Saturday, September 23rd (3 weeks after werewolf encounter)
The night that we returned form the festival and club, Gregory had called an impromptu meeting with both clan leaders after everyone else had gone to sleep. He, thankfully, managed to convince the two vampires to play it safe with our possible werewolf infestation and wait it out.
Frederick was a little upset that his son didn't tell him sooner about this possible threat but understood his actions. Nobody wanted to cause a mass panic amongst the families when it was clear that the band containing at least one werewolf was just passing through.
Both Frederick and Cornelius agreed that they would have both clans remain within the castle grounds for 2 weeks. Once the set time had passed, they would personally check to see if the werewolf and his friends had left the area.
With the help of my brother, they dressed themselves in human disguises before flying off to the village and its surroundings to comb the area.
Both Gregory and Marcus wanted to go with, to ensure their fathers' safety, but both leaders told the boys to stay put and protect the clans.
It was such a relief when the two vampires returned with the good news of the werewolf's departure from the village.
After Frederick and Cornelius deemed the area safe once more, Maney and I decided to travel to the village for some daytime shopping.
Back when it was decided that we would remain on the castle grounds for 2 weeks, I had called Ollie's shop during my break at school to inform him of the bad news. I had told him that I, unfortunately, wouldn't be able to visit his store at the end of the week due to some urgent family business. I then asked him if he custom-made his jewelry and if he would be able to create a specific piece for me. He told me that he was able to accommodate my request and gave me his email so that I can send him some sketches of what I wanted.
The piece that I wanted created was a necklace from one of Tony's comic book characters, Lady Arachne. This character is a young mage who is betrothed to the king of the spiders, and Tony had used Anna as his model to sketch Lady Arachne. He had added a piece of jewelry to the sketch that I thought would be absolutely stunning on the little vampire girl. It was basically this gorgeous spider necklace that looked to be made of some type of crystal and had an ombre violet color to it.
Not many know this, but both Anna and Rudolph are fascinated with spiders. I had already contacted a handler and couldn't wait to present them with their two, new pet tarantulas on Christmas Day. But I also wanted to get them a gift that would last longer than the two spiders. So, I had an idea for a violet spider necklace for Anna and a blue, metal spider ring for Rudolph.
I asked Tony to sketch me both trinkets and sent them off to Ollie. Tony and I agreed that the two trinkets would be from both of us since I wouldn't have been able to create such an elaborate design.
Anyway, both presents were ready for pickup and, since we were given the all clear, I asked Maney to accompany me to the village to collect them. It all worked out since he also needed some more parts for his inventions. Once we had completed our errands, we decided to walk around for a bit. Maney and I picked each other's brains on what we should get the group.
…I know it's strange to already be thinking about Christmas when it's only late September, but I'm still extremely excited about my circle of loved ones growing and being able to lavish gifts on them.
Well…within reason, of course.
Mom was adamant about me sticking to my budget and still had me show her my daily expense reports. She was keeping me on a pretty tight leash with my spending but was allowing me to buy early Christmas presents.
Truth be told, I think that she was excited about spoiling Maney this Christmas…
Mom practically adopted him as her little brother and was fiercely protective of the young, redhead. I know that there is more of a reason as to why she feels so attached to Maney, but she won't mention a lot of her past.
Both my parents are pretty stiff lipped about their childhood…I think it's mostly because they are considered orphans in our society.
My dad was raised by his grandmother, who has long since passed away, while my mom…Well, I know that my maternal grandfather is still alive, but my mom says that he is dead to us. She absolutely refuses to speak about him or even mention his name.
It's almost like somebody saying 'Voldemort' in a Harry Potter novel.
But all of that is in the past now.
I finally have a large family to celebrate with. It's just been the four of us for so long that it'll be a welcome change to have more loved ones.
Speaking of increased family sizes…
I noticed Maney had stopped his walk with me to peer through the window of a popular toy shop.
I felt the corners of my mouth curl up in a small smile.
"Are you thinking of gift ideas for Lionel?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
Maney had become close to an orphan boy from Clan Genovese. His name was Lionel and he looked like a10-year old kid but was actually a 369-year old vampire boy. Lionel was the son of a vampire-born woman and a mortal-born man.
Before Von's death and Clan Genovese's new outlook on mortals, Lionel's mother had met and chosen her mortal-born soul bond over her clan. She had turned him into a vampire, but her pride refused to allow her to request reentry with her clan. So, the pair lived happily together by themselves for about 50 years before they welcomed Lionel, their small bundle of joy, into their lives.
The boy was only six years old when his mother and father were killed by hunters. Clan Genovese decided to welcome the small boy into the clan with open arms after hearing of their deaths and his narrow escape. It wasn't his fault that his father was mortal-born, and they didn't deem it right to punish him for it.
The members of Clan Genovese were nice enough to Lionel. They even taught him all about his heritage, vampire laws, and how to survive. But there was always a feeling of loneliness that seemed to follow the small boy like a black cloud.
Lionel must have sensed Maney's empathetic nature and understanding of that feeling of loneliness because he started following the redhead everywhere after Maney built the playground for the children back in early August.
Maney full-heartedly welcomed the company and showed Lionel how to build things and fix miscellaneous items around the castle.
It was sweet how fatherly Maney was to Lionel. It seemed as though their bond helped fill that void that was in both their lives.
The rest of Clan Genovese didn't seem too pleased by this new surrogate relationship but didn't want to deter Lionel from finally coming out of his shell.
"Well…since we were talking about Christmas and all, I thought it might be nice to get Lionel some toys that I used to enjoy playing with as a kid," Maney admitted with a blush on his face.
