If there was one thing Alexei hated more than vampires, it was going shopping. He had no particular affection for either of his halves, but he found the humans, writhing like a horde of weevils on the overripe flesh of the earth, were a far greater nuisance to his daily life than the leeches he sent back to their graves at work. His current grievance with the human population was the twenty-something operating the till who'd asked if he needed a bag. Not only was Alexei's pitiful collection of items small enough to carry in one arm, but he had a bag hanging open over one shoulder.

  The question's stupidity was so potent that it didn't even register in his mind. It, like most human blather, was meaningless noise pollution. It clogged his senses like a sinus headache. Alexei did not deign the cashier with a response, not that he deigned much of anyone with them, but he especially wasn't going to dignify such an idiotic question. Instead, he stuffed his spinach, tofu, and beef into his bag and walked into the obtrusive summer sun.

  At one point, Alexei had been as paranoid about his odd—though not quite so odd now as they had been once—grocery purchases as the people who crossed the street to avoid him on his walk home. It was neither unexpected nor unwarranted. Alexei knew what he looked like. His stature alone was intimidating, but something about the hollow look in his exposed green eye made even pit bulls whimper and cower from him. The scars didn't help, either. Those on his exposed forearms were telling enough, but the jagged claw marks peeking out from underneath his surgical mask and eye patch were what really sent the humans' hearts racing.

  While an asset at work, Alexei's intimidating appearance only served to further impede what little personal life he had. Having three-quarters of his face trapped behind a suffocating layer of non-woven fabric designed to restrict airflow during the height of summer heat, despite that Alexei neither sweated nor breathed nearly as much as a regular human, still irked him just as it irked him to buy red meat from the grocery store. Alexei usually went to the butcher for beef liver—the part of the cow with the highest iron content that was still socially acceptable to buy and consume—but the local butcher he frequented closed recently, and he had yet to find a suitable replacement.

  Squinting into the clear blue sky as he waited at a crosswalk, Alexei wondered why it was such a monumental task for a butcher to sell beef liver that he needed to go in person and specifically request it. Getting a good liver hadn't been this hard even ten years ago. Humans found new ways to be paranoid about vampires every day. Alexei just needed the iron. He couldn't fathom why a vampire would bother going through the trouble of covering up and risking death by sun exposure to buy something they couldn't even eat. Then again, the human population was still running on rumours about vampirism even after forty years.

  As Alexei stood contemplating his forlorn yearning for beef liver—it was the only human food he actually enjoyed the taste of, instead of merely tolerating—a young girl who had stepped up to the crosswalk with her mother pointed and asked her mother what was wrong with his face. Alexei was tempted to pull off his mask and growl at her to amuse himself, but the fear in her mother's eyes as she pulled the girl close to her side when his grey-green eye snaked over them was enough amusement for Alexei, not that his face betrayed even a hint of a smile. Alexei had discovered long ago that it was far better to be amused than hurt.

  The light switched, and Alexei's long legs carried him away from the pair.

  Humans were insects. They nibbled away at everything until there was nothing left, and had the gall to blame vampires when they found that they were balancing on bare bones. At least vampires knew what they were—parasites. For all Alexei cared, they could both hunt each other into extinction. Alexei was just the blade that fell on their necks, the bullet in their chests, but he wasn't the one pulling the trigger. Humans did that all on their own. The Brotherhood was only as powerful as it was because humans were always willing to pay. He killed vampires for cash and ate humans to live. Simple.

  Despite his human half, the important parts of humanity were lost on Alexei. He watched them pass him by, smiling when he wouldn't and laughing at jokes he didn't understand. Their lives intersected with his for mere moments before they were lost to him forevermore. He didn't speak to them, didn't communicate beyond hand gestures and unsettling looks, and certainly didn't bother shrouding himself in their presence as other humans did. Humanity didn't want him. It hadn't for far longer than he'd had his scars.

  It was pointless to long after something that would only ever repay loyalty with betrayal. Alexei had little more than loyalty to his name. When Dmitry called, he answered. Once he found something he liked—a brand of toothpaste, a type of pen, a specific butcher—he'd never forsake it. The reverse did not hold. Formulas changed, styles went out of fashion, and butchers closed down. Alexei hated that. His heart had little room for anything else.

  The sun stung on Alexei's skin. It never burned, but he was glad to be out from under it as he stepped into the Bookworm, a used bookstore and cafe owned by the only human Alexei could tolerate.

  A bell trilled as the door shut behind Alexei, and Elian, a bespectacled man with waist-length brown hair that was both longer and prettier than most women's, a lopsided smile that never quite faded, and the disposition of a golden retriever puppy, popped up from behind the counter.

  Glasses askew and green sweater rolled up to his freckled elbows, Elian said, 'Alexei! You haven't been in all week! I was about to file a missing person's report.'

