Chapter 12
TWELVE
They entered the darkened house, only lit by the small lamp in the hallway. “Mom is still at choir practice.”
Sophie nodded.
“Let’s get you to bed. Some sleep might—” Jesse stopped. Sleep wouldn’t help, it just might cause a delay in dealing with the reality.
“She gave up her life to be with him.” She sat at the kitchen table, coat still on, her purse dangling next to her sneakers.
“She must have loved him so much. They’re both demons. I don’t mean that in a bad way, Babe. There are demons and there are demon realms. They couldn’t be together here, but they wanted to be together.”
Sophie raised her head. “You mean... like souls go to heaven or hell, demons go— oh, no. My parents are—”
“In a demon dimension doesn’t mean a place of suffering, at least not to them. I imagine it wouldn’t be too comfortable for mortals, that’s why we don’t hang out there. But think about it. He was... he was a Snow King, like me. She was a Desert Queen. He was icy, she was fiery.”
“So they pull a Romeo and Juliet?” Sophie shook her head. “Fine. Why make a baby while you’re planning to dimension-hop?”
Jesse was silent for a long time. He puttered in the kitchen, even though they weren’t hungry. He eventually came back with two packets of instant cocoa and empty mugs. Sophie heard the kettle start its soft shimmering hiss of water rolling against metal.
He took her hand. “I want to tell you something.”
“Tell me whatever you want.”
“Most demons don’t research other demons, or even themselves.
I’m willing to bet your parents were surprised that they could have you, and surprised that humanity wasn’t holding up well for your mother once she changed forms. They didn’t do this to punish you.
This happened because two people who shouldn’t have found each other did, and they fell in love.
They would go to impossible lengths to be together.
When your mother died, I bet she was waiting on the other side, and your father had promised to join her.
They couldn’t know for sure what you’d be. Dhampir, ifrita, human, humans-plus...”
Sophie managed a little smirk. That’s me. Human-plus. Super unleaded.
“If they’d taken you to the demon realm, you’d have died. Torn between love for your mother, who he could join, or love for you, who he would endanger? Soph, he had to give you to a human family, he must’ve known it would be hard for him to take care of an infant.”
“You could have done it.”
“I’m not like most vampires, Sophie. You know that. He might have been more demon than human.”
“My mother was a temptress who burned people and my father was a murderer who drank people?”
Silence. The kettle keened and Jesse rose to get it.
Sophie looked up to see crimson eyes glaring at her as hot water splashed angrily into her cup, creating cocoa froth.
“Your mother is a nursing assistant who saves lives and cooks like a goddess. Your father is a diesel mechanic for SEPTA. They worked themselves to the bone to save up for an adoption and then a man, who didn’t have a lot of humanity left, did the kindest, noblest thing in the world.
He protected his child. Your mother made wishes come true, right?
She gave your parents a daughter. Your parents, both sets, did the right thing when it came to you.
I don’t know how many kids can say that, but you can. You, Sophie Usman, are loved.”
Loved.
Hated myself all my life, since I was old enough to understand what they were teasing me about.
Hate the stares and whispers.
Hate my looks.
Loved. Loved by my pale father and my fire-dancer mother. Loved by a nurse and a mechanic, by their mothers.
Loved by Jesse.
Loved by Grace.
Loved by a hero, Jakob Minegold.
Sophie sucked in a great lungful of air and shot up from her chair. Jesse barely had time to set down the kettle before she was in his arms, kissing him hard. “I love you.”
“I love you! I’m sorry, Sophie, I shouldn’t have lectured.”
“Shhh. You were right. I... I can’t believe it. I was loved all along, but I spent all this time hating myself.”
His hands pushed back her hair, his face the picture of worry. “Well. You can stop.”
“It’s not that easy,” she laughed wetly.
“Sweetie. You’re superhuman. You’re dating a vampire.
And you’re in college. I didn’t say it would be easy.
But it’s going to be easier. I mean, you’ve got all these people who love you.
Gotta be easier to love yourself when you have such an excellent role model,” he winked and tossed his glossy hair back.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Maybe.”
“Do me a favor?” He gently pushed her coat from her shoulders and let it fall to the chair.
“What?”
“Pick up the mugs?”
Sophie obeyed, puzzled.
“Thank you.” Jesse gave a soft grunt and slid his arm under her legs and one behind her back. “Try not to spill on the carpet. Mom’ll have a fit.”
“Where are we going?”
“Upstairs. I’m going to give you Loving Sophie lessons.”
HE SAT HER ON HIS DESK and took the cocoa from her with deft hands. “Want some?”
Sophie sipped the hot liquid, faintly flavored with chocolate. They hadn’t stirred it up so all the gritty powder was at the bottom. Jesse made a face and took the cup from her hand.
“That wasn’t appetizing. But you... you are always appetizing. Always loved.” Jesse leaned forward and rested his forehead to hers. “I know it’s hard to find out secrets,” he whispered. “Hard to keep them, too. Anything you deal with or share, I’ll go with you.”
“How can you love me like that? So fast?” Sophie nestled into his arms, head under his chin as he wedged himself between her knees.
Jesse didn’t answer immediately, but his silence wasn’t fraught, simply reflective.
