Elena sat on the edge of her brother’s couch, the warmth of the room contrasting with the coolness outside. The sound of soft cooing from the baby and murmured words from David’s wife, Emily, filled the space, a domestic scene that felt almost foreign to her. She hadn’t seen David in so long, hadn’t spoken to him in nearly a year. Now here she was, in his home, meeting the family she didn’t know existed.

The baby, with her chubby cheeks and bright eyes, reminded Elena of a simpler time, of when she and David had been young before the weight of the world had pressed down on them. But the tension was thick in the air between the siblings, unspoken words hanging over them like a shadow.

Emily excused herself, giving them some privacy, and once the door clicked shut, David sighed. His face was lined with the burden of secrets long kept.

“Elena, I’m going to tell you a story and I need you to just listen and don’t say anything until I'm done, okay?”

Elena nodded, bracing herself. “Okay.”

“About two years before Mom and Dad died, I had gone out to a bar with some friends to celebrate my first-ever publication. I don’t know if you remember, but it was just before our last year of undergrad.”

She nodded again, recalling the time vaguely.

“Anyway, I was a little tipsy, so I decided to walk home when this... girl asked me if I could walk her to her car. I said yes, and she started to lead me pretty far away from the bar and into this alley, but there weren’t any cars there. She must have sensed I was getting suspicious because before I could make an excuse to leave, she turned on me and pounced.”

Elena’s breath caught.

“She was so strong,” David continued, his voice strained with the memory. “I must have been at least twice her size but she knocked me down like a ragdoll. “We tussled on the ground for only a second, and then... I saw them— fangs.” He paused, swallowing hard. “And then she bit me.”

David flushed slightly and Elena thought she knew why. The ghost of Theo’s touch on her neck made her skin tingle and she suddenly felt her own face grow warm. They both shifted uncomfortably.

“I had no idea what was happening at the time,” David pressed on, “but I remember thinking how crazy it was—how I was going to die in some alley, being bitten to death by this girl. I thought of Mom, Dad, and you... how I would never see you all again. And then... that’s when I felt it—this weird surge of energy. She screamed, shoved me away, and before I could even process what happened, she was gone.”

David closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “To say I became obsessed with finding out what happened that night is putting it mildly.”

"The memory of it consumed me. Days went by where I couldn't even eat or sleep. All I could do was replay that encounter in my mind and think."

“That was the first time you disappeared,” Elena said softly. “No one could reach you for a week. Mom and Dad were worried sick.”

David’s face darkened with regret. He nodded. “I came to the conclusion that she must have been a vampire pretty quickly. It was the only explanation that made sense, even if it felt impossible. I read everything I could about them, but most of what I found was wrong. It wasn’t until I met Emily that I discovered the truth. A few weeks after the incident, I ran into those shadow figures we saw tonight.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression heavy.

“You know what you saw me do tonight?”

Elena nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Well... Emily can do it too. When that shadow figure came after me, she was the one who saved me.” His voice softened, and a small, fond smile played on his lips. “I thought I was losing my mind. But she tried to convince me it was real, that I had to be careful. I didn’t want to believe her at first, so she gave me some books and told me to come find her when I was ready.”

David shook his head, as if frustrated with himself. “I spent nearly every waking moment for two years poring over those books, trying to make sense of everything. But the shadow creatures kept coming. The attacks grew more frequent, and eventually, it wasn’t safe for me to be around anyone. By the time Mom and Dad passed... I had no choice. I had to find Emily.”

Elena felt her heart tighten. David had carried this burden alone for so long.

“Elena,” David continued, looking directly into her eyes, “I know how all of this sounds. I know it doesn’t answer all your questions and might sound... unhinged. But it’s the truth. And I hope... I hope you can forgive me for leaving you the way I did. I thought it was the right thing.”

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Elena studied him for a long moment, her emotions a mixture of sympathy and pain. “I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.”

David gave her a small, sad smile and stood. He crossed the room to the bookshelf, pulling down an old, weathered book, and handed it to her.

Elena stared at the title embossed on the cover: The Testament of Asher.

“The Testament of Asher,” she murmured, brushing her fingers over the worn lettering. “This... this was one of the notes in your book.”

David nodded. “You’ll want to read it. There’s a lot more you need to know, but some things are better learned on your own than hearing them from me.”

“Thank you, David,” Elena whispered, her voice tight with emotion.

