Genetics

Chapter 10

I stared out at the castle-like estate that stood out against the clear blue sky. It had been two and a half agonizingly long months of boredom. Nothing interesting happened aboard the ship aside from Cole and Caleb finding out that even though vampires can't taste food, they still occasionally consume it. Since we had gotten on this cruise ship, I had stayed mainly in the room. I spent my time working with a projection of Mark to control my magic, but I still had yet to gain control. Mark was beginning to suspect it was a burst of adrenaline and some form of blood magic that dwelled deep within me.

As the cruise ship pulled up to the docks, the sun was beginning to set, coloring the sky blood red. The sight of the sky against the estate's light gray, white, and black stones sent a shiver down my spine and an ominous feeling that something bad would happen here. I felt a hand squeeze mine and looked over towards Caleb. He was looking down at me with a confident look on his face. I looked down at how our fingers were intertwined and for a moment, wanted to keep ahold of his hand.

I released his hand and turned to go back to our room. I passed by vampire after vampire on my way back to the room. Then I saw someone that stood out among the vampires leaving their room, two rooms from the one I shared with Caleb. This person had blue eyes instead of red, but they still carried the scent of blood and death, but I could hear their heart beating away in their chest as I passed by them. I opened my door and stepped into the room just as another chill went down my spine.

"You're one of the werewolves that are on board, correct? I haven't seen you around much. I've seen the other two, but judging by the scars you're an alpha right? I heard they are the ones that fight the most among their packs." A woman's voice spoke from behind me.

I could feel my heart beating against my ribcage in fear that this woman somehow managed to creep up behind me, but I knew it was the same woman I had passed earlier. Her heartbeat was all I needed to confirm that she was. I turned to face her, trying to stop the fear that had a hold on me.

"I'm not an alpha. I'm a regular member of my pack. I am accompanying Beta Cole to this place as our alphas have ordered me and my companion to." I spoke, looking up at the woman's blue gaze.

"Wow. I didn't realize ordinary members of the pack fought and gained more scars than a beta! How interesting. May I ask you your name so we can talk further during the festivities that await us at the Snowharpy Estate?" The woman asked as she tipped her head, letting golden blonde strands of hair fall into her face.

Caleb and I had prepared for vampires to ask us our names. Obviously, we couldn't give them our true names, so we had come up with fake names to misguide them. Caleb had decided to go by Kendrick Pine, and I had given my fake name a lot of thought. At first, I thought of using my daughters' names, their middle names, or even my middle name, but I knew if I used them, it would bring suspicion about who I truly was.

"Harold, Nicole Harold." I said as I gave the woman a small bow.

"Nicole? Now that is a rather boring name. Okay... Nicole... I'll see you around at the ball tonight." The woman spoke as she turned to leave.

"Wait. I gave you my name. What's your name?" I asked her.

"Oh? My name? Well, I suspect you'll learn it fairly soon, Nicole." The woman said with a smile before waving goodbye as she walked off.

I frowned and closed the door behind me. I made my way to my journal, stuffing it into my suitcase and making sure everything for Caleb and I was in our suitcases. As I was closing the suitcases, the door opened. I turned to look at who it was and sighed in relief as I saw it was just Caleb and Cole.

"You look startled." Cole noted as he moved to sit down on the bed.

"Of course I am. I just had a run-in with a mysterious blue-eyed vampire with a heartbeat that managed to sneak up on me without making a sound." I grumbled in annoyance as I finished closing Caleb's suitcase.