"Aw, Maney, that's a great idea!" I gushed at my 'uncle'.
"I thought so too, but…I only remember playing with this toy train at a charity function for the church," he further divulged with embarrassment and a bit of shame, "I had to quickly put it back when my mother spotted me. She was displeased by toys and my playing and said that my pretending was practically a pagan practice. That wasting time with toys was the way the devil sowed the sin of 'idle hands' in stupid children."
I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from remarking on how stupid his mother was.
"…What do you think about children pretending and playing with toys?" I questioned, trying to make him see how wrong his mother was.
"…I think it's just fine," Maney conceded with a small smile, "Kids should be allowed to just be kids…And I would like to help make this happen."
"Then we should buy some toys for the small children back home, don't you think?" I happily declared, "That way they'll have something to play with whenever they come visit us."
"Some toys?" Maney emphasized while turning to look at me with a glint of mischief in his eyes, "I say we buy all the toys for the group. We'll buy out a whole street of toy stores for them!"
I laughed at his enthusiasm before shaking my head.
"Maney I think if we did that then the toys would outnumber the amount of children the families have," I giggled out.
"Well…there are more families out there, aren't there?" He questioned with a curious tilt of his head, "They'll visit us one day and we can have a whole slew of toy chests ready for them to play with."
"…That sounds like a wonderful idea, Maney," I dreamily whispered.
Wouldn't that be something?
My family circle growing from more alliances with other clans.
There would never be a silent moment again.
…Oh, what a wonderful thought…
I turned to look at Maney and saw that he was thinking the same thing.
It's hard to remember that such a kind-hearted man never received the love of a family before.
I want to help make his dream a reality.
"Let's talk to my parents about your idea," I finally told him, "I've been put on a strict budget and can't go on a spending-spree like I did before. But I'm sure that they will excitedly jump at your wonderful plan."
"You really think so?" He asked me bashfully. Maney still wasn't used to receiving compliments.
"I know so," I honestly replied before we walked back to our bus stop and made our way back to the castle.
Saturday, October 7th
"Alright, there is a casserole in the fridge for you and Tony," my mom began telling me while slipping her diamond earrings in her ear, "Don't forget to heat it up at—"
"At 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes," I repeated back to her for the tenth time that evening.
You would think that this was the first time I've babysat Tony before with the way she kept pecking at me like a scared Mother Hen.
"We will both have our cellphones on us, but they will be on silent," My mom ignored my bored look and carried on with her fretting, "So, the theater's phone number is on the fridge. I'll make sure to tell the management at the front desk our locations in case you call, and they need to locate—"
"Dottie, this isn't Lucy's first rodeo and I highly doubt that this is the first time that Gregory has had to babysit his siblings either," my dad interrupted my mother as he helped her put her coat on to motion her out the door.
"He's quite right, my dear," Freda gently reassured my mother in a soothing voice, "Gregory has been left in charge of both the children and the clan before for extended periods of time, and everything has always turned out just fine."
By the amused look on their faces, I could tell that both Freda and Frederick were enjoying the show before their show at the theater.
"Mom, seriously, everything will be just fine," I told her as I helped Dad walk her to the door, "We're just going to watch an old, black and white, horror movie in the den while you four go enjoy your evening in the village. But you guys need to get in the car and on the road now if you want to arrive at a reasonable hour."
"You're right, you're right…"my mom conceded while letting out a shaky breath, "Besides, there will still be other adults in the castle, including Maney—wait, does Maney know about the phone numbers and how to reach us? Just give me one more minute to go—"
"Dottie!"
"Mother!"
Eventually we got our parents in the car and off to see the play in the village that everyone was raving about. They came back laughing and smiling as they told us what a wonderful evening the pair of pairs had.
And, to my mother's delight, everyone was safe and accounted for.
A good evening all around.
Saturday, October 14th
"I still can't believe that you got Runner Up!" Tony shrieked out in laughter.
"You can't believe it? I can't believe it!" Rudolph laughed good-naturedly alongside his best friend, "Do you know what a blow it is to the ego when an actual vampire gets second place in a vampire costume contest?!"
"I still say you would have won if you took my advice…" Gregory teased his little brother.
"Gregory, he was not going to go flying throughout the convention center and try to convince people later on that he was wearing a wire," I chastised the older vampire with an unimpressed look on my face.
"He would have won," Gregory reiterated.
"And I would have lost it if he did something so reckless," I commented, "Quit trying to get Rudolph in trouble."
"It's high time that he gets caught breaking the rules for once," he mumbled beneath his breath with a small pout on his face.
"Gregory, they are little brothers," I reminded him with a chuckle, "It's in their job description for them to cause trouble and for us to get blamed for it."
"…So not fair…" Gregory finally sighed out with a slump of his shoulders. His body showcasing a defeated stance.
We just all laughed at his dramatics before walking back to our meeting spot to wait for our parents. The kids had a wonderful time at the monster convention and all three had quite the surplus of loot to take back home.
They may not have been able to get their pictures taken with any of their favorite characters, but at least they were able to buy some fun merchandise to help commemorate the occasion.
What a fun evening this turned out to be…
Tuesday, October 31st
It was finally Halloween!
I was extremely excited that I was just 38 days away from the end of my first semester!
As much as I loved my school, I could not wait for my Winter Break that was coming up in about a month. My body needed the overdue rest from managing, well, pretty much everything.
