Beth heard her phone ringing in the kitchen while she was eating a late lunch with her siblings.
She picked it up right at the end of the ring, missing the call by seconds.
Huffing in frustration because she had not even seen the caller as her phone had been screen down, she checked and saw a missed call from her mother.
Cold dread clenched its fist in her stomach.
Before she could wrestle over calling them back the messages started.
"Call me back now"
"You're supposed to keep your phone on you at ALL times young lady."
"Call me."
"You know damn well you're in trouble so call me before you make it worse on yourself."
"You think it's funny? Call me."
"What do you know about Taehyung?"
Beth's hands were shaking. How? Why? Just when she was safe... How did they know?
"Answer me young lady."
"Call me NOW"
"Beth. Alice. Astair. Call. Me. Back."
Beth couldn't hold her phone any longer, her hands were shaking so hard.
"BETH."
It fell to the floor with a clatter, landing screen up as each message flashed on the screen seconds after the last.
"When we get back you and all your siblings are GROUNDED to your rooms! You'll STAY that way until you tell me what you know about Kim Taehyung."
Then it was her father.
"Stop ignoring your mother."
"Answer her questions."
"The groundation is in place as of now."
"If you don't want the belt you'd better show pictures of everyone in their rooms, doors locked from the outside, then your own."
"Just lock it then go in and close the door."
Her mother.
"Where are the pictures your father is asking for?"
"In case he wasn't clear, you are ALL getting the belt unless you send those pictures, or worse."
Her father.
"I'm waiting."
Beth sprinted out of the room, leaving her phone on the floor.
Not good.
This was bad.
This was very very bad.
She hid for a moment in the pantry to collect her thoughts.
Their plane had only come in a half hour ago. She had a full two hours to do something if Bernard hadn't picked them up yet.
But what could she do?
Bernard. She had to warn Bernard. FAST.
She darted back out of the closet and dove for her phone and pressed 3, holding it to speed dial Bernard.
He picked up almost immediately.
"Hello Beth."
Her heart dropped into her stomach, which lurched. Her blood froze. That was not Bernard.
"I've been telling you over and over. Lock your siblings and yourself in your rooms. Send the pictures young lady. And you'll be lucky if you and your siblings get away with just the belt."
Beth was going to throw up. She clamped her hand over her mouth and tried to hang up, but she found herself glued to the phone against her will.
"Tongue tied? We just want to keep you safe Beth. You should know that. Tell us what you know about that shit Taehyung and your siblings will be spared from the consequences of your folly. See? Bernard... well, no promises for him. He went against our orders."
Suddenly there was a few thumps and a clatter on the other end of the line, and Beth heard her father... her uncle... cussing. Something neither he nor her... aunt... had ever done before.
"Be strong miss Beth. Do not believe them. They have gone crazy from something I do not know. Don't speak with them. Hide yourself and your siblings. Don't worry about m-"
Bernard was cut off by another scuffle, and Beth stared at her screen as someone on the other end hung up.
No. No. No no no no no.
It became a chant in her head.
Beth collapsed to the floor. She had to be in shock. Why else would she be numbed, with her own panicked voice ringing through her mind?
She had a time limit. She should do something. What could she do?
No. No. No no no no no no no.
Her thoughts echoed through her mind, an endless chant.
No.
A minute ticked by. Then two. Three. Four.
Maya came in.
"Beth?"
Beth did not respond.
"Beth!" Maya was kneeling next to her, and then she saw the phone, once again on the floor.
"Beth! What happened? Talk to me!"
Beth finally met her gaze, Maya's panic snapping her out of her own. She would never let her siblings suffer because of her aunt and uncle. Never.
Standing up she calmly kicked her phone halfway across the room.
Maya looked at the phone, and then at Beth.
"So what's up?"
"Mom and Dad." Beth spoke their titles coldly. "Somehow they found out I know more about Taehyung than they wanted me to know. They're flipping out."
Calmly and quietly she explained to Maya what was being threatened and the scuffle on the other side of the line, as well as what Bernard had said.
Maya was horrified.
"So what're we doing?" She asked, and Beth explained.
Maya listened quietly, then nodded.
"Fine. I don't like it, but I can tell you're not going to budge." Maya spoke with a huff.
"Someone has to be sure Bernard is ok, whatever he says. And since I'm the 'heir' to the castle I'm the one in the best position to do that." She pointed out.
Maya nodded. "You get the food I'll get the boys."
Beth nodded and started concentrating as she packed a large picnic basket of food and took it to her room, where Maya met her with the boys.
On her way past her phone the last text she had seen from her father had confirmed for her that she and Maya were doing the right thing.
"Traitors and everyone associated with them used to be executed you know."
Quieting the boys by telling them it was a game, she ushered them along with Maya into the closet.
Once the door was shut she began weaving the energies around her as she had learned to from recalling Callum's spell of long ago.
