Spring had finally arrived in the city, bringing with it longer days and cool nights. The university was buzzing with excitement over the upcoming end-of-semester ball, and Kara felt a mix of anxiety and relief. After everything that had happened, she wanted that night to belong only to her and Alice — far from Rose's shadow and the dangers that still hovered over their lives.
In the dorm room, Kara adjusted her dress, taking a deep breath. Natalie sat on the bed beside her, trying not to look at the now-healed wound on Kara's neck — a silent reminder of Rose's bite and the blood from Alice that had saved her.
"Are you going to invite her?" Natalie asked, eyes filled with curiosity and concern.
"I already did," Kara said, smiling shyly.
"And she accepted."
A moment later, Alice appeared in the hallway, silent as always, but this time with a faint smile on her lips. Kara stood, approaching her slowly.
"So… you're really going with me to the ball?" Kara asked, trying to contain her excitement.
Alice nodded, still hesitant, as if every word needed to be carefully measured.
"Yes… but only because I know you want me to. And because… after everything that happened, we need a moment of normalcy."
Kara held Alice's hands, feeling the warmth that radiated from the vampire — a warmth unlike anything she'd ever known.
"I know we can't erase what happened… but I want you to know… that I trust you. That I'm with you."
Alice looked away, but her voice came out soft:
"I trust you too, Kara. And I want you to know that… nothing that happened changes what I feel for you."
Silence settled between them, heavy with meaning. Kara smiled — a timid yet sincere smile.
"Then let's enjoy the night. Let's leave everything behind us, at least for a few hours."
Alice finally met her eyes, her red gaze now barely noticeable in the soft hallway light.
"For a few hours… at least," she repeated with a small but genuine smile.
At the ball, music filled the hall, laughter and chatter mixing, and Kara and Alice found their place among the guests — far from Rose's watchful presence, who still lingered like a ghost in their minds. But there, in that moment, what mattered was the closeness of their bodies, the discreet touches of their hands, and the feeling growing silently between them.
"Promise you'll stay with me?" Kara asked softly as the music slowed.
Alice held her hand firmly.
"Always."
And in that moment, with the music, the soft lights, and the sense of safety, both knew that although the battle was far from over, they had found something stronger — a connection that neither time nor danger could destroy.
The graduation ball became a mark of a new beginning — a night where the shadows of the past blended with the glow of a future that, despite all uncertainties, promised to be shared.
After a few minutes at the ball, Kara felt she needed a moment alone. The loud music and colorful lights filled the hall, but she couldn't concentrate after everything that had happened.
"Alice… want to take a walk with me?" she whispered, discreetly holding the vampire's hand.
Alice nodded, and together they left the ballroom, walking down a dimly lit corridor until they reached the outside garden, where the cool night wrapped everything in silence. The stars glimmered faintly above them, as if witnessing a moment of calm amid the chaos Rose still represented.
Kara took a deep breath, looking at Alice.
"I… still don't understand everything that happened with Rose. How did it get to this point?" she said, her voice soft, filled with confusion and concern.
Alice sighed, looking down before lifting her gaze again.
"Rose has always been… intense. She always tried to control everything around her, including the people she considered hers. I tried to protect her, but she lost herself. And when you showed up… suddenly she felt like someone else mattered more to me than she did. That triggered everything in her — anger, desire, resentment."
Kara stepped closer, feeling the scent of the night and Alice's subtle perfume carried by the cold wind.
"So everything that happened to me… wasn't just out of malice?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Alice shook her head gently, her gaze softening.
"No. But it was dangerous. I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You became important to me… more than I expected."
"I still don't understand one thing…" Kara said, lowering her voice.
"When Rose bit me… why didn't I turn?"
Alice sighed, looking at her seriously.
"Because you have to die with vampire blood inside you first."
The sentence fell heavy between them. Kara swallowed hard, staring at her, unsure how to react. Alice sensed the tension and quickly tried to ease it:
"But relax! It's not like I'd ever let that happen. You're perfect just the way you are."
Kara swallowed again, her heart racing.
"Alice… I… need to be honest with you. I like you. I always have… since the moment we met." Her words trembled slightly, but remained firm.
Alice froze for a moment, surprised — then smiled, a genuine smile that lit up her dark features.
"I feel the same, Kara. More than I ever thought I would."
Kara laughed nervously and made a playful remark to lighten the tension:
"So… you've always liked women?"
Alice raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her red eyes.
"I've always liked… both. But it's never felt this intense before."
The tension between them grew — every breath heavier, every look deeper. Kara felt the heat of Alice's body near hers, and the entire world seemed to narrow down to those two figures alone in the garden.
Without warning, Alice leaned in. Their lips touched for the first time — a kiss burning, hot and urgent, carrying all the restrained passion, fear, attraction, and protective desire. Kara responded immediately, wrapping her arms around Alice, feeling every detail of the vampire's body — the coldness, the strength, the surprising softness.
The kiss deepened, intense and emotional, like the first promise of something both had needed for a long time. Their breaths mingled, the world around them vanished, and nothing existed beyond that moment — that heat, that newly discovered bond.
When they finally pulled away, breathless, their faces still inches apart, Kara whispered:
"So… that's it. We finally…"
Alice smiled, touching Kara's cheek.
"Yes… we finally did."
After the ball, the two headed to the new apartment Kara had rented. Between kisses and embraces, they lay down on the bed. The atmosphere had grown heated; Alice traced Kara's body with light kisses — from her lips, down her neck, trailing along her body in a way that made Kara moan.
The rhythm grew in intensity, but also in tenderness — a wordless, intimate dialogue. Between soft moans, shaky breaths, and touches that sent shivers through them, the two surrendered completely to the moment.
At the climax of their encounter, when pleasure blended with soft exhaustion, Alice moved her lips to Kara's neck, letting her warm breath brush the sensitive skin. Then, sealing the moment, she gave a gentle bite — almost an intimate signature — but pulled back, afraid of hurting her.
"If you want… you can continue. I don't mind," Kara said, touching Alice's lips.
"But Kara… are you sure? I don't know if I'll be able to hold back," Alice replied, her eyes glowing red, torn between desire and fear.
"I know you can. Come on," Kara said, brushing her hair to the side and exposing her neck entirely.
At that permission, Alice instantly sensed Kara's pulse — the fast heartbeat — the vampire knew Kara wanted it. Then, with a penetrating gaze and her fangs fully visible, Alice slowly sank her teeth into the girl's neck. Kara felt pain for a moment, but as Alice drank her blood, she became enveloped in a mix of pain and pleasure, wrapping her arms around the vampire's neck.
When Alice finally stopped drinking, Kara pulled her back into a kiss — even with Alice's lips stained with blood. They kissed passionately, and for Kara, it was a way of accepting the vampire's nature.
"I love you," Kara said, breaking the kiss with a smile, a little blood still on her lips.
"I love you too," Alice replied.
And that night, under the stars and far from the world's eyes, Kara and Alice sealed the beginning of something intense, hot, and unbreakable — a romance born from danger, trust, and the strength of their shared feelings.
The End.