I was constantly on the move and busy with balancing my time between my school, my family, my personal business responsibilities, my clan, and my clubs. There were a few times that I had to pull a couple of all-nighters to get everything done, but I felt as though I was still managing everything alright.
Gregory, of course, wasn't impressed when I sacrificed my sleep for work. He would make me sleep in on the weekends to fix my previously acquired sleep debt.
It should have annoyed me with how overbearing he was…but, truth be told, I found it endearing.
It was nice having someone on your side and looking out for your best interests…even if he was a bossy, demanding, sadist.
Sleep deprivation aside, my academics and club activities were going swimmingly. I had won a couple of chess tournaments these past couple of months and the student council was able to successfully host an October Fall Fair in the village. The student council and I had set it up to take place on the Saturday of October 21st so it wouldn't clash with any previous events the village was hosting.
I had convinced them to make it an evening fair. My argument was that some parents still had work and other daily errands on Saturdays. This would prevent these families from coming to our fair until after 6pm. So, it would make more sense to spend the day setting up our booths and tending to last minute matters beforehand.
The student council had agreed with me and set up the fair to start at 6pm and go on until 11pm. They were even more thrilled when I told them how our volunteers could enjoy the festival for free if they helped work the event. The council agreed that providing an incentive for the girls to volunteer would help alleviate the cost of hiring help to work the fair.
So, we started a list of three groups. First group would be the setup/cleanup group and the second and third group would alternate between working the event. I had suggested alternating groups two and three, so that our volunteers could have fun at our fair. I figured that there would have been an influx of people signing up for the setup/cleanup group if the volunteers didn't get a chance to go hangout and play with their friends.
It was painstakingly long and tedious, but I was able to organize enough financial revenue for appetizing Fall favorites, hayrides, pumpkin painting, corn mazes, and haunted hikes through the woods. I went with pumpkin painting rather than carving for liability and personal reasons.
Apparently, carved pumpkins outside your door does keep vampires away. They don't like the strong smell of pumpkin. Everybody reassured me that it wasn't as bad as garlic, as in it didn't forcefully repel them away. But it definitely was not a pleasant smell for them.
Freda had commented that the smell of pumpkin to a vampire had the same effect of morning sickness to a human. It made them extremely nauseous and dampened the mood.
So, if I wanted my vampire friends to enjoy my school's fair with me, then I had no choice but to convince the group to nix the tradition of pumpkin carving.
It wasn't such a feat since, as I stated earlier, there were liability issues that came with pumpkin carving. Liabilities and lawsuits that my school was more than happy to avoid in favor of a safe, family-friendly alternative.
Evelyn was quite impressed by my ingenuity of hosting these activities with local village businesses. This alliance allowed the village to drum up more business profits for their shops and created a friendly atmosphere with the school.
Not to mention further income for future school activities and events.
The all-boys school was so impressed with our success that they branched out to the headmistress for a partnership with our upcoming Winter Festival. She told them that she would allow us to take a vote on the matter. But we all knew that we were going to agree to the collaboration. After all, more partners meant more financial opportunities.
Everything seemed to be looking up.
Which led us to this wonderful Halloween evening.
The student council wanted to go celebrate our success at the village's 'Street Treat'. It was basically street vendors and shops handing out candy to children dressed up in costumes on Halloween. They were also going to have delicious food and music at the event as well.
The girls wanted to go celebrate and enjoy the fun atmosphere. I wasn't too keen on it, mainly because it was a school night, but figured that it would be in my best interest to remain sociable and make an appearance.
I was currently dressed in an old wedding dress with fake blood stains. My hands held onto my prop. It was a fake, bloody axe that Tony had created. Anna had also helped me with my overall look and made make my make-up look scary and demented. It was basically just blood spatter, smudged lipstick, and ruined mascara from my 'tear-stains'.
All in all, I looked like a realistic, homicidal bride.
Too bad only Tony and I could go out tonight.
Freda and Frederick said that they needed to refocus on helping Clan Genovese collect their belongings from their safe houses. Apparently, the werewolf scare had distracted both the clans from finding the Genoveses a new lair and obtaining their hidden belongings.
All three of the Sackville-Bagg children also had prior engagements as well.
Rudolph said that he was helping Anna with her website that she posted her poetry and short stories on. While Gregory said that he had a pile of term papers that he had to edit and send off.
It just…sucked (pun intended) that our friends couldn't come out on the one night that they don't have to disguise themselves.
I let out another sigh as I watched Maney fiddle around with a project on his workbench.
"Still upset that you can't think of a nice present for Gregory?" Maney off-handedly commented without looking up from his work.
"It's just so frustrating," I admitted while slumping to the work bench, "I can buy him an iTunes gift card for his music and some books that I know he'll like, but it just doesn't feel…"
"Doesn't feel thoughtful enough," Maney supplied with a nod of his head.
"What about you? Have you decided what you are going to get Lionel?" I asked him.
"…No," Maney sighed out with a look, "I mean, I got him some books, a toy train, and some tools that I know he'll like, but…I still want to make something for him. He's such a good kid and I would like to give him a reminder that he isn't alone in this world."
"Why not go down to Ollie's shop and see if you can find a piece of jewelry that fits your requirements?" I asked him when a light bulb went off in my mind, "You can even engrave something on a necklace for him—Oh! Or you can get him a matching silver ring!"
I held up his left hand that had a small, silver band on his thumb. Maney had said that it was the last gift his mother gave him and told him that it belonged to his father. She had told him that his father was a great man and she hoped that he would become a great man too one day.
I sometimes get the feeling that his mother loved him, but just had such a twisted sense of morals that warped how she interacted with Maney.
