"I smell it," Rafe said softly as the phone was put away. Raphael could smell the blood, but he didn't react quite like Simon. He was used to that scent and his focus was on how the younger vampire was reacting. There was no blood lust, no running off, so that was good. He did notice how Simon seemed to slow down just enough so they were walking side by side. He made no comment and just looked around.
The questions about family and not age caused him to blink. "Depends on the age. Birthdate and Deathdate are two different things." He didn't tell his age though, instead he focused on the family part.
"I was the oldest son and my mama raised a lot of boys, it isn't bad memories." He let out a faint sigh as they walked. "I helped her raise my brothers." His voice softened as he spoke of his family since he really did care for them. "When I went missing...my mother tracked down a warlock to come find me. We lied to her, said I was like him so it would explain why I wasn't aging. I just couldn't let her know I had become one of the monsters who plagued our streets."
A hand came up and rubbed his jaw slightly as he allowed memories to dance in and out of mind. "Before I was turned the children in the neighborhood were going missing. Me and some older boys decided to hunt what was hunting us...I wanted to make sure my little brothers were safe. Me and my gang, well, none of us survived. Only I was turned-" His voice drifted off as darker memories surfaced. "But in the end, I was able to return to my family for visits. I still see them, the new generations."
A sad chuckle escaped him. "I was a vampire hunter, mijo. Not a good one it seems, though I killed the bastard who was killing children."