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I finally reached the front of my driveway somewhere around after twelve in the afternoon, standing beneath a grey, sunless overcast sky. 

Could've been earlier had I only just stuck with my gut and bought the first thing that caught my eye… after all, Ash isn't exactly the most picky of individuals when it comes to free gifts, but alas, it was my own pickiness that ultimately ended up being my undoing. 

It couldn't be helped, I mean what kind of sad ass halfass's buying things for the people he cares about? Of course, you'd want only the best of the best for them… and in this case, tech-illiterate me,  needed some assistance from staff on choosing the best of the best.

Which brings us back to here again, with me walking into the driveway, swinging one of those fancy white paper bags they'd give you upon purchase, and the closer I got to the porch, the more I became aware of how hard my heart seemed to be swelling up against my ribcage.

Guess someone's feeling a little angsty, don't know why he'd be feeling angsty, but I suppose who really knows why love makes you feel the things you do. Yet instead of wondering and wallowing in that uneasy feeling, best to just get it over with, right? 

I believe I was halfway there already before I abruptly came to a sudden halt in the middle of the driveway. Somewhere in the expansive large garden to my right, amidst the sway of pretty flowers and berry bushes, I caught something peculiar in the corner of my eye.

A petite little woman, with her dark dress resting gracefully amongst the greenery and dirt, with misty white milky eyes peeking through the tall grass like faint beacons of light riddled in a murky fog. 

.

Had I been in the shoes of some random rando that inadvertently stumble himself upon such a harrowing sight, I could understand why that rando would turn around and immediately start booking it in the other direction, perhaps even give the cops a call if I had enough hand-eye coordination in the panic.

"Hello? Police? There's a goddamn ghost in someone's garden, and she has fangs, and she has claws. Please come now please, thanks." 

I mean that's exactly what happened with Tyler a few days back, didn't it? 

Except I wasn't Tyler, or some random rando either, I was me plain and simple, and so for me, the first reasonable reaction would be to smile and wave, saying quite politely, "Good afternoon, Adalia." 

And if that rando had taken the time for a better glance, he'd find that those frightening sharp claws meant him absolutely no harm, as they slowly rose up, and they slowly waved back, accompanied with the cutest, politest greeting back, "Good… afternoon…" 

See? How could you ever think to call the cops on something so pure? Hell, you should be the one in cuffs, shame on you rando. 

"You weren't back yet yesterday evening when we returned," I continued to say, stepping off the pavement and into the bright green meadow. "I got a little worried, what kept you?"

"I stayed over… with my sister… last night…" She responded, staring so far away on the even further horizon. "I thought... she might have been… lonely…" 

"You didn't say you'd be staying over."

"I… know…" Her gaze dropped a little. "I'm... sorry…"

Oh yeah, that's right. She scurried away last-minute in the convention because she just couldn't wait to give Amelia her present, but also to ask of her a simple question… a mystery persisting from yesterday that had yet to be brought to closure.

"So did you get to ask your sister your questions about, uh - that love thing?" I inquired offhandedly, "Did you get the answer you wanted?" 

"Yes…" She said. "My sister… was surprised that I was asking… such questions…" 

"I see," I said, nodding once.

Then she added, tilting her head in ponder. "And I think… she's not very happy… with you… that I… asked..."

I nodded again, slumping my head with a sigh. "I see…" then in spite of knowing the futility of it, tried inquiring again. "So, can I now know what the question is since now my life might actually depend on it if she ever comes knocking?"

"No…" She shook her head, staring down at the furls of her dress. "Still too… embarrassing…" 

Welp, it was worth a try, I suppose. Best to change the topic.

"What are you doing outside in the garden anyway?" I asked, giving a quick glance at the sky. "It's the afternoon, doesn't it hurt?" 

"Cloudy…" She replied, shaking her head again. "Doesn't hurt..."

"And you're out here because…?"

"Play...ing…"

"Playing," I looked around her, shifting my eyes from left to right. "With what?" 

Then, with me completely caught by surprise, the folds of her dress spontaneously came to life all the sudden, with the fabric wriggling and squiggling about, before it suddenly sprouted a tail on the front end, all bushy and black, a second later - squeaked a little soft meow.

"Oh, alright," Damn, that caught me off guard for a hot minute there. "Afternoon to you too, Mr. Black."

The tail wave at me with a slowly dainty sway, and another meow faintly emerged, greeting me back. I kept my gaze lingering for a little bit longer, amused… and then that's when I finally noticed it, finally remembered, the unusual sickly paleness of Adalia's skin.

I felt my smile fade. "Oh yeah, that's right, you haven't fed on me yet, have you?"

"No…" She quietly admitted. "Not yet…" 

"Here," I immediately stretched an arm out, hastily pulling back at the sleeve and exposing a large patch of skin. "Get it while it's still hot and piping." 

"Thank you…" Adalia scooted an inch forward, and I lowered myself on bent knees so she didn't have to stand, slowly, I felt her curl her jagged fingers around my wrist - a sharp chill shooting up my arm with the feel of her cold breath grazing against my skin as she gradually leaned her fangs in closer. "I'll be… feeding now…" 

As always, it was quiet and still during the entirety of the process, and as always, I hardly felt a thing as soon she sunk her fang in deep. Having not fed for so long, she clung to me for longer than usual, which I didn't think was too unusual.

What was unusual, however, was the way she stayed leaning in close even after she lifted her fangs away, and how her fingers continued to remain wrapped tight.

"Um," I looked down at the back of her head. "Adalia?"

Faintly, I heard her taking in a whiff, and only then right after, she finally loosened her hold, speaking out as she did, "You smell… funny…" 

I stood back up, rolling my sleeves back down, and angling my puzzled gaze sideways. "Funny how?"

"Alluring..." She raised her misty white eyes back up at me. "Too alluring"

Okay, I think I get what she was referring to. There's only one other person I'd correlate with the term 'alluring', after all. Didn't realize Matriarchs were keen sniffers too.

"You taste… funny too…" Adalia continued to say, a little hint of curiosity lingering behind her empty words. "No longer… pure…"

Impure blood. Vampires aren't really fond of that kind, I've read… and there's only one way you'd get impure blood, and she knows how more than any other.

"Who… did you… do it with…?" She inquired, as listless one would about the weather. "When…? Last… night…?"

I nodded, faintly smiled, feeling a little abashed admitting. "Yeah, last night. Sorry, I guess feeding time won't be as tasty anymore for you."

"With… Ash…?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Remember the pact on me? Well, it's broken now… we don't have to worry about that anymore." 

"The Succubus…" Adalia quietly muttered under a breath, her eyes staring stiffly. "I… see. So you… did it with her… first..." 

Is it just me, or did she sound a little disheartened saying that? Like not shocked, not surprised, just a little downcast. 

Maybe it's just my imagination.

"I understand now…" She suddenly said. "It makes... sense now…"

Okay, I didn't expect her to all of a sudden have an understanding about something. Wha- what's got her comprehending out of the blue?" 

'What do you understand now?" I asked, nudging my head at her. "What makes sense?"

Slowly, gradually, she veered her faraway gaze, shifting a little right, stopping a little right, gazing silently at the front porch, towards the closed door.

"When I came back… early this morning…" Adalia quietly explained. "Why Ash's eyes… seem to look… so sad…" 

Felt that familiar swell in my ribcage again.

"Sad?" 

"Yes," Adalia nodded. 'She looked… a little… upset… and I… didn't know why…" 

Upset? Ash? That does not sound like her. That's not what she's told me late last evening. She said nothing would change, she said she wouldn't mind. So what's this? What's happening here?

I silently turned around, walked.

Guess I'll find out.