Luckily, Maney grew into an amazing young man without her help or guidance.
"Hey, that's a good idea!" Maney happily declared, "I can make it match my silver ring and engrave a simple message in it!"
"Plus, with it being silver he could use it as a weapon if he ever encounters a werewolf," I added on for the benefit of his paternal instincts.
"You're a genius, Lucy," Maney chimed out, excited to go to Ollie's shop later on for his little man's Christmas present.
"Great, now that we got your gift sorted…can you help me with mine?" I begged the redhead with a panicked look on my face.
"Don't worry, Lucy, it's only October—"
"Maney, it's the last day of October," I told him in exasperation, "I won't even really have the month of November since I will be so busy with studying for my final exams that are going to be held on December 5th-7th. Not to mention planning for the Winter Festival that will be held on the 8th of December. Then everyone is going to be bothering me and asking me what I want for my birthday—"
"Oh, what do you want for your birthday?" He inquired with a sweet, innocent smile.
"Maney…" I groaned out, "I want to know what I can buy Gregory for Christmas."
"Well, I can't buy you foresight," he commented with a smile as I slumped my head back to the table in defeat, "Oh, come on, cheer up, Lucy…Here, let's start with this question, what do you want your gift to tell Gregory?"
"I want it to say that you are my absolute best friend and I am so happy to have you in my life," I honestly replied, "I want my gift to just knock him off his feet because it is so rare that he realizes just how precious he is to me."
"…That is a very specific and, uh, long description," Maney mumbled while thinking to himself, "You're going to have to make him something."
"But I'm not creative or artsy," I panicked, knowing that whatever I tried to create would look horrendous.
"Well if you want your gift to tell him your feelings of the heart, then it has to come from the heart," he wisely informed me with a definitive nod of his head.
"…Dammit…that sounds legit," I told him while racking my brain some more for an idea.
"Don't stress about it," Maney told me with a slight smile, "You'll think of something once you're not so stressed."
"Easy for you to say…you've already thought of your perfect gift ideas for everybody," I muttered while crossing my arms over my chest.
"Not everyone," he commented while giving me a pointed look.
"Good," I grumped at him, "I'm going to remain a mystery until I finish getting the perfect gift for my friend."
He laughed at my declaration before going back to his contraption.
Changing the subject, we talked about both houses and his workshop being completed by late November.
"Are you excited about the move?" I asked Maney with a smile.
"Oh, yes…your parents really didn't need to build me such an extravagant workshop with an apartment on top.
"Maney, it's a pretty basic workspace with a two-bedroom apartment on top," I reminded him, "It's not necessarily the Ritz Carlton."
"It's more space than I've had in a long time," he told me with a grateful smile.
"I'm excited for you, Maney," I honestly replied, "Who knows? Maybe you'll meet a nice lady in town and start a family of your own here?"
"…Oh…that does sound wonderful," Maney dreamily sighed out, "I've always wanted to be a father."
"Really?" I asked him curiously. I was pleasantly surprised with this new information.
"Oh, yes," he fondly answered, "I…I've always have wanted to shower my kids with the love and understanding that I never…well, received as a child."
"…Maney," I whispered, not quite knowing how to take the hurt look away from his expression.
The sound of my cell phone ringing interrupted our conversation.
Pulling out my phone I talked to my mom who informed me that they were all ready to go and going to meet me by the car. I told her I'd see her soon before turning my attention back to Maney.
"I guess it's time for you all to leave," Maney stated with a smile, "Have fun tonight, Lucy."
"…Are you going to be alright?" I asked him, trying to reassure myself that it was okay to leave him after witnessing such a depressed look cross his features.
"Oh, yes, Lionel is going to stop by so that I can teach him how to rewire an old radio," Maney informed me with a happy smile.
Good.
At least he won't be alone with his thoughts.
I bid him farewell and started making my way to the parking lot. I was halfway there when Gregory appeared out of nowhere with an apprehensive look on his face.
"Hey! …You okay?" I asked him with a tilt of my head.
What is with my friends being in such a depressed state-of-mind this evening?
"…Yeah, just wanted to see you off before you left," Gregory commented trying to smile, but the happiness didn't quite meet his eyes.
"Gregory, it's not too late for you to come with," I informed him while reaching out to hug him.
He reciprocated the hug before gently stroking my loose hair that was in a half ponytail.
"…No…I have to do this," he whispered before I felt a sharp sting on my head.
"Ouch!" I yelped while pulling away from him and rubbing my head, "Ow, Gregory, that hurt!"
"Sorry, Lucy," he quickly apologized before helping me run soothing fingers to the tender spot on my head, "Something on my sleeve must have gotten caught on a couple strands of your hair, you okay?"
"…Yeah, just really stung, you know," I admitted letting him administer his tender care to the sore spot.
"Yeah…sorry again, about that," he mumbled with a small smile.
"It's okay, Gregory," I reassured him before giving him one more hug and turning to make my way back towards the parking lot, "I'll see you later tonight, okay?"
"See you later tonight, Lucy…stay safe," he told me while watching me leave.
I nodded my head before arriving at the car where my parents and Tony waited for me.
"Ready to go?" My dad asked everybody. We all nodded yes before setting out for the night on the town.
I didn't notice Gregory's lingering gaze from the rooftop as we drove away from the castle.
3rd Person POV
Gregory sat there in his bedroom.
Body completely numb as he stared at the chalice on his desk.
An internal struggle raging in his mind as he tried to come to grips on the situation.
How can this be?
The Fates hated him.