  Alexei's lips pulled into something akin to a smile. Elian couldn't see it below his mask, but Alexei hoped the movement translated to the upper half of his face. It was the best he could manage.

  'Come, come,' said Elian, ushering Alexei into a secluded corner of the store. 'I haven't had the chance to shelve these yet. They just came in yesterday.' Elian crouched down, knees cracking, and opened a pair of cardboard boxes filled to the brim with books. 'I inventoried them. They're mostly sci-fi and fantasy. Right up your alley. I figured you might want to take a peek at them before I put them out.'

  Alexei nodded his thanks. He knew Elian only treated him nicely because he was a frequent customer, but that was still more than could be said for the rest of the human population. If Alexei were the sort of person concerned with human connection, he'd want to be friends with Elian. Elian talked too much, but Alexei talked too little, so that didn't bother him.

  What did bother him as he sorted through the boxes of books was the pair of eyes burning a hole in his back. Being stared at wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Alexei, but that gaze wasn't accompanied by a heartbeat or the soft sound of breathing. To make matters worse, the scent that wafted from the leech was distinctly pureblooded. Alexei's heartbeat accelerated, and his breathing grew almost human as he reached for the knife tucked into his boot. It wasn't an optimal weapon, certainly not against a pureblood, but getting into his other pockets was inconvenient from his crouched position.

  The last thing Alexei wanted was to bring his work to Elian's doorstep. The Bookworm was one of the few places beyond his apartment and the Den that Alexei enjoyed being. If he had to spill undead blood here, he'd never be able to set foot on the premises again. But purebloods were tricky. Their speed and strength, greater than that of most vampires, were pesky. their pureblood power, especially if unknown as this one's was, could easily be the difference between life and death, but what posed the biggest threat to Alexei was their superior senses. If one got too close, a pureblood could sniff out his mixed blood, and Alexei had met enough of them to know precisely how little mercy they had for halfbreeds.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Luckily for Alexei, the adrenaline pumping through his body like engine fuel made him pass for human, bringing his slow heart up to an appropriate speed. The pureblood could probably still sniff him out, but they'd need to be much closer for that. Alexei did not intend to let that happen.

  He should have left at the first whiff of a vampiric scent, but Alexei wasn't going to leave Elian at the whim of this pureblood, not even if they were likely young and inexperienced.

  Alexei stood slowly, hiding the knife in his front pocket.

  This pureblood was out in the middle of the day. That didn't make them dangerous, it made them naive. The longer a vamp lived, the more fearful of the sun they became. However, that meant this pureblood had been turned relatively recently by another pureblood. That was a danger in itself. Inherited powers started strong. Ones developed over time needed to be learned.

  Alexei's fist tightened around the blade in his pocket, ready to strike at a moment's notice as he turned to face his opponent.

  The pureblood was beautiful. Every curve of him, every fold, every golden curl on his head was perfect, as though a great artist had pounded his form from a golden marble slab. He was a work of art more captivating than any statue hidden away in a museum, a living David. Yet he shrouded his beauty in ratty jeans, a plain white shirt, and a paint-stained jacket. That body should have been draped in fine silks, that face smiling, letting its glory shine on any onlookers like golden rays of sun. Instead, his brows were pulled tight and his carmine eyes swam with confusion. Despite it all, he was the most enchanting thing Alexei had ever seen. That face was one wars were waged over, one empires had surely crumbled for.

  The look of confusion melted from the pureblood's face. He stood tall, letting his jacket fall over one shoulder to reveal more of his honeyed skin. With his pointed ears hidden in his golden curls, the pureblood and his suntanned skin tone almost passed for human. He was so enchanting that Alexei almost forgot what those carmine eyes meant as he batted his golden eyelashes and smiled coquettishly.

  But tricks like that wouldn't work on Alexei. He narrowed his eyes and took a half step back. An umbrella poked out of one of the gorgeous pureblood's pockets, which explained how he'd gotten here through the midday sun, but it gave no insight as to why he'd come. Alexei didn't trust him, but he couldn't go slitting throats in public, vampire or not, nor could he risk the pureblood realising he was competent enough to do so.

  The confused expression returned to the pureblood's perfect face, but it was once again gone in the blink of an eye.

  'Hey.'

  His voice was just as enrapturing as his face. It was soft and melodic, like it was just the two of them in the world, and he was whispering sweet songs into Alexei's ear.

  'I didn't mean to spook you.' The pureblood rubbed the back of his neck and smiled, only this time it wasn't alluring or seductive. It was genuine—or at least more genuine than the previous one had been—and, more dangerously, disarming. 'I'm Damon.'

  Alexei glared at him.

  'Alright, fair,' said Damon, 'You're probably thinking, who is this psycho vampire out in the middle of the day and why is he talking to me?'

  At least Alexei was right in his assumption that Damon was young. No self-respecting vampire over one hundred talked like that.

