Good Evening,
I'm sorry for any mistakes in this chapter.
This was recommended by lobalunallena.
I hope you guys enjoy.
Oxford Not Brogues
Chapter Two
Seras was on edge. She had no idea what to do! The small blonde sat uncomfortably in a chair across from Alucard and Sebastian who sat so casually on her couch in her flat. After biting her and her only getting out unintelligible words, the monsters had mystically brought her home. She had panicked for a good ten minutes straight before realizing that both males were already making themselves at home. She then spent fifteen minutes trying to get them to leave her apartment. But so far the males have only grinned at her and repeatedly told her that they weren't going anywhere. Eventually, she fell exhausted into her chair and stared at them nervously while they continued smirking at her.
"Why won't you leave?" Seras tried again, giving them a dark look.
"We like it here." Was Sebastian's smart ass answer.
"Leave," The girl growled.
"Not much of a hostess." Alucard snickered.
"She is being very rude and cold." The demon agreed. But not once had their grins slipped from their faces.
"This is my flat!" Seras barked and she flung out her arms. "I never invited you! Don't vampires have to be invited in before entering someone's home?!"
"That's a myth," Alucard corrected her.
"Well, still, it's rude to just enter someone's home without being invited in first!" Seras grumbled before she slumped in her chair and crossed her arms like a child. "Why do you both refuse to leave?!"
"It would be complicated for a human to understand." Sebastian waved her off, as if she didn't deserve an explanation.
"Do explain," The girl demanded.
"We've been apart from you for fifteen years." The demon attempted to explain. "Yes, at the time you were a child. So we had no choice but to stay away. But now that you are an adult, we can be of good company to you. We're not asking for you to jump into a relationship with us. We don't expect you to come around immediately or to even show us love or passion right away. And we're not expecting for you to lay with us. We just want to build trust with you. That's the first step and we want to work with you on trust as much as possible."
"That doesn't explain why you can't leave my flat." Seras grumbled while she glared at them. The demon sighed softly at the cold girl.
"As I said, it's hard for a human to understand. But…we can't, we don't want to. You're of age, we can finally be with our mate, and we intend milking as much time as we can have with you. We've been alive long enough to know how fast something good can vanish or be taken. We just want to spend that time, as much time as we can, with you." Sebastian explained.
"And besides," Alucard added. "If we were to leave this very minute, could you honestly relax?" Seras' brows furrowed at his question. "You may feel like you would be able to, but in reality you would just be worrying over when we will show our faces again. You'll be scared to walk around every corner or to enter a dark room alone." The vampire's grin widened. "But with us here, you can keep an eye on us. You know where we are at all times, meaning you can relax a little."
"That's it," Seras sighed before she pulled out her flip phone. Alucard and Sebastian's brows furrowed as they watched the girl dial a number before bringing the phone to her ear. Who in the hell was she calling? From where they were seated, they could hear the phone ringing. Finally, someone answered, and Seras pounced with this killer look in her eyes. "Get your ass over here now!" The girl barked before the person could even say hello.
"What?! To the manor?" Alucard and Sebastian could hear the person respond. Instantly they recognized the voice. It was Elena on the other end.
"I'm not at the manor, I'm at my flat!" Seras couldn't keep from yelling. "Get your ass over here!" With that, she hung up the phone and looked back at the monsters with a dark look in her eyes.
"What do you expect Elena to do?" Sebastian asked her curiously.
"She has no power over us, Seras." Alucard added.
"I don't care." Seras growled in frustration. She threw her gaze elsewhere while her arms tightened around her chest. "I just need to talk to her. I need answers from her." The girl then lightly shook her head. "What has she got me in to?" She muttered under her breath with a scoff. The two males glanced at each other in uncertainty. They knew perfectly well that their mate wouldn't welcome them with open arms. But it was getting colder by the second and the feeling of being at home was slipping away.
It took roughly twenty minutes for Elena to show up at the flat. Once that first knock came, Seras shot out of her chair and bolted for the door. She pulled the door open and was so fast to grab a tall brunette by her wrist and pull her inside.
"Hey!" Elena exclaimed as she was rushed inside.
"Explain that!" Seras yelled as she pointed at Alucard and Sebastian. The brunette paused for a second to blink stupidly at the males. After recollecting herself, she gently waved at them.
