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"Good morning, Ryan." Ryan walks into the salon as he hears his mother greeting him. He looks at her adding a few details on the portrait that she is painting of Anthony.
"Right, his birthday will be soon."
"Have you decided who you want to bring with you?" Ryan sighs at his mother's question. The entire morning she's been having that odd smile on her face. If only she wasn't so incredibly obsessed with her sons' love lives he thought.
"Have you asked Damien, yet?" He raises his eyebrow at her knowing very well she will dodge his question and move on to the next topic.
"Kaiden and Jaxon are having difficulties adjusting."
"Mother..."
"Damien tried to help them but it should be you. They look up to you," she interrupts "You have been through the same. You understand their pain."
"And they understand that I don't have the time." He responds while buttoning up his shirt. "Anyway, I'll be going now. We will continue this when hell freezes over." His mother sighs as he gives her a kiss on the cheek.
"Is that a way to speak to your mother?" He hears from behind him. Ryan freezes at the spot. The tone of his voice already tells him that he is in danger. He turns around. Facing the man he owns his respect and loyalty to.
"I'm sorry, father."
"WHAT?!" He yells into Ryan's face as he suddenly stands in front of him. Ryan lowers his gaze. The room is filled with silence.
"Drago, don't be so harsh."
"Quiet, my dear. I did not raise my son to become an irresponsible child. Now turn around and apologize to your mother." Ryan inhales sharply. He tries not to show any sign of fear. That's what he's been taught. Always be the hunter, never be the prey.
He looks at his mother who faces him with worry in her eyes.
"I apologize, mother. I did not man to disrespect you." He says and leaves the room. Drago looks down at his wife and sees the disappointment.
"How can you blame him for his words? He comes right after you." Freya speaks up and continues to work on the portrait. Drago sighs and walks up behind her, gently caressing her shoulders with both hands.
"I want what's best for my son. If he came after me he would know to watch his mouth." He says and places a kiss on top of her head. Freya shakes her head at his response. She dislikes the way he treats Ryan from the rest. Talking to him like he isn't his own. Pressuring him into becoming a 'man'. She knows he is his prodigy and not even she could convince him to change his behavior.
"I understand." She nods and signs the picture.
Ryan walks through the village. He watches the people around him, looking for somebody to feed on. But who? Who would he dare to hurt. Luckily, he possesses the ability to let those he harms forget about the incident. He feels the dryness in his throat. His veins are craving for the liquid of life. He stands next to the road where the carriages drive past him.
"Ryan?" he hears a voice coming out from one of the carriages . He looks to his right, a door opening as a young woman steps out of the vehicle. Strawberry red hair, light soft skin, green eyes, a natural beauty.
He fixes his posture as she walks up to him, hoping he does not express how nervous he is.
"Annabelle! Good morning." He smiles.
"Morning? The sun has been up for quite a while now." She chuckles as she stands in front of him, her eyes glued on his. Ryan examines her body language. Her hands are folded and resting in front of her on her dress, her chin slightly lifted, her lips form a soft smile that wait for him to continue a conversation, her eyes awakened and full of life. A cherry blossom glistening in the sun.
"Yes... of course. I guess I should have not stayed up till late."
"Is that so? What has kept you up?" She asks playfully.
"The usual. Bad dreams. I guess I am cursed m'lady." Annabelle chuckles at his words. She gestures her carter to drive without her as they slowly walk down the road together.
"How can such angel like you be cursed?" She asks amusedly.
"Angel, eh?" He looks down at her with his eyebrow raised. Annabelle has always had viewed him differently than his brothers. She knew him for five years now and has met all the brothers individually, gotten to know their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to Ryan she is more invested. Though he is an open book, he is yet so mysterious to her. Every time she talks to him she gets to know a new side of him.
"So what brings you to the village? You rarely come out of your mansion." She asks.
"Oh... I- eh. I am dealing with a... matter. It's urgent and I am actually in a hurry." He balls his fists between his back while being reminded of his hunger.
"Is that so? May I accompany you?" Ryan clears his throat. If she was to find out about his being it could put their lives at risk and he knew that.
"I fancy the offer but I must decline. I still wish you a delightful day, Annabelle."
"That's a shame. Your brothers would kill to spend time with me and yet I am here chasing the one who wants to escape my presence."
Ryan stops and turns to look at her with his arms crossed. He is aware of the role she plays in his brothers' life. She was kind, seductive, beautiful, funny. Of course everyone would be head over heels for her. So is he.
"I'm sorry, Sky. But I think one of my brothers will have to give you company for today."
"Sky?"
"Excuse me?"
"You just... called me Sky." She says with confusion.
"N-no I did not." Or did he, he thinks to himself.
RYAN'S P.O.V.
Sky... I know that name from somewhere. Of course. It's the girl from my dreams. It isn't the first time I have had such strange dreams. But never have they felt so real. This is the first time I have remembered her name. Just why would I call her that? It is a person of my imagination. There is no reasonable explanation for this.