This had to be retribution for all the past sins he committed as 'Gruesome Gregory'.
There was no other explanation as to why life would be so cruel.
It wasn't fair…his Lucy…she—she…
"Oh, Gregory!" Anna shouted as she flew into his bedroom, "Isn't it wonderful! It's Tony! My sweet Tony! He's my soul bond!"
She gushed while flipping through the air, not even noticing that Gregory hadn't made a single movement during her celebration.
"What about you? Is Lucy your—" Anna cut herself off as she finally noticed her older brother's defeated form and slumped shoulders.
"Oh, Gregory…no…." she whispered in horror as realization sunk in, "I'm so sorry—I thought for sure that she was your—It doesn't matter. She's still our friend and—"
"Anna, stop," Gregory hoarsely whispered, barely containing the pain in his voice.
"Gregory, it'll be alright, nothing will change," Anna ignored his pleas as she tried to console him, "Lucy will stay by our side—"
"Anna, you don't get it—"
"But, I do…you're scared because she's human and will age and eventually leave this mortal plane, but just because she isn't your soul bond doesn't mean that she isn't somebody—"
"Anna, she is mine!" Gregory finally shouted at the young girl, rising from his spot and walking towards the tested positive chalice.
"W-What?" She stuttered out in response before flying over to him to also look at the cup.
Sure enough, it held a liquid that was a brilliant shade of purple. There was no doubt, Gregory and Lucy were soul bound.
"Oh, Gregory, this is wonderful news—But why are you so upset?" Anna questioned while looking at her brother in confusion.
"I told you, you don't get it," Gregory croaked out once again, head hung down in shame.
"Are—you aren't ashamed that Lucy is mortal-born, are you?" She asked her older brother in a mixture of horror and disappointment.
"God, no," Gregory quickly denied, "I couldn't care less about that."
"Then why—Gregory, why aren't you happy?"
"…I am, Anna," he finally admitted.
"…You have a strange way of showing it," she drily commented.
"Anna…" he growled at his younger sister.
"Then explain it to me since I 'don't get it'," Anna angrily requested before perching herself onto his coffin with her arms impatiently folded across her chest.
"…Lucy is the most amazing girl I've ever met," he whispered to his younger sister, "She's like a ray of sunshine in my world. The way her brilliant mind works and constructs these future plans…it's mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. But she's still approachable and loving and caring and…Anna, my day is never complete until I can hear her laugh or make her roll her eyes at me or—or see that radiant smile. I take it back, she isn't like a ray from the sun, she is my sun. I need to be around her. I need my day to revolve around hers to survive. I can't…I can't live without her, Anna."
Anna stared at Gregory in shock.
Never hearing her older brother become so poetic before.
"…And you won't have to Gregory—she's your other half!"
"Yes, the sun is my other half, but what about her?" Gregory posed, "What can we say about her other half? Her other half is a monster, Anna. I don't deserve such a light in my life…not after what I've done… And yet the Fates have cursed her to be tied to this—this despicable creature!"
"You're not despicable, Gregory!"
"Anna, you don't know about what I have done!" He shouted at the small girl, "Haven't you ever wondered why some clans call me 'Gruesome Gregory'? Why nobody will talk about my 'rebellious stage' in America? Anna…Have you ever asked yourself why the 'mortal hating Marcus' knows me so well?"
"…Well our clans used to be good friends with one another—"
"Marcus and I were practically blood brothers in America…we—we did horrible things to mortals—"
"Father has harmed mortals in his youth as well!" Anna chimed in, "Lucy knows about how Frederick the Great went to war and killed people to obtain territory, money, and power to further the clan's—"
"Anna, I didn't do any of my sinful deeds for the clan or the spoils of war," Gregory seethed with self-loathing, "I did it all for my own selfish reasons. I did it because I could. I did everything because I believed that I was some kind of dark god to those mortals and that they should bow to me. Both Marcus and I believed in this philosophy and happily lived by it every evening."
"…You never hurt innocents—"
Gregory held up his hand to stop his sister's comments.
"…I did," he hoarsely admitted with a soul-crushing sadness in his eyes.
"Y-you've never killed women and children?" Anna stated in a questioning tone. She was not sure that she wanted to know the answer.
"…I have never killed a child…" Gregory slightly corrected, still feeling the crippling shame of his past.
Anna swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat.
What was she supposed to say to her brother?
Tell him to admit to his other half, his mortal half, that he used to hurt innocent humans for the thrill of it?
From how guilty he looked…Anna had a good feeling that many of those mortals did not live to see another day.
Still, Gregory needed to tell Lucy that she was his soul bond and to do that he had to first admit his past deeds—
No…that was a terrible idea.
Lucy was loving and caring, but would she be that forgiving?
But still…
He couldn't just act like it never happened and bind himself to the girl without having a foundation of complete honesty.
"…You need to tell her," Anna quietly whispered.
"I know, but she'll—"
"She might have a hard time coping with it, but I honestly can't imagine Lucy cutting you out of her life completely," Anna sincerely informed her older brother before reminding him, "You can't tell her that she is your soul bond and not tell her the truth about your past. What if one of our members accidently mentions it or a different clan tells her about it to spite you? She would be so devastated and feel like you tricked her or—or that you didn't trust her, Gregory."
"…I know, but there is still a possibility that she won't be able to forgive me for my previous…actions," he whispered rubbing his hands through his hair in frustration, "I…won't be able to survive without Lucy in my life, Anna."
