Matteo walked through the streets, his hands clenched into fists. The memories of his confrontation with Adel still burned on him. No matter how far he tried to run, she always found a way to drag him back.
The night was tense. He tried to steady his breathing. His reflection in the store window was unfamiliar and sharp-eyed, with a rigid posture, his anger, still roaming beneath the surface.
Adel had gone too far. Using the vampire spell on Nora was crossing a line he couldn't ignore.
But worse than his anger was the fear in his gut.
He had lived in disguise for many centuries already, Adel had reminded him of something he never wanted to accept.
He was his mother's son. And no matter how much he fought it, that darkness lived inside him too.
Jaytee returned home to find Adel waiting for him. She sat at the dining table, elegant, as if nothing had happened between them just hours ago. She had a glass of wine, untouched in front of her, the deep red liquid swirling as she gently twisted the stem of the glass between her fingers.
Matteo stiffened in the doorway. He should have expected that Adel never let go of control so easily.
She gestured to the chair across from her. "Sit."
He remained standing. "What now?" His voice was edged with exhaustion.
Adel arched a brow, amusement flickering in her gaze. "Having a conversation with my son. Is that so wrong?"
Jaytee exhaled sharply and finally moved to sit, though every muscle in his body remained tense.
Adel leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "I was thinking about love today." Her voice was smooth, almost nostalgic. "How it weakens people. How it blinds them."
Matteo said nothing. He knew better than to fall into her trap.
Her smile widened as if she could read his thoughts. "Do you know why I loved Rico?"
Jaytee clenched his jaw. A story phrase she had told for centuries. He didn't want to have this conversation. Not now. Not ever.
But Adel continued, her voice softening in a way that made his stomach twist. "He was the only one who ever made me feel wanted." Her eyes flickered with so much vulnerability before the usual steel returned. "And that was my mistake."
Matteo's fingers curled against the table's surface.
Adel sighed. "You possess so much of our love and weaknesses."
A bitter laugh escaped him. "I'm nothing like you both."
Adel tilted her head. "Aren't you? You are about to make the same foolish mistake we made years ago. Devoted to the people he loved. Devoted to a human girl."
His stomach twisted. "This isn't about Nora."
Adel smiled knowingly. "After that horrible hunger incident, it'd been about Nora."
Matteo shot to his feet, his chair scraping against the floor. "Stay out of my life." His voice was laced with warning.
Adel took a sip of wine, unbothered. "That's not possible."
She set her glass down and locked eyes with him. "You belong with us, you are a vampire, a full breed, a chosen one Matteo. You always have."
His fists trembled at his sides. "I will never be like you."
Adel sighed, shaking her head. "We'll see."
Jaytee turned and stormed out.
Adel watched him go, her expression unreadable.
But deep down, she felt something only fear. Vampires are known to be heartless, without a heart, no love to show, it was very rare. Adel feared that Matteo's fate would be like that of Rico.
Because for the first time, she wasn't sure if she could bring Matteo back to her world before it was too late.
Jaytee walked into school the next day. He could feel it before he even saw it.
The whispers. The stares.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, all eyes were on him.
A group of students near the lockers immediately stopped talking as he passed. Others stole glances, their expressions ranging from shock to amusement.
Jaytee's stomach dropped. Something was wrong.
He caught sight of a girl whispering to her friend, barely containing her laughter.
"…I heard they were together last night."
"…Isn't that strange?"
"…Maybe he likes that kind of thing."
Jaytee's blood ran cold.
He grabbed the nearest guy by the collar and yanked him forward. "What the hell is going on?"
The guy's eyes widened. "Dude, relax! I just, everyone's talking about you and the new girl, Adel."
Jaytee's grip tightened. "What about her?"
The guy swallowed hard. "That you're together. That she's your… girlfriend."
Jaytee let go of him, stumbling back a step. His pulse pounded in his ears.
He turned to see a group of students watching him expectantly, waiting for his reaction.
Then, his gaze locked onto Nora who acted very reluctant, she doesn't remember the spell moment.
She stood near the library entrance, frozen in place. Her face was unreadable, but Jaytee saw the flicker of something beneath the surface.
Hurt. Jaytee stepped toward her, but she turned and disappeared inside the library before he could reach her.
He gritted his teeth.
Adel had done this again. Jaytee's fists clenched as he stormed through the hallway, ignoring the whispers, he needed to find Adel.
He spotted her near the courtyard, casually leaning against a stone bench, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers as if she hadn't just ruined his life overnight. A few students watched her in fascination, as if she were some kind of untouchable force, someone they could admire but never get too close to. She was a new student.
Jaytee didn't care about their stares. He crossed the courtyard in seconds and grabbed Adel's wrist, yanking her up from the bench.
She barely reacted, just arched a brow. "Aggressive today again?"
He gritted his teeth. "What the hell did you do?"
She sighed dramatically, pulling her wrist free with ease. "You should be thanking me, Jaytee. Now, you won't be too close or let your attention so much on the human, and at least I'll know more "
His eyes burned with fury. "You know damn well I never wanted this. You set me up."
She gave him an innocent look. "Oh, come on. People love gossip, and you're the hottest topic right now."
Jaytee felt his control slipping. He couldn't lash out, not here, but the anger coiled in his chest like a snake ready to strike. "Fix this, Adel."
She smirked. "And why would I do that?"
"Because if you don't, I swear…."
She took a step closer, tilting her head as she studied him. "You won't do anything."
Jaytee's breath hitched.
Adel's voice was a whisper now, meant only for him. "You can't, because if you try to tell the truth, you'll expose things you're not ready for. Come with me and stop being stubborn, your father needs you." Her gaze flickered, almost daring him. "
He hated how calm she was, how she always had the upper hand. His hands balled into fists at his sides.
Adel grinned, satisfied. "Good talk, babe." She patted his chest playfully before turning and walking away.
Jaytee stood there, his blood boiling.
She had trapped him. Again.
And this time, he had no way out.
As he turned to leave, his gaze caught sight of Nora through the window of the library. She was sitting at a table, staring down at an open book, but her fingers were trembling as she turned the page.