My stomach clenches in discomfort as I try to hold back the bile that wants to come spewing out. Vampires are disgusting and revolting creatures. The mere thought of them makes my skin crawl. To think that a relative of mine, no matter how long ago, was in love with one is thoroughly nauseating. Not to mention completely taboo.

"I know what you're thinking," He says before shaking his head "But she was different. The moment I saw her beautiful flawless porcelain skin and jet black hair I was taken. When she stared at me with those eyes I knew I was a goner. To spare you all the details we fell in love, but as you can imagine that didn't come without consequences." He sighs and focuses his red eyes on me. "We were being hunted by our own people. Her father was their leader and he despised every inch of me. He captured me. Tortured me. If not for Clementine he would have killed me. We managed to escape and for a while we even found peace. We'd thought the worst was behind us, but other complications arose."

I shake my head trying to wrap my mind around the idea of the two of them together but I just can't. It seems disturbing and so very very wrong. It goes against every fiber of our beings to entangle ourselves with those bloodsucking creatures. They are an absolute plague on this Earth.

"She began to worry about what would happen to us if I were to ever find my mate. She worried that I'd abandon her and leave her exiled from her clan and alone." He sighs "So... after a lot of time considering all the possible outcomes we decided that I couldn't have a mate if I no longer had a wolf."

I gasp and step away from him. Shock and disgust lining my features "Blasphemy!" I spit out "Tell me this is just a sick joke. How could you do something so heinous? Your wolf is a part of you, it protects you, heals you, loves you. It's a part of your soul. It's innocent and you would throw that away for some soulless monster who doesn't understand the first thing about being a wolf?" My chest heaves and my wolf stirs inside. Feeling her rage course through my veins at the utter disrespect this man has shown towards the Moon Goddess and our culture. Werewolves are who we are, two halves of a whole. One cannot exist without the other.

"I know." He smirks while throwing a rock into the lava river "I'm ashamed to admit that is how blinded I was by her. That I would go so far as to kill a part of myself to show loyalty to someone other than my mate. The plan was to just kill my wolf so that I would be free of the Moon Goddesses hold. We realized too late that there was no way to kill my wolf without killing me."

I scoff "Of course not you idiot. It's a part of you. If your wolf dies so do you. Is that how you died then? Killed by your so-called 'love.'"

He ignores my snarkiness and nods "She stabbed me through the heart with a silver stake. Silver as you well know is our weakness. We figured silver through the heart would do the trick. What we hadn't counted on was the fact that without the help of my wolf my heart would not heal from the wound. We realized our mistake too late and when she saw that I was dying, she grew desperate and tried to turn me." My blood runs cold as my mind pieces together what he is saying. A ball of dread forms in the pit of my stomach and try my best to make it disappear.

"Turn you?" I whisper as I shake my head and take another step back. The ball of dread snowballing until I can no longer manage it.

"She tried to save me by turning me into one of them. A vampire." He confirms as he comes to stand. A smirk on his face as he gauges my reaction "My wolf fought it at first, drawing his last bit of strength from the full moon. I died that night. Clementine assured me that was the normal process when turning into a member of the undead. I didn't care much about what the process was. The only thing I cared about was that I was alive and better than ever. All my senses were heightened. I could see better. I was stronger, faster. I had the best of both worlds. That is... until the hunger started. No matter how much I hunted I was never satisfied. It went on for months and months. By that point, I was ravenous. Killing every animal insight in an attempt to placate the intense fire burning in my body. It wasn't until Clementine suggested I wasn't hungry but... thirsty that I began to feel the subtle way my throat ached. My initial reaction was of course much like yours is at this moment, disgust. But, I soon came to realize I was not just a wolf anymore, but I was also a vampire. Once I gave in to those desires Clementine and I took back what was ours and then some. I was invincible. Silver couldn't harm me anymore, neither could the sun or wooden stakes. I had no weaknesses. Until suddenly... I did."

"Your mate." I assume as I stare at him in disgust. He is one of them. My hands tremble as my wolf snarls at the man before us in absolute hatred. It has become increasingly clear why those wolves possessed abilities beyond the norm. They aren't normal. They are mutants. Monsters created from the merger of two deadly supernatural creatures that were never supposed to be together.

He looks at me with knowing eyes as he clears his throat. "She was hands down the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. I immediately felt like the biggest fool on the planet for wanting to be with anyone else. Nixa was her name, your great-great-great well you know." He says with a smile "For all my disobedience the Moon Goddess still granted me with a mate."