"Will you be able to live happily with just staying her friend?" She angrily questioned her older brother, "How will you react when Lucy finds someone else that makes her smile? What if she starts dating this other boy? She can still find happiness in another man's arms. She can even start a family with him and a new life. Will you be able to stand by and watch her kiss someone that isn't you? Just imagine it. Another man moving in on your Lucy, pulling her lovingly into his embrace, staring deeply into her eyes as he slowly leans in an—"
"ENOUGH!" Gregory furiously snarled, shouting at his little sister.
Anna jumped in alarm while Gregory gripped the back of his desk's chair. The chair slightly splintered at the crushing force of his hold. His breathing was labored and pained from the imagery that Anna had painted.
A complete nightmare for the young vampire.
Once he got ahold of himself, he took one last calming breath before relinquishing his devastating grip from the chair. He noticed the ten perfect indentations that his nails had left.
"…I'm sorry for yelling…" he murmured to his sister.
She shook her head before assuring him that she wasn't scared of him, "Gregory, I'm not worried about your outburst…I just want you to realize that you can't continue this path. She is your soul bond, it's impossible to continue a platonic relationship. And you can't begin a romantic relationship without complete honesty."
Gregory slumped into the chair, head in his hands.
"I know…I'll tell her…eventually."
"Gregory, you don't have eventually!" Anna shouted at her older brother's hesitation, "You need to tell her about your past so that you can tell her about the soul bond later. If you wait too long, she's going to notice your aging!"
Anna was right.
Damn it all to Hell, but she was right.
"Alright, alright…I'll—I'll tell her after the holidays."
"Gregory…" Anna warned.
"Anna, please…it's the first time that our family has been able to celebrate Christmas in 300 years, and I don't want…I don't want to mar the special occasion with our new friends with my dark past," Gregory explained to the small girl with pleading eyes.
The distressed look on Gregory's face tugged at her heartstrings.
She has never seen her brother look so distraught before…
"Alright, Gregory…But you must promise me that you will tell her right after Christmas. You can't hesitate or find another reason to prolong telling her, understood," she told him in a firm manner.
Anna flew to where her brother was still seated and wrapped her small arms around him in a comforting hug.
"I promise, Anna…thank you," Gregory gratefully thanked the small girl before returning her hug.
The two siblings stayed like that in a comfortable silence before they pulled apart and agreed to go tell the news to their parents.
Gregory still needed to beg them to not interfere with his decision to not tell Lucy quite yet. He felt as though they would respect his decision. They would be reluctant about it, but at the end of it all…they would respect his decision.
Gregory still felt numb from it all.
And although it was Lucy that was causing him to face such turmoil within himself, the young vampire couldn't help but wish that she was with him right now.
In his arms…
It was so good to be back home.
I let out a sigh of relief as I entered the castle's doors with my family.
It was a fun, calm evening with my schoolmates and we had fun conversations about business and politics, but I just needed a bit of rest to recharge my batteries.
At least I had Adelaide by my side tonight…
I had texted Adelaide to meet up with me with the other student council members at the coffee shop. She had dressed up as Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice and looked spectacular. Evelyn, who was dressed as Red Riding Hood, kept glancing at Adelaide's direction. Simone, dressed as an angel, whispered something to Evelyn that caused her to blush a deep red that matched her hair. Evelyn had collected herself and told Simone that she should have dressed as the devil to showcase her true nature to the world. The mischievous angel just laughed at her stepsister's dramatics before turning her attention back towards her phone.
I'm still curious to know what that was all about, but I guess they'll all tell me eventually.
We drank our coffee and talked about a wide range of subjects before we headed out to enjoy the festival. I enjoyed some yummy treats that I normally wouldn't partake in, but Simone, who really was a devil, convinced me to try a lot of the sugary confections.
Eventually we agreed to call it a night.
Simone complained that the night was still young, but we all reminded her that it was a school night. She pouted a bit before giving Adelaide and I a hug goodbye before racing off to catch up to her sister and the others.
Adelaide and I parted ways after I walked her back to her apartment building and texted my parents for their location.
They told me to just sit tight at the bus stop and they'll come meet me there. Adelaide wanted to wait with me, but I reassured her that I would be just fine before bidding her farewell.
She hesitated at first but made the comment that my costume was a good repellant to unsavory advances from men.
I raised my eyebrow in question, and she made the joke that not only was I dressed as their worst nightmare, a bride, but also had a weapon on my person. We both laughed at her silly joke before I gave her one last hug and wished her pleasant dreams. She reciprocated my gesture and well-wishes before heading into her apartment building.
It wasn't long after that when I spotted my parents walking down the street with Tony.
My parents had dressed up as Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein for Halloween. They always enjoy celebrating the spirit of Halloween with us and always made sure to wear cute, matching couple's costumes every year.
This year, they walked with Tony around the festival and took him down the 'Candy Lane'. According to my social group, it was a street of popular shops that were passing out the best candy in the village.
Tony ended up with a huge bag of 'the best candy' by the end of the evening. He still had a smug grin plastered on his face from his amazing feat. Apparently, everybody was so impressed by his realistic zombie jogger costume that a lot of them gave him an extra piece of candy for a job well done.
He really was something else.
I was happily reminiscing to myself about the night's events as I shut and locked the castle's front door. My parents had already dashed off with Tony's giant sack of treats to inspect the candy. Knowing those two, they were going to eat a couple of their favorite pieces as well.
They refused to admit that they were stealing candy from their children and called their pilfering 'quality control'.
Tony and I weren't buying it, but let it go.
Their minor theft of our candy was practically tradition at this point.
I turned around from the castle's door and was met with the very eager and excited eyes of Rudolph Sackville-Bagg.