Annabelle looks at me, clearly expecting an answer from me. But what am I supposed to tell her? That I have just called her the name of a person I have been dreaming of lately?
"I'm sorry but I must go now. I hope we'll be seeing each other later. I invite you to dine with us." From the way her lips move I can see that she wants to elaborate on it. So I make sure we are not being watched before I hold her by her shoulders and look deep into her eyes.
"You will forget I have called you that. We saw each other today but now you want to go and see one of my brothers and spend the day with them."
I watch as she slowly comes out of the trance. She looks up to me with a smile on her face.
"It was nice seeing you, Ryan. I'll see if I can find Jaxon. Hopefully we'll see each other for dinner?"
"I can't wait." I smile and walk away without waiting another second.
"What the hell was that?!" I hiss at myself. I can't help but think about the dream. It seemed so real, only that I couldn't recognize myself. I was so different. So cold, heartless, brutal. I hated every second of watching myself ruin that girl's life. It was like looking through a window and witnessing a crime while being incapable of stopping it.
I take a deep breath see a young woman walk into one of the alleys. Quietly, I follow her. She seems carefree and dreamy as she walks down the road, unaware of my presence. I wait till we are out of sight so I can approach her without drawing any attention towards us.
I run up to her and grab her by the shoulders while pressing her body against one of the trees. She looks at me with horror in her eyes. But before she could let out a scream, I lean her head to the side, slam my fangs into her neck and start drinking the blood out of her body.
While assuaging my hunger, I can't stop thinking about her. Her dark brown hair, the soft skin, her big blue eyes, her voice. It won't leave my mind. This dream is hunting me more than ever. I should be focusing on my actions. I should be focusing on reality. But the more blood I drink from this poor soul, the more it starts to taste like nothing.
I feel her. It's like she's trying to push me off. Just like in my dreams. I can feel her hands on my shoulders. I can hear her whimpering underneath me, I feel her squirming, jerking, crying... Sky.
"P-please... stop..." I let go of her neck and look down at her face only to realize that it's not her. It's not her sweet taste. How would it be? She is not real. She is part of my imagination. I grab her face and make her look me in the eyes.
"You forget what happened. Go home, heal your wounds and move on with your day." I let her go. Nobody will even know she's been hurt. My bite marks are too subtle to be noticed unlike Zachary's, who is doing his best to be praised for his brutality.
I look up to the trees. They sound so lovely with the wind rushing through them. With one big jump, I stand on the lowest branch, making my way to the crown. It doesn't take me two seconds to arrive at the top where I have a view of almost the whole scenery. The green fields, the lake, the mountains, the village. It's all so peaceful. Not as gloomy as in my dreams...
It's so strange how I can barely remember what the house looked like. It was our mansion but different. Our carriages but strangely looking. The village, the clothes, everything was so surreal. If only I could remember the details.
There is only one thing which seems as clear as a crystal to me. Her. Her face, her smell, her touch, her taste. I look up to the clear blue... Sky. Sky...
"Who are you?"
3rd P.O.V.
"I am happy you could join us Annabelle" Freya speaks happily. With her sons already sat and Annabelle taking her seat, it's only Drago who is missing at the table.
"I am very happy to be here. Thanks to Ryan who invited me." Ryan nods at Annabelle with a soft smile.
"I thought it was obvious that you're always welcome here." Jaxon chuckles, "this is practically your home."
"I agree with you brother. She could own all of us just by blinking with those beautiful eyes." Carter exclaims and pours in some red wine for Annabelle. She chuckles in a high pitched tone, making Carter smile in response.
"So, Annabelle. Will you be coming to Anthony's birthday?" Freya places her hand on Anthony's shoulder but he remains his gaze down on his food.
"Your sons have invited me today. I am thrilled!"
"Oh really? And do you know who you will be going with?" The other brothers turn their heads towards Anna who is getting nervous as all the attention is now on her.
"I am not entirely sure. I was hoping to go with one of... you?" Before anyone could say another word, Damien suddenly stands next to Anna, holding out his hand for her.
"Our beloved Annabelle Wilson," the brothers look outraged while Annabelle lets out a soft giggle "It would be an honor for me to accompany you to the ball tomorrow and I hope from the bottom of my heart that you will say yes." He says and places a gentle kiss on the top of her hand.
"Yes to what? There's been no question." Zachary calls out from the other side of the table with Ryan frowning at him for yelling. Annabelle rolls her eyes playfully and stands up, making a subtle curtsy in front of Damien.
"The honor is mine, Mr. Savage."
"YAS!😁"
Ryan's eyes are glued on Annabelle who seems to be full of joy due to his brother's courage of asking her to accompany him. Does it bother him? Of course not. It's no secret that they all have a soft spot for her. She's being adored by plenty of men. And if the lucky one out of hundreds of men turns out to be his brother then so be it, he will be happy for them.
