I couldn't remember what happened next - I fainted in Radleigh's arms. Forgetting, and living as if dreaming, would become routine...

I opened my eyes abruptly and tried to discern my surroundings. I was sitting on a mattress in a seemingly empty room. There was no furniture or decorations except for thick curtains. The mattress had gray sheets, and Radleigh's backpack was in one corner. 

I had lost my hat, but the jacket lay next to me. I found it foolish to be concerned about a hat - perhaps my mind was trying to focus on something petty to forget that I experienced something horrifying, again, thanks to vampires.

Radleigh single handedly defeated four of them. 

I wondered where he could be. My ears twitched, and I sniffed the air, but I couldn't sense anything. Nobody else was inside that apartment. 

I dragged my feet on the wooden floor through a hallway, finding an empty living room and kitchen island. I rummaged through the cabinets; there was only one pan, plate, and glass. The fridge was empty.

I sniffed around again; Radleigh was there not too long ago. 

Was I locked in that apartment? Even if I wasn't, would I dare to step out to the city after what I saw? I felt my heart racing with those thoughts. Was this my opportunity to run away? Or should I wait for Radleigh?

I couldn't decide. My body only trembled as my eyes were teary once more. I sat near one of the walls and hugged my legs to calm myself. 

Steps coming from the outside made my ears twitch again.

Radleigh entered the apartment carrying a couple of paper bags. Once he saw me, he blinked with bewilderment and dropped the bags on the counter. Then he removed the scarf, hat, and glasses he wore to step into the sunlight. He approached me to try to hug me, but I prevented him from doing so by pushing him away, shouting: 

"Don't come near me!" 

He held his hands in the air, waiting for me to calm down.

"Am I locked here? Am I your prisoner? Who are you?! What kind of vampire are you?! You are going to hurt me, aren't you! Vampires hurt werewolves! Why are you helping me! What do you want! You are a monster like all of them!"

I couldn't even understand all the questions I was shooting, but my mouth wouldn't stop saying things. Radleigh just crossed his arms, waiting for me to finish. 

After that emotional outburst, I cried. 

Radleigh dropped his arms and sat on the wooden floor in front of me. 

"You are not locked here. I have Jasper's number; he will call me when he knows about your pack. You can go by yourself, or I can take you. It's up to you. You are not my prisoner. You are just waiting for other free wolves to find you." 

He spoke slowly, but I couldn't hear him. I was crying too loudly. My body shivered too, but luckily, he didn't dare to approach.

It all weighed down on me. I hated being an omega. I hated to be weak and trapped in a situation that I had no control over. 

"I lost my family; I lost my home…." I whined, hiding my head between my legs. I wanted to return to my old home, run in the fields, work in the bakery and play music at night. I wanted my old life back. 

The city was horrible. The world of vampires was a nightmare, and I didn't want to listen to his words.   

"I had no idea it was like this outside of our village because of monsters like you!!" Anger, fear, and disgust were entangled in that sentence. I knew Radleigh was different, or at least he seemed to be, but I had no one else to shout these words. I had no place to let go of my frustration. 

"It's because of monsters like you I wouldn't see them again…."

"I know…" Radleigh said.

I looked at him. Radleigh had a sad glance while he removed his gloves for the first time; his hands were full of scars. It was a strange sight, for those nightly creatures can quickly heal their wounds. Were those scars made when he was still human? Unlike wolves, vampires are not born but made. 

"I know we are monsters," He said, closing his eyes in a bitter expression. "That's why I help you."

I paused, trying to understand what he was saying. 

"You are alone; I am alone – Why not be together in this world of monsters?" He explained with an awkward smile, scratching his neck. He left his gloves on his lap. "That is my reason. I know that wouldn't bring your clan back, but at least it could be something. For a while." 

"You called yourself a monster…."

"We are all monsters, little wolf. We don't belong…."

I paused, pondering those words – Could it be that he never felt comfortable around other vampires? 

I missed my clan, and I longed to be next to other wolves, but it would be a lie to say I was always comfortable. I thought Radleigh's words were slightly ironic, for I always felt the same around my kin. I never thought I belonged, which made things so frustrating. Why did I survive if I was meant to remain useless and burdensome? 

"It is only temporary, right?" I asked. "Is that enough for you?"

"When you have nothing, you can't exactly be picky," He said teasingly, and it made my eyes open in awe at the realization that he was pointing out my situation. I lowered my gaze, slightly embarrassed.

"I…"

"I'm not scolding you," he said calmly, resting his weight on the palm of his hands. "You are emotional, nervous, and passionate; You are prone to have wreck downs. It's alright." 

I blinked, "How do you know all that?"

"We don't have a nose to smell traits, but we can see auras," Radleigh explained, moving his head from side to side, looking at all my angles. "Yours, it's quite something… You shine like a star." 

"Do…Do I?" My cheeks burned after hearing that, so I looked away. 

"Yes, which is weird because you are an omega, right? They tend to go below our radar but not you."

Radleigh finally stood up and stretched his back. "Anyway, you must be hungry. I am sorry for leaving you alone, but I had to buy food, go to the blood bank, the usual…."

He turned over his heels and headed towards the kitchen to start unpacking what was on the paper bags. After a few minutes, I approached, though with some distance. 

"Is that a bad thing? An aura like that?" I dared to ask, scratching my arm.

"Depends on what you define as bad," he answered, placing goods in the empty fridge.

"It's that why they attacked us?" I asked, lowering my gaze. If I was to go alone, would I be noticeable to monsters like those? 

"Yes," Radleigh said, closing the fridge and shrugging off. He reached for a cutting board on the cabinets and a small suitcase; inside, there was a whole set of knives.

"Does it attract vampires? Is there something about me?" I said, moving further away. I didn't like to be around Radleigh if he had a pointy object. 

Radleigh noticed my nervousness. "These are kitchen knives…though you are right, they cut meat pretty well." He said, raising both eyebrows for a moment and chuckling. "At this rate, I will see you nervous about the vacuum cleaner."

"I am not a dog." I frowned.

"Stop acting like one then." He said, chopping vegetables with incredible ease and speed. I never expected to see a vampire cooking. I also remembered Jasper mentioned something about Radleigh's cooking. Was it special the fact he was cooking for me?

"Do I attract vampires?" 

 He didn't seem pleased I asked that, and responded with a sigh.

"Most likely, you are a good source of magic." Before I could say another word, Radleigh raised a finger. "No, that is not the reason why I am helping you. I got blood bags in the fridge, and I do not need to feed on you."

The sound of a knife against the board was louder than his words, showing how irritated he was at me, hinting at that. I nodded in acknowledgment and dared not to push it. 

"What can I do? if I stand out like a lighthouse to vampires?" I wished to distract myself with music and far from that conversation, so I tapped my fingers on the wall, pretending there was a piano.

"Become stronger…"