"Call the doctor Sharon. I'm sure he will figure it out," she answered softly.

"I'll call him. Lexi, why don't you go shower and change, you're a little dirty," she prompted.

I obeyed retreating to my room shortly after I gave my distressed dad a hug and kiss. I knew he was relieved that I didn't desire to eat him or any other human, but he was also concerned because he understood enough to know I should have wanted to and that I definitely should smell them with enticement.

Kellan, of course, beat me to my room. "How do you feel?"

"Ok," I answered robotically though I hadn't been able to look anyone in the eyes, especially him since I'd walked through the front door.

He grabbed my arms and centered me in front of him. He took my face in his hands and smiled brilliantly, dimple exposed and teeth shining, as he spoke, "I'm proud of you. Without smell driving you, I know you had to consciously bite him."

"Yea, I still feel horrible. I couldn't look at his face. And now I can't think about my broken resolve knowing I abandoned the man on a bike path half dead," I gushed as a few tears trickled down my cheeks.

"You can't cry now," Kellan said quickly. "It's blood." He wiped away the liquid drops and held up his red stained fingers. I broke from his hold and ran to the bathroom alarmed.

"How?! Why?!" I yelled frantically. I ripped the toilet paper from the roll and began blotching like a mad woman.

"Calm down Lexi. It's okay. It's just that when you drink human blood, you'll cry human blood."

"What happened to my tears?" I pressed anxiously.

"They'll come back. When you drink human blood, it's quickly absorbed throughout your body. Like water, it hydrates so many parts of you including the reserves in your eyes. Once your body fully processes the blood, uses its fuel where needed, the salt water will return in a balanced chart. You're still human in a lot of ways and still need to drink water regularly like you've been doing," he explained.

I laughed. "I didn't understand that; I'm too mentally jumbled right now. But as long as I don't cry blood forever, I guess I'm okay."

He smiled tugging me into his arms for a warm embrace.

"I'm sorry for being so crazy. It's just feeding was so much harder mentally than physically; more than I a.s.sumed. I know I'll get used to it, I'm just overwhelmed by the memory of what I did," I mumbled.

"You're too innocent for your own good."

Hugging him provided more than comfort; it surrounded me with his unconditional love and much needed relief. I was able to acknowledge that I wasn't the same as I was yesterday and further different in comparison to last Thursday. I felt like a soldier returning from war, I'd seen and heard things most hadn't and that'd altered me on a level I couldn't comprehend fully at this point.

Chapter 21.

"h.e.l.lo again Alexa," Dr. H greeted entering my room.

I stood from my bed and replied, "h.e.l.lo."

Kellan copied my movement standing beside me now. My mother, Al, and a man I didn't know shuffled in.

"Alexa, this is my colleague Dr. Zhan," he announced gesturing towards the short man. He must have stood merely five feet and was at least two inches shorter than me. He was quite the opposite of Dr. H with dark withered skin, salt and pepper hair, thick bifocals despite what should be perfect vision, and yet a strong aura of utter wisdom exuded him.

"Oh my!" he exclaimed staring wide-eyed between me and Kellan. He slipped into the tongue I was growing familiar of hearing yet still didn't comprehend. Kellan's stance tightened at my side.

My mother asked a question and now gave the same astonished doe-eyed glare.

Al muttered something incomprehensible in the foreign language, he sounded shocked and as if he was discrediting the words of the old man near the end.

I leaned over cautiously and whispered to Kellan, "What are they talking about?"

"You don't want to know," he answered coldly never leaving the eyes of Dr. Zhan.

Whatever was said upset Kellan. A calm facade was replaced with controlled anger, but what could he have said that was so bad? I wanted to know. Regardless of the subject, I wanted to hear it.

"I want to know; I have a right to know. I am standing here listening, ok so more like being rudely ignored, but you are talking about me are you not?" I huffed towards anyone and everyone.

Kellan broke the silence, "He's talking about us."

I was puzzled. The confusion clearly plastered on my face.

"Forgive me. Please sit Alexa, allow me to detail your destiny," he stated solemnly.

"My destiny?" I wrinkled my forehead, but obliged his request. I was curious, dying to know what had my mother awestruck, Al dismissive, and Kellan angry. Such adverse reactions towards the same words meant the words carried a heavy weight.

"Nearly two centuries ago, you were predicted," he began before I interrupted.

"Predicted? Me?" I wanted to laugh, but didn't.

