The morning began quietly. Lukas was outside, watering the plants in the garden, his movements steady, his breath calm. Callum jogged along the fields, his uniform shirt damp with sweat, his stride sharp and disciplined. Inside, Adrian and Étienne sat in the living room, their voices low as they discussed the hospital, diplomacy, and the strange balance of their household.
By midday, the calm broke. Callum's parents arrived, their voices cheerful, their eyes sharp. They joined for lunch, sitting at the long table, the smell of bread and stew filling the air.
But before the meal, they noticed things.
Lukas avoided the silver knife, his hand hovering but never touching.
Étienne looked pale, his smile elegant but unsettling.
Adrian stood in the hall, writing random words and symbols on the whiteboard, his mind restless, his hand moving with strange precision.
The parents exchanged glances, suspicion flickering.
The meal began. Lukas carried a hot pan from the stove, setting it down on the table. The steam rose, the scent rich. But as he placed it, Callum's father leaned forward, his voice sharp.
"What is going on in this house?"
The room froze.
Étienne's smile faltered. Lukas stiffened. Adrian set down his pen.
Callum's father stood, his eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something. All of you."
The confrontation erupted.
Étienne moved first, his voice calm but edged. "Monsieur, please—"
But Callum's father pulled a UV torch from his belt, flicking it on. The beam struck Étienne's face, searing his pale skin. Étienne cried out, collapsing to the floor, his elegance shattered by pain.
Lukas lunged forward to stop him, but Callum's mother grabbed the silver knife from the table. She stabbed Lukas across the arm, then sprayed silver dust into his face. The burn was immediate, his skin blistering, his sobs loud and ragged. He fell beside Étienne, both of them writhing on the floor.
Adrian rushed forward, his revolver forgotten, his diplomat's instinct driving him to help Lukas. But Callum's father turned on him, stabbing him with a fork. Adrian gasped, stumbling back, only to be sprayed with silver dust. He sneezed uncontrollably, his body convulsing, his breath ragged.
Then came the final blow. The hot pan, still steaming, was slammed against his face. The burn seared half his skin, the impact knocking him cold. Adrian collapsed onto the sofa, unconscious, his face scorched.
The room was chaos. Étienne sobbed, clutching his scorched face. Lukas writhed, silver burning into his skin. Adrian lay unmoving, his breath shallow. Callum's parents stood over them, suspicion hardened into violence.
And then — Callum returned. Fresh from his shower, his hair damp, his shirt clinging to his chest. He froze at the sight: his parents standing over his housemates, weapons in hand, the others broken and sobbing.
"What have you done?" Callum's voice cracked, louder than ever.
His parents turned, startled. "We protected you," his father said firmly. "These men are monsters."
Callum shook his head, tears welling. "No. They are not monsters. They are my friends. They've never attacked me. They've protected me. They've suffered because of what they are, but they've never harmed me."
He knelt beside Lukas, helping him up, his hands steady despite his trembling. He lifted Étienne, whispering comfort as the vampire sobbed. He touched Adrian's shoulder, though the dhampir did not wake, his body still cold on the sofa.
"They are not what you think," Callum said, his voice breaking. "They are men. They are my family now. And if you cannot see that, then you do not understand me."
The sobbing filled the room. Lukas cried openly, his burns raw. Étienne wept quietly, his elegance shattered. Callum's voice trembled as he spoke the truth, his parents staring in disbelief. Adrian remained unconscious, his face half-burned, his body unmoving.
Hours passed. The parents left, shaken, silent. The house remained heavy with sobs and pain.
Adrian did not wake. He lay on the sofa, his breath shallow, his face scarred. Lukas and Étienne sat nearby, broken but alive, while Callum kept watch, his heart heavy with truth.
The house in the fields had survived the visit — but at a cost.