Who the fuck just carries around a goddamn stake for killing vampires? It’s not the fucking dark ages anymore. All I can think is that he’s so crazy and misguided that he has never even met an actual vampire. What the fuck? When she insisted I leave, she wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. I simply don’t understand. Her father tries to kill me, completely unprovoked, but I have to leave? It’s fucking ridiculous, and I’m seeing red.

I bolt in an instant, blowing down the stairwell and out the door without being seen. Utilizing the supernatural ability to leave quickly is the only thing that I knew to do. I haven’t wanted to rip a human being to shreds in a hundred years. The way he attacked me filled me with such rage that my body temperature felt as though it had risen, which is completely impossible.

Practically flying, I get myself to Clutch and look for Selene. I don’t say hello to anyone I recognize; I’m in no mood. When I find her, she is talking to some vampires I know, and I walk over and grab her arm, dragging her away.

“What the fuck, Roman?” She growls at me before hissing and showing her fangs.

“I need to talk to you.”

“I can see that, but you don’t get to manhandle me like that,” she says, yanking her arm back. I’m beside myself with frustration and begin running my hands through my hair, pacing back and forth. “What the fuck is going on, Roman?”

“I had a situation tonight.”

“That’s obvious.” She rolls her eyes and waves her hand, encouraging me to continue.

“Fiona’s father tried to kill me,” I blurt out.

“What? How the hell did this happen?” She looks around the room to see if anyone has heard us. She nods for me to follow her as she walks toward her office.

I sit in the chair across from her desk, exasperated. “Things were fine, or so I thought. Fiona and I went to Hoover Dam with Damen and Lydia. After, we went back to her apartment. I actually think that tonight was going to be the night she let me stay.”

“Obviously that wasn’t the case. Where does her father come in?” Selene leans back in her chair, arms crossed, looking at me intently. Run-ins with humans who want to kill you, is never good, and I know this.

“We were… kissing. And when we entered her house, her father was standing there and saw us. He flipped out, and came after me with a fucking stake.”

Groaning, Selene buried her face in her hands. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Uh, no. No, I’m not.”

“For fuck's sake. Then what? You didn’t kill him, did you?” She leans over her desk, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow at me condemningly.

“No, I didn’t fucking kill him! It’s not the 17th century for Christ’s sake. I threw him into the wall, which of course ended up being far more dramatic than it probably needed to be. There was a large mirror and a table there which all smashed, and he fell to the ground.” I am experiencing a range of emotions from rage, to frustration, to concern over Fiona’s well being. Letting out a sigh, I hang my head and lean forward, resting my elbows on my lap.

“How did Fiona respond?” she asks calmly.

“She told me to leave.”

“I see. And this clearly upsets you. So, what do you want from me, Roman? She’s your consort; your problem. You can’t throw humans into fucking walls though, or you’re going to create attention where it’s not needed, and certainly not wanted. I don’t want a visit from the Sisters, do you? I’m not about our creators coming to town to rain down their punishment for this.” She was stern and narrowed her green eyes at me.

“Of course I don’t. I get it, Selene. It was an accident. I knew her dad hated vampires, we’ve been down that road. But I didn’t know he’d be carrying a fucking wooden stake with him to just stab a vampire any old fucking time. I was caught off guard. I haven’t been attacked by a human in a hundred and fifty years.”

She relaxes again and leans back in her chair with a thoughtful expression. “Okay, okay. You’re right. Nobody expects to get staked on a date these days. He sounds like a real piece of work.” She rolls her eyes as she says it. “So, I presume you’re here because you’re upset over Fiona, and you want my advice?”

“Yes, Sherlock, how astute of you.” I roll my eyes right back at her. “That’s exactly what I want. You’ve been my friend for centuries. How do I fix this?”

“Stop fucking pursuing humans who don’t come along willingly would be my best advice.”

“That’s not an option here. I need her.” I catch myself before saying that I love her. I know it seems like a crazy thing to say or to feel. I’ve never tasted her. She doesn’t take that fucking cross off. But she lets me in emotionally. Her heart is kind. Her innocence and her desire to understand me draws me in.

“Ugh.” She groans at me. “Look, I think you should stay the fuck away from her. But I can see that’s not going to happen, so the only solution I can think of is that you need to bring her here. She needs to see what our life is really like. Right now, all she sees is the work you’ve done to seem human. But you’re not fucking human. I don’t think she fully understands what she’s dealing with.”

“She knows I’m a vampire, Selene.”

“Uh huh. But does she even know what that means? She knows you’re a man, who has fangs. Those are just fucking teeth. Not being able to hear your heartbeat is just the tip of the iceberg. Has she seen you feed? Have you bitten her? Has she experienced the vampire life? Or did she get the vampire who acts like a human to fit in?” she asks before pressing her lips together and glaring at me.

