Superpride

The next chapter should be available next week, specifically around Sunday or Monday. I'm sorry for the long wait, especially on a cliffhanger.

Considering that Portugal is next to Spain which is the country that colonized the Philippines centuries ago, there is definitely no surprise of where that sausage dish originated from. Thanks for sharing that, and thank you so much for reacting to all the chapters and my comments as well. You really helped boost my reputation even more which is getting me closer to 3,000. And if you're wondering, I'm currently working on the next chapter of this chapter, but there is no guaranteed date of when it'll be posted. Hopefully soon. 😀

And it's also assumed that he's the one who has been breaking into the town's grocery store and stealing from the meat section. This is definitely not another ordinary ghost story!

I have to admit that I never lived in a small town like Sweetheart, always living in the suburbs instead. However, I know enough from watching media and reading other stories that small-town life isn't always the comforting life that it promises. The fact that Kevin accepts his sexuality, might mean that his father the pastor is more open-minded with his beliefs even though his son keeps it a secrets, at least for now. And yeah, no one who is drenched in blood while carrying a severed human appendage ever comes back fully sane. And Cash and Ben need resolve their differences as well as their internal problems if there ever will be a chance for them to build some kind of connection.

Yes, Cash Monroe and Benny the Bratt certainly have more going on than resentment and regret, which all started when Cash stopped Ben for driving pass a red stoplight. And adding the whole Claudia situation, the reader can safely assume that isn't going to be a clean-cut relationship.

Yes, that West Virginia with the legend of the Mothman and the state that inspired the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver. And I wanted the small town and the setting of the story to I have a unique name, thus Sweetheart was born.

Yes, hopefully Damien isn't being played for a fool and can trust the two people who are becoming more important to him as the story continues. Thank you for your comments as always!

I will admit that a feud between vampires and lycans/werewolves isn't completely original with other stories like the film series Underworld portraying that conflict as well, but mine having a Greek mythological twist to it. And mirrors have an interesting effect on supernatural beings like lycans in this world, and you'll soon see what mirrors can do and reveal to beings like vampires.

The process of vampire transformation in this world is not completely explained yet, so who knows what Damien would look like if he decides to become a vampire which would be even more complicated since he'll have to watch his kids grow up and eventually get old, while he remains in the prime of his life. And maybe Will has a thing for older-looking men, who knows? Also, vampires were once revered as gods like in Greek and Norse myth, so a kingdom or some other type hierarchical term is probably the best way to describe their society which definitely contrasts modern societies like America. And that's so cool that you dissected Annabella's name to be of Italian origin, especially since Paul the Apostle was executed at Rome, Italy and maybe that is where he continued his bloodline, making both Annabella and Damien are Italian.

Yes, unrequited love can really suck, but Austin is still young and hopefully he can move on if the love is not returned. Also, I think you meant to say Damien's family, and if so, Damien's family problems are quite complicated, but not uncommon with a father trying to compensate for his absence by buying his daughters' affection and a son who has always been closer to his mother and holds some resentment towards his father. Also, thank you for telling me about the term "prince royal" from what I researched so far means the eldest son who will inherit his father's/king's throne. I'll definitely look more into it.

And thank you for your comment! Each one always encourages me to continue my stories knowing they are being enjoyed. 🥰

Sorry, I had to 😋

Yeah, Damien's family is going to need protection like what the king's knights are doing for Alexandra. However, with the whole conversation Damien had with Anthony about becoming the kids' godfather, I'm sure they'll have enough protection, especially if he uses his lycan form if the worst-case scenario happens. And it's true that Will's allegiance is more focused on his king since they have a history that spans more than century, but hopefully Will, excuse the pun, has a will of his own, and can make a crucial decision based on his own conscience when need be.

Hopefully, Austin finds someone else to take to the homecoming dance which shouldn't have been hard since he's the star quarterback of the team as mentioned in the first chapter, but maybe the unnamed male cheerleader was the only person he wanted to take. And it does seem that both Will and Alexandra are both omitting key information from Damien, and though it's possible that they are doing so for his protection, he's an adult and is more than capable of doing that himself.