"Hey," She greeted them softly. In return, she earned a nod from both males.
"What the hell, Elena?!" The small blonde growled and she closed the door behind her. "You knew about them and you sent me to the manor on purpose?!" The brunette shifted her head to look back at her friend. Afterwards, she gave her a pathetic smile and a nervous laugh.
"I'm sorry?" Elena apologized quietly while rubbing the back of her head. Seras groaned and planted her face in her hands. "I was just trying to help." The brunette glanced back at Alucard and Sebastian curiously. "Sorry," She apologized to them as well. "I didn't really think that she would take it like this." The small blonde slipped her hands from her face to gawk at her friend in disbelief.
"How else was I supposed to take it?" Seras asked her. "I go to a manor that I think is completely abandoned; a manor that you sent me to. Fully trusting you, I go only to end up running into monsters." The small blonde then tilted her head to the side to show her friend her bleeding neck. "Alucard bites me! And they claim that I'm their mate!" She then looked the brunette over carefully. "Is it true then? Are you a vampire?" Elena gave her another small, pathetic smile.
"Well," The brunette drawled.
"What the hell, Elena?!" Seras yelled. "Were you just friends with me the entire time because they wanted you to spy on me?!" She asked accusingly while pointing a finger at the quiet males.
"No!" Elena quickly answered while waving her hands. "Seras, I swear that I was friends with you before I ever found out that you were their mate. I promise we were friends for a good year or two before Alucard and Sebastian found out that I even knew you. Please, believe me! You and I are such good friends; best friends! And I wouldn't have sent you to that manor if I thought they were going to hurt you!" The brunette then quickly shook her head. "They wouldn't hurt you, ever! I'm not saying these things to protect them or to even get you on their good side! I'm telling you the truth that you are the last person on this earth they would ever hurt! I knew how badly they wanted to just talk to you! They wanted to see you so badly, but they just wouldn't! And I didn't understand why! I wanted to help them and help you because you were looking for a good guy to be with! So, I made up that little bet! At first, it was to encourage Alucard and Sebastian to talk to you! To make them jealous when seeing all the guys that flocked to you! But it didn't work out as planned! You were too nervous talking to anyone; you were unapproachable because you were showing no interest in any guys! And Alucard and Sebastian wouldn't make a damn move! So I used the punishment of our little bet for you to meet with them! I'm sorry, Seras!"
Seras was quiet while she just stared at Elena for an entire fifteen seconds. The room was so silent and Elena looked so upset and almost heartbroken. The brunette was starting to believe that she had lost her best friend. The small blonde's eyes flickered about Elena for a moment before she glanced over at Alucard and Sebastian. The two males still sat on the couch, but were anxiously watching the scene play out in front of them. Crumbling under the tension and the sudden guilt, Seras sighed and dropped her gaze to stare at the floor.
"I'm sorry for yelling." The small blonde whispered.
"It's okay," Elena muttered. The two girls moved forward to hug. Seras wrapped her arms around her oldest friend's neck. "It's understandable why you're so upset." Subconsciously, Seras' eyes flickered back to stare at Alucard and Sebastian. They were still watching her, and it unsettled her. Unable to hold eye contact, she looked away.
"Elena," The small blonde whispered before she pulled out of their warm hug. Swiftly, Seras reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Elena and the two males watched her carefully as she started pressing different buttons on her cell. After a moment, her thumb paused and the small blonde curiously glanced up at the brunette. It took a second, but Elena felt a light buzzing and a soft chime that she got a text message. Hastily, she pulled out her phone and looked at the text she could only assume was from Seras.
Seras: How do I get them out of my flat?!
Elena frowned at those very sad words. She understood well why her friend was acting the way she was, but at the same time she couldn't help but pity Seras along with Alucard and Sebastian. Since the brunette was a vampire, she knew how important it was to find and keep a mate. She was cheering Alucard and Sebastian on, hoping they won over her human friend's heart. But Seras was only giving negative feedback to everything they were doing. How can she help make Seras realize that Alucard and Sebastian were good for her? How can she help her understand that she had found her soulmates? The small blonde stood there and stared at her, waiting for Elena to respond. But she didn't know how to respond to this. Where did she even start? Sighing, the brunette attempted to convince her friend that Alucard and Sebastian meant her no harm. So, she started typing away.
