Chapter 3
640words
"I guess I came on too strong," Lucy thought, trudging home with slumped shoulders.
"HONK!"
A car horn blared. Before Lucy could process what was happening, she felt herself lifted skyward.
*Whoosh*
Pain shot through her arm, snapping Lucy back to reality. She found herself on a rooftop with Adrian beside her. Looking up, she glimpsed massive wings folding behind his back and, above them, a pair of glowing crimson eyes.
"Adrian, you're... you're..."
Adrian's gaze fixed on Lucy's bleeding arm. The sweet scent filled his senses, awakening primal instincts he fought to suppress. His throat went desert-dry, his gums ached, and two razor-sharp fangs extended involuntarily.
Hearing Lucy's stammered words, Adrian realized his secret was exposed. He fought the hunger raging within, struggling to maintain his composure, but his voice emerged as a ragged whisper.
"I'm sorry."
Lucy wasn't a fool. For months, she'd noticed the oddities—he never appeared during daylight, never ate anything but Blood Curd Stew, his skin remained unnaturally cool, and he never showed fatigue. Now, everything made terrible sense.
"Adrian," Lucy said softly, "I need to hear the truth from you."
Adrian stood with his back to her, a statue against the night sky. Lucy tore a strip from her sleeve to bind her wound, waiting in silence.
Adrian's mind waged war with itself. Revealing the truth would likely mean losing her forever, but continuing the deception was no longer possible—nor did he want it to be.
Finally, he turned to face her, his eyes pools of ancient sorrow. "Are you certain you want to know? Even if... even if it changes everything between us?"
Lucy's heart ached at his tortured expression. Over these months, she'd fallen deeply for this elegant, gentle man—his vast knowledge, his tenderness, his attentiveness to her every need.
"I want to know who you truly are," she said, her voice quiet but unwavering.
Adrian drew a breath he didn't need.
"I am a vampire," he whispered, the words barely disturbing the night air. "A bloodsucker. A monster who has walked this earth for a thousand years."
Lucy's eyes widened, her mind struggling to process his words. Vampire—a creature of legend and horror films—stood before her. And she loved him.
"I know this is impossible to accept," Adrian continued, agony lacing his words. "I love you too, but I understand if you can't bear the sight of me now. If you're afraid, I'll disappear from your life forever. I would never harm you. Never."
"You said... you love me?" Lucy's voice trembled with disbelief.
"Yes," Adrian nodded, a sad smile touching his lips. "From the first taste of your Blood Curd Stew, I felt my existence had purpose again. You made me remember what being 'human' felt like. You brought color and warmth back to my world."
"I know it's absurd," Adrian laughed bitterly. "A monster falling for a human—it's the definition of tragedy. If you can't accept what I am, I understand completely. I'll vanish with my memories of you and never return."
With trembling hands, Lucy reached out and took Adrian's cold hand in hers.
"You're not a monster. You're Adrian—the man who savors my cooking each night, who teaches me about music, who protects me from harm. Whatever you are, you're still you. That hasn't changed."
Adrian stared at her in disbelief. "You're... not afraid?"
"A little, at first," Lucy admitted. "But when I saw the pain in your eyes, I understood. Someone who suffers for love can't truly be a monster. And the safety and happiness I feel with you—those are real, aren't they?"
Lucy wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against his cold chest. "Will you still come for Blood Curd Stew tomorrow night?"
"Every night," Adrian whispered, holding her as if she might vanish.
