Aidan was beyond pissed that the vampire brides left behind on the property weren’t eliminated as per the scheduled time. While they were easy pickings for his men, they outnumbered them. Vampires had always been nasty for him, even in business. The new facility had to be constructed according to schedule so they could expand operations right away.
He sighed; the sounds coming from inside the old Victorian style mansion, which was seemingly misplaced considering its neighbors of dilapidated buildings, irritated him as the seconds ticked by. There were gunshots and growling, as well as the shrieks of the undead women – poor human souls who fell prey the charms of a vampire noble whose intentions were far different from his title. At least he was currently on the run from the Vampire Council that he’d approach the Werewolf King to sell his estate instead of one of
He could see them, their eyes red and angry, newly grown fangs bared at the sight of unwelcome visitors. But most importantly, he could sense their hunger for the powder that he held in his hand. They were hesitating, aware that if they run towards him, they’d suffer the same fate as those before them.Aidan taunted them. He clenched his fist, tons of excess powder falling into the ground. The ones on the front almost sprung forth.“Come,” he commanded, tilting his fist and letting the rest of the powder slowly pour from the slight relaxation of his fingers. And for the last push, he stepped on the gathered powder and scrubbed, hard, the sounds of the grainy powder earning heaves of breathes from the undead brides.The halflings snarled. Their nails grew into point edges. They bared their fangs as they spilled into the hallway, the narrow passage restricting their movements.
It was during lunch that Emma escaped through the small window on the girls’ bathroom that was near the football field. The team was doing their usual runs, and the cheerleaders were shouting rhymes along with dance steps and incredible stunts that Emma could only dream of ever mimicking. She hid behind the bleachers, keeping an eye out for the school’s security guard doing his rounds before bolting towards the old school building, which was situated a distance behind the open fields.While she could easily spy on the school’s most popular kids from there, Emma had no interest. Well hidden by a line of trees that was part of the school’s EcoCare Project, she ignored the “No Students Are Allowed Beyond This Point” sign and entered the building. Demolition was halted for about a week, the old building deemed unsafe for continued use,
Niquel slumped by the door, disappointed at himself for causing her more pain. The beast in him fought to be freed upon hearing her muffled cries. With their bond solidifying, he could feel her pain in his chest. Minutes ticked by and the room quieted down. Since Gladdy’s crib burned, he transferred her on the pull-down bed. An hour before midnight – they must’ve fallen asleep. He sighed in relief – at least they were within arms’ reach. While his plans went awry, it could’ve been worse. Niquel took out his phone and dialed a number. The receiver picked up on the first ring. “How can I be of assistance, Sir?” “Send more security on the borders. No one goes in and out without my permission.” “Yes, Sir,” Allen replied, then paused for a while. “Sir, I have to inform you of the situation after your departure.”
Men and women, armed to the teeth with military grade weapons surrounded Emma as she was led out of the car and into the entrance of a grand mansion. Their serious expressions left no room for argument, especially with her supposed boss boring holes at her back, who happened to be a supernatural being.She was in love with a dragon and her knight in hairy armor was a werewolf. It sounded crazy in her head, but then again, Gladdy was on fire, back at the penthouse, with no sign of it on her except her burned clothes and blankets. Speaking of Gladdy, she stared up at her mom with a toothless smile, cooing, innocent of the out-of-reality occurrences.Emma held her baby in her arms tightly, internally swearing to protect her at all costs.She took a deep breath and kept her chin high, refusing to show the slightest bit of fear and intimidation
His eyes were unyielding as she openly glared at him, angered by how he didn’t seem to be taking her seriously and confused by something about him that made her want to seek out comfort. “You said Niquel would be here.”“I said ‘he might be here’. But if he knows what’s best for him, he won’t be stepping foot anywhere near this place.”“So, we’re what,” she spat, “your captives now?”A corner of his lips lifted into a smirk. “More like my guests,” he replied, spreading his arms wide. The bundle of muscles in his arms flexed under the fabric of his skintight shirt and raised the ends of his shirt slightly, revealing a glimpse of a flat, well-toned abs, that could’ve been molded by the hands of the heavens themselves. “Make yourselves comfortable. Hunter will show you to your room
She shouldn’t have come there. She was human. Gladdy was half-human. Werewolves and dragons and now a lady asking her to call her mom? Even her best friend had changed – she was usually so protective of her and Gladdy.Speaking of Gladdy, she had been silent the entire time like she was observing them. Something had changed with her; Emma could feel it. Gladdy seemed aware of what was taking place – or perhaps it was her mind trying to cope with the revelations from last night.“Emma!” Aidan called behind her when she was right in front of the door.Emma sighed, retracting her hand from the wooden surface and faced him. She hugged Gladdy to her chest and sneered at the man. Due to the slight difference in their height, she could easily square up to him without having him look down on her with those obsidian eyes of his. “What?”His
Emma awoke to the sound of giggling, and the quiet chuckles of a man. Lying on her side, she cracked an eye open, and through the partial opening of the heavy draperies of the canopy bed, she saw the father of her child holding Gladdy in his arms and do a ridiculous step dance – a series of side steps and forwards and backwards, while making faces, which made Gladdy giggle and coo. Niquel had a nursing cover draped over one shoulder, and would bring his face too close to hers just so her tiny hands could hit his cheeks as she toothlessly smiled up at him.They could’ve been like that – a normal family – had he never left. She would’ve accepted him regardless of his nature, without any anger or doubt in her heart. Because as much as Emma tried to push him away, she knew within herself that she wanted Gladdy to grow up with a father figure.
“I don’t care,” she said, saying words completely opposite from what she felt. “We’ve never existed in your life for a year. Surely you can continue to live that way – alone and free.”“I was never free.” He inched closer to her, his fiery scent alluring. “I’ve always, always been bound to you since the day we met. What I did was wrong. I have no right to ask this from you, but please … please give me a second chance to prove myself.”Her breath got trapped in her lungs, his fiery scent stronger. It weakened her defenses, coaxing her submission, to lean on him and trust him on this matter. His hands covered hers, and they both held their child, light, and peacefully asleep between them. The contact awoke pleasant tingling under her skin, reassuring her once more that he was physically with them. And when his warm palm cupped her cheek,