"Mother, please excuse me," Ryan says and wipes his lips with a napkin, "There is still a few things I need to-"
"Ryan we have a visitor. Don't you think father will be disappointed about your manners?" Kaiden says cheekily, giving Ryan a dirty smirk.
"I think father will understand. After all, it's business that I need to attend to," he says and walks by Kaiden whose head he clutches with his arm, "Or do you think I like missing out on dinner with my brothers, hm?" He says and roughly rubs the top of his head with the knuckles of his other hand.
Kaiden groans and pushes him off him, rolling his eyes as he realized his mistake. Ryan looks over to Annabelle who seems to be disappointed about him leaving. But how would he know? All he can think of is his dream.
"Ms. Wilson."
"YES?" She lights up as soon as she hears her name escape his lips.
"It was a pleasure dining with you. Seeing you at the table lets me forget the morons around me." He winks and leaves the dining room. Annabelle's smile fades away as soon as she realizes that be is leaving, which does not stay unnoticed to Zachary.
"Is everything okay, ms. Annabelle?"
"Hm? Of course! I'm fine." She says while trying to convince him with a smile which clearly does not resemble her real one. It's not that she doesn't enjoy the company of the others. It only upsets her that he pays so little attention to her. She cannot understand the reason for that.
Ryan enters his room and sits down on his bed. The air feels thick. Though he has fed on that woman his hunger remains. He can't seem to find the cause for this sudden desire. As he thinks about it, he comes to realize that it isn't any blood he craves. He now knows exactly what he wants to consume, and also that he won't get it.
He wonders if he dreams of her again once he'll sleep. Will he see her once more? Touch her? Drink her blood? He isn't entirely sure whether he wants to experience the same dream again, though. After all, he saw himself as a monster. A sight he does not wish to see.
*knock knock*
"Come in."
"Did I bother you, brother?" Carter asks as he walks into the room, closing the door behind him.
"No you did not. You just pulled me out of a day dream."
"Is that so? Was it about that mysterious girl again?" Ryan rolls his eyes and pulls out a book from his nightstand. He isn't sure whether or not he should tell Carter about his cravings. He is afraid that he might seem obsessed.
"Ryan? What's bothering you." He asks and leans against the wall.
"Carter... I don't know. I am afraid it's getting worse again."
"What? Are you sure?" He knows right away that Carter's got worried. He can hear it in his tone.
"No, I'm not. The desire is there but it's not... that strong. I am craving her blood." Ryan looks up to his brother in exhaustion, "The girl from my dreams. I can't help but feel a connection to her."
"Ryan, it's just a dream."
"I am aware. But how come I am having this dream over and over again?! It has never felt so real, though..."
"What are you talking about? Maybe explain some further? You have never talked about those dreams in detail." And with that Ryan explains to his brother the things he's been seeing. That the girl has been living with them, the things she's been through, the horrible things he's done in his dreams.
"And you're saying that it keeps happening?"
"Yes... Every. Single. Night. I can't get a break from it."
"But Ryan those are just dreams. You can't let them control your actions in the real world."
"I am aware but I can't control the urge, you know that," Ryan throws himself back on his bed with his eyes on the ceiling, "I can't explain how real it felt. I could taste her, Carter. I could feel her skin. And I could feel the... pain..." As he remembers the most recent dream, he lifts up his hand to see a scar on his finger. A scar he has never noticed before.
He shoots back up and examines his finger more closely.
"What's wrong?" Carter asks.
"LOOK!" He runs up to Carter and holds his finger into his face, pointing at the scar, "You see this?? This is where she bit me!" Carter takes his finger into his hand and takes a closer look at it.
"Do you believe me now??"
"This scar could be thirty years old."
"Oh yeah? We are vampires. We heal. Now try finding a rational explanation for a scar." Carter rolls his eyes at him.
"Well technically our whole existence is irrational, brother."
"You're not funny," Ryan says and snatches his hand away from him, "these are bite marks. I am certain."
"Listen, even if I believe you, that wouldn't make any sense, would it? Because this would mean that your dream has occurred in real life before, but that's not possible. You have spoken about things that have not happened yet."
"Do you think I don't know that? I'm not even sure why she was able to injure me. She is human." Ryan can't take his eyes off the wound. It has to be true. This should be proof that his dreams do have a deeper meaning. At least that would explain the cravings.
"I am aware it sounds crazy. I am overwhelmed myself. But this is not a coincidence." Carter rubs his chin as he thinks about a reasonable explanation for this occurrence.
"Lets say what you're saying is true. What does that mean for us?" Ryan takes a deep breath and he looks back at Carter. If only he knew what it really meant. Maybe he is overreacting. Maybe he is interpreting too much into what seems to be just a strange dream.
"I don't know... It probably doesn't mean anything," he moves his eyes back to the scar on his finger, remembering the moment when Sky bit it off, "Maybe I am just reading too much into this..."
~
Has someone ever bitten your finger? :D