The heavens flash and angry white followed by booming thunder. Sheets of heavy fall from the sky, pelting the ground in an endless torrent. Standing under the relentless downpour that mirrored the turmoil brewing within me. The harsh rain pounded against my skin, soaking my clothes in the never-ending stream, yet I was not distracted.

The object of my obsession lay within those brick buildings, going about life like she didn't just turn my life upside-down. My eyes bore into the very soul of the building, as if searching for hidden secrets behind the curtains. A secret I have already discovered. A secret that I didn't want to admit rattled me deeply to bones. The stormy night seemed to echo my churning emotions as I fought to comprehend the never-ending thoughts swelling in me. I stood like a phantom, penetrating the dead of the night, unseen to the world beyond as I watched and observed, hoping for an explanation to the previous events that occupied my thoughts.

It's been more than a few days since the fateful incidents that had me stewing in my confusion and disbelief. The endless puzzle had finally carried me here as a last resort. To say I was rattled would have been a gross understatement. That day completely changed my perspective on so many things.

Maybe I stood here today, taking in every nuance, every flicker of light, because I sought an excuse. An answer to what I'd witnessed, but alas, the mystery remained just that. I'd avoided her ever since, becoming her unseen shadow. Trailing her daily, but all I'd gotten was more confirmation that she was different. Though I hid in plain sight, invisible to the human eye, her instincts were sharp enough to feel the eyes that followed her movement.

My people were viewed in a similar lense to that of the mythological vampire. Most would argue that our existence is the story behind the myth. Just like in the myths, we were fast, possessed unbeatable instincts, we had fangs and, just like in some of the stories, we had claws. In moments of intense emotion or intense hunger, our eyes glowed a deep maroon, illuminating the emotion within and we each had unique skills that differed from Zhelaran to Zhelaran. In all these similarities there was one obvious difference.

Feeding.

The primary food source for our kind was different. Where vampires depended majorly on blood for sustenance, it wasn't so for our kind. The Zhelaran fed majorly on auras. Blood could only be a temporary sustenance that left one weak and helpless. It could not offer the required life energy that fueled our abilities, nor could it alleviate the throbbing ache that gnawed one's inside from an unfiltered aura thrumming for release. Our kind were known to be a free species, but however, the ritual of blood was a very private matter. It can only be offered during intimacy and by trusted partners, mostly bonded partners. To offer one's lifeblood was a sacred ritual showing deep trust and acceptance. When an aura was split and offered, together with the mixing of blood and sex, a bond was formed and sealed. Blood could never fully act as sustenance, unlike the exchange of auras could. That is why even the most reclusive of our kind stuck together, because it was something no mortal could provide for us.

At least I thought.

I wasn't particularly interested in the events occurring that day at the diner, not until I tasted it. The flavor of an unrefined aura seeping into my body. At first, I felt one of our kind was present, and I may have been too distracted to notice. My senses had sharpened, and I hadn't thought of searching among the mortals surrounding the place until the rushing intensity had saturated my pores once again. I'd turned to see the tiny mortal with a halo of pearlescent shine surrounding her. Dazed, I'd approached, drawn in by hunger and instincts. There was a reason I was still with her. From the first moment I tasted this mortal's blood, she became an enigma. To see her pulsing with waves of unfiltered aura pulled me in like the proverbial moth to a flame. Thinking ahead, I took charge of the situation, and though I knew she was vulnerable and defeated, it didn't stop me from extracting a life-long promise.

  Regret was far from me.

What the tempting mortal did not know was that her blood was still coursing through my veins at the time she gave that promise, an already monumental feat in itself. Now as I stood, my body impervious to the drenching weather and my gaze locked on the window with an unwavering intensity, I knew I would never willingly surrender this mortal.

She belongs to me now, and I, for one, intend to possess.