I checked my email when I awoke. There was one from Gory, and a few from Facebook. I ignored the Facebook ones and went straight to the one from Gory. She was explaining how the three of them had received invitations to her father's wedding, and how she was going to try to convince Bram to move there when they got there. The way she wrote it so nonchalantly made it sound like she barely needed to lift her finger and he would pay for a house and move in before she could ask.
I smiled; their relationship was one of the few vampire relationships where the male only had one partner. Bram was devoted to Gory, and she to him. Of course, being a vampire Bram would occasionally flirt with other vampire girls, but in the end he would never do anything besides that. I wanted that kind of relationship with Valentine, but I knew that would never happen.
That thought almost made my nonexistent blood boil. If he really wanted to be my mate, he would have to accept the fact that I do not want to be in a polygamous relationship with him. Or with anyone. That is why I didn't see myself with anyone, ever. I would rather live out my life alone than get married just for the sake up bowing to my husband's every whim and becoming like my father's three brides. That wasn't the life for me. It never would be.
She went on to say that they would be flying out Friday, so they would arrive Saturday night. That gave me a few days to figure out how I wanted to break up with Valentine. A text seemed too impersonal, I'd lose my will if I phoned, and I defiantly did not want to wait until he got here.
I settled for an email.
A long email. Probably longer than I needed it to be, but the words kept flowing forth from my brain and onto the computer that I couldn't stop. I spoke of happier times, and I told him that we had changed so much since we first met, that staying together was too much for the both of us. We needed to find people who were more like ourselves, he needed a vampire who embraced who they were, and I needed someone who would love me for me, and not want to 'heal me' because of my qualms and inability to drink blood. I sent it off, and prayed that was the end of it.
When I woke up Saturday morning, I still hadn't received any hint that Valentine had read my email. No response, no message from Bram, Gory, or Elizzabat asking me why I had broken up with him. Nothing.
It made me nervous, and to make matters worse, my father and Samantha were going away for a pre-honeymoon. To get away from the stress of the wedding planning. I wondered if my father was going to tell Samantha he was a vampire, or change her or something. I hoped he would, if she was a vampire, maybe my father would grow tired of her and she'd befriend the other wives, and stay away from me.
I scolded myself for thinking that badly of the woman. If she was to marry my father, then I should try to be happy for them, as much as I didn't want to be.
I slipped out of bed and headed down the stairs. There was a note taped to the kitchen door. My father and Samantha had already left and my father gave me permission to have friends over if it was alright with my uncle. I crumpled the piece of paper up and recycled it.
After eating breakfast, I headed back upstairs to get ready for the day, but noticed that the door to the library was open. Curiosity got the better of me and I headed over.
I opened the door to reveal my uncle was sitting at the desk, surrounded by books and scrolls. Moving closer, I saw that they were all about the Van Helsing's and their string of decedents. I wondered how long he had been working on this, red ink crossed out the Van Helsing's wiped out by vampires, and black ink crossed out ones that were killed or died in other ways. Or at least that is what I thought, since the original Van Helsing was crossed out in red. Perhaps the black in meant that they were missing or had no idea of their bloodline, while the red meant they were dead or killed? I didn't know.
I sat down and watched him as he wrote with a quill. Even if there was better writing equipment now, I still caught my family writing with old fashion tools more often than not. He was very versed as he scribbled in his messy handwriting with the ink, and his eyes didn't stray from the paper. His fingers stained with black and red ink, and some blotches on his sleeves and a smear on his cheek told me he was entirely focused on what he was doing, and didn't seem to notice that his hands were covered in fresh and old ink.
It seemed like ages before he placed the quill down, moved the book aside, and glanced up at me. His ruby coloured eyes were very serious and he rubbed his face.
"You've always been a patient, child," he let his hands rest on the table before organizing some loose papers. He picked up a mirror and turned it to face me; all I saw was a floating earring. "It is very...peculiar that Samantha hasn't noticed any of our vampireistic traits. None of us can be seen in the mirrors, and we don't eat a hell of a lot. Your eyes are constantly pink, while your father and I both have red eyes if we just woke up, stressed, or angry. So why hasn't she called us on it yet?" he seemed to be talking to himself as he looked back at the Van Helsing charts. He idly tapped the cover of a journal with the tip of his finger, "I could be going about this all wrong, she could be some type of Monster...but I've spent years documenting the Monsters after the war..." he trailed off leaning back. "She is human. The closest thing that she could be if she wasn't human, would be a Mummy. Since they are technically humans, but I'm sure Vlad would've noticed if she had linen wraps to keep her from turning to dust, and he would've corrected us when we call her a human."
