EXTENDED FAMILY | Book 2 of the Blood Family Trilogy

Chapter 4 -Alice's New Life

The man on the chair stands up and approaches Alice and Leanna.

"Welcome." He says and his voice is as deep as they were expecting. "My name is Harold. I'm Edgar and Lenna's brother and I'm the one in charge of this community."

Harold stops talking, waiting for the Alice and Charlotte to introduce themselves, but they're too scared and in shock to even be able to talk.

"These are Alice and Charlotte." Leanna introduces them, pointing at each one of them as she says their names. "Is everything ready for their transition?"

"Yes. I talked to Tobias to get everything ready for today." Harold answers. "Edgar, he's one of yours, right?"

"Yes, I'll get him." Edgar says and leaves.

"What does that mean?" Alice asks. Her curiosity has taken over her fear.

Harold laughs deeply. "She talks. Edgar is in charge of our Omegas and Leanna is in charge of our Betas."

"And Harold is in charge of everyone." Leanna says with a hint of bitterness. "Because he can overrule the other Alphas' decisions. The three of us are the Alphas, obviously."

Harold smiles. "The Betas and Omegas have different tasks, and they're in charge of all the people who help them on their tasks. But you'll have time to learn all of that."

Alice nods.

They hear footsteps entering the cave and look back. Edgar is with another man, probably the Tobias they were talking about. He seems to be around the same age as Alice, well, he was around Alice's age when he turned, and he has brown eyes and hair.

He makes a small bow when he gets in front of Leanna and Harold.

"Everything's ready, Harold." Tobias says. "Can I take them now?"

"Yes, take them." Harold replies.

Tobias takes Alice and Charlotte to the place where their new lives will start.

1680

It's been thirty-four years since Alice and Charlotte got to the community.

Alice got into her new lifestyle much more easily than Charlotte. She loves everything about the place they live in, all of it's magic and wonder. It's a place like the ones written on the books she used to read. She feels like she's living inside of a fictional story.

She's an Omega now, just like her boyfriend Tobias. She has been able to find love in this place and, when she compares it to her old life, she can confirm that she really never loved Isaac.

They spend a lot of their time practicing fighting and teaching new recruits how to fight. Alice loves fighting because all fights are different. There's always some new twist to it. She's just still waiting for the day she'll actually be able to use all her fighting techniques in a real fight. In a fight against a real enemy. That would be truly exciting.

1703

Twenty-three more years have gone by and Alice still hasn't been able to use her fighting techniques in a real fight. And she has already gotten bored of just practicing. What's the point of practicing if she's never going to use what she learned in a real fight?

"Alice, you're insane. You can't be really thinking about leaving?" Charlotte tells her sister.

"Your sister is right, Alice. You're not being reasonable." Tobias agrees.

"Why not? When I got here no one told me I would be a prisoner." Alice says. "No one ever said that I wouldn't be able to leave."

"So, what? You're just going to leave in the middle of the night?"

"No, I'm going to talk to Edgar."

"That's an even worse idea." Charlotte says.

"I don't want to stay here and they can't make me."

"What about us?" Tobias asks and is tone is hurt.

"You can come with me."

"I'm not leaving."

"Then there's nothing I can do."

"You've always only thought about yourself! You're the most selfish person I know." Charlotte almost yells in Alice's face and leaves the room.

Alice ignores Charlotte's outburst and leaves the room to find Edgar, leaving Tobias behind.

"Leaving will be a mistake." Harold heard Alice talking to Edgar and joined the conversation. "You're an Omega, you should be an example for the others in the community."

"And being the example is being submissive to whatever you decide?" Alice has lost all fear she once had of Harold.

His expression is as cold as ice. "Being the example is not making stupid decisions. You have everything you could ever possibly want right here."

"I don't. I have safety, yes, but maybe that's not what I want."

"If you leave you won't be allowed to come back."

"What makes you think I would want to come back?"

"I don't think, I know. You'll realize that a 'monotonous life', as you call it, is better than a life where you're constantly fearing for your life. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

"We're very different, Harold. Just because that's how it works for you, it doesn't mean it will be the same for me."

Alice is about to leave, but there's one last thing she needs to do before she heads out.

"I'll find a way to let you know where I am every time I move to a new town and you'll just send someone to give me the sun-cream." She tells Tobias.

"That's risky, Alice."

"Come on, I don't want to live my whole life hiding in the shadows. Please, Tobias."

She knows he can't say no to her.

"Okay. Okay, I'll do it."

"Thank you. I love you. I wish you would come with me."

"I love you too. And you know I can't."

Alice doesn't understand that, but she doesn't want to argue with him, so she doesn't say anything else.

She leaves through the tunnel and the small house. It's time for her to start the new chapter of her life.