2

**Dez**

("I adjusted her mind. I hope you don't mind, but I need to keep you close. You are in danger.") Ruby looks like she's thinking things over. "I'm sorry, Haven, I'm just really tired."("Thank you. I promise to explain everything to you later.") She composed herself quickly. ("How long have we been dating then? It's going to be hard pretending like I know you.  And can you hear everything I'm thinking or just what I say to you?") He didn't answer, great. Now I have to be careful what I am thinking until I know the answer. "Ruby, I have to go home for a couple days. My mom needs me for a family emergency, she didn't say what's going on though." Haven looked worried; she was frowning. "Okay, do you want me to help you pack?" She smiled before saying, "No thanks, I want to be alone for a bit. I'll make sure I lock the doors when I leave. My flight leaves in a few hours so I have to hurry." "Alright, text me when you land." She hugged Haven as she said goodbye.

When I looked into Haven's mind, I got a glimpse at Ruby's past. At least all of what Haven knew. I didn't plan to become Ruby's boyfriend that way. I didn't want her to feel pressured, but I could not control myself. "So, it's kind of weird talking to you out loud." Ruby said shyly. "Which way do you prefer?" She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. "As long as we are talking, it doesn't matter how we do it." ("I feel like I have known you my entire life. I feel completely safe with you.") Ruby's internal addition to our conversation was unexpected. "I am glad you feel that way. That is not how most people feel around me."  "I am not comfortable around most people anymore." Ruby's not telling me something, I can sense it. "Let's go somewhere more private. We need to discuss a few things." 

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**Ruby**

"Okay, let's go to my house. Haven will probably be gone by the time we get there." Dez and I had sat in silence for a long time. The unease I had felt before walking in the cafe vanished the second, I seen Dez. His presence was warm and inviting. He felt like home, I had almost forgotten what that felt like. "Did you drive here?" Dez asked casually. "Oh shit! Haven drove today, I can't believe I forgot. I guess we can take a taxi." Dez thought about that for a moment. "No. I will drive; my car is out front." Dez was smirking, that has to be the hottest expression I have ever seen. "Your car? What kind of car are we talking about?" I crossed my arms. "I have a 1970 Dodge Challenger. Blood red. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Dez**

It only took a half an hour to get to Ruby's house.  "I like your house." 

"Thanks. I have only lived here for a few months." Ruby smiled at me, but it wasn't a real smile. "Before we go inside, I want to tell you something." I am so nervous. What if she rejects me? ("I am not human anymore. I know it sounds crazy...") Ruby started laughing. "I figured that when we were conversing telepathically. So, what are you? You're not a werewolf, shapeshifter, or incubus." Ruby looked interested; I certainly did not expect this reaction. "How do you know? You're not joking?" She was laughing again. "Well obviously you are not the first...different person I've met. I am not sure if I have ever met someone like you."

"How do you know about our world?" Our world was supposed to be a secret. Most humans couldn't handle knowing about us. That's why mates are rare, at least within the vampire community. It is a law among all "paranormal" creatures that our world must be kept secret. "I know humans aren't supposed to know about you. If you tell me what you are then I'll tell you what I am." I knew she was special. "As you wish. I am a vampire." 

"If that is true, how are you able to walk in the daylight? Or is that a myth? I have never met a vampire before." This time she smiled at me sincerely. "Oh yeah. I am a mutt, as most would put it." 

"I have never heard of that. And yes, the sunlight thing is completely made up." I am confused, I must ask Viktor about this later.

"I am half shifter, half human. My father was the shifter, he got my biological mom pregnant. She died while in labor with me. She was human obviously." At least that is what I was told.

"Where's your father?" I love how honest she is being.

She was fidgeting now. I must have upset her." He didn't want me; I was put up for adoption right after I was born. I was adopted and raised by the most amazing couple. They were both human and didn't know about my genealogy." She stopped for a second, then asked, "Do you want to come in? I'd like to sit down; I've been on my feet all day."

