by Anna Santos
“We should talk about this when your friends aren’t here,” he said, looking behind to see if they were listening. They were too busy cuddling and kissing.
“You should have told me that they were going to be here.”
“I thought you would like the surprise.”
“On a normal night, I would. But we really need to have a serious conversation.”
“You have been jumpy since you got home. Your heart is erratic and you get uncomfortable around me.”
I knew he had noticed. He wasn’t easy to fool. But I had a good justification for my behavior. After I washed my hands, I made him step back so I could face him. “I have a really good reason for that.”
He blinked and then frowned. “Did I do something wrong?”
I folded my arms in front of my chest. “I believe you did.”
“What?”
“We will talk after,” I said, strolling my way back to the couch and sitting next to my friends. “Are you going to get back to classes soon?” I inquired, staring at Sebastien and interrupting their talk.
“Yes, tomorrow. Francesca wanted me to rest more, but I think I’m ready to go back.”
“We should probably get back home,” Francesca said, staring at her watch. “We have classes in the morning. This has been enjoyable, Sarah. You have to come and dine at my place some other night,” she proposed. I nodded with a smile. “It’s everything okay?”
“Fine. I’m just tired,” I said, getting up to accompany them to the door. “I’ll go with you downstairs.”
“It isn’t really necessary. We know our way out,” Francesca said.
“No, I want to make sure that you will be fine. And I want to talk to you, privately,” I whispered the last part lower. She just nodded.
“It was a pleasure,” Ewan said, coming to us to say goodbye to Francesca and Sebastien. He frowned at me. “Do you want me to walk you out?”
“No, just finish cleaning, please.” I smiled to reassure him. “I promise I’ll explain everything in a bit,” I said, closer to his ear. I kissed his cheek. “Now be a good boy and make me some tea. The herbs are over the counter.”
He nodded and I followed Francesca and Sebastien into the corridor. We walked to the stairs.
“What is going on?” Francesca asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you coming with us downstairs?” Sebastien asked.
“Well, because you are in danger,” I said truthfully, “and I need to keep you safe. So, hold on and try not to scream…much,” I explained, putting my hands on each other’s’ shoulder and teleporting us out of there to the headquarters.
“Oh my god!” Francesca squealed when we appeared somewhere else. She stumbled, holding on to Sebastien’s shoulder. He seemed puzzled, frozen eyes on me. “What has just happened?”
“Your life is in danger,” I answered, staring in Francesca’s eyes. “Relax,” I whispered, using my enthralling voice. “Relax,” I whispered to Sebastien, who let his body relax and slipped into the same hypnotized state as Francesca. “Follow me,” I ordered, trying to find someone in that place. I had no idea why everything was so deserted. Galvin wasn’t answering me either.
Finally, I found one of the guards.
“I need to get back to where I was. Could you please accommodate these two in a holding cell? A comfortable one and they can stay together. Give them extra blankets.”
The young man questioned, “Are they prisoners?”
“No, they are possible victims. I’ll be back to get them later.”
The guard nodded sternly, and I instructed Francesca and Sebastien to follow him and stay calm. They were at home in their heads. They were going to sleep and relax until I could come and get them back.
After, I got back home and breathed deep several times before facing Ewan again. He was beginning to suspect my actions. I had to end that situation that night. I was tired of pretending with him and I wanted Anastasia to pay for her cocky threat.
When I opened my apartment door, Ewan was waiting for me on the couch. He had a hot cup of tea on the table in front of him, and he looked thoughtful. I smiled to myself, staring at the boiling water, spreading the odor into the air. He must have inhaled the herbs’ aroma while making the tea. My plan was in motion.
“Are you going to tell me what is going on?” he asked.
I nodded and closed the door behind me, evading his eyes and looking at the floor as a scared and timid girl would do. Faking well was the key. “I really don’t know how to tell you this,” I said, sitting next to him on the couch in a rigid position.
Frowning, his voice sounded impatient when he spoke again, “What the hell is going on?”
“We can’t be together anymore,” I informed him, softening my stare on his face. “I thought about this and…it feels wrong. I don’t know how to explain it to you, but we have to break up. You can stay here while you find another place to live, but, tomorrow, I’m going back home and we won’t see us again.”
“That is not going to happen,” he said firmly.
It was my time to frown. “What?”
“I’m not one of your immature boyfriends. I have been patient with you and we had enough time to get to know each other, well. I’ve also invested too much of my time in you to let you go. We are a couple, Sarah, and we’ll continue to be so.”
Gazing at him, I perceived the calm and the certainty he had. Summing up, it was not up to me to decide whether we would break up or not. Since he didn’t want it, I had no say in the matter. That was mature of him, no doubt about it. It didn’t sound selfish, either.
Blinking to show confusion and outrage, I snapped, “I’m sorry, did you bump your head and lose your mind? Or do you think we live in the medieval age?”
Deep down, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy to get rid of him. As he had said, he had spent too much of his time and energy on me. As Anastasia claimed, I was his new toy. One more girl to add to his list and for him to fool. Rejecting him was not in his plans. He was the one who rejected a woman, not the other way around. Nevertheless, I had a plan.
