Paulo

Fear.

That was the exact word that could describe what I felt now.

Abby's father arrived from his hunting trip the other night and our meeting was set. Abby had told him she would introduce somebody to him but the reaction she got was enough to give me shivers not because I was scared of him as a vampire no matter how old he could be but because of the fact that my life with the only woman I had loved – both in my mortal and immortal world – was at stake. It was like he was holding me in the neck that his next move would define what I would be.

Yet, I always saw the goodness in people no matter how evil a creature is. Things might go wrong but no creature can doubt a man's sincerity like mine.

There was a time when our family's secret was at stake. Some people could not just contain their curiosity, more especially our employees. Those who knew about it disappeared individually. Some people thought they were killed; some people thought they were buried alive; and all other speculations arose one from the other yet nobody could prove nor could think of the culprit.

They were not actually killed nor buried alive. They were kidnapped and had been offered money to go to the farthest place they could go and live there until their days with the condition that if ever they came back, death beyond imagination awaited them. It was a threat of course. Our family couldn't bear the thought of killing any single human being for such reason. It was not their fault that they could talk about it, curious people as they were.

I flinched when I felt the vibration of the phone inside my pocket. I reached out to get it while my other hand was still on the wheel.

"Hello Ab. What's up." I hurriedly answered when I saw her name blinking on the screen. It was so childish of me but I couldn't control the tingling feeling I felt every time I thought or said her name. I had never felt such a thing in my last 124 years of existence not that I didn't have flings before but seeing Abby felt like home. Yes, nothing can describe it. It just felt like home.

"Nah, I'm just checking if you were really coming." She chuckled on the other line. I knew what she was thinking. She probably thought I was too nervous to meet her father. It was true.

"Yeah, I am on my way dear. I'll be there in 2 minutes." I said as I pushed the accelerator.

"Okay. See yah." Ah.. she was always so cute every time she did that.

My mother was always curious about Abby and I was always willing to satisfy her curiosity about her. Since the time I confessed about Abby, she never failed to ask me how she was. She was dying to see her and I could read in her mind that she was dying to have another daughter in the family although it also took her days before she could fully accept her nature. Just like me, my mother believed that even a creature evil by nature can change as long as it wished to.

Abby had been bugging me with questions as to why I had to meet her father first before she met my family. It was because her father was the only key left for our doors to be opened. I promised Abby we would keep it for a while but I couldn't.

My family doesn't have secrets to anybody; especially when they put my mind-reading gift in the picture. But it wasn't only that, even after transformation, we knew though our blood was changed, the same blood still runs into our veins. Not even vampire transformation could change that and it was too easy for them to read my face. They knew, when they saw me, a big change had happened to my life. I tried to keep it secret but it wasn't easy and I wasn't left with any other choice but to say it.

Later that day, I realized how good it was to have your family's support and I didn't want to deprive Abby of that comfort and relief.

I was expected to arrive in 2 minutes but I sped down as the thought of meeting her father sank in again.

Several questions were swarming my mind. Would he want me for his daughter? Was I enough for her in his eyes? I had never been so insecure in my life, just now.

As I pulled my car over the front of their closed garage, I heard Abby's musical voice from the 2nd floor.

"Dad!" she shouted in the softest voice I have ever heard. "He's here." Then, I heard a soft footsteps getting closer until she appeared at the door. She made a graceful stop in front of me.

"Hi!" she said shyly.

"Hi." I kissed her forehead as I usually did. I heard a soft clearing of the throat a few steps away from her so I leaned back. Careful. I cautioned myself.

"Good evening Sir." I was trying hard to fight back the fear as I looked at the amber eyes focused on me. "I am Paulo Barbosa." I extended my hand for a handshake which he willingly accepted.

"Diego Ruiz." He said shortly as if we were two strangers meeting at a formal gathering. I felt awkward yet I had to maintain my stance – the stance of a fighting warrior as I was indeed fighting for something men have fought and died for. LOVE.

"Come in." Abby said. She opened the door wide to give some space for me.

The sight that welcomed me was not new at all but I had to fake it. I knew her father was scrutinizing every movement that I was making and the fact that he was a vampire defines precision and clarity. He could see every movement I made; every twitching of the face; every tilting of my head, everything, except my thoughts.

"You have a very nice home Sir." I said politely. Nothing can make an old man more proud than the beauty of his house.

"Thank you." He said. I could see the military aura in him. He was tall, lean and muscular. He moved with authority just like my father.

Hihihi. Abby was giggling in her head probably teasing me.

"Abby told me things about you and from the color of your eyes and your scent, I believed her." I flinched when I heard the sudden change of his tone. From a civil voice, it now changed into flat and icy as if grim was coming. "I would go straight to the point Mr. Barbosa."