Elena: Seras, Alucard and Sebastian aren't going to hurt you. You really don't have to worry about them.
Alucard and Sebastian sat by quietly as the two girls texted each other back and forth. It was more than obvious that the girls were talking about them and didn't want them overhearing their conversation. It only worried them more and more that their mate wasn't accepting towards their company. They wanted her approval so badly; they were desperate for it.
Seras: But they scare me! How do I get them to leave?!
Elena: I'm sorry to say, they're not going to leave.
Seras: WHY?!
Elena: It's so hard to explain. It's a vampire/demon thing.
Seras: Please, get them to leave.
Elena: I can't. Staying here, it's like they're marking their territory; they're showing their dominance. Other vampires and demons won't dare come even close to this building when sensing their aura. And eventually, their scent will rub off on you as well, so you'll be protected by them even when they're not near. They're doing this to protect you, Seras. Just go along with it, please. Relax and try warming up to them. You don't have to date them, just be friendly. Pretend that they are roommates if that makes you more comfortable around them.
Seras: I didn't ask for roommates! And what's with this whole 'marking their territory' thing?! Do I have to worry that they're going to start pissing everywhere?
Elena: Vampires and demons don't pee. We don't have regular functions like a human. I just mean that their scent and aura will mark this area.
Seras: I don't like it! I don't like it at all! Make them stop!
Elena: They're not doing anything.
Seras: I don't want them "marking their territory". This is MY flat! And I don't want to bask in their scent either! I want them to leave! Please, how do I get them to leave?!
"Seras," Elena sighed. She clicked her tongue and lowered her phone to look at the small blonde in a disapproving manner.
"Is there something wrong?" Sebastian intervened, hoping to get some form of information about what was going on. But he and Alucard were ignored. Seras continued to text away.
Seras: Does holy water and garlic really work on vampires?
Elena sighed deeply when she received another private text from her friend. She glanced down at the message and couldn't help but snicker.
Elena: It depends on the vampire.
Seras: What about salt? I heard salt wards away demons.
Elena: Sometimes.
Seras glanced over at Alucard and Sebastian. They stared back at her with a concerned look in their eyes, but she was too busy plotting ways of getting them out of her flat.
"Don't, Seras." Elena warned her gently. The small blonde glanced up at the brunette. "They have been nothing but nice to you. They're being so patient and understanding. I get that you're human and humans have a different way of doing things, but…what you're thinking about doing is going to hurt them. And I don't mean physically. Please, just give them a chance and you will see that you are going to adore them. Give them a chance." Seras showed no sign she heard a word of hers. She calmly closed her phone and placed it back in her pocket before saying anything.
"Do you mind staying for a while?" The small blonde asked. "I really want to take a shower, but I can't…" She lightly gestured her head at Alucard and Sebastian, acting as if she was being subtle but it was more than clear she was talking about them.
"What do you think they're going to do?" Elena questioned her with a look of disbelief.
"Please," Seras begged of her lightly. "You may know them and you may be friends with them, but I have no idea who they are or what their real intentions are. Please, just stay here for a bit so I can take my shower without having to worry." The brunette rolled her eyes before tossing her phone onto the chair.
"Fine," Elena groaned.
"Thank you!" The small blonde exclaimed and then she bolted for her bedroom. She closed the door firmly behind her and went to go take a quick shower while her friend kept the monsters busy.
"What were you two texting?" Alucard questioned Elena immediately when they were alone. The brunette avoided eye contact with them while she lowered herself into a chair across from them.
"I would rather not say." She sighed in exhaustion. She lightly shook her head at her obnoxious friend and buried her face in her hands. "I really am sorry," She murmured a moment later. Her hands ran down her face and she finally looked at Alucard and Sebastian. "If I had known she was going to react in this way, I would have stayed out of it. But I just…I really wanted to help you both."
"Well," Sebastian responded as he glanced at the closed bedroom door. "At this point, who knows how Seras would have reacted in any situation. She doesn't appear to like us." Elena scoffed at him, folded her arms over her chest, and slumped in her chair. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Do you have an issue with what I said?"