“No. I’m not jealous,” Will said as he looked at me very sternly. I didn’t expect that answer, and I was about to ask why he thought that when he started talking again. “If you want to hear the truth, then here it is.” Will sat up in his seat and continued by saying, “I’m not jealous of Alexandra…but I am sorry for her. From what I’ve been told by my king’s knights, she became a vampire, not by choice, but because she had none.” Looking at Will, I relaxed into my seat and waited for him to continue. “Alexandra and your wife, Annabella, were somehow involved with a powerful vampire who wanted to transform one of the twins to become his bride while keeping the other twin as a source of blood. He basically wanted his cake and eat it too. However, something happened and based on buried documents, he attacked them and severely injured both of them. He was about to drain all of Annabella’s blood when Alexandra offered herself instead. What the vampire didn’t know was that despite being centuries old, he still wasn’t immune to the Sun and was lured to a window before Alexandra opened the curtains and burned him. “Both she and Annabella were close to death, and Alexandra knew that the only way she could save her sister was by drinking the dying vampire’s blood, allowing her to transform and have the strength necessary to take her sister to a hospital. I don’t know what happened after that incident like what caused the sisters to drift apart, but from what I gathered through my own research, the incident has caused her to devote her years as a vampire to researching the life of Jesus Christ and finding all evidence for his existence…which included the Holy Grail. “I can’t even imagine what she felt when she discovered her sister was murdered, at a hospital parking lot out of all places. But I think this tragedy caused her to focus all of her energy onto finding the location of the grail… Her intentions when she finally obtains it, I don’t know. I can only guess she either wants power…or a way to bring her sister back… So, back to your question. I’m not jealous of a woman who has lost so much in her life. And the fact that involving herself with your family could lead them to danger only adds to the sorrow that I feel for her. That was why I was hesitant to tell you of her existence, not only because of your safety, but also because I didn’t want to give her a glimpse of the life that she could’ve had, and then have it taken away from her. “Do you understand what I’m feeling now?” I looked at Will who had that same frown he gave to Alexandra earlier tonight, and I now felt like total shit for trivializing his serious emotions about me and her into simple, petty jealousy. “Will, I just assumed that… Well, it doesn’t matter what I assumed. I was completely wrong about what you were feeling and I’m so sorry… Maybe I should take you back to your place instead.” “No, no… You don’t have to… I forgive you, Damien.” Will placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Let’s just go home.” I nodded, and though I had many questions circulating through my head, I decided to let them go unanswered for now as I turned off the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition. I then looked at my house and wondered if my life would ever return to normal, a life that involved coming back from a late night at work and seeing my kids in their beds before kissing them goodnight and seeing the love of my life waiting for me. Now my life involved saving vampires and fighting lycans who were just tools to a much bigger threat, a threat that wanted the Holy Grail that could end the peace between vampires and humanity… God, I needed some sleep. I got out my car, and Will followed me to the front door. Locking the car doors, I then turned to Will who seemed to know so much of what was happening and wanted to ask him just one question. “Will. Before we enter my house, I just want to ask you one question and be honest with me, okay?” I said, reaching out and holding Will’s hands in my own. “Of course. What do you want to ask?” Biting my lower lip, I looked above the ceiling of the front porch, trying to find the best way to ask this question, before saying, “With me being a descendant of Paul the Apostle and my wife’s sister being the sole carrier of the secret location of the Holy Grail, I want to ask…was our first encounter outside the bathhouse a coincidence or…was you meeting me there planned beforehand?” Will furrowed his eyebrows and said, “What…no… I mean, meeting you there outside at the bathhouse was completely unplanned for… Why are you asking this?” Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “I don’t know. You always seem to have everything planned out, like during our mission to take down all those newly transformed vampires.” “Yes, but some things changed during the course of the mission, and I had to improvise. Just like when I arrived outside the bathhouse to locate and detain Clarence, I had to change my plans when I saw you there…” “I guess I just want someone who I can completely trust, okay? Alexandra says she can’t trust you because of your devotion to the king might cloud your judgement, and you say you can’t trust her in return because she might have ulterior motives to keeping the Holy Grail’s location a secret… I don’t want to be in the dark anymore. So, Will…you’re not keeping anything from me that might affect that trust, right?” Will nodded and leaned towards me before kissing me on the lips. “You can trust me, Damien. If there’s anything that you don’t know about, I’ll sure to tell you as soon as possible.” With our foreheads pressed together, I looked in Will’s eyes and said, “Promise?” Kissing me again, Will then said, “Promise.” I let out a breath, feeling the weight of all this drama and confusion being pulled off my shoulder. And I felt even lighter as Will and I continued to kiss right at the front porch, like a couple of teenagers after a date. This moment together, by ourselves, only solidified my belief that Will could be completely trusted and that all I had to do was lean on him whether I was uncertain and lost. I couldn’t believe we only first met around two weeks ago, but our connection, though rough in the beginning, strengthened so quickly. I really wanted Will to be in my life…and I wanted his body more and more as we continued to kiss each other under the porch light. Taking a step back from our kiss, I said to Will, “Do…Do you want to head to my bedroom and…?” Will smirked and quickly said, “That’d be nice…very nice actually.” I could feel my pulse increasing as I fumbled with the house keys, and after a moment, I was able to unlock the front door. I stepped aside, allowing Will to enter first. The lights in the living room were still on, and what I saw on the couch surprised me. My son and Anthony were sleeping in a sitting position on the couch with Austin’s head resting on my friend’s shoulder. On the coffee table was an old board game that I believe Austin and his mother played all the time when he was younger. The television was also on to a cheap action movie where the lead actor was dodging bullets with his martial art moves. The scene of my son and friend passed out on the couch was oddly adorable, and I thought I should just leave them where they were. But of course, I had to awaken them when I stepped on that creaky floorboard at the foyer. Anthony woke up first, and when he looked at me with squinted eyes, he quickly sprang from the couch which caused Austin to wake up as well. “Oh, Damien! You’re home!” Looking around the living room, he then said, “Austin and I were just playing a board game and then we watched a movie before we both fell asleep. The girls are already in their beds and sleeping as well if you’re wondering.” Rubbing his eyes, Austin saw me and said, “Oh, hey, Dad…and hey, Will. You guys okay?” “Yeah. We are… Austin, it’s still early. I thought you’d be at the diner with your friends,” I said. “Oh, I…I decided to leave early. That’s all,” Austin answered. “Anyways, I’m going to bed now.” Austin looked back at Anthony before going up the stairs. “Hey, Damien…do you mind if we can chat for a moment?” Anthony said, eyeing Will before returning his sights to me. “Oh, sure. Um, Will…” “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just go use your bathroom and wash my face,” Will said before walking away as well. Looking back at Anthony, I said, “What is it, Anthony?” “Well, Damien… It’s about your son.” Anthony said as he squeezed his hands together. “And before you freak out, it’s not anything serious… I mean, it doesn’t involve drugs or anything like that.” “Oh…good. Then what’s up?” I said and crossed my arms. “Well…you see…the reason your son, Austin, left the diner early is because… I don’t even know if I should be sharing this to you since—” “Come on. Just spit it out. I’m his father. I should know what’s going on in my son’s life,” I insisted. “All right, fine… Austin, your son, tried to ask someone out to the homecoming dance tomorrow, and he got rejected,” Anthony said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh…I see. Who was this person? Is she a cheerleader?” I asked, looking back when Austin was conversing with two of them after the second quarter. “You got the cheerleader part right, but…Austin tried to ask the male cheerleader out to the dance,” Anthony confessed. My eyes widened from that confession, and I quickly said, “The…The male cheerleader you said?” “Yeah… He’s really hurt, Damien, and I just thought that I would tell you about this since he’s also ambivalent about telling you about who he is… He thought that