I nodded. I followed her into the house and to the living room. I was shocked at the new information she just revealed. "How did you find out that you were half shifter?" 

"I was eleven when I got a letter in the mail. It was from my father, he wanted to meet me. After eleven years he wanted to meet me. I ignored his letters for over a year. I had saved all of them, but never read any of them. They were in my desk drawer and I had never given them a second thought. The last letter came one week before my thirteenth birthday. I put it with the rest of them, but something about that last one called to me. I tried to ignore it like the rest. Five days went by and I couldn't ignore it anymore. The last letter was in a bigger envelope and I could tell that there was something in it. I opened it and an amulet fell out. I will never forget what that letter said." Ruby looked like she was about to cry. I grabbed her hand and kissed it. She took a deep breath. "That letter said, 

'My sweet baby girl. I never wanted to give you away, it was not my choice. There are things you need to know about yourself. Please think about meeting with me. I know that you must be angry and you have every right to be. The amulet is a family heirloom and I want you to have it. It will keep you safe, please wear it. I want you to know that I love you so much. I loved your mom with every ounce I had. I didn't want to leave her. In that I also had no choice. I was forbidden to with your mother and I didn't listen to my warnings. I will be at the motel on main street until your birthday. I hope to see you, and please don't tell anyone I am here. 

With all my love, Dad.' 

"I went to see him; I couldn't stop myself. He was jumpy and paranoid. Nothing like I had pictured. The first words he said to me were, you look just like your mother. I had no idea what she looked like; he gave me a picture of them. I still have it but I don't look at it that often. Then he says, you are half shapeshifter. I thought he was crazy, he looked crazy. I tried to leave, so he shifted in front of me. How could I deny it after witnessing it? He had shifted into a bird; I think he thought that would scare me the least. I still ran away. I haven't heard from him since." I pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead. She leaned into me and started to cry. After a while she pulled herself together.

"Do you feel better?" Having real feelings is new to me. I haven't felt anything in so long. These feelings were even more intense than they were in my dreams. Nothing can happen to her; it would kill me and that's not easy. My feelings for her are so strong, I would turn on my own kind if she asked me to. I know without a doubt.  I would kill or die for her. Nothing is ever taking her from me, ever.

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**Ruby**

"Yes, I'm sorry. I have never told that to anyone, not even Haven." I don't want him to leave. There's something about him that brings out my trust. I know he will keep me safe no matter what.

"Do not apologize for how you feel." He kissed my forehead again. My whole body heats up when he touches me. 

"Haven doesn't know that I’m half shifter, no one knows that either." He was staring into my eyes. It was like he could see all of me, every thought and every secret. I just hope he can't see my most painful secret. 

"I'm going to order some pizza. Do you want some?" I'm not sure if he can eat human food, but it doesn't hurt to be polite.

"What is pizza?" Dez looked baffled. It was so cute. "I can eat human food."

"How do you not know what pizza is, have you been living under a rock? 

"I guess you can say that. I haven't been very sociable in a very long time. Almost two hundred years." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"How old are you? You don't look that much older than me." It could be true that vampires are immortal but I don't know what information about them is true or not. 

"Are you sure that you are ready to know that?" He's being completely honest with me. I don't know how, but I can just tell. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Dez** 

"I am five hundred and sixty-four years old." Dez was waiting for Ruby to react. 

"You definitely age well!" Ruby was laughing now. "So, you really are immortal?"

"Yes, I am." I am going to be in so much trouble. I can't help telling her the truth. Viktor didn't say what all I could tell her. 

"You used to be human, so how old were you before you turned?" 

"I was turned when I was twenty-four." (Is this too weird for you yet?)

(Are you kidding? This is amazing!) "Well, I'm going to order my favorite pizza." Ruby smiled at me. 

Ruby made a phone call; she told the person on the other end what she wanted. 

"It will be here in about twenty-five minutes. Make yourself at home." (I am going to take a quick shower.) 

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**Ruby** 

His eyes darkened. “What did you say?” 

“Can you hear everything in my mind? I am not sure how it works.” My face was turning red.  