"Yeah, you're an idiot." Elena replied. "You and I both know that mates are attracted to each other physically, mentally, and spiritually. It's basically impossible for Seras to hate either of you because you're her mates. The only reason why she's acting like this is because she doesn't know you, either of you. You both startled her at the manor and now she's having a hard time accepting and trusting you."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Alucard scoffed.
"I would say lay low; leave her alone and just go back home." The brunette answered with a wave of her hand. "But I know you guys, you won't do it, and I understand that. So an alternative would be to just become invisible. Don't get in her way, don't provoke her, and don't do anything that will startle her further. Just keep to yourselves and wait for her to come around." The girl then furrowed her brows before sitting forward in her chair. "Do you guys know when you bring home a dog or a cat? Normally, the pet can be a little frightened because the territory or the people are unfamiliar. It takes some time for the pet to get comfortable. If you're an owner, you don't want to rush the pet into becoming comfortable. You wouldn't chase it around trying to get it to like you. No, you would act rationally. Calmly go about your business and wait for the pet to come out on its own and get to know you when it's comfortable."
"You're comparing Seras to a pet?" Sebastian questioned with an arched brow. "Do we come off that we're trying to adopt Seras as our pet?"
"She's our mate," Alucard sighed at the brunette.
"I know!" Elena exclaimed in frustration. "It's just an example. I'm just trying to tell you guys to be patient with her; let her come to you all on her own."
"Then why couldn't you have just said that?" The demon asked with an annoyed look.
"That was far simpler to say than going on a whole tangent about bringing home a new pet." Alucard snickered. Elena gave a very un-lady like groan before dropping her head down in a defeated manner.
"This isn't how I imagined it going at all." Sebastian admitted. "There was a part of me that believed that…when we finally courted her, Seras would be…calm and accepting. I thought our presence or scents would naturally bring her tranquility, that she would just…know that we were her mates. I was terribly wrong."
"She's human, Malphas." Elena whispered, calling him by his true name. "Humans are so…cryptic. Everything they do, their actions, thoughts, and feelings are so…mysterious and unpredictable. She doesn't understand what you guys are feeling. She doesn't understand anything about possessing a mate or the connection of two souls. She has no idea what it's like being alive for so long and craving for that contact with someone who…understands you; who wants to be with you. You just have to be patient. Eventually, Seras will accept you guys for what you are, and she will love you both."
"Are you sure about that?" Alucard asked her carefully with an arched brow. No, Elena thought to herself as she slumped back down in her chair. Her eyes drifted away from their gazes, hoping to hide all feelings from them. She wasn't confident in the slightest that Seras will come around and accept them. But, Elena has been alive for three centuries now. She has seen so many vampires with their mate. Once two souls find each other, it's impossible to separate them. They love each other so much and can practically feel what the other is feeling all the time. Having a mate was a beautiful thing. But Seras…she was letting her fear get in the way of all of that. She was being blinded by her human way of thinking. Elena perked up then when an idea sparked in her eyes. Quickly, she reached beside her and picked up her cell phone. Alucard and Sebastian watched the brunette as she started typing away on her phone, sending another text.
"What are you doing now?" The demon questioned.
"I'm sending Seras a text; a little piece of advice. I'm just hoping she'll take it." Elena purred with a bright smile. She then clicked the send button. "Cross your fingers, boys." She chuckled before biting her tongue between her teeth. It wasn't long before she received a call from the small blonde. Grinning ear to ear, Elena flipped open her phone and brought it to her ear.
"What are you talking about?" Seras questioned.
"Your instincts are the reason why there's a wall between you and them. You're human, Seras. You naturally get scared when you're around them because humans are their prey. So, your instincts are trying to ward you away from them. If you ignore your instincts and go with what you're feeling, you will warm up to them; you will see that you actually like them." Elena explained to her.
"Yeah, but what I'm feeling is total fear." The small blonde corrected her.
"You're afraid because of your instincts." Her friend repeated. "Ignore your instincts."
"How in the hell am I supposed to ignore my instincts?" Seras asked.
"Do the opposite of what your instincts are telling you to do." Elena chuckled. "If they're telling you to run, ignore it and instead go towards Alucard and Sebastian." There was a moment of silence between them.
"You're nuts," Seras responded after a few seconds. The brunette couldn't help but laugh.
