"So, the devil is your father?" Stella asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
Simon let out a low chuckle. "He's my creator, not my father. If anything, he was more like... a friend. Though 'friend' might be too generous. The devil doesn't attach himself to anyone, not even to those he's closest to. But yes, I was one of his first creations—alongside another."
Stella frowned, the confusion evident on her face. "Wait, you said you had parents?"
"Patience, Stels," Simon said, brushing his thumb gently over her hand.
"When he created me, he didn't want to waste his powers crafting more vampires from nothing. Instead, he conducted an experiment—he transferred a portion of his power into a human man and woman. It was meant to be a trial, but it worked. From them, two vampires were born: me and Melody. That's what our parents named us."
He paused, his expression hardening as if recalling a memory too heavy to carry. "We were the first pureblood vampires. We grew quickly—fully matured in just ten years. Our parents were human, but we were anything but. The devil eventually took us in, and from there… well, that's when hell truly began."
Stella's grip on his hand tightened instinctively.
"We became bloodthirsty," Simon continued, his voice darker now. "The devil began creating more vampires, and even werewolves, but Melody and I were special. We were his first. He called us the Blood Crests and marked us as his own. Every full moon, a crest glows on our backs as a symbol of our origin. And for werewolves, the full moon strengthens them because—" Simon smirked faintly, "—the devil has a fondness for full moons."
Stella's eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place. "So… the mark I saw on your back last night… that's the crest of your clan?"
Simon nodded. "Exactly. A reminder of what I am—"
"The devil, my sister, and I… we turned bloodthirsty," Simon began, his voice low, each word carrying the weight of a painful memory. "We killed without remorse, drank blood from every living creature that walked the Earth. It was chaos, but things truly spiraled when my sister, Melody, lost control. Her hunger consumed her, and she… she killed our parents."
Stella's breath hitched, but she remained silent, letting him continue.
"I hated her for it," Simon said, his jaw tightening. "But she hated herself even more. She blamed the devil for what we had become. She started to unravel, guilt eating her alive. The devil didn't comfort her—he never would. That wasn't who he was. And I? I was furious—at her, at him, at myself. My anger turned me into something worse. I became cruel. I slaughtered entire towns, driven by my hunger. The vampire clans feared me more than they feared the devil himself."
Simon paused, his eyes darkening. "Melody… she started consuming nightspire. It's a plant deadly to vampires, one that slowly eats away at you. She wanted to die, Stella. And the devil and I… we knew we had to end it before she brought more suffering upon herself. But by then, the devil was already disappointed in us. Melody and I had developed emotions—something he considered weak, something he never had. It only made things worse."
Simon's grip on Stella's hand tightened, as though grounding himself in her presence. "Rocco and Blake—two other Blood Crests—were dragged into it. Rocco loved my sister, but the devil hated what we were becoming. It was the last straw. Melody… she ended it herself. She used the only weapon capable of killing a Blood Crest and took her own life."
Stella gasped softly, her free hand moving to her chest.
"After that," Simon continued, his voice quieter now, "Rocco, Blake, and I went our separate ways. We left the supernatural world behind and returned to the human world. I cut ties with the devil. I tried to control my hunger, but when I refused to feed, I became weak—so weak that I was eventually captured. They locked me in a coffin for decades. And when I was finally freed, it was by your parents. They were… running something. I don't know what drew them to me, but I followed them."
Simon's gaze softened as he looked at Stella. "I spent years with them, trying to rebuild some semblance of control. Eventually, Rocco found me, and together, we found Blake. The three of us returned to the underground world, confronted the devil one last time, and severed our bond with him. Then… I came back. Back to your parents. And you know the rest."
He leaned back, his shoulders heavy as he exhaled. "That's the truth, Stella. All of it."
"One thing I don't understand is why you think I'd hate you," Stella said, her voice calm but searching.
Simon's eyes darkened as he let out a heavy breath. "You don't understand, Stella. The way I killed those people… it wasn't just cruel—it was monstrous. You couldn't handle knowing that part of me."
He moved his hands from her waist, but Stella turned toward him, her gaze steady and unwavering. "That was your past, Simon. It's not who you are now. I've always believed the past shouldn't define the present. If you're still holding onto it, I'll respect your choice, but I have my own battles to fight. And I'll fight them—with or without anyone by my side," she said firmly, her emerald eyes hardening with resolve.
Simon's hand instinctively found her waist again, pulling her closer. His gaze softened as it met hers, an unspoken vulnerability in his expression. "That was my past, Stella. It haunts me, but—" He leaned in, his lips brushing hers, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You're my present, Stella."
Stella's breath hitched, but she steadied herself, her heart full of quiet determination. "I will never hate you, Simon," she murmured, her voice gentle yet certain.
She closed the small gap between them, her lips meeting his in a kiss. They kissed, their lips meeting in a tender, slow rhythm, their tongues gently teasing and intertwining. Simon's teeth grazed her bottom lip, drawing a soft whimper from her. The kiss was delicate, more intimate than any before, as if it spoke volumes they didn't need to say out loud.
"You always belong to me," Simon whispered, his forehead resting against hers, his breath heavy and slow, matching her own shallow pants.
Stella's heart raced, her eyes searching his with a quiet certainty. "You are mine, too"
Simon's arms tightened around her, pulling her into him, unwilling to let go. She could feel his steady heartbeat against hers, his need for her as fierce as hers for him. In that moment, he knew one thing for certain: He would never let her slip away.