“I am so sorry; I do not know how it works either. You are the only one I can talk to like that.” His eyes are still dark, I like how he is looking at me.  

“Oh, I guess we will have to figure this out together. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” (I want to kiss him. Oh my god, did he hear that?) Dez’s licked his lips, I turned and walked away. "I need to remember he can hear my thoughts." I said quietly to myself.

I hurried through the shower and put on my favorite black sweat pants and band T-shirt. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Dez**

(Ruby, someone is coming.) I can smell them, and something foreign to me.

(It's probably the pizza. I'll be out in a second.)  Just as Ruby walked out of her room, there was a knock on the front door. She answered the door and paid the young man for the food. "Thank you. Keep the change." She smiled at him and started to close the door. (That boy finds you attractive. I can hear his heart racing.) Ruby laughed, "Yeah right. He's probably scared of me." 

"Why would he be scared of you?"

"There's rumors going around about me. And they aren't very nice ones." Ruby sighed. "People talk to me and act nice to my face but as soon as I leave, they start whispering. I pretend that I don't notice." 

"We don't have to talk about that now. But I am here when you are ready to talk." I can tell she doesn't want to talk about the rumors right now.

"Thanks. So, what's up with the garlic thing? Is that real?" Ruby asked as she was getting plates. 

"No, I can eat garlic." I chuckled, "We told a few vampire hunters that garlic is deadly to us."

"Why would you do that?" She looked genuinely curious.

"We were being captured and tortured, humans too. They did not know how to tell for sure who was a vampire and who was not. The royal families were terrified, so they sent out hunting parties to annihilate us." I looked away from her, I don't want her to see my pain.

"If they couldn't tell who was who, then how were they deciding who to capture?" I turned back to her. Ruby is so beautiful.

"They took mostly the poor and extremely beautiful. Only a demon could be more beautiful than a royal, they said."

"That's horrible!"

"Yes. The Vampire Royals met in secret to decide how to settle it. Vivian, the Queen of another coven suggested we slaughter all humans who rise against us."

"She sounds lovely." Ruby rolled her eyes. I laughed. 

"She is very vindictive."

"I'll say." Ruby was eating her pizza and hanging on every word I say.

"Viktor, the leader of my coven, suggested we tell the humans a few lies about how to kill a vampire. And ask for a few volunteers to make it believable. The plan was more beneficial to us so Vivian and Jabari agreed to his plan. They each went to their covens and asked for volunteers. In order for the plan to work the volunteers would have to really die."

"Are you serious?" Ruby's shock was clear.

"Yes. Ten from each coven volunteered. They had no desire to live any longer. Vampires cannot commit suicide. The only way for us to die is by the hand of another vampire, and there is a very specific ritual that must take place before death can occur."

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**Ruby**

(Wow, what kind of ritual?) "Did you help with all of that?" He's amazing.

"I cannot tell you what kind of ritual. I am sorry. And no, I was not turned yet."

"So, you were human when this was happening?" I want to know everything about Dez.

"Yes, I was human. I am not ready to tell you about that time of my life yet." He looks so sad now.

"Okay." I yawned. "I should probably get some sleep, it's late." I got up to throw away the pizza boxes. 

"I should leave so you can sleep." Dez was grabbing his jacket.

"Do you have a place to stay?" I hope he doesn't, "I mean you are my boyfriend so you could stay here."

"Do you want me to stay?" He was smiling at me. 

"Yes. Can you go with me in the morning to pick up the guard dogs that I bought?"

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**Dez**

"Why do you need guard dogs?" So, she is she in danger?

"I want them, I don't need them." Ruby wasn't looking at me anymore. She's not telling me something.

"Alright, I'll go with you. Where do I sleep?"

"The guest bedroom. It's down the hall to the left. The bathroom is on the right." 

"Goodnight Ruby." 

"Goodnight Dezmond." She walked away.