"Perhaps," She answered. "But, Seras, you have to trust me. I would never put your life in danger. From now on, I'm your instincts and I'm telling you to let your guard down."
"Didn't you just tell me to ignore my instincts?" The small blonde laughed. "So, do you want me to ignore you?"
"You know what I mean!" Elena giggled. "Just trust me and listen. Let your guard down." There was another few seconds of silence before Seras sighed.
"I'll think about it." She muttered a response. "I'm going to jump in the shower now."
"Oh, are you naked, right now?" Elena teased her.
"Elena!" Seras exclaimed.
"Send a nude," Her friend joked and that's when the small blonde hung up the phone. Elena burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, Seras!" The brunette called out, hoping her friend heard her apology.
"Will you please stop flirting with our mate?" Sebastian asked politely while both males gave her a disapproving look.
"I'm sorry; I couldn't help but tease her a little." Elena snickered while she closed her phone.
"Send a nude?" Alucard chuckled with a toothy grin.
"How vile," The demon muttered under his breath.
"Get off it," The brunette snickered. "It was a joke."
The three monsters sat there mostly in silence. Every so often one of them would open their mouth to say something, but not long the conversation would instantly die. Thankfully, about thirty minutes later, Seras emerged from the back of her flat. She was in fresh pajamas with a slightly damp head. Wet strands of hair stuck to her throat and her jaw, but she would simply comb her fingers through it to tame it. She was dismayed to see that Alucard and Sebastian were still seated on her couch as if they owned the bloody place. But she tried ignoring them. Instead, she gave such a warm and polite smile to Elena as she approached the brunette.
"Thank you so much for staying while I showered." Seras spoke. Elena rose from the chair, setting down a magazine that she had been skimming through for the past half hour.
"No problem," The brunette responded while stuffing her cell phone into her pocket. "I guess if you have any more questions, call me." Elena moved in to give Seras a small hug.
"Sure," The small blonde murmured, sounding uncertain as she hugged her friend back. All she could think about was finding out a way to get Alucard and Sebastian out of her place. But for some reason, Elena actually thought Seras was willing to try and get along with those guys. As if she knew what the small blonde was thinking, Elena frowned.
"Try," The brunette demanded before pulling out of the hug.
"It just…feels weird. It feels wrong." Seras admitted in a whisper as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know them. And I'm expected to just…get along with them off the fly? I'm supposed to act like this is completely normal?"
"In your world, this isn't normal. I'll give you that." Elena agreed with a light nod. "But in theirs, this is completely normal." She reached out to gently rub the girl's shoulder in sympathy. "You don't have to get along with them immediately or even fall in love. Just take it slow."
"This is crazy, Elena." The small blonde reminded her. "I can't do this."
"Well," The brunette sighed before she started to turn and head towards the door. "You're going to have to because they're not leaving."
"And if I call the police on them?" Seras asked as Elena opened the door.
"You think they'll allow a couple of humans to become between them and their mate?" Her friend questioned. The brunette glanced over her shoulder to give Seras look that was dead serious. "Alucard and Sebastian will slaughter them. And those people's blood will be on your hands because you wouldn't take my fucking advice and try to get along with them." Angrily, Elena slammed the door behind her as she left the flat. She was deeply disappointed in Seras for the way she was acting and for repeatedly hurting Alucard and Sebastian. She really hoped that the little human would come around and find happiness with those two old monsters. Until then, she didn't really want to speak to or see Seras for a while.
Seras stared at the door for a long while, almost as if she was waiting for Elena to come back in. She thought about going after her friend to apologize for her behavior. She knew that what she was saying was getting on the brunette's nerves, but…Seras was just so scared. Her terrified blue eyes flickered downwards to stare at the floor in melancholy. Why was it expected her to just…get along with Alucard and Sebastian? Because they kept claiming that she was their mate? It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. She didn't care if they were vampires or demons or whatever, and that their world was drastically different from hers. It wasn't right of them, of any of them, to encourage this kind of behavior. She shouldn't have to suddenly share her flat with two complete strangers just because they say so. How was she going to be able to do anything? How will she be able to sleep tonight knowing that they were holding down fort in her living room? What if they don't stay in the living room? What if they try things while she's trying to sleep? And what about work? She goes off to work and they'll do what? Stay here unintended in her apartment? Or come with her to work like children? What happens then? If someone even crosses her path, they will kill people? Seras shuddered at the thought.