"So, did you tell them the thing?" Rudolph asked me as he greeted us at the door.
"What thing?" I asked him with a slight tilt of my head, trying to play ignorant.
"Tony, I thought you told her what she needed to say to people when she held up her axe!" Rudolph cried out in outrage. He looked simply heartbroken at the idea of his pun not being used.
"Lulu, come on, have a heart," Tony begged me, "Show Rudolph what you did when you showed off your costume."
"…Oh, fine," I sighed out before putting a creepy smile on my face, "He wouldn't ask me to marry him, so I 'axed' him instead."
After I repeated the silly pun that Rudolph had come up with, the young vampire let out a whoop of glee as he twirled in the air.
"That was perfect, Miss Lulu!" He hollered in happiness.
I giggled at his silly behavior before shaking my head.
"You should go into acting, Lucy!" Anna chimed from the top of the stairs.
"For a girl who dislikes serial killers, you play one really well," Gregory commented with a look of suspicion on his face.
"There you two are!" Tony called out in greeting, "How was your guys' evening? Did you get everything done that you needed to?"
A look of happiness passed Anna's face while Gregory showed one of conflict.
What happened here?
"Oh, yes, we did," Anna quickly supplied, "Hey Lucy, can we watch a movie?"
"Uh, yeah sure, that's no problem," I told her before turning to Gregory. I was going to offer him to join us, but Anna interrupted my proposal.
"Just us girls?" She further inquired with a hopeful look.
I blinked at her in a bit of confusion before turning to look at Gregory who gave me a slight nod of approval.
"Sure, thing sweetie," I replied before making my way up the steps towards my bedroom.
"Come on, Gregory," Rudolph told his older brother, "We'll go flying while Tony rides Countess."
Gregory agreed in a small voice before making his way down the steps. Tony and Rudolph excitedly scurried out the door, figuring Gregory would catch up to them soon enough.
I, however, stopped Gregory's descent by gently grabbing his arm.
"Anna, sweetie, why don't you go to my bedroom and pick out a movie on the computer," I gently suggested to her, "I'll meet you there in a second."
She said 'no problem' and raced off to my room.
Once she had left I turned my worried gaze onto Gregory.
"Are you okay?" I asked him before turning to fully face him on the stone steps, "You seem…off today…"
Gregory let out a small, deprecating chuckle before replying to me, "I should have known better than to try to hide anything from you."
He shook his head before placing his long, cool fingers around the back of my neck and pulling me slightly forward to lean his forehead against mine.
"…Gregory…" I nervously called out his name while biting my lower lip.
"I'm alright, Lucy…I just…I'm tired and have a lot of things on my mind, right now," he whispered to me, stroking the pad of his thumb along the side of my neck.
"How about we go up to the roof tonight?" I offered, "Once I finish this girl's night with Anna, we'll go up to the roof and listen to your playlists until you feel better. Sound good?"
I pulled away slightly to cup his face in my hands.
I just want everybody to be happy…
"Yeah, that sounds really good," he mumbled before pulling me into a strong hug, "Thank you, Lucy…"
My fingers gave him one last reassuring squeeze on his arm before walking to my bedroom where Anna was waiting for me.
I thought that she wanted some sisterly bonding time and wasn't too surprised when I saw her sitting on my bed without any movies selected.
"Alright…what happened?" I asked her with a small smile on my face.
"Tony is my soul bond!" She suddenly blurted out at me.
My body froze in shock.
What did she just say?
I blinked at the small girl who had a panicked, worried look on her face.
Shaking myself from my initial surprise, I managed to string out a somewhat intelligent question.
"W-wha—h-how do you…well, what I mean is—are you, are you certain?" I stammered.
"Yes, I performed the ritual to check and…he's my other half, Lucy," Anna meekly responded, not quite sure if I was happy to hear this information or not.
"Do, do you parents know? Wait, is this why you all stayed home tonight?" I asked her, finally piecing certain things together.
"Yes, they are aware, and sort of," she honestly answered, "My parents really were helping Clan Genovese tonight, so Gregory helped me perform the ritual and Rudolph was my emotional support."
"Why did Gregory perform the ritual?" I asked her in curiosity.
"Oh, he's the future clan leader and needs to know how to perform it frontwards and backwards for future generations. It was good practice for him," Anna easily supplied.
"I see…How is Rudolph taking this news? Is this why Gregory seems so off right now?" I further investigated as I made my way to the bed to sit down next to her.
"Oh, Gregory is just tired from all the studying he did for performing the ritual," Anna confided, "He was scared of messing it up and forcing me to wait until Beltane to see if Tony is my bonded."
I still felt as though there was more to that story than what she was revealing, but let it drop for now.
"And well Rudolph…he's understanding…I mean I went through the same thing when he—" Anna cut herself off before she could reveal more.
"Anna?" I questioned her abrupt silence.
"…I shouldn't talk about that…"
"Would 'that' be Rudolph's late soul-bond," I gently whispered.
Anna snapped her head towards me.
"You know about that?" She asked me incredulously.
"Yeah…Gregory told me," I admitted.
"Figures…did he tell you that she was my best friend?"
"…No, he said that Rudolph and she were childhood friends, but didn't mention that you two were close," I said, pretty shocked that Gregory left that out of his story.
"Rudolph and I are twins…we share a lot of similar traits," Anna explained, "It's well known that vampire twins, identical or fraternal, will never share a soul bond, but they will always be best friends with their twin's soul bond."
