Chapter 42: Chapter 42
They entered the house through the front door, encountering Thorny and Chump who were about to leave.
“Wait, are you going to use the kitchen?” Thorny asked, throwing Ryder a warning glare. “Don’t ruin anything, do you understand, Ryder?”
“Why are you looking at me, huh?”
“Because you’re a lousy cook?” Chump teased.
“I’m not,” Ryder grumbled, ignoring Elena’s cheerful laugh.
“Tell yourself that,” Thorny grinned. “Anyway, we have to go. See you later!”
“Bye,” Elena called after them before they were out the door. Ryder cursed under his breath and walked on towards the kitchen. She followed him, smiling to herself. His friends loved teasing him—it was endearing to witness.
---
Because Elena and Ryder worked together, lunch was prepared very quickly. They set the table and tasted the dishes they had made, and Elena realized how hungry she was when she caught the delicious aroma.
“One day, I would like to introduce you to my parents, if that is okay,” Ryder mentioned nonchalantly.
“Your… parents?” Elena felt odd about this—she had never thought much about his family, probably because she herself didn’t have one anymore.
“They are currently visiting friends in Kuala Lumpur. I’ve talked to them on the phone and told them I found my soulmate. When they return from their travels, they want to meet you.”
She bit her lip and gazed at her plate, wondering what his parents were like. “Do you think they will accept me?” she asked.
His eyebrows drew together as he frowned at her. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because I’m not a vampire.”
“They don’t care about that,” he assured her. “Not at all. On the contrary, they were relieved to hear I finally found you. There have been some issues in the past that they were worried about.” A shadow flickered over his face. His eyes turned bloodred for a moment until he sighed and shook off the bad memories.
“Issues?”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now. It’s all in the past,” he said, repellently. His tone wasn’t nonchalant anymore. She noticed an edge in it that had not been there before, and she realized that she shouldn’t pursue the topic. Still, she wondered what it was about. Ryder had lived for over two centuries—he must have experienced many things throughout this time, and she questioned what part she played in it.
“What are your parents like?” she asked to change the topic, and he more than readily complied.
“They own a law firm but like to stay away from the public eye because they can’t afford to draw attention to themselves. Since they don’t age, humans would become suspicious… They are not part of a clan and live on their own,” he explained.
“Isn’t that rare?”
He tilted his head. “Not really. Clans can be convenient, but they can also be restricting because you have to abide by the leader’s rules. Not all vampires like that.”
“I didn’t know about that. Does our clan have rules, too?”
“Yes, but most of them are meant for us vampires. For example, not turning or killing humans when drinking their blood, and making sure our true identity is not discovered. The latter is something you are already careful about.”
“You don’t kill humans,” she repeated.
“Why would we? There is no reason to,” Ryder answered, clicking his tongue. “But not all vampires share this sentiment. Some clans ruthlessly kill whenever they are thirsty. Another reason why you don’t necessarily want to join a clan. My parents are the living proof it works without one.”
Elena put her chin on her hand and watched him thoughtfully. She had a hard time imagining his parents, but since vampires didn’t age after reaching adulthood, they likely didn’t look any older than Ryder.
“I wonder what my parents would say,” she murmured, “if they met you.”
“They did not like vampires,” Ryder guessed and earned a nod.
“But they did like the concept of soulmates, so that makes me wonder whether they would have been happy for me. I haven’t visited their grave in a long time,” she said guiltily. She had been busy with her shop until recently, and Steph had kept her on her toes as well. “Maybe I should do it soon.”
“Why don’t we do it today? I will accompany you.”
“Do you really want to?” she asked, unsurely, not finding any sign of discomfort in his calm expression.
“Of course. I’m sure it would make you feel better,” he replied. “You seemed sad when you mentioned them, Elena.”
---
They left the house right after lunch, taking Ryder’s car. The drive lasted for roughly an hour until they reached the town where Elena had grown up. Everything was as she remembered, save for a few shops that had been reopened or closed during her absence. She decided to wear a face mask in case anyone might recognize her. Chances were slim, but she could never be careful enough. She could not draw any attention to herself. Visiting this place was a risk in itself.
They followed the busy main street, and Elena let her gaze wander. The familiarity of her surroundings evoked pain in her heart. She had left all this behind years ago, but retained so many memories that were tied to this town. The restaurant at the next street corner had been her family’s favorite. They had eaten dinner there often.
And only one street after, she spotted the building that housed her former high school. She held in a sigh, remembering her old friends. After the murder of her parents, she had been forced to end all contact with them. She didn’t want to leave any ties that her parents’ murderer could use to find her. It had been a harsh and painful cut, but it was for the best.
Elena hadn’t said a single word since they had reached this town, and neither had Ryder. He threw glances at her from the corner of his eye, realizing that she was lost in her thoughts. He followed the instructions of the GPS and drove the car to a large green area—the town’s graveyard. After he found a parking lot, he turned off the engine. None of them moved for a few seconds.