Hesitantly, she turned to finally face the monsters on her couch. Sebastian was so entirely still as he sat there staring at her, almost looking curious. He showed no emotion but concern. A slight frown was on his lips. Alucard, however, gazed up on her with those deadly red eyes and a toothy grin on his face. He looked so relaxed with his arms spread out over the back of the couch and his leg crossed over the other. Seras took a deep breath of air that she slowly released out of her mouth.
"Okay," She whispered to herself. She was extremely nervous, but she was willing to speak with them as long as there was distance between them. Calmly, the small blonde seated herself in the chair across from them, keeping a coffee table between them. "So," She started and gestured her hands at them. "Your names, Sebastian and Alucard, right?" She asked and clasped her hands together before dropping them into her lap. Sebastian was so quick to notice how white her knuckles were becoming from how hard she was clasping her hands together. He could see her tremble every few seconds and could practically smell and taste her fear. His brown orbs flickered back to her face to see that she was trying to make an effort to get to know them. He'll take her offer. Politely, Sebastian smiled at her.
"Yes," He answered, earning a nod from the girl. Her gaze then lowered to stare at her lap. She frowned in discomfort as a minute of silence passed by slowly.
"Alucard…is…an unusual name." She started back up, but didn't dare look at either of them.
"Most people think so," Alucard agreed.
"How did you get it?" Seras asked. The room fell silent again while Alucard just sat there and grinned at her.
"He's Dracula, Miss. Victoria." Sebastian broke the silence. The girl jolted in her chair, but she only tried harder to avoid any and all eye contact with them. She shifted her head to look across her room at her collection of CDs and movies, acting as if she hadn't heard him.
"Does that frighten you?" Alucard asked her when she gave them no response. Finally, Seras peeked at them from the corner of her eye. She looked like she was in pure disbelief and like she might bolt at any second.
"You frighten me," She admitted after such a long silence. She slowly turned her head to give them her full attention. "But what you're saying is very hard to believe."
"And why is that?" The vampire asked in a deep purr. He lightly cocked his head to the side, showing his interest in her way of thinking.
"Dracula isn't real; shouldn't be real. He was just an antagonist from a horror story in the 1800s." Seras answered with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, even if he was real, even if you were him, he should be dead."
"And again, I ask you, why is that?" Alucard repeated himself. His grin was only widening more and more the longer she spoke to them. She was quite entertaining, though Sebastian didn't look so amused. He was only bothered by Seras' cold attitude towards them. Seras sighed as she gave Alucard a hard look for his multiple questions.
"He was killed." She answered. "At the end of the story, the hunters or the Crew of Light, whatever they may have been called, they killed Dracula; drove a stake right into his heart and freed Mina Harker's soul from the darkness."
"Yes, that would be the story you would have heard." The vampire chuckled. "Of course, the hunters were portrayed as heroes who came out on top or so some would have you believed."
"What?" Seras whispered with furrowed brows.
"The hunters didn't win that night." Alucard said simply. "I warned them not to get in my way, but they wouldn't listen. So I dealt with them, each of them, one by one." The little human looked sick to her stomach. She lowered her head to stare down at her lap, but it wasn't long until she closed her eyes. "I tell you this because I wish to be honest with you."
"Speaking of honesty, this isn't my true form." Sebastian spoke up. "I thought you should know that before you got too comfortable seeing me in this way." The demon looked his mate over carefully. She was seating so still. Her head was still lowered with her eyes closed so she wouldn't have to look at them. "You would…have to see my form one day. It's…required in order for us to mate." Their mate moved. She dropped her head even lower and ran her fingers through her hair before hiding her face in her hands. "And…" Sebastian continued. He knew what he was saying was only making things worse, but he couldn't stop himself. He needed to tell her everything; be completely honesty so there are no surprises in the future. "My name is Malphas, but…it's alright if you call me Sebastian. Most people do anyway," Eventually, his gaze lowered and he frowned at her behavior. "I'm also the Prince of Hell." He added softly.
She couldn't listen to another word of this. She couldn't sit there a minute longer listening to them go on about what they were. She refused to believe or accept that she was the mate of Dracula and the Prince of Hell! It was all rubbish! It was a pure nightmare! And she was hoping to God to wake from it. Without a word or even looking at them, Seras got up from her seat and walked away. The males instantly lifted their gazes to watch after her.
