We are onto chapter 13 and the end is near!

I can't wait! Just the final chapter to complete and upload, and then this journey is over for good!

Chapter 13: Truth Is Out

The very next day, Natasha woke in the bedroom she had been in before her notorious escape with some odd feeling of help from the slain Bride, Alina. As she sat up and looked around, she felt deja vu all over again before shaking herself off that feeling. That was then and this is now.

She turned her head to her right and there was a place for breakfast such as toasted bread, fruit and a cup of orange juice that had been freshly squeezed for her to drink. Unlike the vampires that need blood, she needs proper food which is this. She ate her breakfast, starting with the fruit and then got dressed in the same clothes she had on from yesterday before heading towards the library of Castle Dracula as she finished the last of her orange juice and toast, having already polished the fruit.

In the library of the vast castle was Chloe who had already been notified of Natasha's return by her master and was so happy to be reunited with the eighteen-year-old woman. They soon began chatting as if they were never apart at all.

Meanwhile, Clare and Sophy had been shown the way to Castle Dracula by Gabriel Van Helsing in the form of a special mirror that Sophy believed was magical and kept thinking it was like Narnia except it wasn't. Although Castle Valerious was destroyed, part of the structure still remained and that included the mirror that had been used twice. The monster hunter made sure to have all the supplies they needed if a major battle erupted. If anything happens, their priority is Natasha's life and getting her the hell out of there.

However, there was something that the ageless hunter had not been told at all, the only people who knew of Natasha's dark and sad secret were her step-sisters.

They weren't angry at her, they just wanted to ask her the truth and if it was true, then they would see how to go from there.

Afterall, it's not Natasha's fault that her parents fell in love and conceived her though they were supposed to be enemies as it was natural for humans and vampires to be enemies between each other. But then again, it's possible to fall in love with your enemy. It does not make one evil if that happens, just that the so-called "evil" may have suppressed their human emotions within them due to various factors like common hate.

:1:

After leaving the library and heading through the vast halls of Castle Dracula, Chloe stopped herself as she heard some sound with her heightened hearing and quickly hid herself in the ceiling of the hall whilst focusing on what noise she heard.

Then she saw them.

The monster hunter!

And those girls must be Natasha's sisters, Clare and Sophanne.

Her master had warned her about the monster hunter known as "Gabriel". He told her that this man will stop at nothing to drive their kind to hell or back towards it, of which is where Dracula had visited during his deal with the Devil. He told her that this man knew of their weaknesses and she had to be really careful in not getting caught.

Chloe continued to watch them with her vampire eyes which allowed her to get a better sight of them up close without being seen, before she decided to inform her master immediately.

The step-sisters decided to go their way in trying to find Natasha, though they were warned to be avoid the Dwergi, whilst Van Helsing kept to his way of finding Dracula and destroying the vampire for good by reusing the same method he had used over one-hundred years ago and then going further by destroying his bones to prevent the vampire's resurrection in the nearby future.

It did not take the girls long to find Natasha, all they had to do was think of what place in this castle that she was likely to be in; her bedroom or the library and their thinking was proven to be right. She was in the library and as they opened the door, there she was.

She was sitting on a couch with her knees crossed over one another, with one leg being bounced every five seconds up and down. The angle of the couch was that she did not notice them and they were looking at her by her right side. She had a book in both hands that she looked to be very deep in reading and she even had her glasses on which is usually what she wore when she was deep in one of her hobbies. Also, she still had the clothes she wore yesterday on her person though her hair was loose, and not tied back except for being pushed back behind her ears.

"Tasha?"

She moved her gaze from the book she was reading in her hands to the doorway of the library and an expression of shock appeared on her face as she saw her sisters standing there with silver stakes in their hands through her glasses. How did they find this place so quickly? She was only gone for several hours which included sleeping and yet, here they are.

"How did you find this place?" she asked as she got up from the couch and placed the book on the table which is also where her cup of empty orange juice sat, under a coaster. She stood there briefly before walking forward towards them slowly. "Van Helsing was here before, many decades ago and has obviously not forgotten the location plus he knew how to get by which was this mirror..." spoke Sophanne as she sounded like she was getting very excited the more she spoke about the experience in an excitable tone of voice. Her eyes seemed to brighten up a bit.

