Chapter Text
10 years later…
The living room floor was a chaotic yet cozy mess—wrapping paper strewn across the floor, discarded ribbons draped over furniture, and presents stacked in lopsided towers. The sweet aroma of chocolate frosting and vanilla cake wafted from the kitchen, while colorful streamers hung lazily from the ceiling, remnants of the night’s festivities.
At the stroke of midnight on the 9th of May, Daphne turned fifteen. To celebrate, Alex and Henry had decided to throw her a quinceañera—an extravagant, joy-filled affair where she had twirled beneath the warm glow of fairy lights in a stunning blue ball gown. Her laughter had echoed through the halls, bright and unrestrained, as the people she loved the most and friends from school surrounded her. June, Nora and Percy had outdone themselves in preparing a plethora of food, a feast that blended English and Mexican cuisine. Beatrice and Catherine had flown in from England, while Ellen and Oscar had made the trip from D.C., all gathering to celebrate the young woman Daphne was becoming.
The night had been filled with laughter, music, food and more karaoke than anyone had anticipated, but as the dark stretched into late morning, the energy in the house also shifted. The feeling of the party started to evaporate, leaving behind a strangely different energy.
Daphne sat on the living room couch, thumbs tapping rhythmically against her phone screen, typing something on her phone, the clicking of her manicured nails over the screen being the only sound bouncing off of the walls. To her left, Alex was sprawled in an armchair, reading a thick book and Henry cuddled with David on another chair to her right.
“Papi, Daddy,” Daphne finally spoke. “Can I ask you both something?” She pressed her lips together as if to debate whether or not to proceed with whatever she has to say.
“Of course, my princess.” Henry said with a tilt of his head. “You know you can ask us anything.”
Daphne hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Why don’t you and Papi seem to grow older?”
Silence echoed throughout the living room.
Alex dropped his book and exchanged a glance with Henry, barely concealing their shock at their daughter’s question.
Daphne pressed on, undeterred. “Don’t look so shocked. I’m observant and I have been noticing things for a while now. Like how you both still look the same as you did when you first met me, and that was like, a decade ago. I mean, Papi grew a beard but he still looks ridiculously young. The two of you also never eat food, even during family dinners and my party yesterday. And when it’s too sunny outside, both of you hardly get out of the house, not even for a tan.” She exhaled, eyes flickering with curiosity. “I asked Auntie June about this once, but she told me that it was something I needed to hear from the both of you.”
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Of course she did,”
Henry cleared his throat and carefully nudged David to the side before walking to sit beside Daphne. “Well, you see, my princess, there’s a reason for all of that.” he leaned forward. “Your Papi and I, we’re not exactly normal people. We’re vampires.”
Daphne blinked, her lips parting slightly. “Come again, Daddy? You and Papi are vampires? Since when?”
“Yes, mija.” Alex confirmed, stepping forward to sit beside Henry. “We both became vampires since before we adopted you.”
Daphne frowned, the gears in her head clearly turning to process the information. “So, do you like…drink blood?”
Henry nodded. “Yes, we do. That’s the red liquid we put in our glasses every time we have dinners or even at your party yesterday. But it’s all ethically sourced from the blood bank and we put it in bottles that’s stored in a mini fridge right over there.” He gestured toward the sleek, silver mini fridge nestled against the kitchen wall. “We don’t exactly feed on animals or humans or anything like that.”
“But sometimes, we kind of feed on each other too.” Alex mumbled.
Henry shot him a sharp look before smacking his leg. “Not the time, my love.”
“Wait, wait,” Daphne said, holding up her hands. “So you guys also have sharp teeth? Like fangs?” She gestured to her own teeth.
Henry and Alex only nodded in response.
“Can I see?” Daphne said, scooting closer.
Henry sighed but obliged. With a subtle shift, he let his fangs slide down from his gums, Alex following suit. Daphne’s eyes widened as she took in the sharp points glinting under the living room’s light. She slightly jumped back but didn’t run. Instead, after a few moments, she leaned in again, studying them with fascination.
“Okay, you can put them away now.” she exhaled with a wave of her hands. “I also want to know if you guys can turn into bats? Or hypnotize people to make them do what you want?”
Henry chuckled, shaking his head. “No, my princess. No bats, no hypnosis. No garlic. And before you ask, no, we also don’t wear capes or sleep in coffins like Count Dracula or the vampires you normally read about in books or watch in movies.”
