I woke up and started packing my clothes. I had to get out of here. My parents kind of told me that they would prefer me to in Alexander’s care and that is where I will go.
If he will accept me, I thought miserably.
However, I couldn’t leave at that moment. I had too many things to do. I cleaned the house out, baked a thank you pie for Aunt Camille and then headed straight to work. However, as I took the last bend to my street, a guy ran straight at me and knocked me into a moving van. The door quickly shut behind us.
At first, darkness surrounded me and then when my eyes adjusted, I would have let out an ear-splitting scream, if the hand hadn’t covered my mouth. “Shh, calm down, Liv,” Sebastian told me.
I shook my head.
“Will you be quiet if I remove my hand?” he asked me softly.
I nodded to show that I will acquiesce to his request.
Slowly, he moved his hand away and I hugged him to me. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to his body. For the time being, I just savored the feeling and let myself enjoy it. I didn’t know where I stood with him and I didn’t know if he was mad or glad.
“Damn it Liv, do you know how worried everyone is about you?” he asked me earnestly.
I gave a rueful smile. “I didn’t think anyone would miss me,” I admitted softly.
He hugged me tighter and let me go. “Liv, how could you think that? They all love and miss you!”
I smiled at him, knowing that there was at least one person who was happy that I left. “I am sorry,” I apologized.
He wrapped an arm around me and then pulled me close. For the first time in a few months, I felt better. Whole. Happy.
“Come,” he said and motioned for me to get out. We were at some fancy hotel with gleaming marble floors, ever smiling attendants and lots of bellboys. All in all, it was an expensive hotel. Sebastian walked with me right through up until the elevator and in it until we reached the pent house suite. He opened the door for me and motioned me in. Taking deep breaths, I walked in and only felt better when I saw Sebastian behind me.
“She’s here,” he said calmly before walking out and shutting the door behind him.
For some ominous reason, I felt as if he had just sealed my fate, as if he told me that I was meeting certain Death right then. But then, in a blink of an eye, I was being crushed to death by a super tight hug.
“You’re killing me,” I managed to choke out.
“I am sorry,” a familiar voice said as he pulled back and looked at my face. The dark blue eyes had purple bruises underneath; the usually neatly brushed hair was an array of untidily styled spikes that somehow managed to look good. Alexander Antonio Sandrigo, the vampire King, the neat one, looked like a college student that forgot what the word ‘sleep’ meant.
I stepped back and pulled away from the hypnotic blue eyes that were making feel things that I didn’t want to feel.
“Livvy, please,” he said in a broken tone. I looked up at him and found him with one look that I never thought I would see on his cocky and confident face –hurt. “I am sorry.”
I took a few steps back. I couldn’t deal with this right now. He took a step forward and I held my hand out. “Please don’t,” I said.
“Why did you run away?” he asked me.
I looked at the floor and ignored him. I couldn’t think of an answer, well, I could. But is honesty the way to go?
“Olivia, please talk to me? I have missed you.”
I gulped and looked up at him. “Weren’t you glad to have me gone?” I asked in a small voice.
He let out a deep sigh. “God, no! I was more worried and stressed about you than anything else. I couldn’t even think straight!”
I was shocked, he actually worried about me? Why? “Why?”
He let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “What do you mean why? There are so many whys.”
“Why were you worried? Why were you stressed?” I sank to the floor, not being able to handle it anymore. I just brought my feet up to my chest and rocked.
Alex lifted me and carried me to the soft chair in the lounge area. He sat on the chair opposite me, giving me space I needed. “Why shouldn’t I have cared?”
I groaned and leaned my head back. “Simply because you always made me seem like a burden to you!”
He let out another deep sigh. “You mean a lot to me, Livvy. I can’t lose you. You are part of my family. You are special to me.”
I raked my fingers through my blonde hair. This was so confusing to me. It felt like he was saying something, but also not saying it. “So how did you find me?” I asked.
“I was looking for you for so long, but on a whim, I sent a few scouts here. Yesterday they told me that they might have found you,” he said. “So immediately, I booked the closest hotel, had the, do some background checks to see if it really was you and then immediately, Sebastian and I drove here. I need you in my life, Livvy. I really do. I feel lost without you,” he said brokenly.
I looked away, but he walked over to my chair and gently placed his fingers underneath my chin. “Livvy, I swear to you, I am not lying to you,” he whispered.
