Sorry for the delay. Here is a new chapter, hopefully you all will like it. To Amanda0991, thanks for that very long review, really appreciated it. Sorry about my grammar, I am trying very hard to fix it (it seems like my grammar errors are like a hard to kill disease) but if those errors still appear, please point them out to me so I can fix it. About the rest of the things, this chapter will pretty much explain it. And no, what you said in the review is not negative things, it is your own opinion and I am grateful to hear it. I like reviews like that because it gives me an insight to the reader's mind. I am trying to turn things around abit, hopefully you will still like it by then. To ZOE, Adrian is Edwin the vampire's twin. The rest of you who reviewed, thank you!
Chapter 20: Sacrifice
I am exhausted just by watching them argue. When I say them, I meant everyone. I was grateful that we managed to get out of that old abandon building safely, but this? I am fully not prepared to face a bunch of adults blowing my eardrums out.
"You have got to be kidding me! Nathaniel cannot be your soul mate!"
"He is my soul mate; I know one when I see one," Adrian gave Nathaniel a look so tender that it made me want to look away, "even if my soul mate is a male, I will still love him no matter what."
"That is ridiculous!"
"No, it is not! What is wrong with him being my soul mate anyway?"
"First of all, he is a werewolf and you are a vampire—"
"Christopher and Grace—they have been at it longer than us! Not to mention Edwin and Fragrance!"
"Hey, don't drag us in!" Fragrance narrowed her eyes at Adrian.
"I am not the only one feeling it; I know Nathaniel feels that connection too. Just because you are his twin, doesn't mean he needs to tell you everything—"
"Wait, she is your sister?" Julian looked surprised.
"Don't you start on me, Adrian; my brother tells me everything. So does he tells mum,"
"Don't drag me in..." I muttered, knowing very well they can hear me perfectly.
"You haven't told your mum?" Adrian gave Nathaniel a somewhat hurt look.
"You are their mum? They are your kids?" Julian looked bewildered.
Nathaniel looked away, "I am not sure of my own feelings! I don't want to let her jump into conclusions…I am not gay!"
"You have kids?" Julian was half-shrieking now.
"Oh, my brother is gay," Edwin said in mock terror.
Adrian hissed at his twin, "I am not gay!"
I am really starting to have a splitting headache now. Everyone's voices are all so jumbled up that I can't even recognize whose voice is whose anymore.
"How do you explain this then?"
"What are you going to do?"
"Whose kids are they? Mine?"
"Oh for the love of God, everyone shut up!" Dominic shouted from the front door, I watched him slam the front door shut before stomping in looking all pissed and soaking in dark sticky liquid. "There is a mother-fucking werewolf outside attacking me and nobody heard anything? What the fuck is all those good hearing for? You bloody bastards are so busy arguing that you didn't notice one stupid mutt lurking outside the porch? Stupid idiots…"
Everyone had quieted down as Dominic shouted every cuss word known to man on earth.
"You are leaking gunk all over my carpet, Dominic," I narrowed my eyes at him.
"To hell with it," Dominic hissed in frustration as he kicked off his expensive-looking sneakers, spreading more blood on the carpet floor, "just go get a new one."
"I just had it changed recently because some idiotic wolf died on it," I snapped at Dominic when he peeled off his blood-stained hooded tee shirt and threw it on the carpet beside his sneakers.
I saw Julian flinched beside me but I ignored him. A dark look passed his face when realization dawn on him, "Who else did you kill?"
I turned angry eyes on him; if he think I didn't catch the 'you' he emphasized on, he is so wrong. What he said wounded my feelings but thank the heavens above that I was more angry than hurt to fuel myself a comeback, "What can you do?" I took a step towards Julian, glaring at him steadily while he returned my glare with a stoic gaze, "You can't even keep your little doggies under control—"
"Are you questioning me on my ability as an alpha?"
Something inhuman and beastly lurked behind Julian's eyes as he said those words through gritted teeth. I mentally rolled my eyes; sensitive is he when it comes to terms about being an alpha. I let a smirk form on my lips as I stood close to him, my body pressed against his and watch his eyes gone wide with surprise. Still leaning against him, I whispered into his lips, "Honey, I think I make a much better leader than you do."
I watched as anger leaked into his eyes. He pushed me off him, gentle enough that I do not fall onto the floor but good enough for me to move a few steps backward. Julian looked downright scary; with him standing in his full height, his green eyes an eerie glow and his lips pulled back in a snarl. "Do not insult me any further," Julian threaten and I lowered my eyes to his tighten fists. I smirked at him, "What is the need of a leader if he still allows his pack to freely initiate treason? A leader who cannot create obedience is as good as trash," I locked my eyes with his, "I heard that you were impressive, Julian, now I know how silly those rumors are after looking at you—a soft-hearted trash of a leader."