"Yes. Maximus Arturo depicted a young couple, clearly soul mates by their unified red and purple aura that never flickers or fades. You see purple is the highest frequency, and the lowest frequency is red. You two are the perfect balance of love, life, of the material and spiritual habitants, the rarest of existence on this earth. Your permanent yellow halos depict a solid strength beyond your awareness. There is no break, no separation. Like two magnets melded together by their own pull, neither distance nor harm can segregate your bond. It is clear you act as one, love as one, and shall bring peace amongst our quarreling species as Maximus and Sir Staten claimed long ago," he spoke thoughtfully, still awestruck as if he was in the presence of a royal family.

"You're joking?! Right? I mean I don't even know who those people are. And Kellan... me... we're... we're not even together like boyfriend-girlfriend," I stammered. I was dismissive, angry, and awestruck; I was the combination of all their reactions in one. It just didn't make sense. To think me Kellan us together would bring peace to unruly ignorants ruled by their history lessons teaching hate. The man was clearly crazy.

"Maximus Arturo was a prophet, a leader of sorts to the vampeens, destroyed in the nineteenth century by a viciously raven vampire; and Sir Staten likewise to the vampires. Though they never crossed paths, their predictions were identical, flawless in description of one red and purple aura sharing young couple. I am a feeble vampire lucky enough to have been welcomed, embraced by Maximus. I have lived a full three-hundred-thirty-two years by the skin of my teeth. I have crossed far too many in my existence, but never have I happened a pair like you." Energy was surging through him, excitement projecting with each new line.

"You cannot pull from her side now that you are linked, am I correct?" Dr. Zhan pressed to Kellan.

He wearily looked at me before nodding his head once.

"And you both have kissed?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes," I answered cautiously.

"You have touched his senses, felt his feelings as if they were yours, shared his mind and united as one soul feeling as if the universe shifted?!" He was nearly jumping in exasperated enthusiasm as he clamored through the intimate details of my kisses with Kellan as though he was there.

"How...?" I couldn't put it together.

"My dear Alexa, you will rise to your destiny with Kellan, your eternal solitude of strength beside you. You cannot avoid fate, it will always find you. And I am not mistaken, you are the only two I have ever seen or heard of to carry a permanent unified single aura of red and purple. No other colors are flickering amongst them; they are a solid ring of red followed by purple surrounding you both. While they are common colors, they are seldom together with such vibrancy. Heed my words, you are the ones we have long awaited for," he cited with diligence and a sort of reverie.

Apparently Kellan wasn't ready to hear this; I couldn't say I was either. He interrupted, "What about Lexi's nose? She doesn't smell blood; she'll resist humans easily without the scent to attract her."

"Ah, yes," Dr. H stated removing a few instruments from his black bag. He asked a series of harmless questions over what I did and didn't smell regularly. He inspected every part of me to ensure my transformation was complete.

Dr. Zhan then handed me a cup of dark red syrup. He asked me to smell it. I noticed Kellan, my mother and Al all took one step away from me, as if the contents were something to fear.

Cautiously, shaken by their reactions, I lifted the contents towards my nose, yet smelled nothing. I relinquished the container back to Dr. Zhan shrugging, "I don't smell anything."

"Nothing?" Dr. H confirmed.

I shook my head acknowledging my original statement.

Dr. H pulled out a small silver canister. The moment he opened the lid one millimeter, the air filled of ancient dried herbs mixed into a sour, molten blend.

"Whoa! That smells bad!" I exclaimed pinching my nose between my thumb and pointer finger.

The doctors exchanged glances, as if they were speaking without words. "Alexa, do you want to feed off humans for survival?" Dr. Zhan asked.

"Not really," I replied sheepishly. I was fully aware that most would shun my desire.

"Interesting," Dr. H commented.

"What is it doctors?" my mother questioned.

"You truly are different Alexa," Dr. H announced.

"Different good or different bad?" I pressed beginning to fiddle with my hands.

"That depends on how you view it," he answered.

"What's the problem doc?" Al interjected, arms folded defensively yet he spoke with sheer curiosity.

"Ah. It seems our dear Alexa here has a gift beyond her impeccable aura balance," Dr. Zhan stated, raising his arms towards the heavens as a gleam sparkled in his eyes.

"Me? A gift?" I fumbled trying to piece it all together. "Are we still talking about my nose?"

"Of course, for your gift is will-power," he answered.

"Will-power? That's it?" I wasn't certain as to what the big deal was. Everyone has will-power and self-control to some degree. I didn't see why they would make such a fuss over it.

"Ah, but yours is advanced. You see Alexa, your will-power is so strong that you are able to control your senses with your determination," he explained. "Once you set your mind to something, your senses react and adjust accordingly."