Ewan retorted, “I don’t appreciate the sarcasm.”
“I don’t appreciate the possessive behavior.”
“I’m preventing you from making a mistake. Plus, you are being flippant about what we have together without any apparent plausible reason.”
I folded my arms with narrowed eyes. “I have a reason!”
“Then give me a valid one for us to break up,” he requested. “Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I don’t love you,” I answered with a serious face.
Ewan’s eyes narrowed as his eyebrows drew together. His lips were a firm line when his hands closed in fist over his legs. I must have wounded his pride because he seemed speechless for a while.
I leaned back in my seat as my heart pounded. I mumbled as an afterthought, “We barely know each other.”
His hand searched for mine, startling me. Despite what I assumed, his touch was gentle and his thumb caressed my palm. Husky words left his lips, “We know each other well enough. I poured my heart out to you the other night. You are as drawn to me as I am to you. Whatever she told you, it doesn’t matter. I’m yours now.”
I gulped as I lingered my eyes on him. “Was it a test and I failed?”
Tilting his head, he moved closer to me. “What was a test?”
“Her words and threats. She seemed…angry and willing to do anything to keep me away from you.”
Ewan tensed as his eyes darkened. “I followed you. I didn’t hear what she said. I assumed she told you…that we were an item and that’s why you want to break up and are acting cold towards me.”
I shook my head. “She did worse than that. Wait… You followed me? Why?”
“Why would you do that?” I asked, breathless.
“Well—I thought there was something wrong with you these past days. You are acting really strange.”
“How d
o you want me to act with all that is going on?” I asked, with a trembling and vulnerable voice.
He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “I know, darling. I know.”
Staring at our hands together, I sucked a breath and whined, “You lied. She’s not okay with us being together. It’s the complete opposite. She wants you for herself.”
Ewan sighed deeply, grabbed me under my arms, and made me sit on his lap. I let him. “What else did she tell you?”
“She said I wasn’t important to you. That you aren’t over Violet.”
“She said that, so you would break up with me. Violet is in my past. There is just you in my heart now.”
“She also threatened to hurt Francesca like she has hurt Sebastien,” I told him the rest since there was no more reason to hide it. Not that I was planning to keep a secret of what had happened. I was going to tell him, he just beat me to it. I was lucky he had followed me on a day that nothing out of the ordinary happened. Well, Anastasia had happened.
“Everything will be okay. I promise.”
“Why didn’t you do anything if you saw them there?”
“They didn’t hurt you. I wouldn’t have let them hurt you. I was also curious to see what you were going to do.”
“About what?”
“The lies she told you.”
I clenched my jaw. “She’s dangerous.”
He ignored my words and spoke with tenderness against my mouth as his hand caressed my hair. “Were you willing to give up on us just to save your friend?”
“Of course,” I said, pretending to be annoyed by his question. “I’m just a human. What can I do to her?”
“Honey, you should have told me. Breaking up isn’t the solution. I love you.”
“You also love her,” I said and he evaded his eyes from mine. I wanted him to react, but he just looked pensive. “Besides…she said a bunch of things, that…totally grossed me out.”
“You should have told me that she had threatened you.”
“What for? I’m tired of telling you that Anastasia is dangerous. You have a history with her and you don’t seem to understand what a psychopath she can be. She is obsessed with you. I don’t want to live fearing for my life.”
“You won’t need to. I’m going to take care of her.”
“Are you going to send her to her room again?” I asked sarcastically as I pulled him back.
“No. I’m going to have a serious conversation with her.”
“Of course, that will do the trick.” I breathed deep, losing my patience. “You had that before and whatever you told her, it didn’t work.”
“So what do you want me to do?” he asked. “She’s my daughter.”
“You two really need to see a shrink. She is not your daughter. You had one and you didn’t fuck with her, did you?”
He stared at me outraged. “What the hell are you saying?”
“Please, stop acting. She told me. I don’t care, really,” I declared, shrugging as if it didn’t matter what they had done before me. “It has nothing to do with me. You don’t have to explain it to me. She is pretty, she is not your real daughter and she is obsessed with you. She also said the nastiest things about you.”
“She…can be extremely possessive,” he mumbled as his fingers brushed my cheek. “Sarah, I’m with you now,” he said, hugging me tighter. His answer was everything but a denial of my assumptions. It was more an excuse for him to leave her behind. He grew bored of her like he had grown bored of me when I was Violet. “I want to start all over with you. I’ve missed you.”
“I’m not your deceased wife,” I grumbled, breaking the hug.
It was clear that Ewan was insane or truly remorseful for what he had done to his Violet. I didn’t consider myself his Violet anymore. I was a new and improved Violet. He could be regretful all he wanted. My heart didn’t feel any pity whatsoever. Anastasia and he were nasty beings. They were perfect for each other. I was a fool to keep craving revenge. It was retribution enough to know that Anastasia was making his life a living hell.
“I know that you are not my Violet. You are much more than that. But don’t be mad, sweetie,” he pleaded, taking my hands and bringing me back to his lap. “What I meant was that I will do my best to make you happy.”
