3 years from now..
ミ★✫彡
𝐑𝐇𝐄𝐀'𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄
☆
Rhea lies lazily on her king-size bed, cuddling with Mak and enjoying the comfort of his arms around her body.
She feels safe and secure in his embrace, feeling a sense of contentment and peace.
Mak can feel the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, and he can hear her soft and light noises of delight.
Suddenly, the door flies open and a figure dashes through. It's Malachi, who jumps on the bed and wedges himself between Mak and Rhea.
Mak rolls his eyes a bit but doesn't look too surprised or bothered, while Rhea lets out a playful groan.
Marcus and Milo stand at the doorway, watching the scene and smirking in amusement.
"Oh come on brother, you need to share." Malachi snickered
"Oh shut up." Mak says getting up from the bed.
Rhea's phone chimed with a notification from her mother. She slowly picked it up and unlocked the device, then opened the message from her mother.
"I wonder who that is." Malachi eyes the phone screen.
Rhea moves her phone away, "it's my mother idiot." She chuckled
Rhea's mother texted her:
Dinner at my place around 6pm, bring the vampire cuties. - love mom.
Rhea cringes at the last sentence from her mother text message, "Well- she says Dinner around 6." I told everyone
"Does she not realize that vampires don't eat?" Marcus sighs
"Can you just pretend for her, please!?"
Marcus rolled his eyes sighing, "alright.."
Ever since Rhea's resurrection, things had been going well for Rhea. The boys brought her back to her home state of Georgia and told her mother the truth, and surprisingly she took it well.
Mak had also told Rhea about how Rafe had recently found his lost sister inside the locked room in this home, which she had been trying to access for a long time,
And how his sister, Marcie, had made the ultimate life sacrifice to bring Rhea back to life.
This made Rhea's heart ache every time she thought about it, but she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude towards Marcie for the selfless gesture.
Rhea often wondered how things would have been different if she hadn't died. She particularly wished she could have had the opportunity to meet the other Hade sibling, they could've of been the bestest of friends.
Rhea used to ponder and feel a deep sense of guilt and self-blame. She wrestled with the thought of the hade brothers put theirselves and her little brother in danger just to bring her back.
These thoughts haunted her daily, and they weighed heavy in her heart.
She often felt like she didn't deserve the second chance at life, that she should have stayed dead and at peace instead of being resurrected.
But..Despite all the risks and the sacrifices made by those around her, Rhea was grateful for the opportunity to live again. She knew that without these efforts, she would not be back on this earth, surrounded by loved ones. Despite the nagging thoughts of guilt, she remained grateful for the gift of life and for those who took the chance to bring her back.
Rhea loved them dearly.
✥✥✥
Milo held the passenger door of the black Cadillac open for Rhea as she climbed inside. She gave him a loving kiss before settling in her seat.
Mak sat in the driver's seat as he skillfully navigated the city streets.
The other brothers occupied the backseat, while Rhea sat beside him in the passenger seat.
She quickly put on her seatbelt for safety.
"I can't wait to see my family, I really do miss them." I sighed
Mak places his right hand on Rhea's thigh, gently caressing and rubbing it as he keeps his eyes on the road.
"I can't wait to see them too." he replies
𝟐𝟓 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑...
The black Cadillac pulls up to the front of Rhea's mother's house, and Mak quickly jumps out and dashes over to the passenger side door to open it for Rhea.
Rhea caresses Mak's hand and climbs out of the car.
She turns to look at the lights streaming from her mother's window, and her heart fills with warmth and nostalgia.
Rhea takes a deep breath before pushing the button on the doorbell. As she releases it, the resounding chime fills her ears in an almost melodious way.
The door swings open, revealing the beaming face of Rhea's mother.
Rhea's mother pulls her close, her arms enveloping Rhea in a warm and comforting embrace.
"My sweet Rhea! I miss you so much darling."
"I miss you too mom." I warmly smiled releasing out of her arms.
She averts her attention to the boys behind me who were all quiet and standing patiently.
"Hello to you all as well." She smiles at them all.
They greeted my mother back and we all head inside, my eyes and nose avert to the delicious smelling dining table in the center of the room.
Rhea notices the stunning chandelier dangling overhead, shining light onto the dining table beneath it. The delicious food spread before them includes a savory roast turkey positioned in the center, surrounded by side dishes of creamy mac and cheese, flavorful collard greens, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a refreshing garden salad. On the corner of the table, a pot of hot tea is ready to be served.
"Everything looks and smell so nice mom."
"Thank you dear, I've also got your vampires a little something." She went towards the fridge.
Rhea's mother, with a sly smile, pulls out four sealed blood bags. Without explanation, she distributes one to each of the vampires present.
"Animal blood." She whispered to them all
"Thank you." they said
"So- where's my annoying brother!?" I chuckled
"He's probably upstairs playing the game or something, I already told him that you guys were coming."
Rhea eagerly dashes upstairs, searching for her beloved brother. She can't wait to find him and reconnect, having spent months apart.
Rhea's heart feels heavy as she knocks on her brother's door, but there is no response. She calls out his name, hoping to get his attention, but there is still no answer. A feeling of frustration and concern washes over her.
As she opens the door slowly, Rhea's eyes immediately fall upon a shocking scene of her brother Rafe making out passionately with a girl in his bed.
Rhea's face turns crimson as she quickly closes the door, clearly taken aback by the sight before her. She can't help but feel an overwhelming mix of emotions all at once: embarrassment, surprise.
