2022-09-28 13:00:30The moment the team made the final touchdown that won us the game, my eyes immediately flew to the bleachers in search of Sofia. It was a championship game and she knew how much it meant to me to win it. I was looking forward to having my girlfriend run into my arms, congratulate me, having her lips press against mine. But I was only met with utter disappointment when I searched the field for her and realized that she was nowhere to be found. Instead, my mother was the one approaching me, carrying Abby in her arms.
"Ben! I'm so proud of you!" she cooed as she pecked me on the cheek.
Abby squealed out a string of cheers and yells that didn't really make much sense to me. I figured she was trying to imitate the cheerleaders, but couldn't remember the words, so she made up her own.
"Thanks, mom, and thank you for that very unique cheer, Abby." I looked around, wanting to see Sofia. "Where's dad and Sofia?"
My mother rolled her eyes. "Sofia left the stadium w
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A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 55
A cool breeze carried strands of my hair in the air as I took a stroll along the concrete sidewalks of the suburban neighborhood we lived in. I took in the familiar sight of row upon row of the identical-looking villas that completed the subdivision. I mused over how all the homes looked exactly the same on the outside, but were most likely radically different on the inside.Sometimes, that's the way it is with people. You think you can tell what they are based on the patterns that you see, but when you take a look inside, they're nothing like you expect them to be.That's how it was with Vivienne. Of course, I never really understood her. She was always cold and aloof toward me while I was back at The Shade. It wasn't that she disliked me. She just seemed indifferent, like I wasn't deserving of her time, nor was I deserving of Derek's.Then she allowed me a peek inside her mind by sharing with me certain select memories from her past, and I knew that I would ne
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 56
I was at the training grounds. Xavier, who had become significantly better with the sword after the daily training regimen I put him through, had just made a slice in my shoulder. My wound was in the process of healing when I was gripped by a sick feeling inside, accompanied by the urge to find out where my sister was."You do realize that the hunters and perhaps the other covens are now equipped with guns and not swords, right?" Xavier asked. "Why then do we have to learn to fight using these?" He raised his sword in the air as I straightened to my full height."Agility. Strength. The honor of looking your opponents in the eye before you wound them… Sword fights aren't for cowards." I explained, my mind still occupied by an urge to find Vivienne."Honor?" He raised one brow. "Is that what we call it now?" He positioned himself for another round. "Perhaps you mean horror."With my opponent poised for another fight, I backed down for the first time.
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 57
The first thing I noticed upon swinging the door open was the symbol of a hawk on Derek's back – right below his right shoulder. It was one of Vivienne's memories proving accurate and for a split-second, I stood mesmerized.It wasn't until he turned toward me that I realized what he was doing … what he was about to do … The sight of the blood on the neck of the unconscious young woman he had on his bed made my head faint with shock.My cheeks drained of blood as I leaned against the doorpost for support, my knees weakening beneath me. "Derek, how could you…" My voice trailed off when I saw the way he was looking at me – as if I were a ghost, a ghost that he loathed.A deep, heart-wrenching growl came from his lips and within seconds, he had me against his bedroom wall, his hips supporting my weight, his left hand gripping my right arm and keeping it pressed against the wall, while his right hand held my neck."How did you get back here?" he hissed, anger poisoning every word.It was a
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 58
Seated on the edge of my bed, waiting for Sofia to emerge from the bathroom, I wondered if she had any idea how much her words meant to me.You never lost me.It was admittance that after everything that happened, after everything she saw, she was still mine.It completely eclipsed what I felt over Vivienne's disappearance, something I thought ought to make me feel guilty. However, all I felt was a distinct sense of gratefulness that Sofia was back at The Shade with me. Not long before she arrived, I was hell bent on punishing her for being the reason behind my losing Vivienne. Now that she was here, everything inside me was screaming for a way to atone myself for the things I'd been doing since she left.The bathroom door opened and she emerged wearing a towel around her slender form, her long auburn hair still dripping wet. I caught my breath at the sight of her. Is she really so oblivious to the effect she has on me?"I can't find the hair dryer
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 59
Walking through the woods, along the familiar gravel pathway that led from the Sanctuary to the Vale, I found myself bothered by the things Vivienne told me – about how Derek was veering towards his dark side. I witnessed that first hand with the scene I walked in on upon my arrival. The conversation I had with Corrine further heightened my anxiety over Derek when she confirmed the things that he'd been up to during my absence – how he seemed to be gearing everyone up for war, the census, the ban from all further abductions and what that could imply… I didn't know what to make of all the things I'd been told and I felt unsure about what I was supposed to be doing at The Shade. What impact did Vivienne think I could have here? My eyes were beginning to moisten with tears as I looked up at Derek. I needed to talk about what happened. I wanted to understand him again, because the time I spent away from The Shade felt like a giant rift between us. "Where do you w