"Just call me Paulo Sir." I could feel the terror in my voice when I said it but I had to keep my head high. Besides, he had to get used calling me that name… if ever.. That was the big question at that time. If ever what?

"Paulo." He said accepting what I said. "Do you know what you have gotten into?" He asked ignoring Abby's grip on his arm.

"Dad can we just sit first?"

"Vampires don't need to sit Abby. We can stay like this for hours and I don't want to be disturbed." He said. From Abby's story, her father was always soft spoken and calm and it seemed like I was looking at another person. He was entirely the opposite epitome of him from her stories. Yet, I understood. He had to make sure his daughter was in good hands and I would do everything in my persuading power to prove that I was sincere.

Abby marched up to the stairs. Probably, her father told her something in her head that made her do that. She was still looking at me when she climbed up the stairs and I nodded to her.

I'm going to be fine. I said reassuringly in my head. She seemed to have gotten the message and I saw her sighed in relief.

I'll be in my room. He wanted to talk to you and I promised him I wouldn't listen. Good luck.. and I'm sorry for leaving you alone. She said in a very sad voice but I understood. And isn't it what I wanted too? That was the main reason why I wanted to talk to him no matter how dangerous he could be.

I'll see you later Abby. Get some rest. I said dismissingly as his father was looking intently and I knew he was not fooled. He knew what Abby and I were doing.

"So what now Paulo?" He walked towards the glass wall. I didn't notice that the floor-to-ceiling curtains were neatly tied with a dark orange ribbon. Abby must have done something to make the whole house look much better than when I first visited it.

"I know everything about Abby, sir. I love her - "

"I have no doubt about it." He cut me short. "I know vampires best because I am one of them. When I looked into your eyes, I couldn't doubt your love for her but … " I waited for what's next. "Are you courageous enough to risk everything for her? Would you risk your family's life for your love? Things can go out of hand even enough to create a battle between you and our kind. You'll have to face challenges you can't imagine." He asked me in a challenging voice but he must have underestimated my love.

"Yes sir. I would do whatever it takes to make her safe." I told him but he shook his head in response. I was suddenly confused.

"It's not only about keeping her safe son. It's about how far you can go for her sake. It's about how strong you could be when she gets out of hand and becomes the most dangerous creature on earth. It's about how strong you hold on to your love to protect your family." Suddenly, everything was so confusing. I had prepared my speech in front of this man thinking that I had more to offer but I underestimated a father's love. He knew his daughter well. "I have spent my whole life studying about my daughter's nature Paulo." His voice was suddenly in agony. He reached for the nearest chair as if he needed to rest.

"What do you mean sir?" Though confused, I still had to be polite.

"Have you heard of mortal vampires Paulo?" He asked. I was relieved with how the conversation had turned into but it was suddenly changed by fear. What he asked sank in. Mortal vampires.

"Is she venomous?" I asked to confirm what I was thinking. If she wasn't…

"She isn't Paulo." He answered in a very cold and flat voice sounding like it came from the underground. I could feel his agony in his voice. "Human blood has the ability to react to whatever foreign matter that enters it. When vampire venom enters the human body, the venom transforms the blood into the powerful vampire blood. After transformation, the whole chemistry is altered."

I was trying to process everything that he was saying and I was coming up to an assumption yet, I wasn't sure of it. I decided to keep it for myself in the meantime as he continued.

"You see, Abby's blood is already more powerful than human blood although less powerful than a vampire's. Despite of that, she already possesses extraordinary abilities like you." He nodded and smiled at me to let me know he was not a fool. He was able to guess my gift just upon looking at my face. Or it could also be his gift? That, I had to ask.

"But, how come they are less powerful than we are? Throughout the history-" It didn't make sense to me. Abby would always point out she could be especially when she let her guards down.

"Vampires are much more powerful than the half-immortals of course. But they are smart enough to usually attack our weaknesses. We are not prepared for an emotional or psychological attack. Once our minds are clouded by desires of our hearts and flesh, we fail to think and fight to our strength – physical strength. Only those creatures who are bound with love could overcome a half-immortal's allure." He explained.

I wanted to ask more but I kept quiet. It seemed that the old man – although looking young – wanted me to know everything about her. Just like my father, he was giving me the choice, the option to either run or stay.

"Are you following Paulo? Do you see the danger now?" I wanted to say yes but I reserved my answer for the future. I shook my head just like a 5-year-old kid wanting to know more.

"Please go on." I said.

"Since Abby's blood is more powerful than any other human, could you guess now how more powerful she could be when she is transformed?" He asked me, looking at me intently although I could feel in his voice that it was something that had to be kept in secret. His voice was so low that even though Abby had promised not to listen, he was still worried about it.

"She could still be transformed?" I was shocked. How could it be possible?

