Tristan's POV
I held the knife with my shaking hands.
This is what I have to do, to make up for my mistakes, for my betrayal. I have to kill Zephyr for good. I have to.
But if I kill him, I may never meet my birth mother... And that is what I want more than anything. But that desire is what got us all into this mess in the first place. If I'd never accepted Zephyr's offer, Tyson wouldn't be dead...
The shifter's body began to stir, and I knew I needed to make a decision. Fast.
I brought the knife down hard, just as Zephyr's eyes flew open. The blade embedded itself in his gut, and he coughed. Blood spluttered from his mouth as he looked up at me with shocked eyes.
"You... Traitor" He hissed, coughing up more bloody
A wave of euphoria washed over me. I pulled the knife out and stabbed it straight back in again. And again. And again, laughing in glee as the thick, red liquid from his body poured from the wounds.
A manic laugh bubbled past my lips and I continued to rapidly stab Zephyr. I could feel his blood splashing onto my face, and I loved it.
"What are you doing, Tristan?" Sophia asked cautiously.
I was so focused on killing Zephyr I hadn't even heard her approach. Now I'm screwed, she can't see my like this!
"Is that..." She trailed off.
"Yes. That's Zephyr's body, and I need to kill him to make things right" I gritted my teeth, and stabbed him again and again, smiling like a maniac.
"Stop!" She cried. "Can't you see he's already dead? You've been stabbing a corpse!"
She backed away from me, and realisation dawned upon me as to what I was doing.
"Oh my god, was I..." I whispered, covering my face with my hands. What have I done?
I raced up the stairs after Sophia, but somebody grabbed me.
"Care to explain what you've done?" Chase asked me, seething.
"Let me explain, I-" he punched me, not giving me the time to explain.
"I've heart about the little deal you made with the shifter" he spat, as if the words were poison on his tongue.
I'm sorry, brother, please forgive me...
Sophia's POV
Chase told is all to meet in the library in twenty minutes, as Tristan apparently had something to tell us and an apology to make. But I didn't go there straight away, instead I decided to go to my room to be alone for a while.
As I was on the way, I had to walk past Flynn's room, where I could here some muffled noises and creaks.
I just going to carry on walking, but my curiosity soon got the better of me, like it usually does. I crept towards the door in what I hoped was a stealthy fashion, but I'm sure any vampire could have heard me coming.
But Flynn obviously didn't, because the noises coming from the room continued.
I peaked through the crack, and let out a started yelp at the sight that met my eyes. I swear the image will be burned into my brain forever...
On the bed in the middle of the room lay a very sweaty, very naked Flynn, with an equally sweaty and naked man writhing beneath him. His eyes met mine as he heard me yelp, and his face flushed a deep red.
I'm not sure what happened afterwards because I slammed the door as quickly as I could and ran to my room, trying -and failing- to erase the image from my mind.
Fifteen miners later I made my way to the library, where I found only Chase and Tristan waiting. Chase stood staring out of one of the large windows. He didn't look up, and neither did Tristan from where he sat looking very sorry for himself by the fire.
When everyone was there, (plus the one empty chair that served as a painful reminder of Tyson's absence) Chase nudged Tristan.
"I owe you all an explanation" he whispered, clearly ashamed. "Zephyr promised me if I helped him get Sophia, he'd take me to see my birth mother. Surely you guys know how much that means to me, it's the one thing I've wanted since I found out I had a different mother to everyone else. And since Zephyr is my half brother, I thought he'd be able to help me. I never meant for anyone to get hurt, or killed. Zephyr said he could, if I got close to Sophia and gained her trust. He told me Sophia in exchange for my mother. I'm really sorry... I betrayed everyone's trust and I don't deserve to be with Sophia after all I've done"
I was stunned. So this whole 'nice vampire' thing was only so he could get close to me. That's disgusting, how could he do that! To me, to his own brothers!
"Will you forgive me, Sophia?" He asked quietly.
"I'm deeply wounded by your betrayal, Tristan, and I sure everybody feels the same way. I think I'm going to need some time. And I don't think I can be with you either, I'm sorry, I just can't trust you at the moment"
Tristan nodded his head. "I understand. I'd feel the same way of somebody close to me betrayed me"
Feeling a little lost, Tristan walked away.
~~~
"Would you like to see your family, Sophia?" Chase asked after Tristan had left.
"I'm already with my family" I replied automatically. "Oh, you mean my adoptive family" I realised.
He nodded. "You don't have to, but I'm happy to take you for a quick visit. Hell, you can even stay with the if you like. Obviously you'll still need my blood now and then so I'll visit. I'll remove the memory wipe placed on them as well if you'd want that"
I eyes him suspiciously. "Where is this coming from?"
He shrugged. "I just want you to be happy, that's all"
Oh. He thinks if he takes me back, I'll be happier. But I've found my place here, among my real family. I've accepted I have to chose somebody. Him or Flynn, at the moment.
"Just for a visit, okay?" I responded. His face brightened.
"So you don't want to go back? To your old life, that is?" Curiosity filled his voice.
I shook my head. "I either have to give up you guys or my old family, I can't have both. Plus, I'm happy here, with you" I replied with a smile.
Of course I missed my old life, but with all that I've leant in the past few weeks, it would be impossible to drop everything and go back. I'd have to pretend I didn't know the truth, I'd have to forget about Chase and my other brothers. I just can't do that.
~~~
Chase drove me to my old house so easily it was scary.
"Here we are' he grinned, getting out and opening my door for me.
I smiled back at him. I knew I'd made the right choice, to come for a quick visit not for permanent stay,
The front door was unlocked, which was weird. Mother never left the door open, as April liked to wander and explore too much for that to be an option.
Cautiously pushing the door aside, I stepped over the threshold, a Chase close behind. Without warning, he grabbed my arm.
"We need to leave" he said urgently, his tone telling me he wasn't going to tell me why.
I shook his hand off, and he let go without resistance. "I have to see my family" I told him.
The stench of decay hit me the second I moved another step into the house. It smelt as if something had died here. Mother liked to keep everything immaculate, as she had OCD. She'd never let this smell get this bad...
"Come on, Sophia. We should go now" Chase pleaded. I ignored him again and continued further into the house.
I nearly fainted at the sight in the kitchen.
Blood was splattered all over the walls, and several mushy parts that looked like internal organs were strewn everywhere. I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve at the same time Chase covered my eyes.
"I told you, we need to leave" he hissed urgently, but worry filled his voice.
"Is that..." I began.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I shouldn't have brought you back here" he whispered, swinging me into his arms.
So now I've made up my mind. I'm going to leave my old life behind, for good. Well, it wasn't like I had much of a choice, anyway.