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 60
I was kicking myself in the head for being so overly dramatic. It wasn't like the hunters were going to take me captive and keep me from ever seeing my family again, but I knew that the choice I was making was going to break my family's heart. My next stop was my parents' bedroom. I snuck a peek at them cuddled in their bed, a reminder of how in love they still were with each other after all those years – something I felt I could never have now that Sofia had left me. I slipped through the door and snuck inside the room, careful to be as quite as I possibly could. I saw my dad's car keys above their drawers and took them. I took one last look at my parents and whispered, "I'm sorry."I then headed off to the car and made the drive to the airport. I had no idea where to go or what to do. All I had was a name and a number and I was prepared to fly to any destination I was asked to go to.Once I got to the LAX airport, I headed for the nearest coffee shop and ordere
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 61
When my feet landed on one of the boulders outside the fortress, the way Sofia's slender form was trembling in my arms was the first thing that registered on my mind.Her arms clung tight around me, both her hands gripping clumps of my hair. Her face was nuzzled against my neck, her erratic breathing hot against my skin. I leaned my head backwards to get a better look at her face and found her eyes shut tight with terror. She was biting on her lip so hard, I was afraid she might draw blood.As if everything about you isn't already temptation enough… The last thing I need is to get another whiff of your blood.I couldn't help but smile at how badly her knees were shaking as I placed her on her feet. She opened her eyes, her breaths raspy, as she took in her surroundings. When she saw the smile on my face, she let go of her death hold on my hair and pushed me on the shoulder with one hand. I chuckled, amused by how terrified she looked. That seemed to annoy
A Darkness Of Vampire Chapter 62
I raised the lantern Derek gave me over my head as we continued to climb to the top of the lighthouse. I found myself a bit confused and more than a little surprised. I thought I was imagining things, but I could swear that the hand Derek laid on my back was shaking.Derek Novak? Nervous? Will wonders never cease?As we neared our destination, I felt a mixture of dread and anticipation. It was obvious that this place held a lot of meaning to Derek and I was excited to find out why, but there was also a sense of foreboding that came with it, as if the lighthouse also housed something dark and disturbing.I was relieved – and out of breath – when we finally reached the top of the lighthouse. Derek, who was at my rear the whole time, took the lead during the last few steps. He retrieved a metal skeleton key from his jeans' side pocket and unlocked the arched rosewood door.His hand was already on the latch that would open the door, but he took seve
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Chapter 124
I nodded. He stepped in and I closed the door behind him. He spun around to face me. "Every single human in this building—me included—perhaps my daughter being the only exception—wants you dead." At that, I couldn't help but chuckle wryly. "So I've gathered." "The great Derek Novak. One of the best hunters the order has ever known…now prince of the vampires." King actually…I looked up at him…but then you don't really need to know that. "This thing you have with my daughter stops now. You can't keep using her for whatever reason you have for wanting her." "I'm in love with her," I said through gritted teeth. "I fully intend to marry her." "Marry her? She's mortal! If you loved her, you wouldn't deprive her of the future she deserves. You wouldn't deprive her of an education, a family, children of her own…" At that, I couldn't find a proper response. I'd been plagued by that thought ever since Sofia returned to The Shade. I knew I was being selfish with her. "Be straight with me
Chapter 123
I knew then that should Derek ever ask, I would willingly let him have my blood. The thought scared me, because it was a stunning realization of how much I was willing to give up for him. I drifted off to sleep for the rest of the flight, leaning my head on Derek's shoulder, hoping to escape everything through peaceful slumber. It was the sudden jolt caused by the wheels of the plane hitting the tarmac that woke me. My immediate instinct was to check out the window for the sun and I was relieved to find that it was dark. I knew we were in the US—that much I'd gathered from overhearing several conversations between the hunters, but where exactly in the States we were, I had no clue. I checked on Derek and found him unbuckling his seatbelt. "Hey, beautiful," he said before quickly looking away.Something about him felt distant and cold. I looked toward my father and wondered what he would have to say if I went to him to ask for blood to feed Derek. The prospect seemed insane. I grabb
Chapter 122
It felt like I was riding to my death. I was surrounded by hunters and I was willingly heading toward the last place any vampire should be. The hunters' headquarters.I could feel Aiden's glare burning through me. I knew that in his eyes, I was the enemy. In his eyes, I had brainwashed Sofia into loving me. I knew that he would do everything to take Sofia away from me. It's the way I would've thought had I still been a hunter. I clung to Sofia, driven mad by how much I was craving her blood. I swallowed hard as I pressed my lips against her cheek. I couldn't remember ever wanting anyone as much as I wanted her. The fact that I was in love with her only added to the heavy ache that seemed to permanently settle on my chest. No wonder Lucas couldn't keep himself away from her… Lucas. My jaw tightened at the recollection of seeing my brother burst into flames. I'd never liked him, but he was still my brother. Seeing him meet his end brought no satisfaction whatsoever. I found myself w
