Love Bites (Rewrite)

Chapter 24: Till Death Do Us Part

"Can I ask you something?" Bex got off the bed and sat next to Joan.

"Always," Joan forced a smile.

"Why does your family hate vampires so much?"

"They killed my aunt," Joan looked away.

Bex's eyes went wide and there was a moment of silence.

"But you said your aunt died in a car accident."

"It was a cover story. When I was just five my parents took me to this church retreat thing, my mom loved going to those things. My dad invited his brother, my uncle, and his wife, my aunt. It was like a thing where all the church families could come together. The moms could gossip, the kids could play, the dads grilled out. Just supposed to be one of those happy moments," she paused to set the stake she was working on down by her side.

Bex put a reassuring hand on Joan's thigh. Joan grabbed it and interlocked their fingers.

"What my family didn't know was that the head of the church was part of a group of vampire slayers. That night, as everyone was getting ready to leave, our group volunteered to stay late and help clean up. A pack of vampires showed up. They were retaliating because the vampire slayers had killed one of their own. They attacked us. They killed all the slayers, except the head slayer. To punish him, they made him and my family watch as he drank every last drop of blood from my aunt. Then he took me and nearly killed me too. I was just a kid, but I'll never forget it. From that day on my dad, and my uncle raised me and my brother to be vampire slayers. We learned everything there is to know about how to kill a vampire. After vampires killed the head of our slayer guild a few years ago, my dad became the new leader. That's why we hate vampires so much. Because they took my aunt from me. They almost killed me," She squeezed Bex's hand.

Bex squeezed back.

"That's why I can never trust Lyssa. I can never approve of your relationship with her. Seeing you with her makes me so afraid. Especially today when you were nearly killed, it was like I saw the death of my aunt all over again. I knew I had to save you, I don't want what happened to my aunt to happen to you or anyone else ever again. I know I can't change your mind about her, but please Rebecca, don't let her fool you. She's a monster. She'll get you killed," Joan was crying now.

Bex had tears in her eyes. She didn't really know what to say to any of that, so she just embraced her friend in her arms.

"I am so sorry that happened to you," Bex said.

Joan just held her tightly.

Bex rubbed Joan's back to soothe her but her eyes were drawn to the bloody stake on the floor. She didn't know where the line was drawn between what makes someone a monster and what doesn't, in fact, she didn't even think there was a line. Joan may think that Lyssa is a monster, but Bex knew for a fact Lyssa thought the same thing about her.

You didn't have to be a vampire to be a monster, humans could be monsters much scarier than any "actual" monster. Bex knew Joan had a reason to feel this way but that didn't make the idea of Joan taking on vampire kind any more comforting.

Bex made a silent promise to herself that she would never let her friend turn into a monster. She would always be there to pull her back from the precipice. Whether Joan liked it or not.

Now that Lacy was clean and dressed, Lyssa grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the school where she waited on the roof.

"What makes you think he will come here?" Lacy raised an eyebrow.

"He's lurking, I know he is. He has no choice but to lurk and hope you show up. Unless you told him where I live?" Lyssa eyed her.

"I'd never," Lacy scoffed.