I didn't even see him raise his arm; his action was too fast for my eyes to catch the movement. It was when Dominic materialized beside us with his hand gripping tightly at Julian's wrist that I understood what he was going to do.
Surprise was clearly written on Julian's face. He looked at his raised hand that is just a breath away from my face and horror spread in his eyes like a virus. "I—Adele, I didn't meant—"
"What?" I took a step forward; our bodies now pressed against each other, it would just take a tiptoe for our lips to touch but I am not letting my mind wonder the possibilities. "Meant to hurt me? Julian—" I pretended that our body's distance didn't bother me at all; I could smell his breath on me now and it was making my head spin, "you can't even slap me, how can you lead a pack of people that can break my neck in a millisecond?"
The green eerie glow returned into Julian's eyes and I know the alpha wolf was peeking out of those green orbs I loved so much. I am provoking the egoistical male wolf in him and I know it. There is something I need Julian to understand but if he can't even hurt me, he can never realize it. Well, I have Dominic to be grateful for. If it was not for him, there would be a big red painful imprint of Julian's fingers on my face by now.
"Don't make me regret stopping him, Adele," Dominic voice was calm but there was an edge to it, like he was making an effort to hold off Julian's mid-swung arm.
Julian severed the connection of our eyes by turning his head away. He forcefully jerked his wrist free from Dominic and took a step back. With a low growl he said, "This is the last time, Adele; I would not be ethical the next time you insult me as alpha,"
"The moment you start showing violence and gain obedience from your doggies is the moment I will stop insulting you as alpha,"
Julian's glare was good enough to send people running for their lives but not me; I stood my ground and returned his glare. Someone cleared their throat loudly and I threw them a dirty look, breaking the glare and losing to Julian…which was not very fair.
"I would love to stand here and watch you two lovebirds fight but it will be a waste of my precious time so I am leaving," I scowled at the word 'lovebirds' and gave Grace one of my notorious death glare. She rolled her eyes at me, unaffected by my glare. Before closing the front door with Christopher at her arm, she said with an evil twinkle in her eye, "Oh, and Adele? I thought you wanted to tell Julian about his children?"
My eyes popped out. I am so going to strangle her! She did it on purpose!
Julian whirled on me; his eyes wide, a mixture of shock and excitement danced in his eye. "I have children?"
Oh good lord, I am going to kill Grace.
When I didn't answer, Julian turned to the kids, "The both of you; don't you have something to say to me?" Nathaniel and Fragrance looked uncomfortable with their father staring sternly at them. Nathaniel looked away while Fragrance shrugged her shoulders and croaked out a small, "Err…hi, dad?"
Julian threw his hands in the air, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Fragrance and Nathaniel somehow had gotten the clue to leave so they crept upstairs quietly, with Edwin and Adrian following them up silently. I wasn't too eager with them alone with my kids; not because I don't trust them, I just don't trust their hormones. But I didn't say anything, just keeping quiet as Julian rambled on about why I should have told him about my pregnancy. I felt like a five-year-old being lectured by her parent because she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I sat on the couch with my hands folded across my chest and scowled at Julian.
"What did you expect me to do? Went back and find you just because I was pregnant? Do you seriously think I will act like those typical romance drama where the damsel in distress runs back to the guy just because he got her pregnant?"
I scowled at Julian when he grumbled under his breath, "Sometimes I wish you would,"
"Well, that is too bad," I huffed, "I don't need the father of my kids around, I can take care of myself. I am not your typical dramatic heroine that needs a man to watch after her ass."
Before I knew it, Julian had me pinned against the wall. The air was knocked out of me as my body collided with the wall and I gasped in surprise. But the gasp didn't manage to come out fully; Julian had his lips against mine, his tongue in my mouth. Kissing me suddenly made my mind blank. Out of pure reaction I struggled and kicked, my balled fist hitting him continuously on his shoulders. When I thought I was going to die due to lack of oxygen, Julian released my mouth and a tight slap landed on his handsome face. I hissed venomously, "What was that for?"
Julian wiped the corner of his lips where blood had been drawn. He looked up at me and I saw the wolf peeking out from his eyes, excited from the smell of blood and something else. He gave me a smile that made the hair on my back stand, "You can't even fight me off; you sure you can watch after your own ass?"
I growled at him when he leaned down so he could whisper in my ear, "Was all a kiss needed to handle you?"
I decided it was the last straw. I pulled my fist back, making it look like I wanted to punch him and as predicted Julian shot his hand out to grab my fist the same moment I landed a swift kick to his side, making him choke out a surprised gasp. But Julian wasn't so easy to be defeated as I later found out; he used my captured fist as an advantage, turned me around forcefully so my back would be against him and pressed me onto the couch, Julian on top of me and my arm twisted behind my back. I winced at the pain but didn't let it show. I could swear that Julian is enjoying the feeling of pinning me down on the couch, according to his lower body part's reaction. Pressed against me, Julian leaned down so his lips would be touching my ear, "Is this all you can do?"