“So what do you have other than the craving for blood and the fangs?” Daphne asked.
“We do have heightened senses and strength.” Henry added.
“And the whole “immortal” thing,” Alex added. “Which is why we never get old.”
Daphne sat back against the couch, her brows knitting together as she processed the revelation. “So you’ll never die, then?”
Alex reached forward to take her hand. “Yes, mija, and it means that we get to be with you for as long as you need us. Even if it means forever.”
Henry’s voice softened. “We’re sorry we didn’t tell you any of this sooner, my princess. Your Papi and I are just worried that you might freak out and be upset, but the truth of it all is that despite us being vampires, nothing about how we feel about you has changed.” He cupped her cheek. “You’re our darling Daphne and you always will be.”
Daphne just stared at them with wide blue eyes and an unreadable expression. Alex and Henry both stiffened in their seats, fearing that she might scream and run away from them. But instead, she leaned forward and threw her arms around both their necks in a tight hug.
“You guys are so weird,” she said. “But there’s no need to be weird around me anymore.”
Alex laughed, wrapping around his daughter’s waist. “Wait, what?”
Henry chuckled, holding her just as tightly. “Does that mean you’re not freaked out or scared by us?”
“I have to admit that I did have my suspicions so I was a little freaked out, sure, but scared, absolutely not.” Daphne said with a shrug, pulling back to look at them. “You’re my Papi Alex and Daddy Henry and I love you both so much, human or vampire. Because at the end of the day, you guys being my adoptive dads is all that matters to me.” She leaned in for another hug.
The three of them stayed wrapped up in each others’ arms until Daphne pulled back. She just landed back on her spot on the couch before her brain buzzed with another question that she immediately needed answers to.
“So, can I ask you both another question?” Daphne said, slightly shifting on her seat.
Alex smiled. “You’re on a roll today, mija. Sure, what is it?”
“Well Papi,” she said with a cautious but curious tone. “I heard you call Daddy ‘alpha’ one time.” She turned to Henry, who was seated beside her. “And it sounded like…different. I thought it was just like a pet name you guys call each other, but the way Papi sounded when he said it, it was like important. What does it mean?”
“Oh, that is a whole different story.” Henry said with a glance at Alex.
“I’m willing to listen and learn.” Daphne said with a smile.
“Okay, so to keep it simple—I call your Daddy ‘alpha’ sometimes because it’s who he is to me. It’s like a sort of dynamic between the two of us.” Alex answered, trying to condense somewhat complicated information into simple explanations. “You know how in werewolf movies, they have someone called an ‘alpha’, who’s kind of like their leader—?”
“Yeah.” Daphne mumbled.
“Well, your Daddy has those traits, mija,” Alex said, reaching out a hand to lay it on Henry’s kneecap. “He has this instinct to always make sure that his pack—which is you and me—is safe and happy.”
“And you, Papi? Are you an alpha too?” Daphne said with curious eyes.
“No, mija.” Alex said, leaning forward. “I am what people call an omega. I’m the more emotional and sensitive person. I can be needy at times too.”
Daphne nodded in understanding. “So what’s harder? Being an alpha or being an omega?”
Henry chuckled. “I don’t know what being an omega is like but based on what I’ve seen with your Papi, both roles—or dynamics—have their ups and downs. It’s kind of complicated, my princess, but we’re here to explain it to you if ever you want to know more, but for now, that’s as simple as we can put it.”
“Okay, Daddy.” The girl stood up from her seat and went to give her dads another hug. “Thank you for explaining. I’ll definitely search more on this later but I kind of get it, thanks to that werewolf comparison.”
Alex chuckled. “Of course you’ll search about it.”
“You know I always will, Papi.” Daphne chuckled before pulling away and heading back in her seat only to whip out her phone and typing furiously.
“Feel free to ask us if you ever feel like the information on the internet is not true.” Henry said, staring at his daughter’s fingers fly on the gadget. “We’ll be happy to explain more to you.”
Daphne turned to him with a smile and gave him a nod before turning her eyes back to the phone on her hand.
—
The following morning after Alex and Henry explained the truth about their vampirism and dynamics to Daphne, she hit them with another question over breakfast, a question that nearly knocked the wind out of them.
