True Love's Bite

44 // A Light Through The Tunnel

There was a certain time in my life where I feared that we would receive a call that my father was shot and killed while at work.

I think then it would have been expected, it would have been easier because he was a reckless cop during the peak of his career. Death was inevitable in his field of work, if he had died on duty, his death would have been much easier to accept.

But that was not the case.

His death was haunting.

It was so strange and funny how my father had brought death to many people as if he would live forever.

He received a state funeral, a burial worthy of a president. He was seen as a state hero.

Tributes were pouring in every second of the day as people continued singing him praises.

The measures the vampire council was willing to take to protect their kind was beyond me. News had spread so fast about how my father had died a hero in a quest to capture the notorious Esra Yildiz and the thug in police uniform, Zamani Mamba.

They pinned all the crimes related to my father on Esra who had been now labeled a delinquent, while Zamani was arrested as her accomplice, as well as for murder following his confession to his brother’s murder.

As much as they had known the truth for the longest time, Silas and Karabo were shattered to say the least, especially after Zamani explained in detail how exactly he had killed Mpilo.

In another life, perhaps papa's death would have brought joy, but it left the family in shambles. Even my mother refused to sit on the mattress and mourn for him, however, she had to comply in order to fulfil the vampire council's wishes and to avoid suspicions from the people.

There was so much that happened that no one at home was willing to talk about, like the fact that although there was a state funeral, we buried an empty casket. My father's corpse was buried in Khayelihle the same night that he passed on. He was wrapped with a blanket and buried next to his best friend, Emre Yildiz.

In a way, it felt like we were burying the hatchet between our parents, between our families. It felt like all our troubles died with them.

An arm snaked over my chest and shoulders from behind, gently cushioning my back into a hard chest, his musky scent filling my lungs.

I held onto his arm in acknowledgement, linking my left hand with his free hand, and we stood in comfortable silence as we stared ahead at our fathers' graves.

"Do you still see him in your dreams?" I wondered aloud.

I expected Sy to tense like he usually did at the mention of my father, but there was no reaction from him besides a drag of his breath before nuzzling his face in the hem of my neck.

"No," he murmured in a husky voice seconds later. "But I can't seem to shake off everything that transpired the other night."

I knew exactly what he was talking about, I still had nightmares as if the whole thing happened the day before.

This was the first time since the hostage situation, that Sy was bringing it up. For days, he was beating himself up over the fact that I had to cut my wrist and let him feed from me. One thing that bothered me the most was how he

"Any news on your mother yet?"

He sighed. "Not really, but Theo's father seems adamant on keeping her close to him, and he says she is recovering well, so I will have to take his word for now."

I spun around in his arms, locking my arms around his waist, trying not to get distracted by his melting eyes as I stared up at his face. "Speaking of Theo, how did you meet him?"