David smiled, the weight between them lightening, if only slightly. “I’ll have Emily set you up in the guest room. She’s really happy to have you here, by the way. She’s been wanting to meet you for a long time.”

Elena nodded, her mind heavy with the weight of her thoughts. “I’d like that.”

A few moments later, Emily appeared at the doorway, her smile warm and inviting. “Come on, Elena. I’ll show you to the guest room.”

Elena followed her down the hallway, her footsteps echoing in the quiet house. It felt strange—surreal even—to be walking beside David’s wife, making light conversation, when just hours ago, she hadn’t even known Emily existed. She couldn’t begin to understand how to come to terms with the fact that David had a wife, a family, and an entire life hidden from her. She felt like an intruder - a stranger taking advantage of the hospitality of people she hardly knew. A pang of loneliness crept over her and she thought about how much she missed her little apartment and her cat and even Theo.

“This is it,” Emily said, opening the door to a cozy, softly lit room. “I hope you’ll find it comfortable. We don’t get many visitors.”

“It’s perfect,” Elena replied, stepping into the guest room. The bed was inviting, with plush pillows neatly arranged, and a lamp cast a soft, warm glow over the room. Despite the warmth of the space, the chill that had settled over Elena’s heart lingered. “Thank you, Emily.”

Emily leaned against the doorframe, her gaze kind but perceptive. “It must be overwhelming for you,” she said gently. “Finding out about David’s life, about...everything.”

Elena offered a small nod, her voice thin. “Yeah, it’s... a lot. Just a few hours ago, I didn’t know he was married, or... that he was tied to something so dangerous.”

Emily stepped closer, her expression softening. “He didn’t want to keep you in the dark, Elena. But with everything that’s been going on... he thought he was doing what was best.”

“I get that,” Elena replied, though the weight of it still sat heavily in her chest. “I guess I’m just still processing it all.”

Emily smiled sympathetically, the kind of smile that said she understood what it was like to live with secrets. “I’m glad you’re here. David’s been wanting to reconnect with you for a long time.”

Elena’s heart tightened at the thought. She gave Emily a small, grateful smile. “I’m glad I’m here too.”

With a nod, Emily stepped back toward the door. “I’ll let you rest. If you need anything, we’re just down the hall.”

“Thank you,” Elena said, watching as Emily left the room. The door clicked softly behind her, and the room fell into a quiet stillness.

Alone in the guest room, Elena sank onto the bed, her mind still swirling. She had learned so much today—about David, about his secret life. And yet, The revelation that weighed on her the most was Theo.

Her chest tightened at the thought of him. That moment when he had nearly lost control... the way his fangs had grazed her skin, the raw hunger in his eyes. The memory replayed in her mind, over and over—the coolness of his breath, the tension that had hung between them like a fragile thread ready to snap.

He’s a vampire.

The words echoed through her mind, sending a strange sensation through her. A part of her should have been terrified, should have wanted nothing more than to stay far away from him. And yet, despite everything, there was that same pull, that same unexplainable want.

Her hand instinctively reached for her neck, fingers brushing over the skin where his fangs had almost pierced her. She could still feel the lingering sensation—the temptation she had felt even in that moment. He had been so close to losing control, and she had been just as close to letting him.

Her phone lay on the nightstand, glowing faintly in the dim light. Before she could stop herself, Elena reached for it, her fingers hovering over the screen as she opened her message thread with Theo. She stared at the last message she had sent, still unanswered. Her heart thudded in her chest, a mix of hesitation and desire swirling inside her.

She began typing, her fingers moving faster than her mind could keep up.

Theo, I want to talk. Please.

She hit send before she could second-guess herself, her breath catching in her throat as the message delivered. The silence that followed was suffocating, the screen remaining still, no response, no sign that he had seen it.

Time passed in agonizing silence. She lay there, the minutes dragging on, her phone motionless on the nightstand. Each tick of the clock felt heavier than the last, the uncertainty gnawing at her.

Her eyelids grew heavy, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to her. As she drifted in and out of restless sleep, her thoughts still circled around Theo. His face, his touch, the way his eyes had darkened with both hunger and restraint. He had pulled back for her—stopped himself when he could have taken more. That meant something. It had to.

Just as sleep was about to take her, the faint buzz of her phone jolted her awake. Elena sat up quickly, her pulse spiking. She grabbed the phone from the nightstand, her heart pounding in her chest as she unlocked the screen.

There, in the glow of the dim light, was his response:

Let’s meet.