May I…Ask Why?

According to him, these wings were nothing but trouble. Would he begin with the envy his brothers feel of him? Those countless days, he gets reminded that he wasn't a special child just because he owned those wings. It is not like he ever thought he was one.

It would be said that those who despised and begrudged him didn't think it was enough. Maybe letting him know now and then that his eyes were detestable and made him look awful compared to what he should have looked like without them, would break his spirit.

Maybe they hoped that just like he caged those wings, he would remove his eyes and render himself blind.

Draven was a fine figure of a gentleman who drew attention everywhere he went. He had a pleasant countenance, although quite chilly and stoic. The ladies declared he was much more handsome than anyone they had ever met, including his brothers, whose looks were quite top-notch.

His eyes, however, were something they couldn't bring themselves to overlook. They feared it, and some who could not hold their tongues spilled that it caused their skin to crawl.

Maybe that was why he chose Avelina. She was one of the few who stood their ground and looked him dead in the eyes. Only she looked at him without a reflection of disgust, fear, or judgment in her gaze. The comments she left were kind and heartwarming, unlike anything he had ever heard…

His late wife did drop some kind words, but...it was out of sympathy. She pitied him and it was not something he wanted. He didn't seek...pity...

Draven stared at his reflection in the mirror. He took a deep breath and spoke in a hushed tone, "She is…a pure-blooded human."

At the first taste of her blood, he had felt this adrenaline rush through his body. He felt alive, and his system was boosted. It tasted fresh, unlike those they purchased from the blood bank. He had never tasted anything like it before.

Royal bloods were rare after all.

What bloodline could she be from? Such pure blood able to move a vampire like him so easily, was rare in humans. It was a treasure that you could only come across once in a blue moon.

He let out a faint breath and retracted his wings. He washed off the blood on his back and healed his wounds, which were a result of him not having released those wings in almost a year.

He exited the bathroom and stepped into the bedroom. He made his way to the bed and looked at Avelina, who was sound asleep under the sheet.

Draven walked over to the other empty side and laid down on his back. He fixed his gaze on the white ceiling and rested his hands below his head.

"Are you not going to get even a little bit of sleep?" Avelina fluttered her eyes open.

A bit taken aback, Draven looked at her. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was. But I heard you come in," Avelina replied.

"I see…" Draven sighed and averted his gaze to the ceiling. "I won't. I have never slept at night before. I only ever slept in the mornings."

Avelina stared at him and half-smiled.

"You could give it a try," she said.

Draven turned his head, meeting her gaze.

"Vampires are not meant to sleep at night, Avelina. We are most energetic at night."

"Oh…" Avelina sat up on the bed. Inwardly, she wondered if she could go on and ask what she had in mind. But…would it offend him?

"Do you want to ask me something?" Draven, who noticed her contemplative and curious expression, inquired.

Avelina glanced at him and reluctantly nodded her head.

"I do."

Draven shrugged. "Go on. You are free to inquire. As long as it is something I have an answer to and I am willing to give you an answer to, I will."

Avelina hesitated, her expression turning serious.

"Why does your family hate you? Did you do something wrong to them?" she asked.

Draven paused for a few seconds. He glimpsed her and sat up on the bed in a seating position, his body facing her.

"No, I did nothing wrong to them," he answered.

"Then…why do they seem to despise you?" Avelina raised her brow, quite bewildered.

Draven contemplated for a few moments before shrugging.

"I honestly have no idea. It has always been like this since I was a little boy," he replied.

"I see…"

Avelina sensed a strange emotion emanating from his eyes.

She couldn't shake off the odd feeling that she had sensed from him the moment he made that response. There was some ill emotion behind those words that she couldn't quite put her finger on—a mix of unsettledness and hidden emotions that had piqued her interest.

Undeterred, she pressed further, "Who…is your mother? I didn't see anyone that I could assume was your mother."

"My mother is dead," Draven responded with a bit of hesitation that hinted he had a recollection of a past—maybe.

"Oh…" Avelina batted her lashes. "I am…sorry about that."

"It's fine. She was a simple maid that my father accidentally impregnated and she gave birth to a half-common breed like me who never should have existed," Draven explained emotionlessly.

Avelina deeply frowned at him. "Hey! You shouldn't say things like that. A common, half-breed, whatsoever, it doesn't mean anything, okay?"

"It is not what I say, Avelina. It is what I am told. My thoughts about it are far different," Draven corrected her.

"Oh…I see." Avelina nodded in understanding. "So you are half brothers?"

Draven gave a nod. "Correct."

"Let me tell you something from my past," he said, meeting her gaze. "When I was about the age of ten, my father threw me off from the top roof of the mansion, in the hope I would die. I broke my limbs, my nose, and my head."

"My heart was pounding loudly in my ears and for a moment, I felt death. But…I still survived somehow."

Avelina was dormant, gazing at him with a horrified expression. Her eyes were widened and her pupils dilated. Her eyebrows were shot upwards, creating deep furrows on her forehead and her mouth was slightly agape.

"Y-you're joking…right?"

"Hmmm, I don't think this is the right time to joke, so no, I am not." Draven shook his head at her. "Let me show you something."

He turned around, displaying his brutally scarred back.

"My father poured boiling water on me when I was a toddler. The scar has never left my back and I don't understand why." He turned, returning his gaze to her.

Avelina lowered her head, dumbfounded to the core.

"This is unbelievable…" She spoke in a hushed tone, her mind racing with questions she couldn't bring herself to ask.

She earlier wanted to know what caused the scar but now, she wished she hadn't known.

She exhaled deeply and lifted her head to look at Draven. "Can I give you a hug?"

Draven blinked, confused. "May I…ask why?"