“I don’t understand why,” I muttered helplessly. I was starting to get annoyed with myself. I was questioning everything and becoming too skeptical with the one person I am supposed to trust. “I am sorry I ran away. I acted impulsively and childishly. I am truly sorry,” I said and looked down.
He brushed my hair back. “It is fine, I’m not upset. But why didn’t you come back sooner?”
“Pride,” I answered. “But also because I felt at ease here. I don’t know, I just…” I sighed helplessly.
The emotions were at the surface, but none of the words could and would come out. I was just too conflicted to think straight and formulate my thoughts correctly. “So, can I go?” I asked randomly.
“Why? Why are you running away from me?” he asked as if I had hurt him.
“I need to be free, Alex. I am not saying that I am cooped up in the mansion, but here, I was living life on my terms. I didn’t need to do anything I didn’t want to. I just had the freedom I had before I met you.” I took a deep breath. “I am thankful for everything you have ever done for me, and if there is any way I can ever thank you, let me know. But, maybe it is best if I stayed out of your way,” I told him truthfully.
I bit my tongue as I realized that I was doing the complete opposite of what I promised my parents.
He groaned. “Don’t you get it? I need to have you with me!”
“Why?” I groaned frustrated.
“I think I can answer that,” a smooth and familiar voice said.
I spun around to find the guy from the store yesterday. He smiled broadly at me. “Cashier girl,” he greeted me with that over friendly smile.
“Hi…guy that doesn’t smoke,” I said uneasily.
He laughed and looked Alex. He walked over and gave Alex some weird handshake thing. “Hey, Livvy,” Alex called me, much calmer and relaxed than when he was with me. “This is my cousin Antoine Beaulieu. Antoine, this is the dear Olivia,” he said as my means of introduction.
Antoine bowed in front of me and kissed the back of my hand, causing me to blush. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said smiling devilishly.
I smiled shyly. “The same goes for you,” I said bashfully.
Alex clapped his hands together to call our attention to him. We turned to him and my smile fell. “Well, you were going to say something to us weren’t you?” Alex said in a stern voice.
Antoine smiled and sat next to me. He rubbed his hands on his knees and spoke fluently and calmly, his French accent barely noticeable. “You see, Xander, your mother always said that the roses in your garden signaled the new Queen, right?”
Alex nodded.
“So, this rose bush of yours only started to grow only after Olivia arrived, right?” Antoine continued.
Slowly, it seemed as if understanding dawned on Alex as he nodded painfully slow. “So, do you think this could be true?” Alex asked with a slight hint of worry.
Antoine shrugged and I felt so left out. “Wait, I don’t know what you are talking about!” I said frustrated because I was lost.
There is another reason why I don’t belong with Alex and them, I thought. For some reason, Alex turned to look at me weirdly.
“What this is means, Olivia,” Antoine said patiently as he turned to face me, “Is that somehow, the Queen is nearby. Alex just…uh, he needs to either find her, or uh, confront her,” Antoine said and gave Alex a pointed look.
I laughed. “Does Alex know who she is? Or where she stays?” I asked excited.
Antoine nodded.
“But then why hasn’t he gone to make her his?” I asked.
“I have no clue. He knows who she is now and I think he has known for a while,” Antoine said with a ghost smile.
“Antoine, please leave,” Alex said firmly. I gave him a weird look.
“As you wish,” he stood up and gave me a short bow. I smiled and waved at him. “It was nice meeting you,” he said just before he closed the door.
I smiled and leaned back in to the chair, just reveling in its softness. “Go sleep,” Alex said softly.
I sat up. “No, we have to talk.”
He sank into his chair opposite me again and crossed his legs underneath him. “So, start talking,” he said bored.
I controlled my angry breathing and looked at him. “Why haven’t you gone after your Queen? You owe it to your kingdom to do it,” I said conversationally.
He rolled his eyes at my attempt, or he just possibly didn’t want to talk about it. “I haven’t gone after my Queen…because she doesn’t want me,” he said calmly.
I felt my heart leap at that. “Have you tried talking to her?” I asked calmly.
He shook his head. “I can’t talk to her. Every time I try to tell her what I feel, I end up messing it up. I end up getting her upset at me and then she will refuse to talk to me. I try to get it out to her, but the minute I look into her beautiful eyes, I get lost and hypnotized. I don’t know what to do,” he said annoyed with himself.
