"Okay wait, let me get this straight. Lyssa is actually a vampire; you are her slave, and you are a vampire hunter?" Mike said in confusion.
Mike, Jaden, Joan, and Bex all hid out in the storage closet where the school put spare chairs and broken printers. It was messy and cluttered, but it was all they had at the moment. Mike and Jaden sat down on some chairs while Joan and Bex stood.
"Pretty much," Joan said.
"Wait, that blond girl—"
"Is also a vampire," Bex cut Jaden off.
"Whoa, this is some next level supernatural stuff. Vampires are real?" Mike ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair.
"Among other things," Bex shrugged.
"Okay so this whole time, ever since you tried to tell us Lyssa was a vampire, you've been her slave? And you've been keeping it a secret from all of us?"
"I'm not her slave, at least I don't like to call it that. I'm her partner, err blood bondy. Anyway, the point is we are connected because she drank my blood. I can hear her thoughts and feel her emotions among other things like sense where she is and if she's in danger. I kept it a secret because Lyssa said if I didn't Vampire Slayers would try and kill her, and she was right," Bex crossed her arms and eyed Joan.
"It's my job okay, besides we made peace until blondie just showed up out of nowhere! Two vampires in the area is one too many. We need to find this girl and kill her."
"Lyssa is handling it, you can't just kill people."
"She just tried to kill you!"
"It's complicated okay. Lyssa still has feelings for her, they have a history. If you kill her you will only be hurting Lyssa and I won't let you do that."
"You don't have to protect her; she is the one putting you in danger."
"I'm putting myself in danger. Lyssa hasn't made me do anything. I let her drink my blood. Stop trying to blame her when I am the one responsible for my own actions and decisions. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
"She commands you around like a dog! She is mean to you and uses you. Don't think for a second, she actually cares about you. She just wants your blood, the moment you stop being useful to her she'll get rid of you. So, why do you keep defending her?"
"Because I love her!" Bex shouted.
The room went silent.
Mike and Jaden glanced back and forth between Joan and Bex.
Bex felt her face go red.
Joan felt her heart crack inside of her.
"She's not a monster. I care about her. I... I love her. It's complicated okay," Bex felt her eyes water as she plopped down into a chair.
"I thought you said you two were just friends. That you don't want a relationship."
"I want to get to know her better, I want her to get to know me. I want her to take me on a date and make silly memories with me. I want to experience the whole journey of a relationship mile by mile. That means being friends first before begin anything else. Just because we are only friends doesn't mean I don't care about her. These past few days I've really gotten to see a whole other side to her, and I know there is so much more to see. I don't want you to hurt her, I don't want anyone to hurt her. If you hurt her, you hurt me," Bex looked up at Joan and Joan watched as tears streamed down her face.
Joan swallowed down her emotions of betrayal and jealousy. She knew Bex's happiness came first despite her hatred for vampires. She would always be Bex's best friend before she was anything else. She sighed and sat next to Bex.
"Okay. I won't hurt her. If hurting her means hurting you then I won't do it. I'm done pushing you away. I'll even give up being a vampire slayer."
"Really?" Bex's eyes went wide.
Joan nodded.
Bex engulfed Joan into a hug.
"That doesn't mean I won't protect you, if a vampire comes after you, I have the right to defend you. But I also won't go seeking trouble."
"Okay, I can live with that. Thank you. Thank you so much, that means everything to me," Bex said.
Joan forced a smile.
"So, I am guessing we can't go around telling people about Vampires?" Jaden said.
"No!" Bex and Joan said in unison.
"Doing that will only bring trouble, it could make vampires come after you, or vampire slayers. It's too dangerous. You have to keep what you know about Lyssa and vampires a secret. I mean it, not even Darci can know. The fewer people who know, the safer you are," Bex said.
"Consider my lips sealed." Mike pretended to zip his lips and throw away the key.
"You can count on us," Jaden nodded.
"Also don't make it weird by asking Lyssa all sorts of personal questions. Trust me when I say she hates that," Bex said.
"So now what?" Jaden asked.
"Now we get Bex cleaned up and we go on as if nothing happened. Can you two do that?" Joan asked.
Mike nodded.
"I can try," Jaden said.
"Good, I'll watch over and protect Bex in case nightmare barbie comes back," Joan said.
They nodded and slowly exited the storage room. Bex and Joan went to the restroom to do some cleaning up and Mike and Jaden casually walked off to class late.
Bex examined her bruising neck in the mirror and frowned. She also had grass stains on the back of her shirt and a little blood spatter on the front. It wasn't her blood, of course, it was Lacy's.
"I think I have a spare shirt in my locker. I'll go get it," Joan said.
"Okay, I have a scarf in mine, can you get that too?"
