Page 33 of Those That Don’t Exist (Hidden Vampires #1)

“Yes, I have photos of her from Dad, he always made sure she was part of my life growing up. And these details are all correct.”

“And they met at the orphanage where they grew up?”

“Yes, they were orphaned kids of the war. They grew up here in a kids home but moved to the countryside when they turned the legal age to leave. They’d always been together.

Dad told me so many stories, how he was a couple years older, of how he protected Mum.

How they were best friends their entire lives. ”

My mind races for the answer. So many children were left parentless in the war, humans and Fae alike fought on both sides, there were civilian casualties. I remember seeing it in the cities, orphanages on the continent full to capacity. What if…

“And she kept getting headaches? Before she died?”

“Yes, she went through some complications in her pregnancy with me. After I was born she was alright for a while but then they got worse. Doctors were stumped for months. They sent her to the specialist hospital here in the city. The aneurysm burst whilst she was receiving tests.”

“Neither of your parents knew their parents?” I keep jumping back and forth.

“No. We have no idea who they were.”

“What if your grandparents were vampires?” As soon as I say it my brain clears. The pieces all fall together. It makes sense although I have no proof.

Red is the daughter of two vampires who had been left unturned, because they never knew who their parents were.

It’s the only explanation for why Red has been able to change. She’s been carrying the genes all along.

It also means Adicious knew the entire time, or at least strongly suspected. It's the reason for all the experimentation. The games, the obsession he’s had with turning a female. He’s been searching for her for years. Fuck. Fucking, fuck.

“What do you mean?” Red breaks through my haze. I look up at her to see a tear rolling down her cheek. I wipe it gently with my thumb. We’re talking about her mother possibly being murdered in an extermination camp and she’s trying to hold it together. This is so messed up.

“It's the explanation we’ve been looking for. Why I didn’t think of this before I don’t know.

Female vampires have to be born but still need turning.

Your parents never knew their lineage. What if the orphanage your parents grew up in took in the children of Vampires during the war and kept it a secret.

What if those children grew up not knowing what they were, and never got turned.

They’d be able to live normal lives. They’d be able to live. Period.”

“So you’re saying both my parents were born vampires who were never turned when they reached adulthood?”

“Yes, and they passed on their genes to you. The DNA is still there even if it’s not active in the parent.”

“Except, my mum was turned.” She looks back at the screen, wiping more tears as she comprehends what we’re piecing together. “She got turned somehow and didn’t know how to hide it.”

I grip her to me a little tighter, needing reassurance that she’s here. All those times in the beginning when I’d left her alone believing she wasn’t one of us, anything could’ve happened and I’d have lost her.

“Adicious figured it out. It must be why he targeted you.” I voice my last theory. It's through gritted teeth and extended fangs.

“But why kill my father, why not turn him too?”

“Your father would’ve fought for you to have choices. Adicious doesn’t want that. He wants you. Eliminating your father took out the threat.”

“But he took me to a hospital. I could’ve been shipped off, just like my mum.” Her voice is cracking through the grief.

“He didn’t know it would work. He’s been trying to turn females for years.

There were several before you, they all died.

He creates accidents as a cover, so the authorities don’t get suspicious.

He needed you broken enough to make the car crash look legit.

I’m sure if you’d grown fangs there and then he would’ve had me kidnap you.

This way, however, he avoids the missing persons report, the police investigation. ”

“It says she never showed fangs,” Red says, looking back at the screen. “Is that why I don’t?”

“I’m still unclear on those details.” It’s the truth, I have no idea. Blessing that it currently is for my Red.

“She was kept there for nearly three weeks. Three weeks when we thought she was already dead.” Her sobs come in force now.

I close my laptop lid, she doesn’t need to punish herself with rereading the file. I pull her into me fully and let her cry onto my shoulder. She clings to me as the grief overwhelms her.

Those fucking Fae bastards. My family was taken down fighting to avoid capture.

It would’ve been horrendous but quick. I can’t imagine finding out they had been held in one of those camps, probably knowing what was coming and unable to fight.

Hell, Cecily Smythe wouldn’t even have understood what was going on.

