Taking the Leap

Chapter 18

Edit- May 8th  Song of the chapter -Like to be you (Shawn Mendes & Julia Michaels)
Writer's Note- April 25
It's been a while since I posted, :( apologies.
As you all know this was an entry into the open novella contest where I made it into the third round, but no further. Thanks for all the reads, though.

I think I was supposed to finish this story before the contest period ended but if you won't tell then I won't. ;)
The story may be a little longer (1 or 2 chaps) than I originally planned for. It just be like that sometimes.
I promised a demographic update, but I guess I lied, it'll materialize in chapter 19.
Between this chapter and the last we got to over 1k reads (Wowza) and we're at around 1.73k. I never expected this story to be that well received. Thank you all for the comments, votes and especially the reads. I'll do my best to finish this story on a strong note.

~Xander~

"Really? A vampire?!" Achilles' asshole brother basically yelled.

I talked through clenched teeth, "Is there a problem with my being a vampire?"

Seeing Achilles' entire family together made me realize why he felt like an outcast. Achilles was gorgeous to me with his earnest brown eyes, slightly browned skin and his dark brown hair. He looked mostly white, but the shape of his face leant itself towards more Middle Eastern if you paid attention. He only looked less White if he was surrounded by a lot of White people.

But, Jim, Anders, and Harrison looked like they were out out of a Scandinavian story book. Anders was a blinding blond with sharp blue eyes and an aristocratic nose, complete with a thin-lipped sneer. He looked like a meaner version of Jim, who had more peaceable blue eyes, and was beginning to grey around his temples.

Harrison looked like a cross between Jim and Lily with the calm hazel eyes of his mother, and that almost white blond hair of his father. But, he and Achilles shared the slight sharpness in features of their mom.

It was hard to picture them all together because the way Achilles looked, it wasn't quite like any of them. He had his mom's brown hair and a similar face shape, but that was really it.

And, this whole disaster with Anders being so intolerant was only further highlighting the differences.

Anders was nearly snarling, lips pulled back in a way no human mouth could, "It isn't right. I bet you're just manipulating him. My brother's mate would never be some black, male, vampire." He said each of those things like they were equally as ugly as one another and I was completely taken aback that my blackness would be a problem. The fact I was a vampire and a man? Sure, I expected an issue.

But, "Does the colour of my skin offend you?" I shot back.

"Everything about you offends me." Anders stood up so fast his chair fell from behind him. "I don't care if other people are gay but my brother isn't. He's just..." Anders scrunched up his face, violently pushing his hands through his hair, "confused. He was confused when he was a kid. And, he is now. That's what it is."

Lily's voice was venomous, "I'd suggest you sit down Anders unless you want to continue making a fool out of yourself."

"Mom!" He yelled, glaring down at her.

"Sit. Down." Once Anders sat, Lily spoke quickly and sharply. "What your brother did, and is doing, takes a lot of courage." Achilles shifted uncomfortably, staring down at his hands. "Lee's— ah...boyfriend is important to him so we need to accept it. And there have been same-sex mates before, they've just never stayed in the Ashborne pack.."