“I won’t be happy if something happens to my friends. And if I don’t leave tomorrow, Anastasia will make her threat real,” I whined against his neck while he was cuddling my hair. Is he eventually going to do something to stop that bitch? He was getting on my nerves. “Why don’t you kill her?” I asked, unable to keep playing the good girl. I smirked mentally at my wicked question and stared at Ewan with puppy eyes. “It would be so much easier. She’s so evil. I don’t like her at all.”
“Kill her,” he whispered, frowning, probably surprised by my request.
“We can’t send the police after her. She is a vampire. Unless,” I stopped talking, pretending to be thinking about another solution. “If we could tell the hunters where she was and what she did, would they come for her?”
“I guess they would. They don’t tolerate when vampires take a life or try to take lives. However, don’t you think it is a bit harsh as a punishment?”
“It’s harsh because she’s your daughter or it’s harsh because you like to fuck her in your free time?” I questioned with annoyance, leaning back to look at him. He was about to say something when I pointed a finger at him and warned, “Don’t you even try to lie to me, she told me all about it. She even asked if I wanted to do…a ménage à trois.”
“With who?” His voice sounded angry.
“With her and that guy,” I answered, blinking innocently and biting my lower lip.
“What the hell,” he cursed and I felt when his body tensed as he clenched his jaw. “That twisted bitch!”
“Would you like better if it was me, her, and you?”
“Stop talking nonsense,” he demanded. His eyes were flickering between blue and dark. He wasn’t happy.
“It’s what she told me that you wanted to do,” I said with a fragile voice. Holding on to his shirt with both hands, I stared at his chest, pretending to be extremely sad, but just smirking mentally. “Did you really say that to her?”
“Of course not. I don’t share my women.”
“Your women?” I glared at him and he just smirked wickedly. “Fuck you!”
“There’s just you now,” he assured before I could get out of his arms. “Come on, Sarah, be a nice girl.” I was almost throwing up with his mellow voice in my ear and his breath on my face. “I’ve told you there is no one else. I love you. I’m trying to be a new man.”
“I have a feeling I wouldn’t have liked your old self. You’ve been playing me. Telling me some sappy story about your deceased wife and how sad you were about her death. In reality, you and your twisted vampire daughter have been living all this time together, and she actually said that you had a lot of other women after your wife was dead.”
“I was sad, not dead. Besides, there was nothing I could do about her death. I mourned her, I searched for revenge, but I couldn’t bring her to life.”
“And all that story about wanting to die, is it all bullshit?”
“Sarah, please stop talking about the past. I love you, I want to be with you. I don’t want Anastasia. I don’t want any other woman. Just you. So, stop questioning everything about my life before you. Tonight,” he said next to my mouth, trailing his hands down my back, “it’s about us. Tomorrow, I’ll take care of Anastasia. I’ll make sure she won’t even think about hurting you. Besides, after you turn into a vampire, you can take care of her yourself. Would you like that?” he asked huskily with shining evil eyes.
“Kill her?” I asked, surprised by his words. Is he serious?
“If you want. I don’t have any use for her anymore. She is a spoiled and annoying girl.”
“But you said you lo-ved her and she was your daugh-ter,” I stammered. It was surprising how easy it was for him to ge
t rid of his former lover. Just like that, he would even let me do it. I guess it was some sort of initiation ritual, get rid of the old girl by making the new one kill her. That was the real Ewan.
“When you said that I should kill her, I thought you were extremely brave. It pleased me a lot. I like it when you act so cold because of your feelings for me.”
I mused about his words. He thought that I wanted Anastasia dead because I was jealous of her and of what they had. I wondered if he had made the same proposal to Anastasia to kill me or plan my death. Silly me, of course, he had.
“You have no idea of the things I want to do to you right now.” He kissed the middle of my cleavage and slid his hands into the pit of my arms, so he could push my chest closer to his mouth. His kisses were needy and I felt his swollen crotch when I had to sit on his lap. His hands molded my breasts and he kissed me deeper. Things were escalating quickly.
“Just wait a bit. I need to know something,” I requested, pulling him back. He was high on lust and I gulped, cussing mentally. I managed to get out of his lap and stand in front of him. “How do we kill a vampire?”
“Cut the head or rip out the heart,” he replied and smirked. “I don’t think you have the stomach for it.”
“And that shows how little you know me.”
“She is faster and stronger than you.”
“I think you like the attention she gives you, or you would have left her a long time ago.”
“Anastasia was a gift,” he declared with a tired sigh. “A poisoned gift from my master to give to my wife. But since she came into my life, things went from bad to worse. Violet didn’t like her. Anastasia would tell lies about Violet and would make us fight. When she was older, she would end up naked inside my bed and teased me while I was sleeping.”
“That’s sick,” I whispered, disgusted. “You slept with her when your wife was alive!”
He shrugged. “She was young and a human. The blood lust would speak louder and we would fuck.”
“That’s extremely gross! How old was she?”
“Fifteen. But she was a whore. She watched her mom fuck guys for a living when she was younger. She grew up in a whorehouse.”