As I clutch Red tight to me I can’t help wondering how Adicious had figured this out. I hated him to my very core, it was molten and with increasing pressure.

A small part of me, however, can't help being grateful he’d made sure Red was in our grasp when she turned, so she wouldn’t suffer the same fate as her mother.

He might’ve caused her to turn but she could’ve been alone and none the wiser.

Some cosmic deigned event may have triggered her turn and she would’ve most likely fallen into the hands of the authorities.

And she would’ve been guaranteed to die.

I take Red home as soon as she composes herself. It's still the afternoon so her house is empty and quiet.

She throws her bag down in the entryway, kicking off her shoes and strips her coat. The movement sends a current of her scent my way. It's like a noose around my neck, wanting me to squash the distance between us. But she’s hurting currently, I won’t overwhelm her.

She gives me a weak smile, her eyes still rimmed red, as I hang my jacket and follow her as she crosses the space, through the archway, and into the lounge.

“I think I’m going to watch some trashy TV for a bit. I want to get out of my head for a little while. You don’t have to stay if you don't want to.”

“Of course I want to,” I tell her, pulling her close as we sink into the sofa. “Pick something and we can cuddle.”

We both curl onto the chaise section as she scrolls through the options before putting on some random movie.

I pay only a miniscule amount of attention to it as Red wiggles to get comfy.

She folds her legs up, curling into a ball beside me.

She places her head on my thigh and it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

I put my arm around her and gently stroke her side with my fingers.

There’s a blanket in reach so I grab it and throw it over us, tucking it so only her head is poking out. I lean down to place a gentle kiss on her crown before snuggling down trying to watch the film.

As I think Red has fallen asleep she stirs again, moving one of her hands.

It was resting on my thigh, in front of her face, but now she starts drawing little circles with her index finger, each tiny movement zipping heat straight to my cock.

I turn to look down at her as she turns her head to look at my face.

Before I can decide my next move she sits up.

I don’t get the chance to ask her what she’s doing before her lips crash to mine.

Her tongue invades my mouth in a slow but forceful kiss.

Her taste hits me like a hurricane. I don’t hesitate to cup her jaw with my hand, tilting it so I can entwine my tongue with hers.

She moves her body without breaking our connected lips so she’s straddling me fully.

My entire body lights up with her above me.

Her hands are on my shoulders, mine are now in those long soft waves of her hair.

The heat coming off me could light a damn match.

I should probably slow this down. This sudden lust is a bit of a shock but her taste, her tongue, consumes me louder than any rational thinking.

Then she grinds down onto me and all thoughts vanish.

I swear sparks ignite from where she rubs on my erection, firing electricity all over my body.

A guttural moan escapes my lips, she swallows the sound hungrily.

Our hands start moving, hers roam my chest, my neck, my shoulders.

Mine move down her body, gripping her waist, her hips, before settling on her ass to bring her down on me again, needing more of her weight back against my crotch.

She breaks the kiss, panting, “Ty, please,” she whimpers.

“What do you want Red?” I pant, needing to know exactly where her thoughts are.

“Please make me forget, I want you to fuck me, make me feel something good.” She looks at me so lost my heart gives an aching thump.

“I want nothing more than that, Red, trust me.” This time I push myself up into her, gliding the full length of my concealed cock against her core. I see the heat hit her cheeks. “But you know I can’t. Plus, you’ve had a shock today. I don’t want to be just your distraction.”

“You’re not. I have wanted this, us, since that first night.

” She strokes my chest with her palms. “I need to feel alive right now, please prove to me I can feel good. I want to feel pleasure. I don’t want the pain.

” She’s almost crying again, the heartache I see in her vibrant eyes almost has my resolve crumbling.

“Let me fuck you with my tongue, I’ll make it good I promise,” I say punctuating it with a kiss. I can’t offer more right now and keep us safe.

“Ok.” Her eyes bleed with disappointment but I won’t let that last for long. She wants an escape? I can give her one.

I wrap my arms around her and quickly stand, making her gasp. I spin round and pretty much drop her back on the couch as I come down on top of her.