He rested his jaw on his fist and stared at the family tree for a few minutes. His finger trailed down until it got to the more recent dates. He stopped a generation back. "We'd be able to tell if she was a Van Helsing," he mumbled to himself, "She isn't dumb enough not to notice the traits..."
"What is Samantha's last name?" I blurted suddenly. My uncle jumped slightly, as if he had forgotten I was there.
"Samantha Harker," he muttered looking at an old tome again. I stared at him before rubbing my temple.
"Harker. As in Jonathon Harker?" I mumbled his eyes shot up to me. "You know the guy in the Dracula novel who worked as a solicitor and worked with the other four vampire hunters?"
"If you are thinking this Jonathon Harker was ever known to your father, that is wrong," he shot down the idea and looked back at his work, "Harker isn't even in the Hunter family heraldry," he turned another tome towards me, waving to the four crests. "See?"
"Bram Stoker wasn't far off in his story of vampire lore," I shot back with a raised eyebrow, "Harker may have been actually involved with Van Helsing, and therefore we don't have one clan of monster hunters, but five."
"I don't want to believe it, and it'll take years to figure out if what you think is true. If Samantha is a vampire hunter, we have to figure it out before she gets married too your father. Which is in a couple days," Uncle Vlad said shutting a book and looking at me. He drank deeply from a cup that smelled like blood, I got a bit light headed, but turned my attention back to the books. As long as I didn't think about it too hard, or didn't see it. I was fine. He wiped his mouth immediately after he lowered the cup. "So...now you have to worry about some crazy bitch who might be trying to kill your father, as well as the fact that you will be wed forcefully in the next year."
I looked at him, "You have to worry about it too, and you let a Monster Hunter into your house. Especially after you've done so much research," I stood up, "What other Monster spent it's time hunting and killing vampires?"
"Werewolves," he answered immediately, "and how could I have known that there was a fifth family? All the crests and manuscripts only detail four! I single-handedly catalogued every single type of monster, stood by your father's side in the war of monsters, and between the vampires and werewolves, and then spent the last twenty years building this cul-de-sac up!" he huffed, and closed a tome. Amusement in his eyes, not truly offended by my words. I giggled.
"To bad that we don't live beside werewolves, who also would have records or information about Monster Hunters, especially of the families that were involved in trying to murder my father," I shrugged and tapped my fingers on a book on werewolves, "You were thinking too hard on this, you should really take up reading."
"Go away and stop being a smart ass," he waved me off as he stood up and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.
I looked at the scroll of the descendents of Van Helsing, "I thought my father and they worked out a deal that the Van Helsing line can only have one child each generation? Why is there two?" I tapped the picture of them.
"I don't know if he is alive still, I'm still trying to find out if he is, and if he is I'll have to see if he knows about his past or not. Chances are, if he knows about vampires and what he will do, and then he won't be alive in the near future. Your father will condemn him."
My uncle left the room before the conversation could excel into a huge debate over sparing the lives of others, as I usually did with my elders. I turned the family tree towards myself and stared at the person who was off the radar.
After a while of doing my own research, someone entered the room. I heard their heartbeat faintly and knew it was a werewolf. I didn't even have to turn around to know it was male from the sound of the breathing. They didn't attack or advance any further, so I knew they were a friend. That narrowed it all down to Clawd or Clawrk, and I doubt Clawrk would leave the house if my Uncle was over.
"Hello, Clawd," I called barely a few seconds after he had entered.
"Hello," he walked in, coming up behind me. He stood silently as I read a section of the book; he placed his hand on the table and leaned down, reading along with me. It didn't bother me, and I finished reading before closing the book and turning around. Looking up at him with a smile.
"What's up?" I asked, as he pulled out a chair beside me and sat down. Picking up Van Helsing's family tree and examining it.
"So your dad might be in danger?" he asked, gesturing with the paper.
"My Uncle thinks she is," I replied, I still wasn't sure. She very well could be, but Samantha seemed too…she just didn't seem like the type of person who would be a Monster Hunter. "This is all his research."
