Blood on Roses [COMPLETED]

Thirty-Six: The End

"Even if you were bound to hell, I'd give anything to join you."
~ Hazel Dawson

THIRTY-SIX

The rest of May flew by after Henrietta's death. A few days into June and most matters resolved.

I dangled my weapon key in front of my face. The chains that used to run down the stem turned into beautiful vines. The bland silver rose was now red and shiny, and the shape of a heart was carved into the bit.

Zach said he slaughtered the vampires who attacked my parents after he read their memories. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Zach's brutal and murderous side was something that would never change, but it was a side of him that I nonetheless love.

I met up with Arthur, Alecx, and Kaydence the day after the incident and confessed everything. My experience was something I thought they should know.

I spoke with Sophi, who had woken up afterward. She described her attacker as "a lady with really nice hair." Sophi was about to ask where the woman had her hair done when she attacked her. Typical Sophi.

Kaydence and I went back to school last week. We already missed way too many classes to be customarily enrolled. We were still thinking about taking up summer school.

Hailee also visited. She came clean as a Pureblood vampire. And guess what?

I was absolutely correct. The girls crowded around her, and the boys who had crushes on her, which was practically a third of the school's male population, got even more head over heels.

Kaydence and I kept our identities a secret and made up excuses as to why we were absent for so long. We quickly slipped away while Hailee attracted everyone's attention.

As for Zach and I, we stayed chill. I had a lot of cleaning up work to do, and he spent time with Ashlynne to catch up.

I laid on my bed for the past hour, waiting for him. Zach promised he'd come over today.

Kaydence had put being a vampire hunter her second priority and reestablished music as her first. Alecx flew to Italy a while back. I wouldn't be seeing him for the next few months. As for Jaxson, he'd never stop traveling the world.

I had just sailed past a significant milestone in my life. After everything cleanly wrapped up, I'd begin striving toward my goal. I was slowly but surely altering the mindsets of both humans and vampires. It wouldn't be easy, but change was progressive.

A soft tap on the window snapped me out of my thoughts. I jumped out of bed and rolled open the window. It was still mid-afternoon.

"Make sure it's me before you open it next time," Zach said as he hopped in. Despite his commanding tone, he took me in his arms right away.

"Okay," I murmured.

For a moment, we stayed like that. He pressed his lips into my hair. We were both cold-blooded creatures, yet we continually warmed each other's hearts.

"How'd it go?" I asked, knowing that he visited Ashlynne's workplace today.

Zach scoffed. "She's a total dumbass. She may be good with those small knives and scissors, but she can't socialize with anyone except animals."

"So, exactly like you, except the animal part?"

"Shut up. We don't talk about that." He pressed my face into his chest. "For a few years, all I had to talk to were walls. I got used to it."

"Poor baby," I hummed, then tilted my head and gave him a peck. "Is that enough for you?"

"Of course not." His voice suddenly dropped an octave, and his lips lowered onto mine. His aggressiveness reminded me of the day he turned me into a Pureblood.