Running from Vampires

Chapter Twenty

To start off, I am so sorry that I've neglected this story! At first, I was busy writing another book to try for publishing, and then I just got lazy. I'm going to try and wrap this story up as soon as possible. Thanks for sticking with it!

-Becca0106

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My eyes snapped open when a loud crash was heard from downstairs. A quick scan of the room told me that I was alone. My throat burned for blood, but I pushed that aside.

Sliding out of the bed, I crept towards the door and slowly peeled it open, my eyes narrowed for any movement. Hunter's door opened and he stepped out, rubbing his eyes with tiny fists. When he saw me, he grinned and ran up to me, hands in the air as a silent plea for me to pick him up. I felt my muscles relax from the tension that had built up as I settled my pup in my arms, his head tucking under my chin and nuzzling my neck.

Another crash came from downstairs and I jumped, my hold on Hunter became stronger as I fought back the urge to run down and kill them. Hunter's arms tightened around me in fear. My wolf surfaced just enough to ease my grip on him and cradle him to me in comfort while my vampire side had me creeping down the stairs to find out what the commotion was all about.

"Those damned humans! I can't believe- no, I actually can believe that they would do something like that in an attempt to gain the upper hand. I just wish they hadn't used her." Declan's enraged voice rang through the hall and it was followed by the sound of splitting wood.

"You'd rather someone else had taken her place?" Gideon's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. He was also bothered by what the hunters had done to me, but he was trying to calm my beloved. I had to give him props for that.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" A sigh reached my ears and I realized that I was standing frozen at the base of the stairs, head tilted to the right as I eavesdropped. "I'm glad that she was chosen, because she's so strong and I know that she can move past it. But at the same time, I'm disgusted by what they did. I know that the scars will leave, but in the mean time, I can't stand to see them. I am ashamed to say that I feel like I can't be near her without disgusted over them. I'm not disgusted of her, but rather myself, and I don't want to put her through the pain of me pulling away from her until they are gone, but I don't see any other way. They only remind me that I wasn't able to help her, to save her from the torment she must have gone through, and I can't live with that fact."

My feet carried me closer to the living room until I was standing in the doorframe, shrouded in the darkness of the hall. Declan's posture was slumped, giving the appearance that he'd given up. My father was sitting on the couch, his eyes closed, but I saw the muscle twitching in his jaw.

"Declan, don't blame yourself. You aren't the only one who feels that way. I'm her father, and her current guardian. I am responsible for everything that happens to her, and the very idea that I allowed hunters onto my land... that she was taken from right under my nose... it burns me. Those scars are proof that I failed to protect her in the one place that she felt safe."

I couldn't listen anymore. "Stop."

Both heads shot to me and I stepped into the room. Hunter peeked out from my shoulder before resting his head back against my neck. Declan's eyes darted away from me and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Answer me this, what are doing? You both blame yourselves for something that we had no idea would ever happen. It's not your fault. I've moved past it, and I don't blame anyone except those hunters for what happened to me. But this," I waved a hand at them and the mess of a room, "isn't going to change anything. I'm here now. I'm safe now. The fact that you two are dwelling in the past isn't going to help me heal in the future. I want to move beyond what they did to me, but I can't do that when the two people who can help me the most can't do that either. I know that the scars are an ugly reminder, and I know that it's going to be rough from here on out, but I'm willing to at least make an effort. But I can't do this alone."