Fuck. Selene is totally right. I’ve spent all of my time trying to show Fiona how human I am. I’m not human. I’m not the monster her father says that I am, but I’m never going to be something I’m not, mortal. I realize that my strategy of covering up what I am to show her my humanity has perhaps backfired.

“So you think she needs to come here?” I furrow my brows. I’m skeptical that a feeding bar and lounge is the absolute best idea under the circumstances.

“It doesn’t sound like the greatest day of my life, but for you, it’s the only way to see if she can handle the truth. I don’t enjoy entertaining humans who are leery of our kind or of our ways, or that come here begrudgingly like we’re some kind of a sideshow. We’ve been through that era, and I’d just as soon forget that we were almost all staked to death over what we are.” She pauses and takes a deep sigh before continuing. “However, for you, for my partner in this immortal life, I suggest that you bring her here. If she can handle what she sees and experiences, then maybe you can salvage something from this relationship if you want to call it that. But let me ask you something, Roman.”

“What’s that?”

“Why her? You could have practically any woman on this earth. What makes her so special that you’re willing to stick your neck out for her? You’ll outlive her a thousand times over. What’s the point?” I knew this line of questioning would come eventually. Selene never believed in settling down with humans or settling down at all really. We’d talked about it before over the years when we’d seen vampires marry humans, and live with them until they died. She’d made it very clear that for her there was no point in getting attached to a creature who would age and die. I had agreed with her for many years, that is until I met Fiona.

“I can’t describe it. It is a gut feeling, and instinct. I’m drawn to her in a way that is almost primal; I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.”

“So, she’s your prey?” Selene suggested with a smirk.

“No! It’s not like that at all. Do you even listen to me? I want to protect her. Take care of her.” My thoughts retreated to the expression on her face when she looked at me in her house. She had disgust, and fear in her eyes. I had to fix this.

Again, Selene rolls her eyes. “Whatever you say, Roman. I don’t get it, but I’ll help you. However, I can. Bring her here so she can see how the other half lives. If she’s got the stomach for it, you’ll know in an instant whether or not this can work. That’s the only way you’ll know.”

“Thank you, Selene.”

“You’re welcome. And while we’re at it – keep your fucking nose clean moving forward. Don’t be throwing any more humans around. I’m serious!” She points her long pale finger at me aggressively as I get up to walk out. I nod my head in agreement and head back out the bar.

Deciding to try and talk to Fiona, I pull out my phone, dialing her number. I’m not surprised when my call goes to voicemail; I’m assuming she’s just not taking my calls. I decide to hang around Clutch for awhile; I’m not ready to go home and sulk. Going back to her place seems like a bad idea, so I lament in public alone at the bar until the vampire sitting next to me with his consort, a lovely, young, brunette human who I’ve seen here before, addresses me.

“Hey, are you Roman?” he asks me with hesitation in his voice.

“Yea, why?”

He turns on his stool to face me, then glances around the room to see if anyone is listening. We’re vampires, anyone could be listening, and they don’t have to be sitting anywhere near us to hear, so I impatiently wait to find out what he wants.

“We were just walking through the Glacier Palace Casino on Broad Street before coming here, and uh… I think your consort is there.”

Now he’s garnered my full attention. “What was she doing there?” I ask brusquely. I’m annoyed.

“Well, she was drinking; a lot. And we could, well I could, hear her talking about you to a bartender there. I wasn’t really eavesdropping so much as she was pretty upset about a vampire, and then she said your name. She seems pretty mad about whatever happened.”

Not knowing this vamp, I had no intention of getting into my business with him, but I was grateful to know where I could find her and to hear that she wasn’t with her father. I decide to go to her immediately.

“Thank you…” I trail off, not knowing his name.

“Boris.” He sticks his hand out to shake mine.

“Boris. Thank you.” I get up and walk out abruptly, headed straight for Glacier. It’s close to Clutch, in the more vampire friendly section of town, so I walk quickly, listening intently, trying to get a read on her voice. It can be difficult at times to pick up the voices that you’re trying to hear, particularly when your own mind is racing, but within a few moments, I can hear her.

“I thought he was different. I guess my daddy was right. Humans and vamps just don’t mix,” I hear her say as I near the entrance. I know she doesn’t believe this, she can’t.

Before I advance, I watch her for a moment. She’s talking to a female bartender, who happens to be a vampire. You can’t see her mark, it’s covered up with a leather cuff, and I wonder if Fiona has any idea that she’s talking about her problems with her vampire boyfriend to another vampire. Yes, boyfriend. That’s what I am in human speak. She’s mine, and I am hers. While I may use different terminology in my culture, it’s the same thing, and it’s time to go reclaim her.

