There's an extra bonus attached to this chapter. Entries from the Travors bloodline journal. These entries will play a part in the prequel!!!
CharlieThe early morning sunrise wakes me up sooner than Iโd like. Entry after entry from that journal kept me awake after arriving home last night. No matter how awful that book makes him sound, I still canโt help thinking about him. No matter how much I want to force him away, part of me doesnโt want him to go.Jesus Charlie, get a hold of yourself.I get dressed as fast as possible, throwing the book in my purse. Hell-bent on a confrontation on my terms, I decide to head over to the hotel Maxwell is staying at. The cockiness that radiates off my body disappears once I enter the building. Since I kept that extra room key, I donโt have to enter through the front door and humiliate myself again.I hover outside room 218. He claims heโs not some movie vampire, but I only see him at night. Stereotypes are all Iโm left with and the best-case scenario is that heโs here asleep, cowering from the sun. I insert the key card and wait for the blinking green light allowing me to enter. I find
MaxwellI ponder on what just went down. Did I ruin things even further than they already were with her? Or did I help her understand me, where I came from? How far I came and how far Iโm willing to go. That journal, though. Do I wish that she didnโt come across it? Yes. But only because I should have been there to explain things. Now she has this image in her head that contradicts what Iโm trying so hard to prove.That book has traveled many miles and several cities, but I donโt exactly know why I keep it. It doesnโt tell a version Iโm particularly fond of. An old friend of mine repeatedly told me to burn it and never look back. The day I refused will come back to haunt me. Today is that day.A knock on the door breaks my concentration. The constant knock forces me to move even though I donโt want to. Thereโs only one person I want to speak with right now, but letโs face it, she wouldnโt knock.I slip a pair of pants on since Iโm still in my undergarments. Looking at the ground with
CharlieNo matter how much I donโt want another work week to start, it does. There are plenty of things to occupy my mind, but one thing keeps blocking my judgmentโฆMaxwell. The screaming children at the birthday party I had this past Saturday kept me on my toes, though. The cries from the children made my head hurt and made it completely impossible to think about anything. However, the birthday party might have kept my mind in check, but Juliet kept my emotions in check.She refused to call me about her talk with Wilson. She just sent an email that consisted of three words: you owe me. A few days later, I received phone calls from eager parents wishing to enlist their child for the party. Sheโs still angry with me for refusing to tell her anything about Maxwell, not as if I have a choice. I canโt flaunt a vampire in her face.After almost two weeks of surprising him in his hotel room, I havenโt seen him since. All I can do to keep myself from going insane is count down the remaining h
MaxwellโMaxwell, relax. Sheโll be here. Iโm paying her, so you better be grateful. I know why she resents you, though, bringing her into a trap. Think about your actions, there has to be another way.โโThereโs no other way, Grace. The presentation is next week, six days from now, to be exact. I have no more time to waste. If she wishes to remain a human until sheโs ready, then this has to happen and it has to happen tonight.โ I thought many times about what I have to do and how exactly I should go about doing it. No matter how many different ways I think of, I know Charlie and she wonโt take it lightly.Grace leaves me to my thoughts as she speaks with the other guests. When I see her walk inside with a tight nod of her head in my direction, I know that my bride has finally arrived. As a way to blend into the crowd, I mingle with others by holding useless conversations with various individuals I donโt even know. All my attention is on the back porch where I hear Grace compliment Char
CharlieI shut down. My brain freezes, unable to register what I just saw while my emotions paralyze my body. No matter how much my feet refuse to move, Maxwellโs brute strength pushes me along. Silence fills the room he leads me to. But silence is soon replaced with the click of the door locking.โWhatโs going on, Maxwell? Why did you bring me here?โโSheโll be fine.โ His calm voice puts my nerves even more on edge. I can picture his statue-like body guarding the door.โStop with the bullshit, Maxwell. Iโm not blind. I saw what was happening in the room, but this isnโt about some other vampireโs carelessness; this is about that empty look in your own eyes. I thought you were trying to be better. I thought you were trying to be more humane.โ I still have my back to him, refusing to look at those mischievous dark eyes.โThereโs something you need to know. Need to do, if you like it or not.โโWhat the hell is that supposed to mean?โ I swing around, finally looking at him. The sight of
MaxwellAs if some imaginary switch is pulled, Charlieโs feisty behavior disappears and all Iโm left with is a woman that will do whatever I say. Part of me is relieved, but at the same time part of me is sickened. It shouldnโt have to be like this. And as I stare at her while she presses her warm cheek into my palm, I debate on going through with what needs to be done.She wonโt remember exactly what happened, but itโs better than her looking at me with tear filled eyes as she glimpses the monster that lurks just beneath the surface. Her hand remains tightly clenched in mine as I lead her to the bed. โCharlie, sit down.โ My hand slips out of her as she places herself at the edge of the bed. I kneel in front of her, taking her hands back into mine. โDo you remember what I told you about The High Council?โShe nods anxiously at me.โThey need to see a connection between us. They need to see that you...that you love me.โ It kills me to say those words. It kills me even more as she squee
CharlieA moan escapes my dry, chapped lips as the stabbing pain of a migraine throbs from inside my skull. Almost zombie like, I whip the blankets off me, intent on getting some pills to ease the throbbing, but stop short. The room spins in a slow circle, causing my body to sway along with the imaginary movement. In order to ease the nausea that attacks my senses, I anxiously rub my palms over my thighs.The once smooth fabric of the dress that I wore last night is now damp from sweat and layered with wrinkles. โIโm going to kill that man,โ I mumble as my feet shuffle across the floor.I reach the corner of the room where my bathroom should be. The backs of my hands rub aggressively at my eyes. Where the hell am I? Iโm nothing but a bunch of nerves as I look around the room in search of the door. Or any clue as to where I am. The sudden movement of my head causes a twinge of pain to run down the length of my neck. Thinking I pulled a muscle, my hand automatically goes to rub it out.
