Duke was inside Sasha's house watching a movie with her when she got a phone call from Gloria informing her about Katie meeting a powerful vampire. When Duke asked her to describe how he looked, a worried look came over Duke as he realized it had been his own father that the group had gone up against.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it." Duke cursed to himself as he walked back and forth in the living room.
"Okay look, he didn't kill anybody, at most, he only bruised them up a little." Sasha said trying to comfort him putting her hand on his shoulder.
"More like he was testing them. Of course he does something like this, I'll bet you more than anything that it was to get my attention. He wants me to go out there and find him and fight him myself. I almost want to take him up on that offer." Duke said as Sasha slapped him across the face.
"How...fucking....dare you even think of that. If you even attempt to do something like that, I'll stake you myself before you even try that. Duke, you're more than your father's son. I've known you these last few months to be kind, generous, and loyal to good people. People like me. Duke, I love you as much as my dad, heh, maybe even more. So please, be the man I love and listen to what I beg of you." Sasha said holding back her tears as Duke held her close.
After a few minutes, Sasha let go and looked at Duke wiping her eyes clean.
"You know, this does make me think, maybe we should tell my dad about you? You know, like really about you?" Sasha asked.
"What? No, we can't do that. Imagine how he'll think to finding out I'm not only not a foreign exchange student, but a vampire to add to it." Duke reminded his girlfriend.
"Yeah, but I've felt like such a jackass for not telling him sooner." Sasha said.
"Look, let's just ease into it and see how it goes from there." Duke suggested as they heard her Joe Sampson's truck outside. They both took deep breaths as he entered the house.
"Dad...uh, Duke and I have something to tell you." Sasha began to say.
"You and Duke finally ready to confess to me your big secrets?" Joe asked as Sasha and Duke looked confused.
"Wait, what?" Sasha asked.
"Well, I was a little curious as to why I hadn't heard of your other friends talking about other foreign exchange students not too long after you introduced me to Duke. So I decided to call your friend Gloria's mother Lisa and asked her about it. She of course, had no knowledge of it. So my next guess would be to try and ask one of your little friend's about him, but I knew they'd lie for you. So I looked to a different source, your friend Gloria's boyfriend and his family, the uh...Morelands. It was the first time I ever talked to Jacob Moreland and I'd like to meet the man in person himself some time. Now when I asked Mister Moreland about your boyfriend here, he told me quite the story and I can scarcely believe it myself. However after all these rumors and news reports I've been hearing lately, I think maybe it is true. So are you two finally ready to tell me your big secrets?" Joe Sampson explained then asked in great detail.
".....which is....what exactly?" Sasha asked trying to look innocent.
"Sasha, I know you want to play innocent. But don't for once think that your old man is a damn idiot. Now tell me: Is Duke actually a foreign exchange student?" Joe asked his daughter again.
"N...No daddy he's not." Sasha answered.
"Well, I technically am, but not in the way she first told you." Duke said.
"Okay now for my next question: Is your boyfriend a vampire? Because I've seen him in broad daylight." Joe asked.
"He's...he's only half vampire. His dad is a vampire but his mom was human." Sasha answered again.
"Good, now for my last question: do you and your friends know magic?" Joe asked.
".....uh....that is....yes, daddy, we do." Sasha sighed looking ashamed.
"Sasha, listen, I'm definitely not mad at you or Duke. But I wish you had come forward to me about it sooner. I still love you and I don't care if you have magic or don't." Joe said as he and Sasha hugged.
"Now as for you young man. I've got to say, you've been a real good influence on my little girl. I'm glad we finally know each other now Duke, if that is your real name." Joe smirked.
"It is sir, it's the only name my mom had in mind for me." Duke smiled as Sasha breathed a sigh of relief feeling better now than when they had gotten the phone call.
************************************
Miro arrived back at his lair, satisfied with his outing against the wizards and knew he'd given them a taste of what his true power was.
"My lord, may we have a word with you?" A female voice asked as Miro looked to see Wyatt's partner and hand, Kyra with Selene beside her.
"Kyra, isn't it? Donovan and Hannibal mentioned to me you had some good ideas in Wyatt's plan." Miro said as he poured himself a glass of alcohol.
"Yes my lord and Selene here has been mentoring me with spells and your history and that of the history of vampires." Kyra explained.
"She has come to learn quicker than I perceived. She has an extraordinary talent my lord." Selene complimented.
"I'm sure, now did you two have something to tell me or did you just want to suck up to me like some street vampire."
"No my lord. I've come here with a suggestion to something that I know has been troubling Wyatt." Kyra said.
"And what do you think that would be?"
"Wyatt and I will come across Duke quite a bit in school and he will always look to Duke as his rival now, and while he is a worthy successor, he is not your blood. Duke is your blood borne heir and he will always know that to be true. We both know anyone can do something to expose us by accident and while I reveled in watching Wyatt wrestle Duke, I know that if he used his vampire strength, he might've exposed us and ruined our plans. He wouldn't have done that, but it's a high possibility that he could have." Kyra explained.
"Yes, I too had the same fear. Now what exactly do you offer as a solution to this problem should something ever come up again?" Miro asked.
"Selene and I have come up with a solution: a blood ritual. Wyatt will drain his own blood and fuse it with your own blood, that way he will be your son by blood as well." Kyra explained.
Miro thought for what seemed like the longest time before answering the two.
"I will...think on this matter. Come back to me within the next hour and I will give you my answer. Before you go, let Ann in so I may...'speak' with her." Kyra and Selene both bowed to Miro as they left the room and let little Ann into the room who sat down on the side of Miro's chair whilst he sat in the chair and thought.
"Ann, did you ever believe Duke would follow in my foot steps?" Miro asked as Ann stomped her foot twice for 'no'.
"Do you think he would ever return to my side?" Again Ann stomped her foot twice for 'no'.
"He is not my son by blood, but Wyatt is worthy heir, right?" This time, Ann only stomped her foot once for 'yes'.
"You approve of him and Kyra now do you?" Ann again stomped once for 'yes'.
"Heh, it's been a long time since you approved of anyone that I liked as well. Tell me, should I enact the blood ritual with Wyatt?" Miro asked as Ann stood up and looked to her left and right deep in thought before stomping her foot once for 'yes'.
Miro smirked and nodded, even if she never talked out loud, Miro always felt comfortable talking to little Ann. Miro looked at the clock thinking of his choice. He also thought of personally mentoring Wyatt, as a father needs to teach his son all he needs to know.