The next few days went by pretty fast.  We picked up the dogs and got them settled. Haven called Ruby and told her that she would be back in a week. She still didn't tell Ruby what the family emergency was about. I talked to Viktor; he thinks I can only read someone's mind if the memories have to do with Ruby. He suggested I try to read someone else's mind and talk to someone else telepathically. I tried but I haven't been able to. I haven't told Viktor that Ruby isn't fully human. The stories I've heard about hybrids never end well. I need to know more about the wars. I need to know more about shifters. I don’t even know if we are biologically compatible. 

Ruby has nightmares, the first night here she was screaming for help. I thought she was being attacked. There was a scent lingering in her room. It was so familiar but I could not place it. Ruby woke up when I entered her room. She ran to me, she sobbed for hours. I just held her. She asked me to stay with her while she slept. I couldn’t resist her. I’ll never abandon her; she is vital to my existence. I have no idea how I had any kind of life before her. Our bond is unbreakable. No one will ever come between us.  

The sound of a phone ringing brings Dez back to the present. “Hello.”

“Dez, we need to talk. Can you meet me? Nowhere near your mate. It is not safe.”

“Viktor, what do you mean it isn’t safe? I am not leaving her.” 

“I cannot say over the phone. I must tell you in person.” Viktor sounds concerned. Or maybe scared? I have no choice.

“I’ll come home so we can talk.”

“NO!” Viktor interrupts. “We have to be somewhere safe, somewhere we won’t be overheard or disturbed. Do you understand?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Ruby**

Dez stayed in my room with me after he witnessed one of my nightmares. I was embarrassed at first, but he calms me. I haven’t had any more nightmares since he’s been staying in my room. He is the perfect gentleman. I can tell he is holding himself back. We haven’t been falling into telepathic conversations by accident. We figured out how to put-up boundaries so we can have some privacy. It’s nice to have secret conversations but frustrating when you can’t have a single private thought. He had also started patrolling the woods around my house. He said that he wanted to make sure there was nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary. 

‘Ruby, I need to talk to you.’ 

‘What’s wrong?’ His presence in my head felt uncertain, and that terrified me.  

‘I have been called away for a meeting.’ the thought of being without him caused a wave of anxiety to overwhelm me. I started to shake and the nausea set in. He was next to me now, seeming to just vaporize there. 

“Are you okay?” Dez was so aware of how I feel. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” He didn’t look too convinced. “I swear.” 

“You are certain?” I can’t keep him to myself forever. I was thankful it was autumn break, so I hadn’t missed any classes. Haven decided to stay home for thanksgiving instead of coming back as planned. Reality was fast approaching so I had better get ready to be around other people again. I had quit my job at the diner too. It had become too uncomfortable to be there. Like it wasn’t safe anymore.

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**Dez**

“I can try to get out of it if you want. I don’t know if I can. But for you I would do anything.” I really meant that. ‘I would turn my back on my whole coven for you.’

“I don’t want you to get into trouble for me.” Ruby still looked tense. ‘I appreciate that. I can handle being without you for a bit. I am not a damsel in distress.’

I smiled, “I hope not. I am not sure if I can handle the whole knight in shining armor thing.” 

Ruby laughed, “How long will you be gone?” 

“I am not sure, but I do not think it will be long.” (‘Ruby, I love you.’) 

“I love you too, Dez. I felt an instant connection with you.” (‘It does scare me how fast I fell in love with you.’) She was looking into my eyes as she leaned in. I started to lean towards her, I couldn’t help it.

“Ruby.” (‘If we kiss right now, you will be mine. And I will be yours forever.’)

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**Ruby**

My heart was pounding. My whole body was on fire. I ached for him. I needed him to kiss me. “I know.” I whispered (‘I want this.’) He kissed me and an electric shock went through me. His arms went around my waist and pulled me closer. I haven’t been this close to a man since the night of the fire. My desire turns to terror. I pull away shaking. 

“What’s wrong?” Dez looks embarrassed and concerned. 

“I’m so sorry Dez. I can’t do this right now.” I can’t look him in the eyes either. Memories of that night still have a hold me.