"Seras?" Sebastian spoke, sounding ever so concern. He was deeply upset that they were making no progress with her. What were they supposed to do? How long will it take for Seras to come around? The girl walked into her small kitchen and went straight for the fridge. They couldn't see what she was doing because there was a counter with stools blocking their view. But they stayed put on the couch. They didn't want to further upset Seras by moving about her flat without her permission. Seras wasn't in the fridge long. She grabbed what she needed and closed the door. Afterwards, she headed across her small open kitchen to one of the cupboards. She grabbed something from there and, leaving the cupboard door open, she came back to the living room. That's when the monsters saw what their mate had. She had such a fiery look in her eyes, a look that could kill, and that seemed like her intentions. In one hand she had a bulb of garlic and in the other she had a canister of kosher salt. So brave and yet quiet, the small blonde marched her way towards them and sat down in front of them on the coffee table. It was the closest Seras has got to them since their meeting at the manor. Seras set the canister of salt down next to her on the table. But as she leaned forward, she held up the bulb of garlic, silently threatening both of them with it.
In no way was the garlic harmful to either of them, especially to Sebastian, but they were greatly bothered. It stunned them that their mate was acting like this towards them. Was she so repulsed and scared of them that she would resort to physically hurting them? Even after they and Elena had told her that Alucard and Sebastian would never hurt her; that she was the last person on earth they would ever hurt? But here their mate wanted to hurt them and banish them from her flat. It stung them terribly.
"Leave," Seras said carefully as she raised the bulb of garlic. "I don't want either of you here any longer. I want you both to leave now."
"You don't understand," Sebastian whispered as he stared deeply into her eyes that only projected hate towards them. "This isn't the way it was supposed to go." He spoke a little louder while he tried desperately to understand what was happening. "You're our mate." Seras' fingers curled tighter around the bulb of garlic and the fury burned deeply in her eyes.
"I am not your mate." Seras corrected him in a growl. "That is sick and wrong! I don't belong to you; to either of you! I don't want to be your mate!" Misery swelled in both males' eyes. They looked…defeated and hurt, as if they had just been given news that a loved one had died. Such emotion came from them that it completely silenced Seras. And for a moment…she felt…sympathy. Perhaps even empathy. For a moment, she…felt what they felt. Slowly, guilt seeped into her being, filling her to the brim until she could no longer look at Alucard and Sebastian. Ashamed for the words she spoke, she lowered her gaze. And yet she questioned why she was feeling guilty. She had every reason to be upset and to yell at them for invading her home. She had every right to defend herself from them, the monsters who wanted to take her on as a mate. But yet, she couldn't help but feel…wrong for what she said. Seras…hated herself for hurting them.
"Why?" She breathed in confusion while her gaze drifted to look at the bulb of garlic in her hand. Hesitantly, she lowered her arm and hid the bulb of garlic under her other hand. Her head was racing. Her emotions and thoughts were scattered. What should she be feeling? Anger and hate? Or remorse and guilt for the things she had said? It didn't make sense to her why all that anger had switched to guilt so fast, like a light switch. She opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, but stopped herself. Why did she have the need to apologize? Who was in the wrong here? She was unsure anymore. She had a right to protect herself and her home. But…she didn't feel like a victim in this situation. She didn't feel…threatened anymore. Alucard and Sebastian had been sitting quietly on her couch for almost an hour now. They have been silent for a majority of the time and kept to themselves. They were monsters who dominated her flat, but yet she didn't feel like her life was in any danger. Why? Why was her guard slowly being let down? Were they tricking her into a false sense of security? Or was Elena right? Were Alucard and Sebastian not going to hurt her? Seras was so confused. She didn't know what to think or what to do anymore. So, she didn't say anything to them.
Seras set the bulb of garlic down on the coffee table and then she got up. She left them sitting there on the couch in her living room while she went back to the kitchen to make herself some dinner. She was quite hungry, but she hadn't realized from everything that had been happening. She was also quite tired, but she wasn't sure that she would be getting much sleep that night.
End of Chapter Two
I hope you guys enjoyed.
Oxford Not Brogues