"You don't sound worried," he replied, eyebrows coming together. He looked so much like his father did. I sighed, and stood up, banishing the image from my mind before collecting some books into a pile and lifting them up.
"That's because even if she is a vampire hunter, she is just a human. Who knows a lot about vampires? Compared to my father, she'll be like a small toddler waving around a rubber toy, he may get hurt, but he won't be killed by her," I explained walking over and started putting the books away. Clawd stood slightly behind me, and helped me put some of them away. Though when he was finished, he didn't retract his hand from where it was leaning on the bookshelf. I turned around, leaning against the bookcase, and stared up at him curiously.
"Could you handle her?" he asked quietly. I blinked, not understanding how I was involved in any danger. She would kill Dracula, and my Uncle would kill her, before taking me into hiding. It was a plan that my father had in place with Uncle Vlad since I was small. If anything should happen to my father, my Uncle would flee with me into hiding. Unless I was old enough to become Queen. "If she's after Dracula, it would be easier to get to him if you were hurt," he explained, "If she does end up being a Monster Hunter, could you handle her?"
"I can handle myself," I met his stare evenly, "and I'd never let my pain put my father in danger."
"She wouldn't be able to touch you," he touched my shoulder, I looked up at him. The moment our eyes connected, I reached out without thinking and touched his jaw.
"Depends on how she tries, if she threatens someone I care for...then I won't be able to stop myself," I answered, before realizing what I had implied and slipping away from him. What was with me? I couldn't be falling for a werewolf! Especially Clawdeen's brother. How would his parents react, how would my father react? I busied my hands, straightening some papers. Clawd didn't move from his spot as I tidied up. When I turned around he was staring at me still. The same look in his eyes from before. I walked over to him and smiled slightly. He touched my hair with one of his hands before leaning down.
I stepped away, his eyes filled with rejection and he pulled away. "Clawd, look-"
"Its fine, Draculaura," he tried to pass it off by laughing and rubbing his neck, "You still have feelings for Valentine. I get it," his tone turned sour near the end.
"I broke up with him," I blurted out, and he gave me a surprised look. "It's just that…" I averted my eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed that I was admitting this, "If Samantha is a Monster Hunter. Do you really think she would stop with my family? I'm sure she's figured out that the entire cul-de-sac is full of Monsters. I don't want you, or your family, to be hurt," I defended, not meeting his eyes.
"How can I get hurt?" he whispered, taking a hold of my chin and tilting it up until my head angled up towards his. I didn't meet his eyes still. It was silent; his fingers just held my head up until my eyes finally met his. "My parents have fought in wars; they've taught my entire family to defend themselves. Samantha doesn't stand a chance."
"I don't want to be hurt either," I whispered, looking at him. Almost begging him not to try anything.
"I would never, ever, hurt you," he leaned forwards slightly. My stomach dropped, and I felt slightly weak in the legs. He was so different. So foreign. Unlike Valentine he was warm, welcoming, and friendly. He didn't want to rush even a simple kiss. Valentine didn't even wait until our first date to kiss me, and it wasn't even a small peck on the lips.
My mind automatically thought back to another kiss. Another kiss that was warm. So long ago, that I hadn't thought of it since. That kiss had been warm, but it was full of negative feelings, and it was at the wrong time, with the wrong person.
Yet, this moment. It felt…right. It wasn't rushed; he didn't make the first move, just waited for me to make up my mind. Patient. I leaned forwards hesitantly. Not knowing. Not sure about this. After what seemed like forever I finally let our lips meet. It was a simple kiss, nothing fancy. However, it was so different than any kiss Valentine had given me. It wasn't like my forbidden kiss from centuries ago.
This kiss was warm, it made my knees weak, it made my arms wrap around his neck. It made me hungry for more. It was sweet, and innocent, yet fiery and passionate. Though, we broke away quickly, both of our cheeks bright red. I released his neck, hands trailing down his shoulders, feeling his heart pounding beneath my fingers.
"That was..." I trailed off, searching his golden eyes for the right word.
"Wow..." he murmured, I nodded with a giggle. He pulled me forwards into a hug and I welcomed it.
"Don't...say anything to anyone about that...please," I whispered after a while, "My dad will probably maim you."
Clawd chuckled, stroked my hair and pressed a kiss into my head. "I won't, I promise."
"Isn't this a cute sight, a girl and her dog" a growl interrupted. I jumped away from Clawd and looked up.