Finally, he sighed, “Because you came back. You didn’t believe what I said was true.
You believed I was delusional or lying, but you came back to give me another chance.
You thought that even if I was mentally ill, that was simply part of who I was.
You didn’t abandon me. I’ve seen a lot of hard things, including people who don’t believe you or who change when you do.
I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re not just my Night Queen.
You’re the queen of my heart, okay? That’s why I love you ‘like that’, so fast.”
“You stepped out and took a risk first,” Sophie shook her hair back and tilted her head to regard his softly smiling face. “You literally stepped in front of my car.”
“I had a feeling it wouldn’t kill me if you ran me down.” He winked.
“That’s terrible!” Sophie slapped his shoulder lightly, but she was laughing. They were both laughing. At the end of the draining day, they could both laugh together. “God, I love you. I love you like crazy— no pun.”
He smirked and pulled her from the desk, letting her weight propel him backward until he flopped on the bed, her sprawled over top of him. “I'm crazy about you— yes, pun.”
Sophie ran her hands down his chest. “People say all kinds of things when they’re in love, don’t they? Especially in love for the first time.”
Jesse let his fingers walk slowly up her arms and end at her collarbone. “Doesn’t mean they’re not true. I’ve already told you the hardest truth. Why lie about what comes easy?”
Sophie sank on top of him, her lips lingering above his. “It’s scary loving someone. It’s easy loving you, and sometimes that scares me, too.”
When he spoke, each word brushed their lips together. “You’re the one who has the ‘monster’ pinned, Babe. What’s to be scared of? I don’t bite.” He winked and sealed his lips to hers.
Sophie stretched against him as the kiss turned into a dozen kisses, tongues tangling, fingers tugging gently at shirts and jeans.
His teeth clamped down on her neck and worried the skin in a way that sent pulses pounding to her pussy.
He doesn’t bite. Except for love bites. Feeling bold, she latched her own teeth on next, working from his ear to his pulse point, listening to his moans crescendo.
“I want you so much.”
“You have me,” she reassured, rolling off of him and onto her back, loving the way he automatically went with her, plastered to her body like a second skin.
His hands reached down under her thighs and brought her legs up over his, rubbing the crotch of his black boxers to the fabric of her rapidly dampening panties.
In seconds, she felt the velvety tip of his cock pushing the crotch to the side and circling pointedly over her clit.
“I love when you do that!” she groaned and arched her spine, rubbing her nub to him until they were both nothing but panting messes on the edge of a rapid, intense orgasm.
Jesse bit down on her shoulder as he slid inside her tight, wet channel. “So hot there, Baby,” he purred.
Hot. Flames. Burning for him, for his cool touch. Her muscles milked him and she bit back, dragging her teeth lightly from his shoulder to his flat, hard pectoral. “Harder. Harder, Jesse,” she hissed.
“Hard as you want.”
“I want all of you. All of you for all of me.” Girl with magic powers... maybe not, but girl with magic in her? Yes. More than that. “Do you know something?” Her voice held a sultry edge as her fingers raked his smooth white back, digging into his tight rear to keep his cock buried in her.
“What?” he moaned harshly, thrusting inside, crimson eyes watching her writhe uninhibitedly on his throbbing cock.
“I used to think love wasn’t for me. If people only knew.
.. Jesse, I was made out of passion. Out of lust that bends forms and dimensions.
” Her bruised ego picked up its head and straightened its broken spine.
“My family was made through impossible actions, through love that doesn’t question, only gives. ”
“You are so much more than meets the eye. But even that’s so beautiful.” He held still inside of her for a moment, letting her use his thick hardness to bring her to climax, his fingers manipulating her pearl while her walls clamped down.
“I thought I wouldn’t be good at this. Am I?
” She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear him say it.
A sudden push with her elbows and knees left him under her.
She sat up, hands behind her bed, showing off the body that was maybe a shade too thin and so many shades too pale.
Her soaking pussy was extra soft after an orgasm and it fluttered still, making her grit her teeth.
“Incredible. I love watching you. I love the way you move on me. Love the way you move, period.” Jesse’s fangs slipped down as he watched her cup her breasts, then run her hands seductively over her waist and down to where they were joined.
He gasped as her fist took a turn gripping his slick cock as she pulled her pussy off, then plunged it back down.
The sensation was like a breath of frosty air followed by molten heat.
Holding her hips tight, he pushed her pussy to its limits, cock inside her to the hilt as he spilled deep inside.
Sophie fell off to the side, pussy slightly sore and feeling deliciously full. Jesse’s face reverted, but she hadn’t been scared by it.
My father had a monster’s face.
I don’t think he had a monster’s heart.
“That was amazing, lover,” Jesse whispered. She was silent. “Are you okay?”
“I think... I’m happy. And I know I’m in love.”
Everything’s going to work out,” Jesse murmured, eyelids already drooping.
Sophie couldn’t blame him. It had been a long day. It had been a long lifetime of wondering what was wrong with her. Finding out in a rush had made her head spin and her stomach churn. Now she knew the answer, but no one would believe her anyway.
Her lips stretched into a wide grin. It didn’t matter.
She knew exactly what made her beautiful, inside and out.