"Let me get a weapon and I will show you what else I can do," I hissed through gritted teeth, furious that I was pinned down so easily on the couch by an ex-lover. Julian's chest vibrated when he laughed; in a swift motion he flipped me over so that my back would be against the couch and I would be facing him, "That is probably the reason why I love you so much," Julian whispered against my lips and closed the distance between our lips. He kissed me but I didn't kiss him back. My mind couldn't tell me what to do; it blanked out the moment our lips touch.
Then it started; the burning sensation from before. It started like a small flame from the places he touched, and then it spread to deeper parts of me; the flame engulfing me slowly in a burning desire, making my head spin and impossible to think. We were touching, kissing and all the other things you can think of two opposite sex could do. I was mewing like a cat when Julian trail kisses at intimate places and my hand was getting comfortable being tangled in his mesmerizing soft hair. I couldn't think straight and I don't know how to say no to the burning fire in me—until someone coughed above us.
Looking up I saw a very pissed off Dominic staring down at us with more than just murder intent in his eyes. Immediately my mind starts to function back and I scrambled away from Julian as fast as I can; in the meantime pulling down my shirt that have mysteriously made its way up, exposing my bra. Julian looked offended at my actions but said nothing, choosing instead to match up with Dominic's glare. I wanted to say to Dominic that it is not how it looks like but I didn't. It is no use explaining to him when the picture is worth a thousand words. "Dominic—" I tried again, this time I raise up to my knees so we would be on eye-level, "Dominic, you are still here?"
Dominic did not move his eyes away from Julian, they are still engaging in the glaring match. But his snide remark made me want to slap him, "Oh! I apologize if I am in the way for the both of you to go all the way,"
"It is none of your business if we did," Julian gave Dominic an innocent smile and in return, Dominic growled at him. Now I want to slap Julian too. Jeez, can't the both of them stop being childish? I throw Julian a dirty look, "Stop provoking him, Julian. You are at wrong here too; you shouldn't have done what you did just now."
"You are as wrong as I am, then. Your response was good enough to tell me you liked it," Julian leaned onto the couch, giving me a smile that reminds me of what we just did and a red shade crept its way up my face. I looked away immediately, finding it hard to look at his face without thinking of the burning sensation when he touches me.
It seems my reaction to Julian's words made Dominic even angrier than he already is because suddenly out of the blue Dominic shot his hand out, grabbed my chin towards him and crashed his lips to mine. I was too shocked to react; my mind was caught between the decision to either slap him hard across the face or to kiss him back. In the end I decided to not do anything instead. Dominic pulled away and throws a growling Julian an egoistic smirk, seemingly trying to say 'La la la, I just kissed your girlfriend, what you going to do?'
Julian made an inhuman noise deep from his throat and I knew this had to stop. I pushed Dominic away from me and stood away from the couch, my eyes shooting daggers at the both of them, "That is enough," I punched in more anger into my voice to let them know how serious I am now, "Stop using me as a play tool to get on each other's nerves. If you want to tear each other's throat out, fine with me; go on right ahead, see if I care." The more I think about it the more pissed off I get; how can I not see that this two hopeless, useless, brain-dead, terminally dead and furry, foolish, arrogant, irresistibly yummy—whoa there—boys are just using me to prove to each other that they are better than the other?
I side-stepped Julian who stood up to say something, an apology maybe, and marched off upstairs with a scowl on my face. I could still hear them bickering halfway up the stairs.
"See what you did," that would be Dominic's voice.
"Oh I am sorry, but I did not just kiss her in spite of someone," Julian's sarcasm was crystal clear.
"You are just jealous I can make her kiss me without depending on the soul mate thing,"
There was a growl from Julian but was later replaced by a mocking voice, "At least she is my soul mate; I'd win no matter what you do,"
Dominic said something unintelligent in reply and received a deep threatening growl from Julian. There was more rude remarks exchanged as I was quietly debating in my head whether I should run downstairs with my Viking MP-446 pistol, demand them to shut up and get the hell out of my house when a loud sound of shattering glass made me jump out of my skin. Immediately the first thought that came to mind is that the two boys are getting a little too rowdy.
I flew down the stairs as fast as possible with the Viking in hand; decided to use it as an advantage of getting them to stop being childish when I caught sight of what was in front of me. I didn't even get the chance to let out any exclaim of surprise because in a blur movement I was flung across the room and landed with a heavy impact against the wall. The impact knocked the breath out of my lungs and things worsen when a vampire who looked no older than my own children landed a kick to my stomach, making me scream in agony. I didn't even get to recover from the pain and shock because the vampire immediately picked me up from the ground and flung me towards Julian who was fighting off his own pair of vampire enemies that were trying to claw his eyeballs out.
