11. I Love You

Alex's POV.

I meant everything I said to him. He was mine, he would be forever. I needed him just like I needed oxygen.

As we stood there silently, me in his warm embrace, I felt completely calm.

"Alex... There's something I have to tell you." I froze.

"What's up?"

"Do you promise not to... Reject me?"

"Of course."

There was no mistaking the fear in his eyes. Whatever he was about to tell me, he felt like it was going to be bad.

"I'm not human," he paused for a moment, probably looking for my reaction.

"I figured that out already," I whispered gently, praying for them to be the correct words.

"I'm a... Vampire," he stated, maintaining eye contact. They held their usual hardness, but it was softened around the edges with fear.

I hugged him tightly, feeling his body mould into mine with relief. His tensions were slowly released the longer that we sat there. I knew that I was raised to hate vampires, but I refused to hate this person just for his species.

He was smiling. It was the first time I had ever seen him genuinely grin. It lit up his entire face, all the way to his eyes.

"Thank you so, so, much," he breathed.

The bell rang once more, signaling gym, and we set off in our own directions.

He actually revealed his darkest secret to me. He trusted me enough to tell me he was a vampire, something that us supernatural beings were supposed to keep to ourselves. Of course, I had already figured out what he was, but it was still touching. We sealed the bond, and I felt amazing. The only thing left now was to tell him that I was a werewolf and had destroyed his whole way of life! There was no way this could go wrong. Note my sarcasm.

I desperately wanted him to still love me after that, but that was unrealistic. If someone killed him and then showed up trying to fall in love with me, I would hate them too. A small tear fell out of my eye, and I wiped it away before anyone could see it. I guess what was happening to me now was really karma. Just like I took away his everything, my life was slipping through my fingertips. Now, the only thing we had was each other.

***

It was later that day when I decided that I needed to come clean with him. I couldn't keep pretending that everything would be fine if I never told him the truth. It would end up hurting him more, hurting me, and probably driving him out of my life forever. I was ready.

"I need to tell you something really important," I told him when we met up after school. "You probably want to sit down."

He sat down on the blacktop that was still warm from today's sunshine.

"Listen, I'm not even going to tell you that you have to stay with me after I tell you this. If you need to leave... Then I guess I'll have to live with it."

His facial expression looked grim. I didn't want to say this and ruin our relationship, but I had to. It was the only way to stop living a life full of lies.

"It's my fault that your way of life was murdered. I'm a werewolf, the Alpha's son to be exact. I helped them kill your whole family, I hurt you, I killed that little girl, I watched my father kill yours without feeling anything. I'm a fucking idiot," I whispered the last part, hoping for a reaction from him right away. The silence between us only grew and grew. His eyes held so many emotions that I couldn't count, let alone name, all of them. His jaw was clenched, as were his fists. He was angry, I think. I knew he would be.

"I need time," he breathed.

"Okay." I turned and walked away, each step bringing me even more pain. I wanted to hug him, scream apologies until morning.

I hope he lets me near him after today.

***

Ash's POV

I was happy, happier than I had felt since a long time. I felt alive around him. That is, until he sat me down on the blacktop. I could tell that whatever he was about to say could be potentially relationship destroying, but I had never expected what he told me. I needed a bit to handle this, it was too much.

"I need time," I breathed out almost silently. In all honesty, the tears that were falling down his face and the information were overloading me. I don't think he even realized he was crying, which was what was so sad about it.

"Okay," he whispered almost silently, walking away.

I was very glad that he was prepared to gift me time, I truly needed it.

I walked into my new home with stiff legs, greeted by cheerful people going about their everyday business. I walked to the stream that the old lady had brought me to yesterday, longing for the peaceful atmosphere it gave me. Sitting along the bank, I thought about today. I revealed my secret to him, and he revealed one of his to me. However his was much bigger than I could have ever imagined.

How could my mate be the one who helped kill my family? I was so confused. I had once promised to avenge my parents, but I still loved Alex, I couldn't kill him.

Tears littered my pale cheeks. I was too broken to fix back to the way I was, but I could mend myself into something new. All it took was him, my gateway, my rock, my mate.

***

Alex's POV

I ruined it. How could I be so stupid as to think that everything would just stay the same? He had been so happy, but I had destroyed it.

I don't know if I would ever have his love again. For all I know, he could hate me after this. I would give him all the time in the world if it meant getting him back.

I awoke in the morning with what felt like a huge weight holding me down. I was anxious that he would hate me, frightened of the future.

I stepped into the school on the verge of tears. A hand tapped on my back, so I turned expecting to see Ash. All of my hopes were crushed when my eyes met Winston's.

"Go away," I demanded, walking towards my first block class again. I was intercepted by another person, this time the one I wanted to see.

"Ash," I whispered.

I followed him outside. His eyes locked with mine.

"I've done some thinking and, Alex," he was tongue tied.

I was prepared for the absolute worse. I was prepared to leave there and go to class brokenhearted. However, the next words he spoke shocked me more than ever.

"I still love you."

My mouth hung open wide. "R-really?"

"Yes. I should hate you, but I can't. I'm still quite pissed that you were in the pack that took down my family, but I can tell you're different. Even after I told you about my species, you still loved me. If you were anything like your father, you would have killed me right then and there. I know that you are different, and I love you for it. I'm willing to try and forgive, if you are."