Chapter 36

I: Isaac began to jot down more information as the woman sat before him lazily glancing over his work. "Why did you overstep the boundary between human interaction and status? Was your reason valid, life or death, or unapproved?" He scribbled and checked a mark on the page.

"Why are you angry with her?" She asked with a smirk and he rolled his eyes and repeated the questions. "Ohohhh. She must be angry with You then. So? Spill it. I like the game we play hunter, I thought we were having fun. You know the rules. Answer a question." She said with her eyes glancing over his body as if he was a delicious piece of steak.

"Because I said some things to piss her off okay? Why did you overstep? You're the one breaking rules here, Andy. Not me." He stuck to the job, rather than tried to entertain her game.

"How did you piss her off?" She asked curiously and the look he gave her made her sigh heavily. "Fine! I did not mean to overstep, it was unapproved, but I did not have much of a choice. The human involved was going to die and I saved him. Is that nor good enough?"

Isaac wrote down her answer without responding. "Why did you cross the border to humans in the first place? Had you never have been there, whether this human lived or died would have been of no concern and consequence." Isaac looked up to her and she slapped the table with the palm of her hand.

"Listen asswhipe! I did what I could to save someone I happened to know when I was human. He was a great friend to me! I was not going to just let him die! Sometimes doing the right thing is doing the wrong thing. That is all. Now one of my questions. How serious did you become with this woman before she became angry enough to dump you for good?" She asked and then tapped her chest. "I can hear your heart change if you lie. It is one of my specialties." She chuckled and placed her hands under her chin.

Isaac sighed and stood from his seat. "I asked her to marry me. I placed the ring on her finger after we fought, and she took it off. As far as we are concerned, I can simply apologize properly and try to propose again when she is more willing to listen."

As Isaac prepared to take a break from the interrogation and leave the room the woman laughed. "If she truly loves you, then nothing would have stopped her form taking it off. It just means the relationship she shared with you, is worthless. As worthless as that ring. Don't lie to yourself hunter, I can hear it. You lie so much, that your own heart believes it." She warned him but Isaac ignored her and left. He went to grab a water from the cooler and stood on the wall with the other hunters who were working that evening.

"Jess is back, did you see? They were dancing all night like the world was going to end." One of the hunters said to him and Isaac shook his head not wanting to hear any gossip. "She was dancing with one of the hunters in her new group. Apparently, she has become quite the leader. I thought you two were going to work things out?" The hunter asked and Isaac hunched his shoulders. Isaac did not want to hear much more, so he left the wall and went to grab a snack, especially since his latest catch was going to make this a long night. He heard laughter as a group entered the Institute, and he saw Jess with a man. His arm was around her and they were standing close, smiling as if they were dating. Isaac didn't allow it to faze him. He wanted to speak, possibly give Jess the ring, but she didn't seem to see him. She walked into the cafeteria with the hunter and began to talk with him.

One of the other hunters began to gossip, and Isaac heard that Jess and this hunter had been dancing together at the club. Isaac knew that Jess was angry with him, but he did not understand why she had moved on that quickly, as if she truly wanted to end what they had built together. Isaac reached into his pocket for the ring, and he stared at it. She did take it off. She took it off, even when he had simply given it to her as a gift to show he was willing to do whatever it took for forgiveness. That he still wanted to marry her, accept her for what she was, and take her into his life without forcing her to change. But jess had taken it off, without a word. And she had moved on to another man. But Isaac realized, Jess had left him a long time ago. He just could not accept it.

Isaac placed the ring back into his pocket and turned away from the cafeteria. He didn't want to eat anymore. Isaac went back to the interrogation room and grabbed the arm of the vampire and she began to stutter in curiosity of what he was doing. He unhooked her binds and began to lead her out of the Institute and once outside he gently pushed her forward. "Go. Don't break the rules, or it won't be me coming for you next time." He warned and started down the steps of the Institute. Isaac wasn't sure where he would go, but he no longer wanted to pretend the Institute was his home anymore.

"Hey, wait! I can't get a ride? An Uber or something?" She stumbled after him and he hunched his shoulders.

