Chapter ten

Huzziya gave a quick nod and a stake was at his chest.

They were so close to destroying him, so close to doing what I have tried so hard to avoid. I was so close to losing the man I loved.

"DON'T! I'll do anything!" I pleaded "Please! I'll do anything"

Huzziya grasped me tightly, holding a hand up for them to wait; I could feel the effects my struggling was giving him. I could tell he was enjoying this way too much. "You don't think I would have given everything to save Acton?" He asked shaking me slightly. "Don't you think I would have offered my own life to save his? I loved him!"

"And he didn't love you!" I shouted back. "He told me that you were a toy to him! That you were only a toy"

He shoved me to the ground and was on top of me. "I don't believe you" He hissed, his fangs so close they were scraping my nose.

"He didn't love you and you know it. You're only angry that I got to do what you wished you had the chance to do"

He shoved roughly against me.

"You're angry because I did what you didn't have the guts to do!"

"Shut up Nera" Huzziya said angrily.

"You're angry because you always dreamed you'd get rid of him. I know who you are!"

Suddenly, he was inside me in anger. I screamed as images of past nights came to me. But he was breathing right in my face and his scent suddenly surrounded me. And I knew what was going on now.

"You hated our maker just like I did!" I shouted.

Suddenly, all was quiet.

"How did you know?" Huzziya asked me.

I looked at Godric for a quick second, making sure he was still there. "I can smell you" I told him. "You smell like me. Like him. You are us. We are you. We all have his blood and you know it"

He shook his head. "You're lying. I am Acton's friend" Trying to take me off the path of the truth.

"No. You were so angry when Acton made me that you left. You felt as if he replaced you. Then, when you realised I had killed him, you were jealous because you wanted to get him yourself"

"You're lucky. You're so fucking lucky Nera"

I shoved him off me since he had been distracted. "I'm lucky? I am fucking lucky?" I asked angrily. "I was raped night after night you fucking bastard while you paraded free! I was raped! I killed him because he cut me. He cut me so much and he violated me"

He stared at me, still very angry.

"But yes. I am lucky" I said softy. "I got revenge. I got to kill the man that hurt me in so many ways. And then, I moved on. I made my own start and my own childe. I made a life."

He still didn't speak.

"You watched as my line expanded and grew, shrunk, loved and changed didn't you. You watched us"

He nodded.

"Why did you never approach? Why did you stay away?"

"Because you would have never accepted me"

"You had no right to assume that. As you can see, my family is all I care about; if you had of just come to me I would have helped you. I would have let you in"

I turned to my family and stood, Huzziya's hands letting me go.

"Release them" I ordered.

The men who were with Huzziya actually obeyed me and let go of my family.

Sophie's boys were by her side in a heartbeat, protecting her from the others. I had gone down to my knees now and shuffled to Godric, who was still on his knees.

I simply hugged him.

Huzziya was softly weeping for the loss of what he could have had.

"Leave Huzziya, I suggest you are out of this area by dawn" I said, still holding Godric. "Eric, help him up"

Eric hauled him up angrily, shoving him off to the side. "She said leave"

Within ten minutes, we were alone in the yard. "What's the time?" I asked.

"Almost dawn" Sophie said, coming up. "Will they come back?

"I don't think so... I think he'll be able to move on now... hopefully"

I stood and took her into my arms. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I asked.

She shook her head that was resting against me. "Thank you for coming Nera. I didn't think you would get here in time... but you did."

I took her hand and then Godric's and sniffed away a tear. "What did I tell you guys? I told Aisha and Ali too. And I'm pretty sure I've told you all" I said, looking at them all. "What did I tell you all?"

I had my arm around Sophie and my hand in Godric's. Eric and Pam were behind Godric and Sophie's boys were near her. I felt surrounded by my kin.

Godric smiled "You said that you would always be there for us. You said that no matter what we did, said or screamed at you, that you would always help us"

Sophie hugged me tighter for a second. "You said you'd always love us"

"And it still stands today. What I told you" I said.

We stayed together for a little while longer before Eric, Pam, Godric and myself left for Eric's home.

...

It was dawn, almost, the sun not quite up yet, we still had about half an hour before it arrived.

Godric and I were outside, in Eric's garden, watching the sky brighten slightly.

"Nera" he whispered, breaking the silence between us.

My stomach felt funny as I debated on whether or not what I was about to do was the right thing.

"I am sorry I ignored you for so long... perhaps if we... maybe you would not have been hurt"

I shrugged, sitting on the soft grass, inspecting my fading scars "I'll move on" I told him.

He sat beside me, uncomfortable and out of character.

"You still want to die?" I asked him.

He looked at me as I looked forward. "Yes" He whispered.

I nodded sadly, turning to him, knowing he was seeing my red tears fall. "I love you Godric. I have loved you for all of our existence together and I can't keep doing this... I can't keep lying"

He smiled softly, his hand moving to my cheek "Just as I have always loved you"

Then his lips were on mine.

After we poured our love and feelings into the kiss we parted. I kept my eyes closed for a moment, new tears running down my cheeks as I savoured the feeling of him connected to me.

"And I love you too much to see you... feel you... in this pain anymore" I admitted, standing sadly up.

More tears fell now as I watched him comprehend what I was doing.

"Godric. You are and will forever be my first and favourite progeny." I told him strongly. "From the moment I changed you, woke up in the ground with you, and taught you to feed, run, fly and even love, I knew you were a great, great man on every level. And this is why I know you will make the right decision for yourself."

"Nera..."

"I can't protect you anymore" I whispered "I know that now. I am sorry I ever said those words at the hotel but they needed to be done, I needed to learn my lesson and now that I have, I know I made a mistake"

He frowned.

"I love you with all my heart, being and soul Godric. So that is why I am letting go." I took a deep breath that rattled with emotions, tears still falling.

"As your maker, Godric" I whispered, my heart tight with fear and my mind screaming at me not to do this. I wasn't ready to lose him, but I now knew I couldn't live with him being angry at me.

I smiled slightly at him before looking back down at the grass "I release you" I breathed

He stared at me for a long moment before standing, red tears falling from his own eyes now. "Nera... My Nera..."

I shook my head "I love you. You will forever be my only true soul mate"

I took his face in my hands, kissing him deeply.

"Goodbye" I whispered, turning around and walking inside; away from the man that now had to make a decision.

Will he stay or will he go...

Please review! What do you think should happen!