"Yes, my son. She is not venomous and so her blood can react to any foreign matter, much more to a vampire's venom. And.. Can you hear that sound?" He asked as he too listened to the sound we both could hear.

I listened carefully in the silence of the night. I could hear a thumping heart but it wasn't as loud as the sound of a mortal's heart.

"She just shares some abilities of vampires but her chemical processes haven't been altered unlike pure vampires. Throughout history, we know we can transform those who have a beating heart. Abby, despite being a half-immortal, still has a heart which is working perfectly – a very able heart that could be transformed." He never gazed up to meet my eyes. It was like, all these years, he had been living in fear that someday Abby might be something beyond his wildest imagination.

"If she is transformed, a much more powerful vampire she could be." I said absentmindedly not even knowing who it was for.

"Yes and she doesn't know that. She doesn't know how powerful she could be if she is transformed. Had she known it, she would be dying to become an immortal vampire. All these years, she only knows the emotional impact she can make on both immortals and mortals. She only thought that any slip of emotion would ruin everything and she was really doing great in controlling her emotions."

"Yes, indeed. But sir, pardon me for saying this, but I don't see the danger. Abby can just stay what she is. She can live 10 times longer than ordinary human life expectancy." If ever that time comes that Abby had to close her eyes, I would cease to exist. I would close my eyes and leave this world with her.

"The danger is not for now Paulo but we all know that danger lies ahead especially if we keep our guards down." He retorted.

I couldn't understand him. He kept on talking in riddles. The danger lies ahead? I repeated the same words in my brain.

"Armand –" He started.

"The leader of the coven in Germany who called themselves the Children of Darkness." I quickly recognized the name – a name everybody was afraid of. He was a 5000 year-old vampire who thought of himself as god.

"Armand had discovered how useful mortal vampires could be in his quest for power to rule the world but everything was too late for him."

"What happened?"

"He found out about it when he caught a half-immortal whom he thought to be human. You see, they could easily blend with other humans. He bit her and turned her into a vampire only to be surprised with the result. She became much stronger and keener than any vampire he had ever known. She possessed many gifts which he considered to be crucial for his quest. At first, he thought it was just her superpower but he didn't end there. Greedy as he was, he dug up and found out she was half-immortal."

"What happened to her?"

"He made her his wife. Rumor has it that he made a small army of half-immortals to search for female mortal vampires."

"Females? Why?"

"Male mortal vampires are venomous. He once transformed a male mortal vampire but he didn't succeed. Nobody could explain why there is a distinction of gender. It could be the genetic make up of males and females." I couldn't believe I could get all the information in one night.

"So this army – where are they?"

"Nobody knows. They are all scattered everywhere with a mission to find a female half-immortal and it isn't easy to find them as the whole community even though they are extinct. They have a scent that sweetly blends with human scent. Only another half-immortal who had years and years of practice with dealing with his kind can easily recognize it."

"That's why his army is composed of half-immortals themselves." I concluded absentmindedly and was too surprised to see that he was standing by the glass wall again.

The color of the sky has changed from bluish purple to pallid yellow. It was full moon. Everything was bright outside in every eye of a vampire yet darkness was engulfing me.

"Indeed. Only a half-immortal is strong enough to handle an emotional attack of another of its kind."

I had always thought and even made fun of myself that my life was surrounded by myths and superstitions which was enough to make a person dizzy. Yet, never had I imagined that such extraordinary story existed in my world enough to make an immortal dizzy too. I couldn't wrap everything I heard in my head in just one night.

"It is for you now to decide but decide well." His authoritative voice was back. "You might love her now but what about tomorrow? The next day? You might decide one day, coward enough to turn your back on her and hurt her. Apart from that challenge, you will not only be dealing with enemies Paulo. You will also have to deal with Abby when the time I dread the most comes. If you are not strong enough to do that, please let her go." He was saying each word under his breath but I squared my shoulders and said.

"I bet it with my life Sir." I wanted to say more but I couldn't. It was not because I was afraid of him but it was because I felt a lump on my throat that I couldn't say more.

It was a long talk.. a long and painful one. Everything that surrounds her was danger, not even me nor my family nor her father could sense the danger ahead.

I didn't want to think whatever it was that lay ahead yet I had to be prepared.

"I am counting on your word Paulo. If you turn back on your word and hurt my daughter, you will be accountable for that. I will track your scent in every corner of the earth. I hope you grasp that." He said dismissingly and extended his hand for a handshake. He was indeed an epitome of an authoritative man; a man full of courage and a loving father. I now understood why Abby looked up to her father and always look at him with awe.

It was not everyday that you could meet a man who could lay down his cards calmly yet with authority and achieve whatever goals he had in mind at the end of the day.

"You have my word Sir. Abby has my heart. Rip me into pieces but my heart still beats for her." I said sincerely but he chuckled. I knew right there and then, the hostility was over.