A soulless monster like him should have been denied the honor of having a mate. How can he have a soulmate when he lacks a soul himself? He attempts to keep the innocent act but I see right through it. Any person who attempts to kill their wolf is certifiably insane. If not for him, these disgusting mutants would not be roaming the Earth leaving a trail of murders in their wake. I despise them as much as I do the vampires. At this point, I dare say I despise them even more than the bloodsuckers.

"And Clementine?" I ask through gritted teeth.

His smile hardens and he shakes his head as he traces the scar on his cheek with a feather-light touch. "Things didn't go well. Try as she might she couldn't stop me, no one could. She tried for years to ruin my life. I was foolish to believe she would give up so easily but with Nixa, it was easy to forget about everything else. We had three beautiful healthy pups. None of them was anything other than regular werewolves and for that, I was incredibly grateful. My happiness was short-lived. Clementine refused to let me make a fool of her so she went after the only thing she knew would hurt me. One night she and her hoard of vampires swarmed in and attacked. She had gotten back on her father, the king's, good graces, and utilized all the tools at her disposal. She quite literally slaughtered everything in sight with her vampire army. That night Nixa ended up with a silver stake straight through her heart. My heart filled with vengeance and I vowed that I would not stop until I stake Clementine through the heart for ruining my life."

I stand there, trying to digest the information. My body sways for a moment and I shake my head as a dizzy feeling flows through me. Emerson looks at me in understanding and pulls out a small wooden box with a sliding lid. The moment it is in my hands a strange sense of purpose washes over me. Sliding the lid open, I am mesmerized by the tear-shaped crystal nestled in its black satin cushion. I stare at its shape feeling like it is somehow important. I dismiss it once the crystal begins to glow under the moonlight. Its deep amber color reminds me of wicked flames burning bright amidst the darkness. Ironic how a small crystal can feel so heavy.

"Alora. This box holds the Kynda crystal. It is very important, and it now belongs to you." He explains in an urgent tone "Although none of my own children displayed any abilities other than the norm, one of their children did. It appears to skip a generation."

"No." I choke out as I slide the box shut. Understanding the meaning behind his words, I take a step back feeling stunned. "Get away from me." I command.

"You have the gene Alora. That is why your eyes shine red. You are a descendant of the first Werepire to walk the Earth. A pureblood. The gene doesn't get triggered until you die." He gives me a pointed look and I break out in uncontrollable laughter. I laugh so hard my stomach hurts.

"Werepire?" I chuckle "Did you in all seriousness say that with a straight face?"

"Alora this is not the time for joking." He states in a stern voice. I snort in response before the dizziness attacks me again. "You are beginning to get pulled back. Alora, this crystal is crucial and must not leave your sight. You must wear it at all times. Do you understand me, child? You must never take it off. Tell me you understand."

I sway again and push him away. Shortly after, I see my grandfather and the others appear through the flames of the forest.

My stomach twists as dread fills my core once more. I'm one of them. My mind runs a mile a minute trying to find a fault in Emerson's story but as I look into the sad eyes of my grandfather I know it's true.

My grandfather's face is grim "Now you know."

I shake my head "You knew what I was?"

He nods and brushes my red strands from my face "From the moment you opened your eyes I knew you were like me. I did my best to try to protect you."

My entire body freezes. "You're one of them?" I whisper in betrayal. My spinning mind plus my swaying body making it too difficult for me to process everything. These monsters are the ones responsible for all my suffering. How can he be one of them? How can I?

"Alora. Please understand that everything is much more complicated than it seems." He pleads. His red eyes shining with a burning need for me to understand.

"How can you expect me to understand that I am a hybrid? Oh, I'm sorry 'werepire.' When it was those very same monsters who slaughtered my pack, my family... your son!" I shout as my body begins to tingle and get pulled back. "I don't want this."

"I know sweetheart. But please remember that nothing is more important than your family. You mustn't lose sight of that okay? Never lose sight of that." He says. His tone is calm but his eyes scream with a hidden message I can't understand, and I can't say that I want to.

I scrunch my eyebrows in hurt and confusion. "Everything I do is in honor of them. It's not me who's lost sight of family. It's you."

I continue to sway and feel myself get sucked back into the darkness. I watch as their red eyes begin to fade.

The last thing I see is Emerson's face as he whispers

Never take it off.