maybe if he got to ask this guy to the dance and he said yes, then he would have more of a motive to tell his father… So, I just thought that I would tell you now, and…yeah… So, what do you think?” I furrowed eyebrows and shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. My son tried to ask another boy to a dance. I very well can’t criticize him for having the bravery to do so since I’m myself is seeing…you know… I’m just wondering why he confessed all of this to you and not me.” “Don’t think too deeply about it. Austin sees me as his friend, and of course he’ll confide more of his personal life to a friend than his father… Just tell me you’ll support him regardless if he likes girls, boys, or both.” “Of course, I’ll support him. He’s my son. What kind of parent would shame their child for…well, maybe there’s a reason why he hasn’t told me… He knows that I don’t have the best relationship with my parents which is understatement since they basically disowned me when I tried to reestablish a relationship with them.” I sighed. “I guess he was afraid that I’d do the same thing to him.” “And you’re his only parent now, man. Having you possibly reject him could’ve been another reason,” Anthony noted. “Well, I won’t. I’ll never treat my son like my own father did to me. I’ll love him regardless.” Facing Anthony, I then said, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow and let him know that he can confide to me about anything, and hopefully he will… Thank you, Anthony for telling me this.” Anthony approached me and patted my shoulder. “No problem. I just want to help.” “Well, you helped. A lot…and because of that…I’ve been considering telling something very important myself.” Anthony furrowed his eyebrows. “Since I’m apparently a descendant of Paul the Apostle, and the only other blood relative of the kids is Alexandra who’s in endangering herself because of her knowledge about the Holy Grail, it would be stupid and also negligent of me to not think that something won’t happen to me in the near future and have my kids become orphans without any support... If the worst-case scenario ever happens, and Alexandra and I ended up unable to support them, I want to know that my kids will be in safe hands…. Will you watch over them, as their guardian, caretaker, or whatever you call it?” Anthony’s eyes were wide before saying, “I…I don’t know. But I can guarantee that you won’t be in the position where your life is threatened and—” “Please, Anthony,” I interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Just humor me, okay? If anything happens to me, and I can’t support my kids anymore, I want to be assured that they’ll be able to live the rest of their lives without having to worry about power-hungry vampires or rage-induced lycans… I want you to be the one who protects them and be there for them. And I know that’s a lot for me to ask of you, I don’t see anyone else who can take up the mantle, especially since you know my kids for so many years and they all love you… So, it’s less a question and more of an offer. Will you be my kids’ godfather?” Anthony looked down and didn’t say anything for a while. “I understand if you want some time to think about it. I know it’s a great responsibility and—” “No, no. It’s not that… I’m just…surprised that you trust me enough to take care of Austin and the girls if anything happens to you.” “I definitely trust you. The girls consider you an uncle, and you were one of the first people to hold them both right after they were born. And Austin obviously trusts the hell out of you. What you just told me being a prime example of his trust in you… I can’t think of anyone who can be a guardian to my kids other than you,” I admitted. Anthony soon looked back up and smiled. “Yeah…Yeah, I’ll take the offer of being their godfather.” I smiled back and pulled Anthony into a hug. “Thanks, man. Knowing that my kids are in your safe hands is a huge relief.” “And thank you too… Just don’t die before you put me in your will, okay?” I laughed and patted Anthony’s back before stepping back and saying, “Don’t worry. Annabella already included you as a possible godparent in the will, just needed your confirmation before I make it official.” “That’s great.” Anthony took a deep breath before proceeding to yawn. “Well, I guess I should go to my bed and get some sleep.” I yawned as well and said, “Yeah, I should too.” “Go ahead. I’ll stay behind and clean up the living room… Thanks again, Damien.” “And thank you,” I said in return before walking up the stairs and feeling another heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. I trusted Anthony with my kids immensely, and I have no doubt that they agree to arrangement as well. I just hope to the god or gods that I’ll stay on this Earth long enough for that not to be an option.