Roman’s POV
Rafe and Raven ca out soon after, both freshly changed into similar clothes, a T-shirt and pants.
"We’re buddies today," Rafe said, ruffling Raven’s hair. "Did you like it?"
Raven nodded as he looked at his own and then Rafe’s dark T-shirt with Vampire the.
The bond between them was different. Easy. Natural. Like they had known each other for years. And it was clear Raven enjoyed being around him.
The pizzas and cold drinks had already arrived. Instead of sitting at the dining table, they settled on the sofa, placing everything on the center table.
The TV was on, playing sothing casual in the background.
This was Rafe’s plan, carefully designed, but made to look effortless and random.
"Want to join us?" Rafe asked Jason.
"I’m fine," Jason replied, heading toward the kitchen.
"A health-conscious doctor might break his oath if he eats junk once in a while," Rafe comnted, then glanced at Kael who was pacing around to cradle Kaya. "Won’t even ask you. You’re just as annoying as Lucian and Jason."
Then his gaze shifted to .
I had already taken a seat beside Raven. "I don’t mind junk," I said, picking up a slice.
Rafe handed a cold drink to Raven, who accepted it eagerly. "Pizza isn’t complete without the this cold drink, right?"
Raven nodded and took a sip.
"You like being with Daddy Rafe, don’t you?" I asked casually. "It’s fun with him, right?"
Raven nodded again, his eyes lighting up.
"Maybe it’s because he’s a vampire," I added lightly. "He knows how to have fun unlike us werewolves. A good vampire, though. Half vampire, to be exact."
Raven nodded, absorbing it.
"Hey, Rave," Rafe said, shortening his na, "your teacher is teaching you about werewolves. But has he told you anything about vampires yet?"
Raven shook his head.
"Oh, then how will you ever understand your daddy Rafe?" I said lightly. "Don’t you want to know about him too?"
Raven nodded imdiately.
Good.
Everything was going smoothly. We had been worried he might react the sa way as before when vampires were ntioned. But Rafe had handled it well, easing him into it with play and comfort first.
"Then let’s learn about vampires," I said, picking up the TV remote. "I’ll show you how your daddy Rafe looked when he was a baby... and later, when he beca an annoying teenager that I wished to beat a shit out of him."
Raven’s eyes lit up with excitent.
A picture appeared on the screen.
"This was when I was about Kaya’s age," Rafe said. "Maybe a month old... then this one, around six months... and this one, about a year."
The next image didn’t appear.
Rafe paused for a mont. "There aren’t many pictures after that. The house I lived in was burned down. Most of them were lost."
Raven looked at him, sadness flickering in his eyes.
"But don’t worry," I said gently. "I can tell you how your daddy Rafe must have looked as he grew up. And he’ll explain how vampires change with ti."
More images appeared on the screen.
Rafe continued, his tone calm. "These are vampire babies. They’re just like werewolves and humans at first. And this one is a five-year-old vampire. Until that age, they depend on their family for blood. You do know blood is important food for vampires."
Roman nodded.
He leaned back slightly, recalling. "My mother used to give stored blood pouches. Only one a day. She made sure I didn’t get greedy and learned control."
Raven looked at him again.
Rafe noticed and gently patted his head. "My mother isn’t around anymore. There was an accident." A small pause. "She passed away."
Raven’s expression softened with quiet sadness.
But Rafe gave a faint smile. "Now, let’s continue."
I knew that subject hurt him the most. His mother had been the one who shaped him, who taught him control as she was a pureblood werewolf, dominant over a vampire.
Rafe went on, "When vampire children turn six, they begin to change. Their instincts start showing. They feel the urge to hunt, to attack for blood. It’s the sa for both boys and girls."
We both glanced at Raven.
He was calm, watching the screen carefully.
Rafe gave a small signal to continue.
"Until they are about ten, it’s still manageable," I added. "But after that, they enter adolescence. That’s when things beco difficult from the age ten to sixteen."
Rafe nodded slightly before saying, "And it’s the most dangerous phase. They can lose control. Their craving for blood becos intense..."
Raven shivered.
His body stiffened as he stared at the screen, the images of adolescent vampires flashing one after another. Their expressions were dangerous, eyes glowing red, fangs extended, their faces twisted into sothing almost monstrous.
He stopped eating. His hands went still. And his gaze began to drift away from the screen, unable to hold it any longer.
Rafe and I exchanged a look. We understood.
The vampire Raven had seen at Asher’s place... was like this.
An adolescent vampire.
Rafe acted imdiately. He lifted Raven and settled him in his lap, wrapping an arm around him.
"I know," he said softly, "you must have been scared when you saw a vampire like that, right?"
Raven shrank into him, seeking comfort, and Rafe held him closer. Without asking a direct question, we got our answer.
"Don’t worry," Rafe continued, his tone reassuring. "Daddy knows how to handle them. All I have to do is look at him with my intense glare in my red eyes, and he’ll crawl into a corner like a scared puppy."
Raven slowly relaxed.
Rafe looked down at him and smiled. "They look scary at this age, but they’re not the strongest. They get scared when a powerful vampire stands in front of them.
He tapped Raven lightly on the head. "And your daddy Rafe is far more powerful. When we et that vampire again, you’ll see dragging him by his ear."
Raven gave a small nod.
"Good," Rafe said. "Now look at the screen. Our lesson isn’t over."
We needed more.
If there was a young vampire, then there had to be soone behind him.
"Vampires above sixteen," Rafe continued, pointing at the next images, "are considered adults. They’re more stable. They don’t lose control as easily."
New pictures appeared.
"We don’t age like others," he went on. "We can look the sa for decades."
He paused, then added with a grin, "The only difference is... your daddy Rafe is the most handso vampire."
Raven nodded instantly, without question.
I almost laughed.
Well he was a Vampire Prince in a sense, more powerful and one with a royal blood, that alone was enough to call him more desirable.
Rafe continued, "After forty, so changes appear. They look more mature."
More images filled the screen.
"This is an older vampire," he said. "He pointed to another image. "An older vampiress. They could have an young to entirely adult kids."
Raven flinched at the image showed a woman with long dark hair, sharp features, and exposed fangs. Her expression was cold.
Rafe noticed and added.
"She could have a child like the one you saw at Asher’s place," he said carefully. "A mother and her son."
Raven stared at the screen.
"You must have see her as well? With her son?" I asked.
Raven nodded instinctively. Then, as if realizing what he had done, he quickly shook his head.
So he had been warned to not speak about it ever.
Rafe gently patted his head. "It’s alright. You can tell us. We’re family. We don’t hide things from each other." His voice softened. "But if you don’t want to, we won’t force you."
Raven glanced at the screen one last ti, then looked away.
That was enough. We had our answer.
I switched the images.
"Now these are the oldest vampires," Rafe continued casually. "See, they look like grandparents. Grey hair, wrinkles."
Raven showed no reaction.
That confird there was no older vampire involved.
"These ones are over a century old," Rafe explained. "Vampires live long lives."
We let that settle before moving on.
"We’ll talk about the rest later," I said. "How they hunt, how they feed. Not all at once, alright?"
Raven nodded.
"Good," Rafe said, picking up a slice and handing it to him. "Now let’s enjoy pizza. Enough studying for today."
Just like that, everything returned to normal.
But the information stayed with us.
Kael, who had been holding Kaya, and Jason, working in the kitchen, had heard everything as well.
And like us, they had reached the sa conclusion. Asher was hiding a vampiress and a child.
And if he had gone to such lengths...That child was most likely his own.
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