MaxwellโLet me see your hand.โ More than anything I want to lecture her on her carelessness, but my voice comes out slow and calm in efforts to ease the situation.โNo. What the hell are you doing here? Did you not see my note or do you just not care. Havenโt you done enough damage?โ The disgust in her voice feels as though a knife is shredding my insides.โI did read your hate letter and I was going to go, but then I heard a crash. Note or not I had to see if you were okay. I might have pushed you too far, but youโre the one whoโs making yourself bleed all over the floor. Now let me see your hand.โโNo!โ she yells as she squares her shoulders all while blocking as much of her hand from view as she can manage.I force breaths to tame my anger because my patience is wearing thin. โCharlie, right now, you might need stitches. Let me see your hand.โโStitches, sure act as if you care that I might need stitches. Letโs be honest with each other, I can see your blood thirsty stare that see
MaxwellThe moment I arrive at Benjaminโs, along with everyone else, I want to rush to Charlieโs room, but I stop myself. I can keep myself in check just a bit longer.โMaxwell.โ Stellaโs voice purrs behind me. She loops her arm around mine. โWill you sit with me?โโNo.โ I shake her loose.โOh, do you think itโll make you look bad. Poor Charlie dead and youโve already moved on.โI twist around to face her so fast that I catch a flinch flash across her face. โIโve not moved on and if I ever were it wouldnโt be with you.โ I look her up and down, eyes narrowed, โI donโt remember you being so miserably clingy or so stupid and naive, scrambling to pick up peieces of a life that no long exists.โI leave her standing there to search for my seat. Grace claimed she marked one for me right in front. Itโs not exactly where I want to be, front and center to the councilโs probing eyes, but once Charlie comes out, front and center will be exactly where I want to be.Benjamin does his theartics like
CharlieThree firm taps rap against the door. Iโm starting to despise these knocks. โCharlie.โ A familiar voice calls.I rush to that stupid wooden door as if it were a lifeline. โGrace.โ Her name comes out on my exhale of breath.The excitement from her arrival is short lived. โItโs almost time.โ She makes the briefest of eye contact with me before looking down the hall. Left then right and left again. โSlyvester will get you when the halls are clear.โ Before she leaves she squeezes my arm. โWeโll see you soon.โIt feels like eternity waiting for Slyvester to come get me. Are there that many people? Or do they not care for being on time? I remember those that showed up late to parties or clients that didnโt stick to the timeline. Would the council allow such a thing?The knocks that finally bang on the door are heavier than the others. I open it to reveal the doorman. He lingers in the hallway quietly waiting for me. โFollow me,โ is all he says before retreating down the hall.Iโm no
MaxwellTodayโs the day. The day that all of this ends. The day that Charlie and I can put everything behind us and move forward. Revenge for revenge, victory to be won. I know better than anyone that Charlie wonโt be able to grow as a vampire with Daisy still lurking about, with Duke still on his high horse.It ends today.Someone barges into the room once again. It only takes a second or two to figure out that itโs Grace. This time she doesnโt catch me in an awful situation. Instead of an awful situation, she catches me in an awful mood. All the hateful thoughts, all the ways I could kill Daisy float around inside my head. My decades of loathing that have piled up towards Duke. It brings out a viscous side of me. I donโt even lift my head to meet her stare.โWe have a problem.โ The panic in her voice sends a jolt through my body.โCharlie?โ I leap from the couch, my killer mood intensifies. โWhat did he do?โโBenjamin did nothing more than he already did, but this is...about Duke.โ
CharlieI would love to sit and wallow in the room all day until it was time to leave and a small part of me believes that I could. But as the rest of the day goes by and the sun sets, the longer Iโm left alone the more my mind races. Why is he leaving me alone for so long? Benjamin didnโt seem like the type to give anyone space especially after making them extremely uncomfortable.Against my better judgment, I decide to leave the confines of the room. Sneaking around the halls of the house is an excitable danger that I shouldnโt dabble with. Danger wasnโt something to toy with, especially when that danger involved Benjamin.Every corner I turn I expect to run into him, his glare and slick words that will take this as some sort of enjoyability, an invitation to include me, socialize with me, which is the last thing I want. Thereโs a darkness in him and it resides in someone else, itโs the same darkness that Maxwell had in his past and little bits are still in him today. It makes me sh