"Bum a ride." He said then stopped. "Unless you want to go back there." He pointed to the Institute and she firmly shook her head. "Good luck then." He stormed off and went into the street to continue walking.

The woman stopped and looked around. "Maybe...we could get a drink? Or...maybe some dinner?" she asked but he kept walking off. "Oh, come on! I don't have any idea where I am! Are you going to just leave a defenseless vampire out here alone?! What did I ever do to you!" She yelled but he kept walking. "ASS-WHOLE!" She screamed to his back.

Isaac stopped. He turned slowly, and she gasped. He began to stomp toward her, and she backed away slowly, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her to him, and she flashed her fangs defensively. He stared at her fangs, and then sighed as he released her. "Fine." His voice was low and raspy. He needed to move on, just like Jess. "I could use a drink." He began to walk to the bar near his apartment.

"You drink a lot, don't you?" she whispered as she fell into step beside him.

Isaac felt the pain in his heart. He reached into his pocket and took out the ring and held it in his hand. "Lately, yes I have." he spoke quietly, as if in sorrow. He stopped. "You go on, have a drink on me." He lifted the ring to her to take.

"No. That's hers." She said quietly and grabbed the ring and placed it back into his palm. "Someday give it to her. If she ever wants it. Until then." She hugged around his neck and brought her face close. Isaac tensed up, leaning his head back from her, not wanting whatever she was trying to give. But then he stiffened as she stopped, a smile on her face. He sighed, and stood still, his muscles relaxing. She pulled him to her lips and kissed him, and Isaac tried his best to remain as solid as a rock.

His mind thought of Jess, the moment he kissed her the day before. He missed the smell of her hair, the feeling of her body, and the smile on her face. He had been dreaming of Jess the entire time she was gone, and now all he could do was hate himself for ruining it. Tears welled in his eyes, and he deepened the kiss as he imagined his sweet Jess kissing him again. He kissed her, kissed her more, and touched her face, touched her hair, and tasted her lovely lips. It was Jess. His Jess.

The kiss ended slowly, softly, and Isaac fluttered his eyes open. As if waking from a dream, he saw the woman in front of him and she was smiling gently at him. "Wh-what did you do to me?" His voice was lost, his lips bruised from the deep kisses.

"I gave you something, you simply needed. Maybe we can get a drink another time. Go back home, hunter." She softly kissed his cheek and walked away.

"W-wait." He called after her, but she was gone. Isaac pressed his hand to his face and stared into the darkness after her. She had invaded his mind, giving him a vision of kissing the love of his life. It was the most amazing gift he had ever gotten. A smile slowly crossed his face, and he turned back to the Institute filled with a feeling he had not felt in ages.

Gosh...what was her name again?

B: Jess and the guy talked about their lives and drank coffee. She had told him about Isaac and their fighting. He had given her advice. Kile was a good friend. She smiled and they got up and he walked her to her room. They said goodbye but before she entered her room, he stopped her. "Hey...um Jess....you...do remember...what...I told you right?" He asked with a red face. She smiled and nodded. "I won't tell anyone Kile, it is a secret I will keep for you." She smiled and hugged him.

She entered her room and smiled. Kile had told her he was gay and had a crush on a guy at the Institute but was scared. She sighed happily and went to take a shower. She let the hot water run over her aching body. When she got out, she went to get the ring Isaac had given to her. She panicked when she could not find it. Her heart raced and tears filled her eyes. She quickly dressed in sweats and a tank top and ran out of her room. She ran crying trying to find Kile or Amber. She could not go to Isaac and tell him she lost the ring he gave her.

But as her life goes, she ran straight into Isaac's hard chest. She stumbled backwards and cried out in pain. When she looked up and saw Isaac, she burst into a whole new set of tears. "OH! ISAAC! I am so sorry!!! I took the ring off so it would not get damaged when I went for a hunt and I....I LOST IT!!!!" She cried out. She was on the floor and she pulled her knees to her chest. She cried into her knees and shook violently.

Sure, Jess had been super angry with Isaac, but she knew deep down she loved him and never meant those words. But he just got to her sometimes. She cried as she sat there. She thought their love was over for good this time. She knew he would hate her for losing the ring.