Julian caught me but slammed into the glass table, breaking the glass under his weight and bleeding all over my carpet. At first I was worried; blood makes vampires even more excited but when I saw the look on their face, I was relieved. The two closest vampires scowled at the smell of a werewolf's blood; they were clearly disgusted with the smell that was clearly different compared to humans. I took the chance to recover; I quickly pushed myself up from a wounded Julian and dashed towards the Viking that was lying just beneath the vampire's feet. The vampire saw my movement and kicked the gun out of my reach, landing a swift kick with his other leg to the side of my face causing me topple over in pain. The strength in his kick was so much that I was momentarily knocked unconscious to wake up again being held by my neck against the wall. Immediately I clawed at the man's arm, desperate to get air so I would not faint or die from lack of oxygen.
Fragrance and Nathaniel had descended the stairs by now, both Edwin and Adrian hot behind their heels. One look at the situation sends Fragrance charging angrily at my captor. The vampire was thrown off me when Edwin materialized with his vampire speed beside me and knocked him off in a swift movement of his hand, right into the arms of a half transforming Fragrance and Nathaniel. I was coughing and wheezing for air as I slide to the ground; between the fit I caught glimpse of Fragrance and Nathaniel biting the vampire's body apart with their deadly looking canines, shaking him like a rag doll as blood splatter all over the place. Dominic had finished his share of vampires and appeared beside me to hold me up. The other two vampires that were previously attacking Julian had been finished off by Adrian and a least agreeing Edwin. Sometime during staggering towards the badly wounded vampire with Dominic's arms around my waist, I picked up the Viking and held it steadily in my hand. I aimed it at the vampire's head and received a smile with blood dripping from his chin.
"I got a message for you," He choked out a laughter that sounded like a mix of a cough and giggle, "But when in battle the foe were met,
The Douglas found him sore beset,
With only strength of the fighting arm
For one more battle passage yet—
And that as vain to save the day
As bring his body safe away—
Only a signal deed to do
And a last sounding word to say."
"What? What is that supposed to mean?" someone asked from behind me.
"Robert Frost, 'In Equal Sacrifice'," I said and the vampire's smile widens. A horrible feeling twisted in my gut, "Who send you?"
I didn't get the answer to my question; the vampire used both of his hands and twisted his head with a sickening crack. I turned my head away, slightly disgusted at the sight of a body with a head twisted at a weird angle. Adrian walked pass me to the body, knelt down and examined it. "This vampire is new,"
I raised an eyebrow at him, curious to know why he can tell the difference between a new or an old vampire. Adrian half-smirked at me, "Well, that would be because he is foolish enough to kill himself not through the heart but by twisting his own neck, leaving his body here free for all of us to examine. Only by severing the head from the body or harm the heart in any way will the vampire turn into dust. Leaving his body here gives us the privilege to use his blood to enter his memories; a way to track his origin." The look Adrian is giving me is making my skin crawl.
"He could have done it on purpose," I replied, "maybe it is a trap?"
Dominic inhaled deeply beside me, "I could not read their minds; it was too messed up for me to read. Someone clearly messed their mind up to prevent me from using my mind-reading ability."
"They are like puppets," Julian's angry growl makes me turn toward him; there were blood stains all over his clothing but no injury to be seen. All the wounds on his arm caused by the glass had healed themselves up pretty nicely. He made a face at his torn blood-stained sweater before gruffly said, "They fight not at will but on command. If they are newly created, then whoever their creators are is obviously turning people into vampires just to create an army against us."
"Well whoever that person may be and whatever reason they may have, it is not right to kill people just to turn them into walking blood-sucking corpse," I hissed, grabbing onto Dominic for more support as I feel my head starting to throb painfully. The dizziness is getting stronger and it will only be minutes for me to blackout due to too much of impact on my head. "In equal sacrifice; why would he say that unless…" I was suddenly feeling very sick.
"Adele?" Dominic's grip on my shoulder tightens, "Adele, what's wrong?"
The room was spinning; everyone seemed to be swirling into a confusing circle. I was suddenly trying desperately to get air into my lungs. I was choking, gasping, wheezing; all at the same time. I can faintly hear worried voices coming from numerous people as my knees gave in and I stumbled to the ground, even with Dominic's grip on me. My vision blurred and I was out cold.
Ok, how was it? Sorry if I offended anyone by putting Adrian and Nathaniel who are both guys as 'soul mates' (well, they themselves are not even sure if they are soul mates), lets just see what will turn out of this two pairing. Please tell me your opinion of this chapter, thank you!
