked over. He paused right where the pier began, bringing the vase in hand closer to his chest.

Fuck it. None of my options were plausible now.

I lifted my weight off the water and dragged myself to where he stopped. I kept my distance by staying on the pier.

Our eyes gave no hint of breaking away. His cheeks flushed red while his fingers trembled, and my body suddenly heated up. No way it was from the brisk weather.

“Will you accompany me, Ms. Eli?”

My mouth slightly widened for. . . what? I wasn’t expecting that. I nodded before I could think of what to do— as if I had any other option.

His gaze hardened before he turned, breaking the force. His pace met mine while we walked down, my feet trailing along the shore. The sensation of the water’s motion wasn’t strong enough to take my attention away from the overwhelming tension that slowly pressed against me.

This was new.

“Where are we going, Mr.—”

“Alek is fine.” He didn’t look back as he turned into the forest. I followed, curiosity obviously winning today.

Alek stopped before a small metal fence that shrunk under the trees. A screeching creak vibrated against my ears as we entered.

Loads of tombstones lay across the ground, buried by leaves as a path split between them. In the middle was a round, large structure, pillars holding a dome that connected to an opening in front of us. At the top of the entrance were black words that peeked through the dirt.

The Premier’s wife was the first human to marry into a Regal Vampire Family and successfully transition into a vampire. She was the breakthrough that allowed half-human guardians to exist.

Through the CEG’s clinical trials, they developed a way to make half-humans with the use of diluted vampire blood injections. Lace called them steroids on steroids and explained that to ensure a guardian kept their human form, they would fuse different, compatible types of blood. The diluted-crossbred injections would then be administered in a span of months to ensure that human guardians would gain enhanced capabilities.

The Vampire Ministry and the Bureau passed the Interchange Act soon after, making it impossible for humans to transition.