"But.." Clare began to say, cutting her younger sister off, "What is going on, Tasha? I heard you and that vampire… Dracula… in your room. You called him, dad? Just tell us the truth, we will not judge you."

Natasha looked away briefly to the floor before raising her eyes back to them and just came out with it, the whole truth. She told them who Chloe is, that Dracula is her father and that he and her mother were lovers as well as having to keep that piece of information as a form of secret from her to protect her for fear of being harmed and potentially killed by other hunters. She also told them that Father Carlyle knew about the dark secret and took it to his grave as a way of respecting Caitlyn and her daughter. She also explained that she thinks Sister Catalina probably did not know either. By the end, Natasha felt so ashamed that she lowered her head to the ground and closed her eyes. She expected them to be angry by calling her crazy, threatening to hit her or something else but instead, they just stood there having listened to her and then all of a sudden; Clare wrapped her arms around the brunette girl which took her by surprise.

"I believe you, Tasha, I really do. I know you are telling the truth because when you do tell the truth, your eyes seem to change colour as if they are getting brighter in shade and when you lie; your eyes get darker. Thank you for telling us the truth, I am sorry that you have to think you are on your own but you are not." she told her with tears in her eyes. "We are family, we are sisters, starting that day that you came to live with us and Sister Catalina in England."

"Hell, yeah!" Sophy worded into the conversation of the Madison/Madeson sisters.

"You also beat Tommy to protect me when he cornered me after school. I don't care if you are a vampire, human or Dhampir; you are my sister always and forever!" Clare finished saying as all three girls fused into one big hug as a family truly reunited. No more secrets, no more sadness, no being kept in the dark about each other anymore. All three girls kept hugging for what seemed like thirty minutes to an hour before being interrupted by Bride Chloe. As she came through the open door and closed it behind her, she continued to smile but stayed where she stood to not frighten or give them reason to attack her.

It was Natasha that moved to stand in the middle between both females, after the hugging of her step-sisters.

"Clare, Sophanne." she began as she raised her hand to gently point at Chloe who wore a bra-like top and baggy trousers that were made from the most expensive but beautiful-looking fabrics. Her long hair cascaded down her back, almost reaching her bottom. "This is Chloe, my father AKA Dracula's Bride. She is the sister of Alina; the Bride who tried to kill you because she wanted me both dead and for you guys to suffer. She will not harm you. She's… friendly."

It's like a foreign feeling in saying that last bit but it was true, Chloe has not harmed her or anyone she loves, it was just Alina who wanted to do the worst out of intense jealousy.

Sophanne moved behind Clare as she felt somewhat scared of the Bride, despite her having not attacked them. Could be the experience of Alina trying to kill them that has made the youngest feel this way though this Bride has not touched them in any way. "Hi." she whispered that the Bride caught with her heightened hearing.

Clare just nodded her head once, but still stayed standing on where she stood.

The Bride began to speak, with her smile slightly dropping. "Natasha, if your sisters are here as I saw early when they came through the main hall of this vast Castle, then the monster hunter is here for Dracula. We must hurry."

Tasha gazed at her sister with worry in her eyes and begged them, "Please help stop this from getting worse, anymore than it already is. He's my father, I can't lose another parent, sisters!" It did not take much to persuade them, their early argument was verbal proof of what their physical actions would come to do, for their rescued sister's sake. "Of course, we'll help. We aren't going to stand here and do nothing, let's go." she said as they all sprinted out of the library. Chloe was not far behind them. Where would Dracula be here, in this massive place of death and nightmare? Where would the place for a battle be proper to happen, without endangering lives?

"Where was the previous battle to take place in this place?!"

"From what the master told me, it had taken place in the laboratory. The equipment is still there."

"What about the foyer?!" asked Clare. They headed down long halls as they continued to think about where Van Helsing and Dracula would be and maybe what could happen potentially.

"Try there!" yelled Chloe as that sealed on where they decided to head to and Tasha kept praying inside her head, and her heart repeatedly that she was not too late to save her father, hoping that this time he would not be killed the same way as before if it did happen again.