“Papi? Daddy? I know I have been asking questions since yesterday but is it okay for me to ask another one?” She looked at them with wide blue eyes over her glass of orange juice.
Henry was the first to respond. “You know we would never tire of answering your questions, my princess. What’s on that pretty and brilliant mind of yours?”
Daphne drops her glass to the table and looks down at her hands, as if her manicured nails suddenly peaked her interest. “Er…how would you both react if one day in the future, I will ask either of you to—” she hesitated.
“To what?” Henry gently urged.
“To turn me?” she said, still not meeting their eyes.
Alex nearly spewed out the blood he was drinking back out into the glass upon hearing the question. “Come again, mija?”
Daphne simply shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, it’s only a hypothetical question. I just want to know how you guys would feel and react if I ever asked you to do that.”
Henry and Alex exchange a glance, clearly thinking of a proper answer to their daughter’s question.
“My sweet princess, look at me.” Henry said, a gentle command.
Daphne looked up at him, their blue eyes meeting, her bottom lip caught quivering between her teeth, a clear tell of her nerves due to overthinking about Henry’s possible answer.
“May I first ask you how this question popped into your mind?” Henry said with gentle eyes.
“It just popped in there before I went to bed yesterday,’ Daphne explained. “And like you explained to me, you guys are vampires and as far as books go and your own words, vampires are immortal.”
“Yes, mija, those are true but what does this have to do with the possibility of you asking either your Daddy or me to turn you into one?” Alex’s brain scrambled to catch up with the conversation at hand.
“I just mean, Papi, that you and Daddy both get to live forever with each other since you’re immortal and since I’m human, I’ll grow old and eventually….” Daphne’s voice wavered, her lips trembling as if she’s about to burst into tears at any second. “I don’t know, I guess I just thought of that to see if it could be my chance to be with you forever. I won’t make that choice now, but I might eventually, you know.”
Henry’s gaze softened at his daughter’s sincere answer. “Oh, my sweet princess, come here,” he said, opening his arms.
Daphne hopped off her seat and rushed to occupy Henry’s open arms. The moment she felt her dad’s arms wrapped around her like a cocoon, she allowed the dam inside her to burst and her tears flowed down her cheeks, leaving wet splotches on the fabric of Henry’s sweater.
“I’m sorry for asking that, Daddy.” she sniffled. “I just love you and Papi so much that I think I don’t ever want to see you both sad when…it’s time for me to leave you both.”
Alex stood up from his seat to go beside Henry and immediately joined in the hug. “Oh, mija.” he gently said, raising one hand to caress his daughter’s hair.
They eventually pulled away and Daphne wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “You didn’t answer my question. How would I react if I eventually ask either of you to turn me into a vampire?”
Henry grabbed his napkin from the table and used the tip of it to wipe Daphne’s tears off her cheeks. “Well, of course, your Papi Alex and I would be so shocked if you were to actually request that, my princess, like how we were just mere moments ago, but also—” He took her hands gently. “You gave us a valid reason why you want either me or your Papi to turn you. But at the end of the day, it will still be your choice.” Henry explained.
“Being a vampire is not an easy life, mija.” Alex said. “You observed us and so you know what we do. You’ll only drink blood, you won’t be able to go out and enjoy the sunshine and since you’ll be immortal, you could watch the ones you love die before you and that could lead to a very lonely and grief-filled life. Sometimes, it could be so lonely that you would want to wish death upon yourself, and that is something your dad and I don’t want for you.”
“Papi, I know about the no sun and only blood rule, but I don’t want you and Daddy to be alone forever.”
Alex was about to interject but Daphne gave him no chance to.
“I mean, how would you feel if Auntie June or Auntie Nora or Auntie Beatrice are gone? Nana Ellen? Nana Catherine? Me?” she asked, her questioning tone taking a somber turn.
“My princess, that’s why your Papi and I have each other.” Henry said, holding Alex’s hand in his.
Daphne took a deep breath. “That’s exactly my point, Daddy. I know you both have each other as company forever but even then, you will still need other people to check in on you. Call me selfish if you want to, but if ever the time comes that Nana Ellen or Auntie June or Auntie Beatrice is gone, I still want to be there for the both of you. I mean, wouldn’t it be nice if you would also be with me for a lifetime?”