Joan nodded before walking out. Bex turned the sink on and washed her hands before running her wet fingers through her hair to smooth it down. Then she washed her face and took a shaky breath.
She was definitely going to get more training from Lyssa once this was all over. She had frozen up in the moment and was basically useless. A deer in the headlights. Lacy could have easily killed her were it not for Joan coming to save her. Bex sighed and turned the water off before looking in the mirror.
A man was standing behind her.
She eyed him in confusion for a moment. Taking in his well-groomed appearance. He looked to be in his early twenties, light brown hair combed to the side and slicked down with gel. He had on a collared white shirt with a sweater vest over it. Khaki slacks. He smiled at her a full toothy smile, that's when Bex saw his fangs.
She whirled around to face him. He grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed her into the wall.
"Where is my wife?" he asked.
"Who are you?"
"Well, you smell like a vampire's property, and you are covered in my wife's blood. So, I'll ask one last time, where is she?"
"I don't know, she ran away, don't kill me."
"Relax Honeybun, I can use you as leverage," He pinched Bex's cheek.
Joan slowly walked in and raised the same bloody stake from before. He saw her reflection and jumped out of the way just in time. Joan ran in front of Bex to protect her.
"So, you're responsible. Look, slayer, I just want my wife back. Do either of you know where she could be?"
"Like we'd tell you. Get out of here you bloodsucker before I put this in you just like I did your wife," Joan spat.
He smiled at her.
"Fine, but I'll be back before you know it," he winked using his speed to vanish.
They both signed in relief.
"That makes three vampires now. This is starting to get out of hand. It's not safe for you here," Joan handed Bex the new shirt and scarf.
"But where?"
"My house. That's the only place I can protect you at. We have to leave now before he comes back."
Bex nodded and quickly changed shirts right there in front of Joan and then she wrapped the scarf around her neck.
"Let's go," Bex said.
Joan grabbed the soiled shirt and shoved it into her backpack before putting the stake in, making sure to leave a little bit sticking out so she could grab it quickly if she had to. Then she grabbed Bex's hand and the two quickly made their exit.
Bex sent a mental message to Lyssa.
'Another vampire just showed up looking for his wife, which I assume means Lacy. He said I was covered in her blood. He tried to capture me, but Joan scared him away. We are going to Joan's house. Please be careful.'
Lyssa got the message loud and clear and for a moment worried that she made a mistake leaving Bex behind. She could handle one vampire, but two? That was a stretch. As Lyssa suspected Lacy was at her house. Laying on the entryway floor.
"You shouldn't have come," Lyssa sighed and kneeled down next to her.
"Since when do you work with vampire slayers?" Lacy let out a soft chuckle as she turned over on her back.
Blood trailed out of her mouth and her wound seemed to be healed up considerably. Lyssa cursed under her breath knowing that Lacy must have fed on someone, more than likely killing them.
"The slayers in this area and I have an agreement. I don't kill, they won't hunt for me. Please tell me you didn't kill someone."
"Oops."
"Damn you." Lyssa cursed.
"Well, what did you expect me to do when you surprise me like that?"
"If you would have just left me alone-- I told you not to come, and if you ever lay a hand on Rebecca again, I swear I will—"
"Will what? Sick the slayers on me again? You and I both know you can't defeat me, even if you wanted to."
"Times have changed, I no longer love you. In fact, just looking at you makes me furious. Broke up with your boyfriend huh? Or should I say, husband! He's here in town looking for you. He already tried to attack Rebecca."
Lacy sighed and rolled her eyes.
"All you do is lie to me!" Lyssa shouted.
Lacy grunted in pain as she forced herself to sit up.
"Val, I didn't lie. We did get into an argument and I told him I was done with him. I came here because I wanted to see you. I missed you. The pack hasn't been the same without you," she looked Lyssa in the eyes.
"The first thing you do when you see me is to try and kill my Rebecca?"
"Your Rebecca," Lacy scoffed. "I admit I lost my composure, but can you blame me? I see the way you look at her. Your Rebecca, ha! You know I was never your Lacy. You never called me yours," She said bitterly.
"Because you weren't mine, I was yours. And you threw me away for some schoolboy pretender. You left me after all these years, after everything we've been through. Because of you, I didn't think I could ever love again. But Rebecca has made me feel so alive again. She reminds me that I am more than just a blood-sucking monster. She makes me feel whole again."
"Keep talking about her like that and I will certainly kill her when I see her."
"I will never let you kill her. She's mine. You won't take the one good thing I have away from me, not again. I won't let you. You need to leave Lacy, never come back. Stay away from me for good. Go with your husband and leave me alone. Or else I won't be able to protect you when the slayers come for you."
"And if I don't comply?" she raised an eyebrow.
"This isn't a negotiation," Lyssa spat.