:2:

Castle Dracula.

All the girls and older-century Bride arrived at the foyer to see a very horrid sight. Dracula was being violently attacked by an enlarged black werewolf that was hellbent on destroying this creature once-and-for-all, and from where its leftover clothes like his hat, duster coat, other pieces could be seen which were not far in feat from them; both Madeson sisters realised that the werewolf that is attacking Dracula is the monster hunter. His attacks were unstoppable and powerful as the few times that Dracula dodged an almost fatal hit, a part of the room's structure was gravely damaged in seconds from a strength-filled blow. Eventually, Dracula was able to temporarily gain flight and fly himself slightly away from the panting werewolf but not for long as the creature threw a large stone rock towards him that knocked him heavily down and pinned his wings in the process.

He gave a loud roar in success before slowly stalking his would-be-victim. Planning to deliver the final blow and then destroy his bones as a true end to his existence. However, he was stopped by one person who would rather die than live to see her father being killed in front of her, with adding the loss to her long list of losing everyone she loves and cares about; Caitlyn her mother, Sister Catalina her guardian, Father Stefan Carlyle her foster uncle. It shocked her sisters immensely who shouted and cried after her and the Bride to some extent as Natasha ran out towards where her father was pinned and stood to face the in-coming werewolf with both arms stretched out, whilst providing cover at best. She may be mortal, she may be stupid and weak, she may be powerless, but she can hope and be brave at this moment of time.

The werewolf stopped in his tracks and then in seconds, transformed back to the man that its dark curse had been infused with via the venom he has secretly injected himself with. He had obtained the venom from Nigel in Hungary. "What are you doing, girl?! Get out of the way, he needs to be destroyed!" he shouted to her but she shook her head as a "NO". "I won't let you kill him! He may be a monster which includes killing many innocent people over the years-to-centuries, kidnapping me, holding me captive, but he did not feed on me or turn me!" she yelled back.

"What is she doing?" questioned Sophanne.

"She is making a stand." Clare said softly. "For her family and herself." As both girls continue to watch what is happening in front of them whilst Chloe shifted into her vampire bat form and quickly flew to her master in order to help him, and possibly team up with. She used her great strength to pick the large stone up and throw it away, causing it to brush into smaller pieces upon impact as she helped her master to his feet before both of them shifted back to their human forms at the very same time as Natasha continued to make her stance against the centuries-old hunter of monsters. However, if Van Helsing tried to launch a surprise attack at this moment in time against them again, Dracula and Chloe were ready; injured or non-injured.

Don't mess with a vampire; don't mess with an animal when caged or when its family is in danger of being taken or harmed.

"Why do you care though?! He is a demon of hell! A vampire!" yelled Van Helsing who continued to pant and his body shaking still due to the werewolf curse inside him. "He will never stop! It's in his nature, so again; why do you care so much?!"

"Because my mother cared before she died when I was a kid!" she replied back.

"What do you mean?" he was now confused at that just spoken statement.

"My mother fell in love with this vampire long ago and came to see him as more than just a bloodthirsty demon of hell that you think he is! But… not only did she love him up until her very death, their persistent love for each other was also responsible for me being born." Natasha finally admitted it, the very truth that her parents kept as a secret for many years, even after her mother's passing. "It's true, Count Dracula is my father and though he had me kidnapped, he only did so to protect me. He has not harmed me, he has kept me safe. He just wants to live in peace."

A Dhampir, impossible!

But she is living proof that they do exist.

Born from a human mother and vampire father.

"Besides, Mr Van Helsing," spoke Clare as she and her sister came to stand alongside Tasha. "Aren't you sick of relentless killing? You don't have to kill him, only listen and understand to the best of your ability. Can you do that?" He stared at them for what seemed like hours as he thought it over.

For a second he thought it over repeatedly. Why not listen for a change? Can't help listening to what these girls and this dark family of vampires have to say. And so, Gabriel Van Helsing listened to what they all had to say and he kept an open mind in the process.

. . .

. . .

Yay, another chapter finished.

Just the final chapter to complete and upload, and then this journey is over for good!

I can't wait!