"I'm really confused right now, Cassidy."

Scott sat in the chair off to the side, his head in his hands. Just looking at him, you could see that he was significantly more pale. 

"Dr. Matson is the serial killer we've been hunting."

"He's what?"

"Yeah. He's been turning people into vampires, creating an army. He turned my best friend Maddy. And...." I looked over at Scott.

The technician working with Clayton gasped and stumbled away.

"He's a newborn?" she gasped. "He's not supposed to be out."

"He's not really normal."

"What does  that have to do with the blood?"

"I got to him before he had his first taste of blood, but it was too late to stop the process. He was dying."

"Okay?"

"He needed to feed." I stared at Scott.

I felt my eyes welling up and my cheek moisten. I reached up and touched the wetness. 

"Vampires don't cry," the lab tech whispered.

"This is the first time I ever have," I whispered.

"Cassidy?" Clayton put an hand on my shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry. I've never been this emotional before."

"What happened to Scott. What did he eat?"

I looked up at Clayton. "Me."

"What?"

"He fed on my blood." I held up my arm, showing the red mark where the puncture wound had been. 

"So the blood isn't messed up?"

I shook my head.

"He's..."

"A hybrid." I looked at Scott again. "Frank got what he wanted after all. He's created a hybrid."

Scott looked up. His face was smooth and incredibly beautiful. The scar that had once been noticeable next to his eye was gone. 

"What do I do?" he asked.

"This is way beyond my paygrade," Clayton mumbled. "I have no idea."

"We'll deal with this Scott."

"All of this was illegal. There was no paperwork filled out or psychiatric tests that I wanted this."

"Extenuating circumstances," I said. "I'm taking him home."

"Right," Clayton said.

"Can you just do something with the blood? Examine it? Anything? Figure that out?"

"Of course."

I grabbed Scott's hand and led him from the hospital. His porcelain skin matched mine now and he was cold. So incredibly cold.

We flitted back to my apartment where we sat in the dark. In silence. We both knew that Frank and Maddison weren't done. They would be back and probably sooner rather than later.

"Scott?" I asked.

"What."

"Listen, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" he looked up at me. 

I wasn't used to his red eyes.

"Yeah."

"I'm a...a freak."

I took a deep breath and looked away from him. 

"I never wanted this," he continued. "I wanted to eventually marry and have children. I can't do that now."

"I didn't want this to happen to you."

"I didn't either," he said quietly. Almost defeated. "How do I tell my parents? My mom is terrified of vampires. I can never go out in daylight again."

"Actually, about that."

He turned his head to look at me.

"Since you're a hybrid, you can."

"What?"

"You didn't feed on fully human blood. You fed on my blood. And I'm not even human."

"What?" he repeated again.

"I'm a preternatural and a vampire, remember. Which should completely neutralize each other, but didn't."

"Right."

"So, you should be able to go out into the sunlight."

"What if it's wrong?"

"We'll test it. You can stick a hand out or something and see what happens."

"Cassidy, I know this isn't your fault. You didn't do this. I'm just...I really don't know what I'm feeling or if I am feeling anything."

"It's a lot. I don't know exactly what you're dealing with since this has been my normal life since day 1, but I'll be here to help through everything."

He smiled a bit at me and reached over for my hand. He squeezed it tightly while staring into my eyes. 

There was an intensity I 'd never seen before. 

He reached up and brushed my hair out of my face, a slight smile on his face. 

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly.

"You know, for as long as we've been partners, I don't think I've ever really looked at you."

"Scott, you're being weird."

"Why?"

"We're partners," I said.

"Yeah."

"This is a line we shouldn't..."

He didn't let me finish my sentence. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine while pulling my body close to his. Perhaps he thought I would be warm and could give him some feeling. My mind screamed that this was a really bad idea, but the rest of me didn't really agree.

Scott broke from my lips, just to kiss my cheek lightly. The soft touch of his lips on my cheek, trailing to my neck sent shivers down my spine that made my entire body tremble.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Yes and  no. This isn't you, Scott. You're a newborn. You have all kinds of things going on in your head and with your body."

"Cassidy, shut up."

He grabbed my ponytail and pulled my head back gently. Smiling down at me as he kissed me again. He started gently and softly. I knew it wasn't just his body going through things. A hot desire grew from deep within.  A need. I pressed myself into that kiss. Wanting more. Craving more.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him harder against my body. He groaned softly, low in his throat, and then his hands left my hair and his arms circled me, lowering me onto the couch so he was straddling my body.

"Do you want to do this?" he asked.

"Yes and no."

He laughed lightly, sitting back while I pushed myself up on my elbows.

"Things will never be the same," I said.

He laughed again, a lot harder though. "They were ever going to be normal again?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Cassidy, I know this isn't the perfect situation or how we ever expected our lives to go."

"Right."

"But, if I am going to be an immortal, who else would I want to be with?"

"Be with?" I asked.

"Yeah," he ran his hands through his hair. "I mean, do you want to be with me? Is this what we do?"

I sighed and reached up, stroking his cheek. "Scott, we're vampires. We don't mate like werewolves."

"Oh."

"Don't get me wrong. A lot of vampires do develop eternal bonds. Some do say they are drawn to one another, but it's not something we absolutely have to do."

"How do you know if you're drawn to someone then?"

"Well, I've been told that it's something you can't really describe in words you feel it. There's a yearning you feel deep within. Perhaps where our hearts were, they still crave that affection. That love since we're monsters."

"A yearning deep within? Like a feeling that I need to be close to the person?" he asked, taking my hand in his and kissing the back of it.

I nodded my head.

"A feeling that no matter how close you are to that person, you just want to be closer?" he asked, leaning in closer to me, his lips just inches from my own.

I nodded my head again.

"This need from deep within that I want you more than I've ever wanted another person before?"

"Yes."

"A feeling that I know you feel and have felt for a while but have been ignoring?"

I closed the gap between us this time, pulling his shirt off before he pulled mine off. I stood from the couch and led him to the bedroom. Socks meowed in protest, but he moved from the bed as I pushed Scott onto his back. 

Did I find my forever person?