"Oh Val, of course, it is. Do you think I came all this way for nothing? You either come with me or I'll leave and come back with a whole pack of vampires. The slayers would have no choice but to start a war. Is that what you want? Another vampire-human war? You remember how the last one ended, don't you? It was a blood bath," She smiled in admiration.
"On both sides," Lyssa looked to the ground in pain.
"Is that what you want my sweet Valyssa? You know I let you have your "space", but I think 20 years is long enough. Come home with me. Come back to where you belong. You don't belong here, hiding out with these humans."
"I am not leaving Rebecca. Our bond is too strong already, breaking it could kill her, or me, or both. I can't leave her."
"If only you had fought that hard for me," Lacy looked away from Lyssa.
Lyssa sighed and sat next to Lacy.
"You hurt me, Lacy. I loved you. I'm not going to lie to you, I've missed you dearly. I even still keep your portrait in the art studio. But I'm done playing your game, and I'm not going anywhere, not without my Rebecca."
"Humans. You of all people should know the risk of getting involved with a human. To think now you want to stay with one."
"I'm scared," Lyssa's voice shook.
Lacy turned to look at her.
"You're right. I hate getting involved with humans. Ever since Elizabeth. But this girl, she's... different. She is breaking me down, digging into me to find my soul. I'm scared of what she'll do when she finds it. I'm scared I'm going to mess this up again, that I'll get her killed, or that I might accidentally kill her myself. I already almost have many times. I'm scared I'm going to fail. That I'm going to lose her, humans are so fragile, I don't know what I'll do if I lose her now. I'm so scared Lacy," Lyssa showed Lacy her trembling hands.
Lacy eyed Lyssa before turning her head away to hide her expression of pain.
"You should have killed her when you had the chance," She said.
"Don't you think I know that! When I am near her, she makes me feel human again. I get jealous, I get embarrassed. She makes me laugh, I almost forgot I could laugh. She makes me feel a warmness inside of me that I haven't felt in ages. Before I knew it, I was attached to her. It's too late now. I can't go back. I'd fight all of the pack if it meant I could spend just one more day with her. Or even just one more hour. I don't know what to do. I haven't fallen this hard since... well, since you. I know how the story ends, the way it always ends. But that doesn't change the way I feel. If you ever loved me, then you would just leave. Leave me alone and let me live in peace."
"I did love you. I've always loved you. You were the one who shut down on me, you were the one who made me feel like I wasn't enough. That's why I left. You were always thinking about your past, about your Elizabeth, you could never just live in the moment with me. It drove me away. When I saw you in town, I saw how happy you were. I saw you smiling and laughing. It had been so long since I had seen you like that. It made my heartache. That's why I had to come and see you. I was supposed to wait for orders before approaching you, but I couldn't. Seeing you like that made me want that again. I want you to be like that with me, but you can't. You only show that side to people you love, you can only be that way with Rebecca."
"Yes, only with Rebecca. So long as you and your husband are around, I will never be at ease. I will always be wondering how you will hurt me next. I cannot laugh or smile when all I feel is anger and fear. That's why you have to leave. I finally found something here, I won't let you ruin it."
Lyssa watched as silent tears slide down Lacy's cheeks.
"Oh Val, how you hurt me so. If you only knew how much I truly love you. The way you feel about your Rebecca is how I've always felt about you. Not a day has passed when I didn't think of you at least once. If you will not come with me, then I shall stay here with you. I don't care about anything else. I won't hurt your Rebecca. I just want to see you smile, one more time."
Lyssa stood up and picked Lacy up in her arms before carrying her to the restroom. She set her in the tub and slowly undressed her before turning the water on to bathe her. Blood washed off the girl's perfect skin. Lyssa sighed and remained silent as she washed her. Trying to figure out what to say or how to say it. It was all so confusing.
"You can't stay here Lacy. I know you won't be able to control your jealousy. You'll hurt her. You might even kill her. It's not safe for her if you are here. I am going to find McKinley and I will have him take you away," Lyssa said.
"I won't go with him."
"You'll have no choice."
Lacy pouted and crossed her arms over her nude chest.
'Lyssa, I'm safe at Joan's house. Are you okay?' Bex asked through thoughts.
'Yes, I have Lacy. I will find McKinley and he will take her away. Just stay put, I'll come for you when it is safe.'
'Okay, just be careful. I mean it, you stupid vampire.'
Lyssa smiled to herself.
Lacy eyed her.
Lyssa noticed and quickly wiped the smile from her face. She had a plan, but first thing was first she needed to get Lacy cleaned up. Then she had to find the vampire she despised most in the world so he could take Lacy away. Again. This was going to be no easy task, but Lyssa was determined to make it happen, for Rebecca's sake.