A smaller scale spell, for a smaller closet and a smaller threat, as her aunt and uncle were hardly comparable to the army Taeron had led, it would still replenish their food and keep everyone, including Beth herself, out of the closet. She was thankful for the large game collection she stored in there. She was thankful it was such a huge, largely unfilled closet. Maya would be able to seperate portions of the closet like rooms for the boys, and they would have no lack of recreational activities.
The spell would self-sustain until she specifically took it down, which she could only do when she was sure the danger was over.
.
.
.
.
Beth paced.
Her parents were going to be home in an hour and she didn't know what to do about it.
Finally she headed to Bernards room. He had taken the journal with him, as always, but she should hide the sword and the pages from her parents.
The front door opened as she was about to cross the grand staircase it led to.
Beth froze, afraid. Where they already back? No, they couldn't possibly be back already.
"Beth?"
The voice was deep, concerned, and very, very familiar.
"Taehyung??" His name slipped from her lips before she could stop it, a bare whisper slipping through her defenses.
He was there, standing on the opposite side of the doorway. He was a werewolf, so he didn't need to be invited in. But still, he stood outside. Waiting.
"Bernard called me, but when I answered their was no sound and he hung up the next second. I tried to call him back and my service said the number I was calling didn't exist. What's going on?"
Beth was torn. There was still so much going on. She couldn't trust her parents, who had Bernard. Taehyung was right there. But could she trust him?
He hovered outside the door, waiting.
"I know something is wrong Beth. I'm not going to lie. We need the staff now. I tried to wait, but there's so much more at stake than I can explain from here. Are you-"
Taehyung's voice cracked, and Beth heard his sniff as he fiercely blinked back glistening tears.
Her heart pounded painfully.
"Are you for... or against me?" Taehyung forced the words out.
Their eyes met.
Beth felt as though her heart was stripped bare by his gaze. His eyes expressed fear, hope, pain, and love, yet they saw right into her.
He wasn't a vampire, but she knew... He could read her mind better than anyone else ever would. He knew she was afraid of her parents. He knew she didn't know if she could trust him, and that she would kill to protect her siblings from harm. Even if it was him that she deemed the danger.
She saw it breaking his heart... And knew that he would not have stopped her if she tried to kill him.
And that broke her heart.
She wasn't sure when he stepped across that invisible boundary, taking a single, full step into the castle.
But she knew the moment he did, she couldn't get to him fast enough.
"I trust you..." her voice was a whisper, but she knew he heard her as she leapt astride the banister and slid down it because even running wouldn't have been fast enough.
There wasn't time to waste. There was less than an hour until her parents returned. Whatever was going to happen... Had to happen now.
And then she was afraid.
Taehyung began shifting even as she slid, his half-wolf form coming through and hiding the tears that had slipped down his human cheeks with jet black wolf hair.
Beth tried to stop, startled by the shift, her mind sending danger signals through her body, but she only succeeded in flying off the end of the bannister.
Taehyung caught her.
Held tightly in his arms like a bride, her cheek was pressed to the kitten-soft black hair, it was more like long fur. Beth pressed a hand against his chest so she could twist and, feeling his gaze on her, she met and looked into his eyes.
Once brown eyes shone amber-green, with love and tenderness in them belying his intimidating body and wolf's face.
Mine...
Beth's eyes widened slightly. The voice that echoed in her heart and mind was Taehyung's, but still deeper, richer, as though it had been freed from the limitations of mere sound. There was love... and a thread of possession.
It worked through her being, everything she had suppressed around Taehyung welling up free, unlocked by his tenderness. His arms were tight, protective, but if she had tried to leave she knew he would have ripped himself apart to let her go.
Rather than a cage, they were a safe, warm blanket cocooning her.
She was safe.
He brought his head down to rub gently against her face, reminding her of a cat scenting his person.
Her arms slipped around his neck, and with a slight whimper, Taehyung pressed his face against her neck, his muzzle pressing against her shoulder and his cool damp nose touching her bare arm.
Tears fell on her neck.
Mine...
This time his whisper was slightly broken, desperate for confirmation.
Beth stroked his head fur soothingly, but he lifted his head and glanced around before heading to a nearby room.
There was a cry of protest, and Beth caught a glimpse of the vampire man shaking his head, exasperated, but understanding and bemused.
It lasted a split second before Taehyung had carried her into the next room and laid her on the antique "fainting couch" Beth had admired a few times when she was less worried.
He seemed to hover high above her, but she was not intimidated despite her logic saying she oight to be. Instead she waited. Even now, unable to see what was hoing on in his tumultous gaze, she trusted him.
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Aaaand cut!
Lol, here's yesterday's update, stay tuned for the next one later today!!
Aren't you glad it's a double update??
Love you all! Stay safe!! 💜
And happy birthday to my serial commenter who NEVER lost hope~