Page 20 of Nyctophilia

What if that hadn’t been a dream after all? What if I had talked myself out of believing in other things too?

I kept trying to speak, but no words came out. Eventually I sat down on the couch next to Jasper. He turned to me, reaching his arm out to touch my shoulder but stopping himself before he did. I was torn between wanting him to hold me until I forgot this whole thing, and wanting to bitch him out for not being honest in the first place, screw my parent’s wishes. They had lied to me. Jasper’s instincts won out and he gently touched my shoulder. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

“I just don’t know what to think. My parents lied to me. My parents are some kind of weird monster hunters and I never suspected anything.” I rested my head in my hands, trying not to let the panic overwhelm me.

His hand took my shoulder more firmly and pulled me to him, enveloping me into his strong arms. I tried to pull away, still angry with him, but he just held me tighter. “Ava, please believe me. I wanted to tell you. I brought you out here tonight, to show you who I really am. Why would I show you that if I wanted to lie to you?”

I knew he was telling me the truth. He wouldn’t have shown me his wolf side if there hadn’t been some semblance of trust between us. But I was so angry at my parents, that fury had to filter somewhere. I couldn’t believe they hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me such an integral part of their lives, of who they were. I let Jasper hold me until I felt ready to talk. “Can I ask you a question?”

He chuckled gently, and it lifted my soul a little to hear it. “I think we’re beyond asking if you can ask me a question or not.”

“Why didn’t my parents tell me?”

He sighed, the disappointment echoing around us. “You’ll have to ask them for the whole answer. But I think they were hoping it would protect you, if you didn’t want to live this life. Obviously, that backfired.”

I sat up, curiosity getting the better of me. “What exactly do Venators do now?”

He stiffened, his tattooed skin taut over his arm muscles. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.” And Iwassure. I was tired of the lies. I needed to know the truth. The whole truth, for once. I wasn’t going to be complacent with the easy answers anymore.

“It’s a calling that usually passes down in families, so very few outsiders are aware supernaturals exist. Venators hunt down bad creatures, like the one I’m tracking in your woods right now -- the ones that are dangerous, deadly. Not just to my kind, but to everyone. And they kill them so they can’t hurt anyone else.”

Shock flooded my body. I couldn’t imagine my parents tracking things, let alone killing them. And yet, memories of my father’s survival lessons came flooding back. “How?”

“They’re trained in different weapons, taken from different cultures over the years. Let’s be honest, Roman weapons aren’t exactly known for being discreet.” He smiled tightly, trying to lighten the situation. “Most are usually well versed in hand to hand combat as well.”

I wasn’t sure my brain had room to fit all of this, let alone figure out where I fit into this whole new world. “Are they expecting me to be one of these… hunters?”

He held me tighter. “I think the only person who can answer that is you. This is a lot to take in, even compared to what I’ve told the past couple days. I think you should get a good night’s sleep and speak to your parents about all of this.”

I nodded, dumbfounded by all the new information. “Yeah, that’s probably best.”

Jasper released me to hold me at arm’s length. “Are you okay? If you don’t feel like riding we can stay here tonight.”

Sleep was an impossibility at this point. I shook myself off and stood up. “No, I’m good. I just want to go home. Let’s go.”

Letting him take my hand, we walked out to his bike. He got on and then helped me on, and I found even though his touch still sent shivers through me, I was slightly numb. I just needed to get home, sleep in my own bed.

The ride home was uneventful, and before too long we were in my parking lot. I hobbled off the bike, nearly falling flat on my face. My emotions were running high. “I shouldn’t be okay with all of this. I shouldn’t.”

He nodded, stepping closer to touch my arms gently. “Green. At least let me text you to make sure you’re okay tonight. Please.”

I turned to go, but paused and looked at him. “Thank you for telling me about my parents.” I placed a soft hand on his face, unable to keep myself from touching him. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t his fault. It made me uncomfortable how many secrets I had already pried out from him, but I knew they weren’t all his to share to begin with.

He bent to kiss me. “Text me tonight. Just to tell me you’re okay.”

I kissed him back, my body responding regardless of my anger and disappointment. I wasn’t even sure who I was angry with anymore. Myself? My parents? Jasper? But my body ignored all of that even as my mind warred with itself. I channelled my frustration and hurt into the kiss, wanting him to understand my emotions. The air between us was heavy when we broke apart, our bodies expressing unspoken longing. I stepped away and walked to the front door without saying anything. Jasper knew I would text him. How could I not? I seemed compelled to be close to him, despite the strange circumstances. When I turned back, he was still in the lot, watching me. Predator or protector, I couldn’t be sure.

* * *

I walked into my apartment in a daze, ignoring absolutely everything to go lie down on my bed fully dressed. My emotions were the worst kind of roller coaster. The connection I felt with Jasper was electric, and I knew I was becoming attached to him. The evening we had spent together had been incredible. Goose bumps rose up on my skin as I thought about the way he had touched me. And yet, all of that felt tainted by the knowledge that my parents weren’t who I thought they were. My life wasn’t what I thought it was. This wasn’t a small thing they had kept from me and I wasn’t sure I could ever trust them again. I was so confused about everything.

Before I could get my thoughts together enough to make any decisions, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket, stirring me from my thoughts. I pulled it out to find a text message from Jasper and my heart soared.

Hey. It’s Jasper. Checking in.

For someone who looked the way he did, and was a terrifying werewolf to top it off, he sure was a whole lot gentler and sweeter than he let on. Oddly enough, Jasper was definitely a comfort in this new world I had found myself thrust into. I messaged him back, letting him know I was confused, but okay. Then I deleted the whole thing to send him one that said I was fine. I threw a quick message to Mollie too, so she knew I had gotten home in one piece so they wouldn’t stay up worrying I had been buried alive in the woods somewhere.

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