And I Have Felt the Pain of Losing Who You Are

Part 14

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"You kidnapped me to keep me locked up," Brad whined, as he watched Austin look over his plans.

"Will you shut up?" Austin asked, glaring at the reflection.

Brad held his hands up. "I'm just asking."

"I should have just taken Lucy, she would have been easier to control," Austin muttered, glaring at the other vampire. "We have weeks."

"A week for what?"

"To kill Lauren again."

-

"You've been reborn at least ten times. And each time, Austin has been the reason you died."

"The best friend you killed when you change," Lucy whispered, her eyes shifting from a frozen, pale Lauren, to a sad, still Camila.

"The first Lauren. You had another name back then, but it was you. You've all been different, but you always had green eyes," Camila whispered, looking at Lauren.

"How did we not know of this? We've been with you for years," Harry interjected for the first time, a frown on his face.

"I'm good at keeping secrets. You guys were dealing with your own problems, controlling your thirst, looking for your mates. I didn't bother you and you didn't bother me. You guys have met the other versions of Lauren, you just didn't know it was her. As I said, they all looked different."

The six other vampires sat in silence as they tried to process that.

Lauren got Camila's attention. "What has he done to me?"

"The first time, he cut you and left me to feed off you. The second time, we stood at a cliffside and he held you. When I tried to get to you, he slit your throat and let you fall off it. The third time, he drank all your blood. The fourth time," Camila stopped, staring at the ground.

"Don't do this! Please," Camila begged, looking at a tied up "Lauren" and Austin.

Lauren was drenched in gasoline, her eyes closed.

"Please," Camila whispered.

"As long as she's alive, she'll always have your heart," Austin said, turning the match on and dropping it.

Camila tried to run to save Lauren, but Austin grabbed her and held her.

"The fourth time he held me back while I watched you burn," Camila whispered, a devastated look on her face.

Lauren looked like she was going to be sick.

"I can stop," Camila whispered, only looking at Lauren.

The human shook her head. "No, I need to hear this."

"He drained you the fifth and sixth time, saying you tasted so sweet. The seventh time, the seventh time he made me kill you again."

Camila felt his breath on his face. He looked into her eyes. "You want blood."

Camila's eyes dilated. "I want blood."

"Not just any blood, you want her blood."

"I want her blood," Camila whispered back, her eyes turning to Lauren.

"Make it hurt."

"I'll make it hurt."

Camila walked to Lauren and stood in front of her. The human looked scared. Camila leaned forward and kiss Lauren's neck. When the other girl relaxed, Camila went in for the bite.