Chapter 121
Amidst all the bedlam surrounding me, I was certain of one thing and one thing alone. Claudia had reverted to her old mad and twisted self. I knew it the moment she attacked Sofia and sank her fangs into her neck. "What is wrong with you?!" I hissed at her after seeing her claws come out, ready to put me through another painful ordeal. "She's safer as a vampire than she is as the pathetic little twig that she is," she told me. "I was doing her a favor." She wasn't feeding on Sofia. She was turning her. I couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her mind. "This place is filled with hunters. Nobody is safe, you crazy bitch." Her claws retracted and she pressed her palm over my chest to keep me down. "You were going to shoot me," she accused. "You were sinking your bloody teeth into Sofia's neck. Of course I was going to shoot you." I pushed her away from me and was slightly surprised when she actually backed off. I searched for Sofia in time to see her pinned to a wall
Chapter 120
The moment the circular glass elevator stopped at level four, I saw my father rising up to his feet as he pulled a wooden stake from a vampire's chest. At the sight of me, his eyes widened. More questions than I could make sense of flashed through my mind at the sight of him. My mother was a vampire and my father was a hunter. It felt like my entire life had been a lie. However, I knew that I wasn't about to get any answers, because this was no time for teary-eyed reunions. War was breaking out all around us. As I stepped out of the elevator, I realized that my father had just begun to take note of the dress I was wearing and the blood on my wrists. He then saw Derek stepping out of the elevator right behind me. My heart stopped when I realized what it looked like. "Dad, no!" I screamed, but he was already pulling out a gun and aiming it at Derek. I immediately acted out of instinct and used myself to cover Derek. I was about to tell Aiden—who was running toward me—that if he ever
Chapter 119
I stepped away when Borys began to run his hand down my shoulder. Borys responded by using one strong arm to grab my waist and pull my back against him, holding me in position so that he could touch me any way he pleased right in front of Derek. I kept my eyes on Derek's, wondering if things would really end this way. I was grasping for any thread of hope. I wanted to be strong for Derek, but I had no idea how to do it. We were both too weak, too broken. When a soft knock interrupted Borys' shameless display, I could hear Derek sigh with relief. "What?!" Borys screamed. A guard entered. He looked terrified. "Your highness…" His voice trembled. "The boy…Ben…he escaped with the blonde vampire. They both left The Oasis…they haven't yet returned." I could feel Borys' breathing suddenly get heavy. His arms clamped around me so tightly, I thought he wanted to snap me in two. Instead, he pushed me to the ground and marched toward the guard. He grabbed the guard's neck. "How long have th
Chapter 118
Despite my tears, I laughed wryly. "It's you who's been brainwashed, Ingrid…or maybe I ought to call you Camilla…is there still any part of her left in you? Dad was right about you. You are insane. You left your own family to blindly serve this villain of a king." "You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know what my life was like. I loved Aiden. He was everything to me, and then you came along. I never wanted you, but I gave in to his requests for a child, because I loved him. You stole him from me." She was saying the words calmly, her eyes set on the bite marks on my neck as she proceeded to tend to the wound. The spite every word contained mixed with the calmness and affection by which she expressed them made her one of the scariest people I'd ever met. I couldn't begin to fathom how broken a creature my own mother was. I was certain, however, that even though I had been born of her womb, she was now a complete stranger. No more words were exchanged until she was
Chapter 117
Borys let go of her and the moment he did, she ran into my arms, tears streaming down her face. I held her tight, unwilling to let go, sickened by the thought of what she'd been through since she arrived at The Oasis. I didn't need to ask if she was alright or if they hurt her. It was clear to see that she wasn't. It was obvious that they had. "Get me out of here, Derek," she sobbed against my chest. "He's going to destroy me. Everyone here is insane. Especially my mother…" She knows. I shut my eyes, trying to find words to soothe her, wondering how on earth I was going to get her out of there. I could smell the blood on her neck. My mouth watered at the scent, but I was too mortified by the idea that Borys had already tasted her blood to even start craving her. "Sofia, I'm so sorry," was all I could think of to say. She shook her head. "You didn't do this." "I've failed to protect you so many times…" "Don't do this, Derek. Just don't. We have to get out of here—you, me and Ben
Chapter 116
I sat up on the bed and backed away from her. She reached out for me and I flinched when her fingers brushed over my shoulder. I glared at her, expecting to see the same glint of manic glee in her eyes—the same look she always gave me when she held me captive at The Shade. Instead, the look on her eyes was soft and pensive—practically moist with tears. "Do you love her, Ben?" "Love who?" I practically spat the words out. I was sickened by the way she was acting. I felt as if someone like her had no business talking about love. "Sofia…" I stared at her incredulously. She didn't have the right to talk about Sofia and I had every right not to give her a response. "And if I do?" I managed to say. She shrugged one shoulder. Her head bowed slightly, a mass of curls falling over her shoulders. "I love someone too. I didn't realize how much until I got here. I never should've left The Shade. I need him." I practically gawked at her. I had no idea who I was facing at that moment. Gone wa
