Crimson's parents were killed by vampires when she was 6 years old. Because of that she's sworn vengeance on all vampires and spends every night tirelessly hunting for vampires to kill. Lamech is the leader of the biggest vampire clan in the world...
I got myself to the basement. That whole floor was dedicated solely to all things you could ever want for a work-out. There were rooms with different machines as well as one designed for different ways to practice combat.
I went straight for the combat room. Most of it was just an open area, but there were also different devices to practice with, and weapons to train with. There was also an area with boxing bags hanging from the ceiling and that's where I went. When I reached the closest one, I started taking out all of my emotions on it. I hit it relentlessly over and over, but it almost seemed as if the action made me boil more rather than less.
There had been a couple of others in the room. They had greeted me when I had entered, but I had been unable through my anger to greet them in return. They seemed to understand that something was up however, because they quickly vanished from the room.
"Where are you?" Alair's voice came in my mind after a few minutes.
"Gym," I answered without missing a beat in my punches.
A moment later Alair entered the room. He came to stand next to me, but made no comment on my actions.
"I've talked to Everett. Told him he was way out of line and to never do something like that again," he reported to me in an even voice.
"Good," I snarled between punches.
"But he's not entirely at fault. The witch provoked him."
I shoot Alair a murderous glare accompanied by a growl, but he didn't bat an eye at my obvious threat.
"He didn't attack until she insinuated that he would have no issues with killing a friend to feed," Alair continued in the same calm and steady voice.
It made me stop my actions momentarily before I mumbled curses under my breath and started hitting the bag even harder.
Everett had lived as a human with us for a few years before asking to be turned. He had assumed that he wouldn't have that hard a time controlling his thirst. He had watched us and thought himself well prepared for what was to come, but reality had proven him wrong. He had found it immensely difficult and spent several months locked up and away from humans to not accidentally hurt any. With time and practice drinking from us, he had seemed ready. He had managed fine for a few weeks being around humans, had started to relax, even tried drinking from some and done well with stopping himself. Until he hadn't. After that he had spent another three years isolating himself filled with guilt until finally stepping back out again.
What Crimson had said, had without a doubt brought back all of the guilt and darkness he had been in during those years.
I kept on hit the bag over and over until it snapped off its hangings and flew into the wall where it broke and sand spilled out of it. My breaths were hard and fast and I wanted nothing more than to keep on hitting something.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Alair asked at my side.
"What?" I snapped and turned to glare at him.
"Why didn't you tell me the witch, ehm Crimson, is your mate?"
I was completely taken aback. So much so that all my anger finally ebbed away. Alair just rolled his eyes at me.
"Don't look so surprised. It's obvious that she is. I've known you for a long time and never seen you like this before. You really should have said something earlier though. At least to me. I am your best friend after all, am I not?"
"What does it matter that she is?" I scoffed, having finally regained my senses. "She's a witch."
"That doesn't mean anything. You're mates. You belong together. And if you need help or advice in how to..."
"She belongs to the Starlight coven," I interrupted and watched as Alair's mouth formed an oh.
We both went quiet and to fill it with something, Alair went and got me another bag. I hung it in the same spot the previous had been and began my beating again.
"You can't keep doing what you're doing though," Alair said eventually. His voice sounded heavy. "You can't keep her locked up here."
"I won't," I said through gritted teeth. "I'll just keep her here until I've gotten her to hate me enough to reject me."
In the corner of my eye, I saw Alair shaking his head.
"And if you managed that, would you be able to accept the rejection in turn?" He sighed and continued. "I've always respected you and looked up to you. You have always been smart and aimed at making fair and just decisions and never been afraid of doing what you know is right, even when that has been the difficult option. But this seems rather thoughtless. Especially after today. You might have been able to fool yourself into believing that you would be able to let her go before, but I think your actions today proves otherwise. Even if she left, how long would it take for you to go find her to make sure that she's alright? And after you have done so a first time, whole long until the next? And the next after that?"
He became silent. I had stopped hitting the bag and just stared into nothingness, knowing all too well the validity of his words but refused to accept it.
"Will you talk to her and explain why Everett attacked? We wouldn't want more mishaps like that in the future," Alair said as a final thing before leaving me to my thoughts.
I stood still for a long time, mulling everything over in my head. Then I gave the bag one last hit and like the one before, it snapped from its hangings and crashed into the wall. This one also got a long rip at the impact and sand poured out from it to be mixed with the already existing pool of sand.
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