A/N: I didn't fall into a hole. Sorry you guys. It's been super crazy, you wouldn't believe. But please keep reviewing don't give up on me now. I will post everyday again; even twice a day. And I will finish this story. Keep reviewing because you guys rock! Please tell me what you think so far; they really motivate me to keep writing!
Now back to the story. I already made you guys wait long enough. Enjoy!
Chapter 16
Annalise's POV
I open my eyes. They feel swollen from all the crying. I look around the still unfamiliar room. I just want to go home. I want Momma to come in and hug me and tell me it was a nightmare. I want Daddy to tell me that nothing is going to happened, that he would protect me. Or my best friends Embry and Nessie to make me laugh. I miss them.
"Good morning," Heaven says as she strolls in. Her high heels clacking on the marble floor. She heads straight for the windows opening the curtains. The sun invading the room, hurting my eyes but she doesn't notice or doesn't care. "How did you sleep?"
I feel awkward displaying my feelings to a total stranger. Ignoring her question I look at her as she walks around my 'room'. She comes out my closet with some clothes in her arms and lays them on the bed. I look at her face when I notice she doesn't move from the end of the bed. Her expression murderous as she glares at me with her red blood eyes. "How did you sleep?"
Her gaze intimidates me but yet I can't look away. Her eyes drilling a whole in me. "Umm…" the words can't seem to form or are just stuck in my throat.
She moves around the bed until she's next to me. She takes a fistful of my hair and yanks it towards her. Her move close to my ear. "I won't ask you again. How did you sleep?" her ice cold breath sending waves of terror over me.
"Good," I breathe out.
She lets go of my hair. With wide eyes I look at her. Her expression has done a whole 180. She has a smile on her face and her eyes are warm. "That's wonderful," she begins petting me while I do my best not to shake. "When I ask you a question you answer right away. Ok angel? Then no-one needs to get hurt. Understood?"
She continues to pet my head. "Yes,"
"Excellent. See we are going to have a wonderful mother/daughter relationship," her now chirpy voice says. "Now, I lay out your clothes. We need you downstairs in five minutes. It's breakfast time. Please don't make Mommy and Daddy wait. Or things might get ugly," could they hurt Axel? A very creepy smile swipes across her face before turning around and out the door. Maybe she and Richard are meant to be, they're both cruel.
My heart sinks. I feel that I'm being crushed inside. Is this what I have to look forward too? Why can't' they just kill me? It would just end. What are they waiting for? Without wasting more time on the time limit they gave me I put on the purple dress she laid out for me and the black flats. I tied the bow on my head that was with my clothes and I made my way down. The hallways long and big. Way bigger than the cottage. My feet feel immensely heavy as I walk down the stairs hearing the clinking of some glasses.
I take haste steps towards the dining room. As I walk past the arch of the burgundy dining room my eyes go wide. On the very looking expensive wooden table is a man who looks to be in his mid-thirties is tied. The legs separate tied to the legs of the table; same for the arms. He is completely stretched out with a gag. The man's eyes look wide in horror as he takes us all in. Richard and Heaven at the head of the table. Axel parallel to me. "What's going on?" I ask hoping that what I'm thinking isn't happening.
"It's breakfast angel. We eat as a family. This is for you." She says as she looks lovingly at Richard. I try not to gag.
I look her in the eye. "I don't eat humans. I've been taught to respect human life."
Richard takes a step but Heaven puts a hand gently over his and he stops. His eyes viciously on me. Like if it was up to him he'd kill me painfully. It seems like Heaven has a good hold on him. "That's fine. Only from now on you will be taught differently Scarlett," She smiles at me. But there's something about it that I felt a shiver go up my spine.
I look at her confused. "Scarlett? What are you talking about?" I'm tired of feeling confused.
"Your new name. Scarlett Lux O'Connell."
I feel like I'm deflating like a punctured balloon. I look at the ground. Tears begin rolling down my cheek. I wipe it away with the back of my hand and look at her in the eye. "No," she looks taken aback.
"What did you say?" She seems surprised.
"My name is Annalise Sara Cullen. That name was given by my both Momma's. The ones that defended me no matter what. I will not change it," my eyes still dead on hers. I don't know where the strength came from but I really don't want the finally string with my Momma to be broken.
Then it all happens in slow motion. She takes her hand away and releases the lion. Richard is next to me in seconds flinging me across the room. My body crashes on the wall as I hear a few bones crack. "Respect your mother!"
Blood spews out my mouth as I cough it up. I could feel my body healing but still numb. I look at him then at her. She has a small smile playing around her lips. My arms shaking as I try to get up.
Axel then moves in front of Richard. "You piece of shit," he sneers.
Axel goes to punch him but Richard being stronger garbs him in a choke hold. "Don't mess with me, Axel. This is between your sister and us, the grownups. The ones that can end you if we feel like It." he chuckles and throws him against the floor making the floor crack around him. Axel doesn't seem to be moving but I can't still hear his heartbeat. Richard fixes his sleeve, then seems to be dusting of his coat. "Now, apologize to your mother," his red eyes glow.
"She…" I flinch as I sit. "…isn't my mother… I will fight." I look at them with angry tears. "I won't stop fighting. Until my dying breath." They both begin laughing. I scowl. "Like Mary. My mother who died protecting me." The room falls silent.