As she waits outside the door, Rhea stands impatiently with crossed arms, waiting for her brother to emerge. After a few moments, the door slowly creaks open, revealing Rafe standing behind the now fully dressed brunette girl.
Standing before Rhea is a slightly taller and more mature version of Rafe. He nervously scratches his head, a clear sign of his awkwardness around the situation. Rhea can't help but notice the physical changes in her brother, which highlights how he has grown up over the past few months.
"I'll be at the dinning table Rafael."
"His name is Rafe." I corrected her.
"Yeah-Rafe- my bad." She ran downstairs.
"Didn't know my little brother wasn't so little anymore." I said
Rafe rolled his eyes
Without saying a word, Rafe rolls his eyes and pulls Rhea into a close hug, burying his face into her shoulder.
"It has been so long."
"I knoww! I missed you so much." I hugged him back.
"What else has changed besides you maturing and not acting like a little brat anymore?" I teased.
he rolled his eyes again chucking before continuing. "Well, I got accepted into a college for football."
"No fucking way!" I pushed him jokingly
"Mhm."
"I'm so proud of you."
Rafe smiles bringing himself into another hug with her.
"Rhea and Rafe come downstairs!" Their mother yelled.
As Rafe and Rhea head downstairs, Rhea notices a tall, unfamiliar man standing in the kitchen. Her eyes immediately shift away, feeling awkward and out of place around someone she has never seen before.
"Oh and that." Rafe says.
"Who is this Mom?" I walked towards the table
"I want you to meet my boyfriend, Daryl."
"She's Quinn dad." She eyed the girl who was kissing Rafe upstairs.
Rhea stands there silently, a mixture of shock and confusion washing over her as she gazes at the two unfamiliar people.
✥✥✥
As everyone sits down at the dining table to enjoy their dinner, the sound of laughter and conversation fill the air. Rhea sits in silence, listening to everyone, but unable to participate freely in the conversation. She can't help but feel a bit out of place, like an outsider looking in.
"Soo," Rhea finally speaks
"How long have you guys been a thing? Or knew eachother?" She asked both Mom and Rafe.
"Well, I'll go first." Mom said
"We met on tinder and just started chatting about our interest, that's when me and him wanted to take it serious after we were comfortable with each other- we just decided to meet up."
"And this was all 3 months ago."
I squinted my eyes from her response, now turning my attention to Rafe who was eating turkey.
He looks up at me with his mouth full of food as he quickly chew and swallow.
"So-
"We basically met from my dad and your mom, they made this happen. " Quinn kisses Rafe cheek.
"Hm."
"You guys look great together." Malachi smirked at them.
"Don't they Rhea?" Mak barged in.
I squinted at the two males. annoyingly.
the conversations at the table begins to resume, Rhea sips her sweet tea, letting the warm liquid wash over her tongue. Her eyes wander over to the wrist and neck of her brother.
"Rafe what's on your neck?" I try to look closely from across the table but he quickly stands up.
The hade brothers look confused as I was. "I don't know Its nothing, Probably just a mosquito bite- I was outside today." Rafe rushes to the bathroom
...silence..
"Well, who wants dessert?" My mother stood up from the table walking over to the kitchen counter.
✥✥✥
After helping my mother with cleaning the dining table off and prepare for the night, I watch as she opens the door for Daryl and Quinn to leave. I see myself turning my attention back towards our kitchen, and my hands automatically move to the faucet, turning it on. As I watch the water run, I take this moment to reflect on what happened during dinner.
After finishing cleaning up with her mother, Rhea watches as she closes the door behind Daryl and Quinn. As she makes her way back into the living room, her mother comes up to hug her. She thanks Rhea for helping clean up and for coming over for dinner with the vampires.
"You're welcome and thanks for the invite, I'll see you soon again, can you tell Rafe to be good for me?" I asked
She nodded her head with a warm smile. "Of course."
As Rhea walks outside to the car where the Hade brothers are waiting for her, she hears faint cries coming from somewhere nearby.
Rhea's curiosity is piqued by the cries, so she decides to investigate. She turns around and strains her senses, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.
Mak pops out of the car and stares confusingly, "is Everything alright?"
"I hear someone crying? I think."
Mak, uses his vampire hearing, strains to listen for the cries. Suddenly, he picks up on the sound coming from above, and looks up to see Rafe standing on the roof.
"Rafe.. what are you doing up there?! What's wrong!" Rhea said
Rafe ignores and starts to walks closer to the edge of the roof.
"Rafe-?!
Rhea calls out again.
"I-can't- stop." he says softly
"He's compelled." Quinn spoke from behind
"Please!- Stop!"
Quinn tilts her head eyeing me. "Don't you get it Rhea?" She says
Mak sighs and stares at the ground, feeling a sense of guilt and regret. He knows that he and his brother's have hurt Quinn in the past, and now Rhea is paying the price for their actions.
"What do you fucking mean."
"You are linked to them, you have to pay the price,"
"Everything they've done in the past is your responsibility now, everyone that they hurted will come back for them for revenge."
"They hurted me and now I have to hurt the people that they love, they took my life away from me! Don't you fucking understand!?"
"You're dating the devil." she mumbles
Mak sighs, "Quinn the past is the past,
"No." She turns to look at him
"Don't worry, he has my vampire venom in his system Rhea so he will come back,"
"but as one of us." She says
"No! Please!"
"I can never win." Rhea mumbles to herself crying
"Life isn't fair Rhea." Quinn says.
Quinn, stares intensely at the roof where Rafe was standing. She snaps her fingers and suddenly, he robotically falls.
ミ★✫彡 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 ミ★✫彡
➪ 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄!!!