The vampire at the bar is bleached blonde, with a provocatively low cut tank top, and senses me coming before I arrive. As she makes eyes at me, I shift my glance and nod my head away from Fiona, indicating that she is mine and that my Fiona is no human conquest for her tonight. Vampires are territorial and do not go after each other’s consorts, once a relationship has been established. There are plenty of willing humans to choose from, but should we choose just one to be ours, respect for that is expected among our kind. Understanding, she smiles at Fiona and walks to help other patrons at the bar, leaving Fiona alone with her drink.

I know I need to talk to her now. I’m nervous, and quite certain that if I were human, my palms would be sweating. Thank the fates that I don’t sweat or have a heartbeat because it would be thumping right out of my chest. As I approach her, I can smell her perfume, her perfect Fiona scent and it fills me with desire for her.

“Fiona?” I take the seat next to her.

“How did you find me, Roman?” She refuses to make eye contact with me. Before I have a chance to answer, she continues. “Oh, that’s right, with your superhuman senses. Well, what do you want?” She takes a sip of her drink and licks her bottom lip, where a small drop of liquid has remained.

I swallow hard, watching her before I reply. “I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you.”

She turns to face me, and I see immediately that her eyes are red, likely from crying. “I don’t think there’s anything left to talk about, Roman. You threw my dad against a wall. Not only that but with superhuman strength, leaving a humanly sized indent on my wall. You could have killed him!”

It’s impossible to defend my actions, but I try. “Fiona, your father could have killed me with that stake. I was defending myself. If I wanted him dead, he’d be dead.”

Her mouth drops open in shock at my blunt statement. This is what Selene was talking about. Fiona needs to be reminded that I’m a fucking vampire. Yes, I have super strength; I have predatory tendencies, and that won’t change. It’s what I am, and it’s time to stop hiding it.

“Wow Roman, really?” She shakes her head at me.

“Fiona, listen to me.” I wait for her to look back at me with her full attention. “I am not a human.”

“I know that, Roman.” She looks at me, confused and annoyed.

“Do you? Because I think that you need to understand that I will give you the world, but I am not a regular mortal man. There is a part of my life you need to see for yourself. You need to understand what being a vampire really means.”

“You answer my questions all the time. I know what being a vampire is about. I get it. You didn’t have to handle things that way today. I cared about you,” she says, blowing me off.

Her use of the past tense cared, stings. Taking a chance, I rest my hand on her thigh gently. “Fiona, I don’t think you do. You’ve just barely scratched the surface. Will you come with me?”

“Come with you where?” she asks hesitantly.

“I want you to come to Clutch. I’ve told you about it. I want you to see what my life is about, and what being a part of my life means. Please?” I can see the hesitation on her face. She’s trying to read my expression before she makes a decision, but I can sense her want for me. “Fiona, I care about you. I will fix things with your father. But I need for you to understand what I truly am.”

“You won’t let anything happen to me? Like nobody gets to bite me, right?” Her hand draws up to the cross she’s still wearing.

It’s against the rules to enter the club if you’re not willing to get bitten, although it’s not really enforced. I’ve never seen anyone turned away over it since that’s what most humans go there for anyway. “You are mine, Fiona. No one gets to touch you except me.” My hand slides up her thigh a bit, and I can feel her heart rate increase.

“I want to understand, Roman.” She rests her hand on mine and meets my gaze. “I’ll go, but I’m still upset over today. I’m mad at both you and my father.”

Relief washes over me, and I throw some cash on the bar for her tab and pull her with me as I stand up. She immediately softens into me for a hug, and as I hold her tightly, I realize that I am in love with her. Whatever it takes, I’m going to make this work.

We make our way back to Clutch, and at the door, we’re greeted by Corban, who immediately notices Fiona’s cross around her neck.

“She can’t wear that in here,” he addresses me, and points to her neck.

“She’s with me,” I reply.

“That may be the case, but she can’t wear that.”

I turn to Fiona and hope for the best. “Fiona? I need you to take the cross off.”

“What? No.”

“Listen to me. No one is going to touch you except me.”

“But they could compel me. And I don’t want that. I want to know everything I’m doing. I don’t want to be controlled.” She seems scared, like she’s going to run.

I take her face in my hands and look deeply into her eyes. “Fiona, listen to me. You’re mine. I wouldn’t compel you with or without the cross, and I won’t let anyone else. This is important if you want to understand my culture. I need you to comply. Willingly.” I take a step back, hoping she makes the right decision and to my surprise, she does.

Slowly, she reaches around the back of her neck and unhooks the chain reluctantly. She drops the cross in her small purse, then looks back up at me with a smile. I can see her resolve now, and it fills me with pleasure. I lean in to kiss her softly, her lips tasting sweeter than ever, then I take her hand and smirk at Corban, who’s now opened the door for us to enter Clutch.