WILL'S POV

Mom was sleeping away on the couch when I sneaked in the house at ten in the night.
      After the encounter with Harry four nights ago, I avoided hanging around her for her own safety. Alex had advised we move out of Black Hills. But how was I to convince mom about that?

   I grabbed a blanket from her room and covered her. Before something fell on the floor.
      Out of curiosity, I bent to pick the photo. It was mom, with maybe one of her boyfriends. Pitch-black hair, green eyes that felt somehow familiar. They both looked very young. With the male maybe in his mid-twenties.

Flipping the picture, saw the name 'William' written on the backside in her handwriting. Then the date that went all the way to twenty two years back.

     After laying a kiss on her forehead, I headed upstairs, taking the photo with me.

  Even without any super senses, I knew Alex was standing behind the curtains. It had become a habit. One that was irritating from the few occasions she'd popped in while I wore my natural born suit.
       
    "You look horrible." Her comment came from the female laying on my bed.
  Her head tilted towards me as I walked straight to the closet.
I pulled off the gray T-shirt, dumped it in the basket of dirty clothes.

    "Had a busy night," said grabbing another clean shirt from the closet.
  
  "Well," she breathed. Then heard her a step behind me.
Two hands crawled from beneath my shoulders, soft, and thin enough to electrocute a man's brain.
    They hovered over my abdomen, my chest, and finally she spun me around.

      "It'll a shame if you don't get what Suzy was to give you," Alex breathed. Her dark eyes were full of lust to the brim. Any more and it'd come dripping like tears.
  She yanked the shirt from my hand and threw it to the floor.

      "Alex!"
"Shh."
Step by step, she pulled me back to the bed.
   I couldn't help myself, she was beautiful. Though a weirdo, a badass that could kick vamp butts...
We both fell on the bouncy surface, with her below me.
     
     "Heck! I've been dying to tell you," she paused to lay a tease kiss on my lips. "How much-"
   An unexpected tag on my arm hauled me far from Alex. Then my back was crashing against a wall... I groaned recollecting myself flor the harsh cold of the floor.

    "What was that?" Alex yelled at the male facing her, Ethan, her psycho mate.

  "Damn you Alex! Were you really going to make love to a human?" Ethan demanded.

"He's not just a human dammit?"

    "Is she your wife huh?" I yelled pushing him away from Alex. I was no match for him, yet the anger boiling in me got me thinking I could take out an entire army of soldiers.

        "Stay out of this. You're nothing but a prey. Vulnerable, weak, powerless, helple-"
"Enough!" Alex bellowed stabbing a forefinger at Ethan.
   "Don't push him too far Ethan." Her voice had gone soft, like a plea... And both calmed down.

What was happening?

The room just fell dead silent.

"Will, there's something I need to tell you," she started... Ethan sucked a frustrated breath before walking over to the windows.
   The female took my hands, and made me sit on the bed next to her... Had to be honest, the sudden shift of emotions in the air was causing my intestines to go ice hard.

   "In existence, there are different classes of species." She explained to me like I was a seventh grader in biology class.
  "I think that's common knowledge Alex."
      Her dark eyes chained mine.
"You're not entirely human. Sorry it took me so long to tell you that."

  My brow lifted.
"Then, what am I?"
   "Half Nataline."

"Say what now?"

Alex beamed Ethan a glance, and the male turned around. "You have Nataline blood. Your mother fell in love with one of us. She conceived you, and ran off under that protection of the Undead. Your father missed every dream he had of you."
    
     "No. You people are lying to me. I fucking need to know the truth! Mom wouldn't possibly know of these undead or Nataline creatures."
    Ethan cackled returning his gaze outside.

  "Will." Alex cupped my jaw.

"The Cruises legacy has lived on more than anything in the world. The Underworld has only been waiting for their ruler. And now that he's back, there's no telling what he can do."
     "What about Agatha?" I asked butting my lip.

Alex sprang on her feet alarmed.

"She's an abomination to every species, a triling. An undead, a Nataline, and a human."
     It was all so confusing.

"What does that mean?"

Alex's wet eyes fell on mine.
  "The only reason you can give her blood is that you two share that connection. You're also a damn triling!" She exploded emotionally.
    "Then, why ain't I like you?"

In all my twenty one years alive, I had never portrayed any supernatural trait.
   "You have to die first and come back as whatever you will."
There was fear dissolved in her moist eyes.

"What is it?"

    Alex gave me her back
 

"There's no coming back after that," she whispered.
I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"How bad is it?"
         "Trilings ended up being the most vicious of all the creatures. So they are always locked up in solitary before being mummified and burnt to avoid ever coming back... Do you understand the magnitude of this whole thing?" Alex asked boldly as she turned to me again.

   "Does the Cruise know about Agatha's condition?"

  The girl chuckled amused.
"Is Agatha all you can think about? She's bonding with her  family, planning a hit upon this town, and you're here worrying your ass over that?"

   I frowned.
Why was she being so emotional? Of course, I cared about her. Deep inside, it felt as if I've known her my entire life.
      Alex's expression went flat.

"It's quite clear you really care about her."
With that, she sped out of the room through the open windows.

     It was quiet for a minute.
Hadn't even realised Ethan had left.

  I swallowed walking to close the windows. Peeping down at the ground being covered by the white stuff, I saw Alex gazing up at me. It was impossible not to feel her hurt. Maybe she'd already fallen for me!

     In a blur, she vanished in the shadows.