“First of all, my princess, we would never call you selfish for wanting to be with us. Of course, we would love to have you with us forever, but we would not force you to do that if you don’t want to. The choice is still yours.” Henry said with a soft smile and a caress to his daughter’s hand.
“Then I’ll leave that choice to future me. For now—” she said, hooking her arms around Henry’s neck. “I’ll happily be your human daughter. Who knows, if future me makes the choice to turn, I’ll be your vampire daughter then. I’ll drink blood like you two which will be an interesting thing, ‘coz I’ve always wondered what blood tastes like.”
Alex and Henry slightly grimaced at the idea of their daughter drinking blood but they also smiled at the alternate idea of getting to be with Daphne for life, but they set the thought aside for the future and refocused their thoughts on the present.
“Mija, whatever choice your future self will make, we’re just happy and thankful that you chose us to be your dads despite the fact that, you know, us being vampires and all that.” Alex said, tugging Daphne closer to give her a hug.
Daphne nestled into Alex’s embrace, her nose nuzzled into the crook of her dad’s neck. “Papi , choosing you and Daddy to be my adoptive parents is the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life. The knowledge of you two being vampires is just a bonus.” she said. “I love you both so much and I wouldn’t trade the two of you for any other adoptive parents.”
“We love you too, mija.” Alex crooned, pulling Henry in for a family hug. “We’re sorry that you don’t have a mom, though.”
Daphne chuckled. “It’s fine because I have Auntie June, Auntie Nora and Auntie Beatrice. Plus Nana Ellen and Nana Catherine. They’re amazing mother figures to me that I don’t really mind not having a mom.” Alex and Henry just smiled at their daughter.
She soon pulled back to look at her adoptive dads with adoring blue eyes. “Also, isn’t that the coolest thing ever? I get to have two queer vampires as dads.” Daphne cheekily declared. “Ha! Take that, fantasy book authors! You’ll never be as cool as me, because I’m living the life y'all are simply imagining in your heads.”
Alex chuckled. “Ayy Dios Mio.”
“Now now, my princess, keep the tone and attitude down or else my future self might refuse to turn you so that we won’t have to spend our entire lifetime being annoyed by you.” Henry said, but his voice was anything but scolding.
“No, Daddy. You won’t do that.” She teased.
“Oh?” Henry said with an equally teasing smirk, Alex smiling beside him. “How sure are you that I won’t?”
“Simple. You love me so much that you’ll never be annoyed by me.” She crooned, dramatically batting her eyelashes at him.
Henry sighed, resigned to his fate. “Yes, I do, my sweet princess. I love you and your Papi so much that I could never say no to the both of you, especially when you both flutter your ridiculously long eyelashes at me like butterfly wings.” He pouted. “Seriously, where did you both get those obscene eyelashes? I’m so jealous of them.”
“We could always put fake ones on you if you want, Daddy.” Daphne said, continuing to flutter her lashes at Henry, who simply chuckled.
“No need, my princess. I’m quite happy with my natural eyelashes, even though they’re not as long as yours and your Papi’s.” he said, tugging both Alex and Daphne in his arms for another family hug.
Daphne pulled back slightly only to plant kisses on both her fathers’ cheeks. “I love you Papi.” One kiss to Alex. “I love you Daddy.” One kiss to Henry.
Henry and Alex both leaned forward and placed a kiss on both her cheeks. “We love you too, Daphne Camila Claremont-Diaz Fox.”
The morning stretched into the afternoon in a whirlwind of activity and by the time dinner was over, Daphne pulled the both of them to the couch for a movie marathon and they simply lounged there for the entirety of the night, David lazily snoozing in his dog bed behind the couch.
Their pack is truly unconventional—a vampire hunter turned vampire alpha, a human turned vampire omega, a cheeky human girl and a snoozing beagle—but it was theirs.
They had to get through a lot of challenges, heats and ruts to get to this moment—some more painful than the others, but even then, Alex and Henry were thankful for the tough and hellish road that led to this happy, peaceful and heavenly moment.
Now that Daphne knows about what they truly are, the possibilities of what could happen next are endless, but they chose to simply face it headfirst when the time comes.
For now, they chose to seize the precious moments of the night—the moment that they all get to live in a peaceful home as a happy pack underneath the shadows of the night, the streets outside only illuminated by the scarlet shade of a crimson moonlight.