MaxwellThe knock on the door is a lifeline that I didnโt know I needed. Just the thought of Charlie alone with Benjamin this long eats away at me. How many hours has it been? How many more are left?I immediately answer it thinking itโs Grace coming back to offer dinner or lunch or whatever meal it would be or to tell sheโs going to see Charlie...maybe to tell sheโs come back from seeing Charlie, but itโs not Grace. โStella.โShe leans against the doorframe, blocking the threshold, blocking the door from being slammed shut in her face. I knew this would happen, I was just naive enough to hope it wouldnโt.โAre you going to invite me in?โ She asks as she pushes her way inside the room.โNo. Iโm not.โโThatโs fine. I invited myself in. Youโre obviously depressed and lethargic, so Iโm here to take care of you. I knew full well that I wouldnโt be taking no for an answer. You should know full well that I wouldnโt be turned away.โ She prances into the space as if she owns it. โThe Maxwell
CharlieBeing alone here is like playing house with an enemy. If youโre not watching your every move, someone is. There is no safe place. Benjamin may appear to be on our side, my side, but he only does things to benefit himself. I wonder what benefit heโll be getting from this.Hours go by with me pacing the floor after Maxwell leaves. Sitting down feels like defeat or compliance and Iโm far from complying. What was Maxwell thinking? What were either of them thinking?I debate about sending meaningless texts to Maxwell, but what use would that be. He wonโt be coming back. It gets darker and before I know it starts to gradually get lighter. The rising sun brings an ache to my bones, a restlessness that only Maxwell can get rid of.A knock lightly taps at the door snapping me out of my fog. โCharlie.โ Benjamin calls from out in the hall.I stay silent for a second, but I reluctantly let him in in the end, because where else would I be besides trapped in the room he picked for me.โI wo
Charlie As the sun rises so do I. It takes a great deal of effort to get my restless limbs to calm down. Maxwellโs arm pins me down trapping me in bed with him keeping me close, but I need to walk, I need to stretch my limbs. Slipping out from underneath him is a hard task and I wake him in the process. โWhere are you going?โ He moans, his hand groping for me. โTo do some work. Calm my mind, work my legs.โ I reply before leaning over to place a kiss on his mouth. โThereโs always work to do.โ I tease as I leave him sprawled on the bed. Being on my feet helps rid me of my restlessness and by time I drop down onto my office chair I have a newfound energy. An energy that lasts hours. It isnโt hunger or stiff joints that get me out of my chair itโs the tiny little beep of a text message. Grace: see ya tomorrow what? I reply back. Maxwell didnt tell you? youre leaving tonight when she doesnโt receive a reply back as quickly as before she sends another one oops I donโt reply back, I g
Second half of Chapter One!Maxwell While Charlieโs at work, I find myself bored. A useless human emotion. I laugh at the thought. I can hear her now, โlike a lost little puppy.โ The thought brings a smile to my face. And then an abrupt, way too loud ring that fills the room wipes it away. My phone lights up on the coffeetable. I can see Graceโs number on the screen. I answer it after the sixth ring. โWhatโs so important that it can't wait Grace?โ โWhat are you doing thatโs so important? I thought Charlie was going back to work today?โ โNothing, she is at work, but Iโm starting to despise your call, because you never seem to have anything good to say.โ โThat hurts, really...and itโs true.โ She says thoughtfully, โbecauseโ she draws out the word and takes an extremely lengthy pause, โthereโs a change in plans.โ โHow big of a change?โ Was this really necessary? What the hell is going over there? Silence. โGrace.โ I shout at her. The words quickly tumble from her mouth and at firs
Chapter One, Part One:CharlieItโs been three weeks since Maxwell has let me leave the house. Itโs been three weeks of trying to act normal. That odd, bizarre feeling of not feeling hungry, quicker reflexes, the inability to feel warm or cold. Itโs still unbearable. Even in a room packed with people I still feel...different.Weaving through strangers whose heartbeats I can hear, feel the heat from their bodies and smell every single scent in the large open room. It takes nearly all my energy to come to stand beside Morgan. โIโm here.โ I pant. She squeals with joy before throwing herself at me. โOut into the world at last. Howโs Maxwell holding up? Like a lost super cute puppy?โ I struggle to keep a smirk off my face, but I lose and it only gets wider and wider. He is lost. โHeโs fine. Bored, but fine.โ I lie. The couple of honor dance in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, friends and family surrounding them. Their slightly wrinkled skin and salt and pepper hair show their age