✓ | 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍, j. hale [1]

Epilogue

She stood in the darkness of the upstairs loft as still and silent as a statue, gazing down at the yard below her. Music and voices of human children floated from the ballroom up the stairs, but she could not care less what they were doing. Instead, she stared out the window at the two couples dancing under the romantic light of the gazebo. Her upper lip curled at the sight, her mouth twisting into an animalistic snarl.

She hated that they were so happy, so content, while here she was left to pick up the pieces of what they had destroyed. And all for what? To save two useless, plain humans to be their pets? She eyed the blond one with disgust. She knew that he had been the one to rip her mate to pieces by the multitude of scars on his body. The very sight of him made her shake in anger. How dare he get to be happy after he took everything from her?

Her eyes shifted to the other couple. She hated this one even more, simply for the fact that he was the reason James was not able to escape. He was the reason James even bothered with the stupid humans in the first place. She blamed him for her loss and pain. It was sickening to watch him be so close to his love while hers had been mercilessly burnt to ash.

It was tempting to strike now, while they did not suspect her, but she knew that now was not the time. She would wait. She must wait if she wanted to succeed. They were simply two humans, breakable and disposable, and it would be so painfully easy that she would be mildly upset that the fun was over when they were dead. But it wasn't them who she wanted to hurt. They were now just unfortunate pawns in this game that she had every intention of winning, even if it was the last thing she did.

The real prize would be knowing that Edward and Jasper would soon feel the pain and loss that she was feeling now. She wanted them to suffer as she had; she wanted to look them in the eyes after she had murdered their mates and for them to know that they could do nothing.

Her stomach writhed with anticipation for that moment, but she fought it back. She must be patient. Her time would come, she knew, and when it did, she would be ready.

In the meantime, she had other things to deal with. She had to find that coward, Laurent, who had abandoned them at the first sign of trouble. Her lips twitched up into a smile; she would make him pay for his mistakes. Still, he could be useful... but that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy making him suffer before she put him to work for her plan.

She glanced quickly over her shoulder when the sound of sloppy footsteps hit the bottom stair. She knew it was time to leave, and she already knew that she had to retreat into hiding for a little while to prepare for what was to come.

Victoria spared one last glance out the window, and she burned with her hatred and anger. She hissed at the sight of them so close, so happy, so in love, and with a flourish she turned and swept down the stairs.

Let them enjoy it while it lasts, she thought bitterly. They'll pay for what they've done to me. They all will.

And with one last glance behind her, she disappeared into the crowd of students and then out into the forest is if she had never come.

***

Little did Victoria know, she was not the only unfamiliar vampire present that night. As she exited the building and disappeared into the darkness of the forest, a pair of strange golden eyes watched from the tree line. He waited just a moment to give her a head start, and then he took off after her, vanishing into the night.