  'And the disappointingly uncomplicated answer is that this place is only open during the day, and I am the proud owner of an umbrella.'

  Alexei eased out of his discrete fighting stance and crossed his arms over his chest. This guy was not a threat. Strange and a little too friendly, but young vampires could be like that, especially those without covens. He probably just wanted to feel like he could still interact with people the way he could before his turning, and Alexei was his unfortunate victim. Though it was more unfortunate for Damon, because Alexei had no intention of talking to him.

  Damon pulled a book on ancient Greek from a shelf and pretended to examine it as he said, 'I'm not usually this forward-' Alexei doubted that, 'But,' Damon's eyes slid up Alexei's form with deliberate slowness, 'I think you're cute, and you're friends with Elian, which automatically makes you good people. I had to see if I've got a shot.'

  Alexei wanted to crawl out of his skin. Fear, revulsion, and horror, he could handle, but open admiration of his body was not a reaction he was prepared to process. The words that had come out of Damon's mouth didn't match the hungry look in his carmine eyes as they studied the contours of Alexei's form, which now felt rather exposed in the black compression shirt he wore. It wasn't a fashion choice. Alexei liked it because it was comfortable and practical; the same held for his steel-toed boots and cargo pants. He spared no brainpower on what other people found attractive and adhering to that standard.

  Still, just beyond that knee-jerk fear, Alexei's brain worked to process the words that had come from the pureblood's perfect mouth. Damon knew Elian, and that was a testament to his character, but, more importantly, Damon had called him cute. Alexei couldn't trust that. Objectively, Alexei wasn't good-looking, not that Damon could know that. Three-quarters of his face was still covered.

  Fishing a pencil and notebook from another of his jacket pockets, Damon said, 'Clearly, I caught you at a bad time. Let me make it up to you.' He handed Alexei a piece of paper with his name and phone number on it. 'I really do like you, so… text me?' Damon flashed a smile so radiant that Alexei had to squint. 'It's up to you, but I'm not beneath begging, pleading, and buying you dinner, or coffee, or books…'

  Alexei looked down at the paper in his hands. Was he really entertaining this? Was a relationship even something he wanted? With a vampire and a pureblood, no less. It hadn't been anywhere near the realm of consideration until minutes ago. It still wasn't. Alexei steeled his nerves. It wasn't a possibility, but denying Damon outright might be more suspicious than just ghosting him, so Alexei nodded.

  Impossibly, Damon's smile brightened, and Alexei almost felt bad. Almost.

  Damon turned to leave, and Alexei sank back on his haunches to examine the boxes of new books. He only relaxed enough to slip his knife back into its home in his boot after the bell on the door chimed, signalling Damon's departure.

  With two books in hand, Alexei made his way back to the front of the shop. Afternoon sunlight poured through the storefront windows, and Alexei thought of Damon, shielded by thin layers of fabric alone. Alexei felt no pity for the pureblood. He was a fool to walk in the sun. Either that, or he was much more dangerous than Alexei was giving him credit for.

  'Cute, isn't he?' said Elian. 'Cute isn't the right word. More like drop-dead gorgeous, no pun intended.

  Alexei shrugged, his eyes still fixed on the sun baking the pavement just beyond the sanctity of the Bookworm. He didn't make a habit of vigilante justice. Killing vampires was a job. Alexei wasn't going around murdering them just for crossing his path, but something about this one was different. If there was any chance his carefree attitude towards the sun was justified, Alexei should dispose of him posthaste.

  'Sorry. You probably don't want me meddling in your love life. You could already be in a relationship for all I know. Are you? Not that it's any of my business…'

  Alexei was unfazed by Elian's rambling. He just slid the payment for the books over the counter. Their hands collided for only a second, but Alexei had to resist the urge to flinch back from Elian's warm flesh.

  Elian froze, his big brown eyes unblinking behind the golden frames of his glasses.

  Alexei's heart was racing once again. His mind bit down on it, trying to stem the panic rising in his chest with logic. He didn't run cold enough to raise suspicion. Besides, Elian's gaze was glazed and distant. Clearly, his reaction wasn't that of someone fearing for their life because they'd just ripped the sheepskin off a wolf hiding amongst the flock. Alexei guessed he was probably uncomfortable with the contact, or it had reminded him of some lover long gone.

  At last, Elian blinked away the haze clouding his vision and continued speaking like nothing had happened.

  'Honestly, I should start a loyalty programme just for you.' Elian's smile was crooked, and in another life, one where Alexei wasn't a heartless monster, he might have wanted Elian's number more than Damon's.

  But Alexei was less than human, and not only because of his unfortunate parentage. He waved to Elian as he walked out into the summer sun, a decision solidifying in his mind. He'd take Damon up on his date. The world didn't need another pureblood who thought they were a god.