I feel a hard slap on my cheek bone. Over my hazy vision I see Heaven hovering over me with a Richard begin her laughing. She squats down moving a piece of hair from my face. "Listen, little girl. You will except your name and call me Mother or he…" she grabs my chin forcefully and makes me see Axel's limp body. "…Will pay. Do you really want to carry the death of your brother just because you couldn't follow rules?" Her voice is sweet. Richard's disgusting expensive shoe is over's Axel's throat. He can't hurt him!
"Or we can always go back to that disgusting wolf and the other half-breed. What where their names? Ah yes, Embry and Renesmee." Her voice low. "We can always pay them a visit."
"No!"
"No? Then do as you're told little girl. And no harm will come to them."
"You can't hurt them!" She can't!
She laughs. "Have you not forgotten that we're not alone? We have many Vampire allies around the world who would gladly put the Cullen clan to an end."
No, no, no, no. My family can't die. Not them. I won't have anything left. I lunge myself on her realizing my anger. But of course she's stronger who only punches me in the stomach. Richard kicks my ribs as I fall to the floor. Heaven then stops him pushing gently o the side. "You have chosen wrong." She looks disappointed.
"No, don't harm my family," I kneel bringing my hands together. I can only see her with one eye. The other one completely shut. I was foolish to think I could win her.
"Why not? You attacked me. Your punishment will be their death," she says like if she was scowling a small child. "Someone is there already. They're already executing the plan."
"No! Please!" I tug her shirt from my kneeling position. She steps back making my hands smack the floor.
"You are the only one to blame. The next one is that replusive wolf."
"Please," I whisper when I feel my jaw shut tight from the swollenness.
"What are you going to do to stop me?" she plays with her touch screen phone in her hand.
My head pounding. I look back at Heaven with emptiness in my eye and decide not to feel anymore. To let go. "Please…" I say with pain. The only way to save them is no longer feeling. I'm tired, beaten. I can't do this anymore. I look down like a kid ashamed of what she did. "Please Mother." I sound like a vessel that is lifeless. Will kill me to forget them but I will. To protect them. I look at her. She has an eyebrow arched waiting for what more I'm going to say. "My name is Scarlett Lux O'Connell," the words ripping the last string I had with my Momma.
She has a full blown smile now. "Splendid. You should've take my word into consideration when I say if you follow the rules then no-one gets hurts then that is what happens, no-one gets hurt." She pets my hair and kisses my cheek. She walks away with a skip in her step.
I look over at Axel. "He'll be alright. Is not like this is the first time he's in that position. Now come and eat," Richard says from the table.
I reluctantly walk towards the table. The man is looking at us wide eyed. "Dig in," Richard says with amusement. The man begins trashing around knowing his eminent end. Richard sees me still standing and rushes to my side. "Here," he says calmly. "Try a little," he chuckles. His giant hand at the back of my head as he pushes me to the man's neck. The pulsing of the blood calling for me. "Just a little bite," he whispers. "Just…one," My nostrils flaring my throat burning. My instincts kick in and I sink my teeth in. The delicious liquid inviting my mouth, easing the ache in my throat. My teeth biting him viciously. The man moving around and trying to scream in pain. With my hand I take his head and snap it sideways as I continue to suck. Not caring about not having enough oxygen.
Once I suck him dry I unlatch my teeth and move back taking a few breathes. Heaven jumps and claps her hands happily. "That's my girl. Fabio!" a young man who I've never noticed before comes rushing in to the dining room. He's darker than us, more like Embry's skin tone. He smells different as well but I can't point it out. His hands formally at his back. "Bring the rest," she commands.
He nods curtly and leaves. Richard smiles back at Heaven who return the gesture. I look back at the dead man. I did that. I killed him. And I don't feel anything. I look back at my clothes that is splattered by his blood. My mouth covered by it and my whole neck. I turn my head when I hear chains hitting the floor. I see three men and two women chained together at the ankles. They look frighten as they look around the room then finally settling at us three.
"Welcome," Richard moves next to Heaven. "Thank you for accompany us in our feast," Axel begins grunting and stands looking around frantically. His eyes fall on me. With my eyes I tell him I'm ok. "Ah, son. Nice of you to also joins us. Come, stand next to your sister,"
Axel's does that. "Feast? What feast?" One of the captured women asks. Frighten so bad that I can hear her heart beat faster than the others.
"Yes dear. And you're the meal," Richard along with Heaven lunch themselves on them as they scream in horror.
I begin hissing when I begin smelling all the blood. Axel growls, in a second jumps over a girl and attacks her. A growl deep within me forms as I stalk over the last girl. She looks around unsure of what's happening. Sitting on the floor, her hands and feet still chained together. Tears rolling down as the rest die slowly. Her eyes snaps over m. "No, please," She pleads. I ran to her and she jumps when I'm suddenly in front. "N-no,"
"Shh," I caress her cheek. "Shh, everything will be alright," I say soothingly. I wipe away a tear with my thumb. In a swift movement I crack her neck making her body go limp. My teeth sink in and begin sucking. Taking her life. I drop her body.
"We are now a family," Heave says with a smile.
I just look at her with no expression. I begin walking away when I catch my reflection in the circle elegant mirror. My lower half of my face covered in blood. My eyes with a hint of red. A bruise on my cheek. My hair a mess. My shirt almost all red. I growl and punch it making it shatter. The two of them only laugh. They've made a monster.