"So that's how you were able to initially guess that Tony was your…"
"Yes, because the friendship that Rudolph shared with Tony was the exact same that I shared with Claudia," Anna divulged.
"Was that her name?" I asked Anna, "Claudia?"
"…Yes…I miss her every day, Lucy…she was like a sister to me, and I—I couldn't protect her," she whispered, voice breaking in the middle of her statement.
"Oh, Anna…" I murmured before pulling the girl in a fierce hug.
She returned the hug before burying her head in my chest.
I gently stroked her hair as she silently cried.
Even after Anna's tears had dried, I continued to hold her in my arms.
"Lucy…I'm scared," she whispered to me.
Pulling away from her I looked into her eyes in alarm.
"Of what? What's the matter?" I hastily questioned, "Do your parents not accept Tony as your soul-bond or—?"
"No, that's not it—they are excited that it's Tony since he's so brave and loyal. They know that he won't let anything happen to me," She dreamily sighed out before the cold reality brought her to her senses, "But what if he won't accept me? He's still so young in human years and I don't think that he's interested in dating right now…"
"Oh…well, yeah I see where you're coming from," I admitted thinking over the situation.
"…Should I not tell him?" She hesitantly asked me.
"Oh, no, no—Don't do that," I quickly stated with a firm shake of my head, "A good relationship needs a solid foundation of trust and total honesty."
"So…I should tell him?" Anna clarified with a look of uncertainty on her face.
"I would recommend you ease him into it," I told her, quickly devising a plan in my mind, "Because he's eventually going to notice you growing and aging…So, first, I would just refresh his knowledge on soul-bonds. Then, slowly ease into the conversation of how you thought that you had found your bonded. You can then tell him how you performed the ritual to make sure that this person was your intended. Also, add in there that both your brothers helped you with the ritual so that he knows that your family has your full support."
"Okay…what then?"
"Well, you then admit that your soul-bond is, in fact, him. Tell him how you don't want to rush anything and want to start as friends. Make sure he knows that you are willing to go his pace on everything. You need to let him know that it's his choice at the end of the day. He gets to decide if he wants to pursue the bond with you once you both are older or if he wants to remain friends. But above all be brutally honest, Anna. Tell him how you feel as well," I instructed her.
She looked absolutely terrified at the upcoming conversation with my little brother. I gently squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.
"You can do this, Anna…Tony is so lucky to have such a wonderful girl like you as his soul bond," I sincerely told her with a warm smile on my face.
"Thank you, Lucy…" she gratefully responded while sending me a small smile.
"Anytime, sweetie…did you want to practice what you are going to say to Tony with me?"
"Please!" She begged me with a pitiful look on her face.
I slightly chuckled at her nervous behavior before sitting up straight to let her practice her speech.
She can do this.
I just know she can.
Gregory and I were currently sitting on the roof, silently listening to his favorite playlist. I was in between his outstretched legs, laying on his chest and playing with one of his feathers.
"Anna told me about her and Tony," I quietly mentioned to him, feeling his arm tighten around my body.
"I had a feeling that was what she wanted to talk to you about so badly," he whispered in acknowledgement. I paused my ministrations before biting the sleeve of my hoodie.
After Anna had finished practicing her speech with me, I had quickly washed and changed into a pair of sweats and a plain hoodie. Gregory came to collect me soon after and told Anna that Tony was putting Countess away in the cowshed…by himself.
She thanked both him and me before flying off.
And here we are.
Me laying on top of Gregory, trying to figure out a way to make him feel better.
It would probably help if I knew what he was so concerned about.
But I don't want to force him to tell me what's wrong.
"Just ask, Lucy," Gregory muttered, "I can hear your thoughts going a mile a minute inside that head of yours."
"I'm just—I'm worried about you, Gregory," I admitted to him, "You haven't been yourself at all this evening and I know you said that you're tired, but…I feel like it's more than that…I just don't know what."
He let out a deep sigh before pulling me tighter into his chest.
"There's something that I need to tell you, but…I want to wait until after the holidays—"
"Gregory, I don't think that it's a good idea to bottle it up that long," I mentioned while looking up at him in concern.
"…I know, but please, Lucy…just wait for me, okay?"
My brows knitted in confusion at his request, but I still agreed.
He's my best friend…I don't think I could ever deny a request from him when he looks this miserable.
"Always, Gregory," I promised before giving him a reassuring smile.
"…Thank you, Lucy," he managed to rasp out, burying his face into my hair.
I curled myself further into his body, giving him all the strength and support from my small form.
Don't worry, Gregory, everything will be alright…
I'll make sure of it.
Lucy and Tony soon came back from the cowshed, both wearing huge grins on their faces.
Apparently, Tony was delighted by the thought of him and Anna being fated for each other but requested that they go slow with their relationship.
Anna happily agreed to his terms and they both decided to stay friends until they were both older. They were going to play it by ear on the exact age that they would start dating but agreed that it wouldn't be for a few more years.
Rudolph congratulated his twin sister before turning towards Tony with an evil glint in his eyes, "You may be my best friend, Tony, but if you hurt my sister, I will have no qualms with kicking your arse from here to our old crypts in Transylvania."
Gregory seconded that opinion by grasping Tony's shoulder before sending him a menacing glare.
Tony nervously chuckled before telling the two vampires that he heard them both loud and clear.
I giggled at the scene before shaking my head at their banter.
A happy feeling bloomed in my chest when I realized that my precious baby brother had found a wonderful girl. A sweet girl that would loyally stay by his side and help him grow into an even more amazing person.
I couldn't wait for what the future had in store for us.