"So what you're saying is since she doesn't want to feed off humans, she has willed her scent of them to be muted?"My mother talked through her reasoning, wrinkling her forehead as she processed everything.

"That is precisely what I am saying," he acknowledged.

He shifted in front of me raising his hands to either side of my face. I felt Kellan stiffen beside me, his eyes darting at Dr. Zhan with intensity.

"You are who they've predicted. I am not wrong," he reiterated. Staring straight into his eyes, I saw through Dr. Zhan. He gave no hint of a fib, no deceitful glare. Even the creases of his weathered face and soft brown eyes appeared genuine.

"How do I smell humans? How do I unplug my nose?" I asked breaking away.

"You must will it into existence," he replied stepping back to gather his container of liquid.

"How do I do that?"

"Only you can determine that my dear. It is your will not mine," he riddled.

"So what am I supposed to do?" I panicked glancing at my mother who was still awestruck and slightly confused by expression.

"Decide, believe, and enforce," he stated.

"I know this sounds strange Alexa; you are only the second one we've crossed with this ability. Perhaps you should read a few books on the power of positive thinking and thinking things into existence. They should in essence detail what is happening to you and give you a few ideas on how to change it," Dr. H offered.

I shook my head. I supposed I could purchase some books when I meet up with Mel later. They gathered their belongings and shuffled out. Downstairs I heard my dad silently pacing alongside an ever-calm Beth. I guessed my dad didn't want to hear bad news or react poorly in my presence.

"Mom," I called her on her way out the door. "Can Kellan and I go for a drive?" Kellan didn't say anything though I could sense his disquiet.

"Where to?" she asked.

"The beach." It was Kellan's favorite place to think, and right now I needed to think and get answers from him. I knew he understood my motive behind the trip, but he remained silent.

"Can you protect her?" my mother directed towards Kellan sternly.

"I think I've proven that," he reminded her rigidly.

"Yes Lexi. You can go. It's probably for the best. Your father is struggling to cope with you despite his calm facade," she stated before leaving.

"You ready?" I prompted to Kellan.

"Yea," he replied motioning towards the door.

"We should leave quickly. Like run. I don't want my dad to see me," I prompted. Glancing at the bedside clock showing 6:58am, I mentally noted my countdown to see Mel.

The car ride there was smooth and quick as usual. It gave me time to reflect though, to focus on me and Kellan, to correlate what Dr. Zhan was referencing earlier. How was he so accurate in description of our connection? I'd known Kellan three weeks as of today yet it felt like years. I felt like he'd always been a part of me, always belonged in my life. I didn't dare say I loved him at this point, it's far too soon, yet my connection to him surpa.s.sed that level of flattery. Dare I say I couldn't live without him?

My hesitations were justified because my observations were all relationships started with such bliss, but none were as intense emotionally. What I had with Mike was nice, it's cordially pa.s.sionate in many ways but nothing close to the fiery pit of L's a.s.sociated with me and Kellan.

Oh G.o.d, I love him. With every fiber of my being I love him. Now that he's in my world, I would be crushed should he abruptly leave. I was overwhelmed by him. Though he'd been with me every waking moment, my heart still skipped a beat when I opened my eyes to see him beside me. His eyes still captivated me as did his smile dazzle my senses. And maybe the overa.n.a.lytical side of me was in over-drive but our lips matched perfectly; Mike's lips were smaller than mine which made me feel sloppy when I kissed him sometimes. Kellan and I aligned perfectly. Come to think of it, we fit together as if our anatomy was uniquely designed to interlock like a puzzle.

I looked over at him as he swiftly parked on the first try though it was a tight parallel s.p.a.ce. He lightly squeezed my hand before opening my door one second later. I couldn't help but sense his reservations in taking my hand as we walked towards the beach. I knew he was overcome with the same compilation as me, yet I wanted to see it, to feel it to confirm my a.s.sumptions and there was only one way.

I stopped myself though. I couldn't insist on prying the truth from him, invading his s.p.a.ce over my selfish insecurities. I couldn't force a connection just to find answers. No, I needed to remain civilized despite the vampire within.

I respectfully broke the ice. "I need to know something."

He said nothing, but gave me a light hand-squeeze and one quick nod signaling his acceptance.

"Do you believe him?"

We continued walking for several minutes. I didn't press recognizing his faraway look. He was thinking, deciphering his response. I merely absorbed the sounds of nature's beast beside me and random clanks and chatter. He finally turned to face me. "I need to know first. Do you believe him?"