C10| Cruel Mercy

The sound of her scream tore at my ear drums, so sensitive was my hearing her scream of terror brought not delightful amusement but pure torture. 

Reaching out I slapped my hand over her mouth so hard Melanie fell over a wimpering mess from the impact.

But at least she stopped screaming.

Then the air charged; became alive as ominous laughter filled the room, a clear deep seductive sound traveled through the space and caressed my skin like the a whisper of a kiss.

As if to say; 'Forgot me, didn't you?'

I had.

I'd come upstairs to find Melanie and he'd gone off to do Lord knows what, downstairs. I just hope he didn't kill the Mayor.

That self righteous bastard was...Mine!

Melanie ceased her wailing at the sound of his laughter. A deer frozen in the presence of a wolf.

Barely breathing she slowly tilted her head back to catch a glimpse of the creature behind her. 

The second she saw him, her racing heart stopped cold, before galloping away again. In awe of his beauty perhaps or she'd frozen in instinctual knowledge that she would die here and no amount of begging, pleading or crying would save her from him. 

I was so fascinated by the look on her face and the range of emotions in her wild eyes that I almost forgot to be upset that she was more terrified of him, a complete stranger.

Then me, her best friend who'd killed both her brother and her mother. The woman who had wiped her dear sweet mother's blood all over her face, I seem to give her the impression that she could live. That I would let her live. 

Fascinating that I did not seem to inspire the same bone bending horror as my sire. 

"The was quite the show, my dear." Evan spoke, his voice smooth and quiet as silk. A blessing after all the noise. 

What had he done with the Mayor? 

"Your prey awaits you downstairs, he is safely locked away in his study." He held my eyes as he answered my unspoken question. 

Good, I'll deal with him after I finished with his daughter 

How long had Evan been standing there? Leaning against the wall opposite Mrs Redford's open door. A chill raced down my spine, I was so focused on Melanie that I never heard him climb the stairs and stand right in front across from an open door. 

Seeming to read the thoughts in my eyes, Evan smirked.

"There are many things I have yet to teach you about our way of life." He said pushing off the wall and stepping towards us. Melanie flinched at my feet, tears silently spilling from her eyes as she watched a real monster approach. 

"Let this be a lesson in survival. Never let your guard down," My sire expression playful and twisted yet his tone was dark and serious. "We are at our most vulnerable when consumed with the hunt." 

I could taste the truth of his word in the air, their true meaning was not lost on me. The best time to kill a predator is when it hunts its prey. 

Suddenly I had so many questions. How could we be killed? I was faster and stronger than any human, so how could I die? 

"Good evening Miss Redford." Evan greeted Melanie drawing my attention back to the scene in front of me. I could asked my questions later. 

Right now I had a mission to complete and a dead girl to avenge.

Evan gently brushed Melanie's sweat soaked hair from her face and helped her- forced her to sit up to look right at me and she did but to her true death was at her back. I could see it in her wide eyes was she looked up at me, hope.

Manic laughter erupted from my belly, I doubled over shaking at the stupid look on her face. She genuinely thought I would save her after everything her family had done to me, after everything she'd done to me. My vision blurred with tears, as I laughed glancing between her and Evan while clutching my stomach. 

"You want live?" I asked Melanie still gulping for air trying to stop laughing. "You want me to let you live? Like you let me... Live." Melanie shook her head, eyes begging for mercy she would not find. 

"Ple-please." She whispered barely audible if not for my newly improved hearing.

Evan mouth twisted into a cruel smirk as he watched on in silence. 

"Okay." Leaning forward the laughter finally dying in my belly. "I'll let you live, if you kill your father!"