41

Author's P. O. V.

"I still do not understand why you both did not marry each other officially," Grandma Ellie said as Zia looked at her wrinkled adorned face.
She was getting old but Zia being the vampire she was, looked the same as she looked 20 years ago.

"Why do we need to, Grandma?" Zia asked as she put the cup of coffee in front of her and took the *smoothie* glass for herself.

"I don't know how you got addicted to that red smoothie," her Grandma pointed out as she took a sip of her drink.

She had started to be sick, that's why Zia was in Mexico with her.

She missed Tyler, it had been 3 days since she saw him, he was busy in Alaska's castle with some newborn vampires and that place has almost no network!

Disadvantages of being a vampire! You can't stay in the civilian area.

"Does he face commitment issues?" Ellie asked referring to Tyler.

Zia's lips thinned, they were not humans anymore then why do they need to follow human rules?

Everyone's way of getting married was different, saying I do in front of God and staying together.

Saying qubool hai 3 times and staying together, taking 7 rounds around the holy fire, and staying together. Humans do it all but still, they break their promises.

"No Grandma, he is perfect," Zia said as she took a sip of the *smoothie*

"Then why don't you two Marry? It's been what? 20 years? Even the government acknowledges two people staying together for 8 years as married " Ellie said as she put the cup back on the tray.

"Grandma, it's me, I do not want to marry," Zia said taking the blame on her face.

She does not want to put a seed of doubt in her grandma's mind regarding Tyler. He got the love of a mother figure after longing for it for so long.

She cannot just blame him and separate a son from his mother.

As far as she knows, Ellie loves Tyler like her own.

"Why don't you want to tie the knot with him?" Her Grandma asked as Zia threw the empty glass into the dustbin.

"I..." She had nothing to say, Tyler kept her satisfied in every sense possible.

He gave her time, intimacy, and his unconditional love but at the same time, the man had a complex personality and the baggage of responsibilities of being the vampire king.

The last war with the reporters had him good, he decided to win over the realms again so no one gets to his beloved again.

He loved her so much but she missed him. The unrequited fights were taking a toll on her and their relationship.

"I knew I wanted the rest of my lips Fe with your grandfather the day he proposed me to be his girlfriend," Zia looked at her grandmother who had a small smile playing on her lips, she was looking at the photograph of their wedding.

The duo looked more than happy, a sad smile made its way to her lips, she misses him too.

"Then what is lacking in your relationship that you still haven't given it an official name?" The question took Zia's breath away, she knew something was missing between them but she could not pinpoint it.

Maybe because she never wanted to give herself the satisfaction that her relationship with Tyler was strained? Just after 20 years, they were kind of apart?

"There is something, I know too but you need to figure it out," Ellie said as she kissed Zia's forehead and walked back to her room.

Zia's eyes were fixed on her retreating figure as she went deep in thought, time flew but she did not even move not until her grandmother switched on the lights on the kitchen counter.

Zia was pulled back to reality as she straightened her back.

"Grandma," she said as she got up and helped her grandma walk towards the couch in the living room.

"You were to go shopping for groceries?" She said as Zia gave her the evening medicines.

" Oh my, I completely forgot," Zia said as she quickly fixed something for her grandmother to eat.

"You aren't eating?" Ellie asked as Zia came back with a coat

"I'll eat out grandma, supermarket is a little far from here," she quickly wore her coat and picked up the car keys.

" But can't you go tomorrow morning?" Ellie asked.

"You need to follow your diet chart, grandma, I want you healthy and fit," Zia said as she kissed her grandma's forehead.

"I'll send rose and you sleep on time young lady," Zia said as her grandma smiled

"Wait rose is in the town?" She asked as she realized Zia just took Rose's name.

"Yeah she is and I know how much you both adore each other," Zia said as she locked the windows.

She does not need anyone to break into her house.

"I just got her text, she'll be here in ten," she said as she walked out of the house.

Looking at the two men in front of her she dropped her hands to her side and walked towards them.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked.

"We need to be here," they said.

"No you do not," she said as she looked at them with anger-filled eyes.

"It's the orders of the king, we can't deny them," they said as they downed their heads.

*Why do you always do this to me Tyler?*

Anger was bubbling in her veins but she could not let it out on them, who the fuck is going to take her? Tyler won over every realm, they respect him, and they want to have good relations with him then why would anyone attack the vampire Queen?

And it is not like she can't fight for herself, yes in the human world her powers were limited, it was the part of the curse she found about way later but she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Rose is going to be here and I am out, don't let yourself be known to her," she said as she walked towards her car.

" But your protection queen?" One of the guys asked as Zia looked at him with an irritated gaze.

"Don't you dare follow me," she said to them before driving off.