I looked around, trying to think of how to answer him. “Have you tried showing her how you feel?”
He snapped his head up so fast, that if he wasn’t a vampire, I would have been worried that it might have snapped. He looked at me like I had just grown a third head.
“What do you mean?” he asked confused.
I sighed. “Show her that you like her. Make her feel special. Give her some of your time if you can. Let her know what she means to you,” I said shrugging.
“You mean like showering her with gifts and that?”
“If she likes it, then yes.”
***
“Livvy, you have to,” he said frustrated.
“No, Alex, I don’t have to!” I fought back stubbornly.
“You do!”
“Why?” I crossed my arms over my chest. He expelled a tired breath. We were arguing for the last hour over me returning to the mansion. In all truthfulness, I wanted to return with an unknown, burning desire to return, but I couldn’t fathom why.
“Your roses are dying,” he said sadly.
I huffed. “So what? They were dead for so many years!”
He pulled on his long hair. “It lightens and brightens up our mansion!”
I rolled my eyes. “No, I am not going home with you!”
“Why? I promised you a house of your own. And a makeover for your room. A Maserati and even throw you the best birthday party anyone, anywhere could ever want. And to make things even better, I will ensure that you have a lifetime supply of chocolate!” he said in a singsong voice. It was meant to be alluring, but it just made me laugh.
“No!”
“Do you want me to go home empty handed and see Robert and Rosie with disappointed looks on their faces? Do you want me to tell them that not even their love for you was enough to bring you home? Must they go through the pain of losing another daughter?” he asked me in a soft tone, with his big blue eyes staring at me.
I covered my face and groaned. “You play dirty! That is unfair and you know it!” I cried in defeat.
He ran over and sat next to me. “Are you coming home? Are seriously coming home with me?” he asked in an excited voice.
I slowly nodded, and then the most unexpected thing ever happened. He picked me up and swung me around the room letting out excited whoops. I giggled and held on to his shoulders tightly so that I wouldn’t fall off.
After a full minute he put me down and then took my hand and led me down the elevator to a black SUV. I stopped short as I looked at the car. Memories flooded my mind and I just couldn’t think. As Alex walked ahead, oblivious to my sudden fear, our hands jerked him back. He looked back at me with an irritated look. Something on my face must have shown him I was serious and not joking around. He walked back and held my shoulders as he bent down to look at my face.
“Livvy?” he called and I looked at him. “What’s wrong, Princess? Why do you look so frightened?” he asked gently.
I pointed to the SUV. “I don’t know why, but it just brought back old feelings and memories.”
He rubbed my shoulders comfortingly. “I’m sorry. But that is mine and I promise you that it is safe and brand new. I am so sorry I was that inconsiderate, it just that a few things have happened in your absence,” he said sadly.
“What?” I asked worriedly. And that was all it took for me to know that my heart lies with Alex’s mansion. That was family from the time they took me in until the day I died. That was where I needed to be.
“Relax, I’ll tell you everything when we are at home.” He took my hand again and led to the car.
I still couldn’t get in, all the fear of finding those cars there at my once beautiful and peaceful home, the terror of knowing that something terrible was going to happen, but even in my wildest dreams would I have expected to find my household’s mutilated bodies. “I’m sorry, Alexander, I can’t,” I said in a scared voice.
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Alex leaned closer to my face and I could feel the heat of his breath on my ear. “Olivia Marie Montgomery, relax and calm down. I promise you, Livvy, I will take care of you,” he whispered only for me to hear.
I blushed a little from the close contact and what I noticed to be bodyguards around us. “Why are there bodyguards?” I asked softly.
He turned his face so that he looked into my eyes. “So they can protect us,” he said looking me straight in the eye. “Come let us go.”
He tried to gently guide me, but my feet was rooted to the spot I was in. “I can’t, I keep seeing that day, Alex,” I whispered as I looked at the ground.
He closed in on me again and tenderly lifted my chin up and leaned in. I thought that he was just going to make some remark about trusting him to take care of me. I thought that he was just going to say that it will be over before I know it. I thought that he was going to just make some smartass comment, but no. Alex did the thing I would never ever have expected in my life. Alexander Antonio Sandrigo leaned down and kissed me.
_+_+_+_+__+
A very short chapter, but if i had to make it any longer, I would have just killed the scene. Enjoy and please comment, vote and tell me what you think!