Her Seven Deadly Brothers (Part 1 and 2)

(15) F E A R

"I am s-sorry." Eleanora mumbled lowly. She was standing at the doorway of William's room. Her eyes filled sad with guilt and her hands folded behind her back, hiding a small first aid kit, she managed to find in the kitchen. Her head bowed down and her toe making a half circle motion on the floor.

William was sitting on a couch in his room. His eyes closed and his head hanging down from the headrest of the couch. He heard perfectly, the small chatter patter of her feet as she slowly walked towards his room.

She hesitated, her feet stopped and then she again moved. William heard it all, he felt her standing there, in his doorway from last fifteen minutes just staring at him.

Finally she held a small courage to apologise thinking that he was asleep. But he was wide awake with closed eyes, hearing her small mumbles to herself.

"Why are you sorry?" She stared at him a little shocked thinking she woke him up by being loud.

"You are in pain because of me." She said sounding guilty.

"C-can I umm a-apply a c-cream over it, so i-it can heal fast?" She asked hesitantly and with a stammer in her tone.

William shook his head. It would be wrong if she say it didn't hurt her.

"But I j-just wanted to help.." She said sadly.

"I am fine! Just go back to your room and sleep." He instructed her.

Without a word, Nora sadly walked out from there.

William sighed and stood up on his feet. He hissed under his breath feeling the flesh burning with the pain.

When the first whip hit his back, Nora started crying and screaming at the guard to stop. She wasn't able to watch him enduring such pain. That's why Damon took her out of there.

William knew that she could never see the state of his back. The flesh was torn apart and his whole back needed stitches. Some more scarred, permanent scars will remain behind his whole lifetime.

But it wasn't something he was worried about.

With a frown etched on her features, she was walking back to her room.

She should not have gone there at the first place!

Her self conscience mocked her. Thankfully, it wasn't those scary voices that reside in her head. She was also confused thinking why all of a sudden they started stopping..

But anyway, it was a good thing for her.
Nora was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realized someone else was standing in mid of her way until she crashed against a hard chest.

Her confusion filled eyes looked up and met with the another pair of her own identical ones.

Her eyes widened slightly in fear.

"S-sir, I-I am s-sorry." She whispered and rushed to move past him but his cold hand grabbed her small bicep before pulling her back at the same place. The first aid kit slipped out of her hands.

"Eleanora! My daughter! I never got the chance to meet you." He smiled softly at her. But his eyes showed anything but gentleness.

Some hours before he was fighting against William to punish her and now he was saying he didn't get the chance to meet her!

"Umm h-hi." Frowning, she mumbled unsure.

She flinched when his finger suddenly touched her cheek and he slowly caressed the flesh. His other hand still wrapped around her small bicep, holding her in place.

"Now I see why Acacia tried to hide you from us, from me." He murmured lowly enough for her to hear.

Tears brimmed in Nora's eyes at the mention of her mother's name.

"P-please l-let go." She said in a shaky voice. The closeness between them made her feel uncomfortable.

She gasped lowly when his grip suddenly tightened.

"Ow. Y-you are hurting me." She cried.

"Now am I?" He stared at her tears with a evil, amusing smile on his face.

"I suggest you to release her if you don't want yourself to be bury here alive."
Vincent's calm, collected voice sent tons of relief in Eleanora's veins.

Alexander's grip loosened. Nora immediately created distance between them and rushed towards Vincent. Her short frame hid behind his broad back in fear with tears still rolling down her cheek.

"I was just saying hello to my daughter." Alexander smiled. His eyes openly glaring at him for interruption.

Without a second word, he skipped out from there.

Vincent turned around at the sound of her hiccup.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked in a emotionless calm type tone.

Nora shook her head slowly.

"I hate it when people lie." His tone same.

"S-sorry. I just don't w-want to create any other p-problems. I just w-want to go back to my room." She told him.

"So you can cry to sleep because you are scared now." Nora frowned at his words and wiped her dry tears from her face with the back of her hand.

"What are you even saying? I don't cry to sleep. I am much stronger than I look." She sounded a little confident than her usual tone.

Does he think she was some child?

Vincent raised his brow. His expression remained blank. His fingers moved forward and he pinched her cheek a little too hard.

"Owie. Why did you do that? You are so mean!" She exclaimed, touching her cheek with a pained look in her eyes.

"So strong." He rolled his eyes.

"Why you all have to be so rude?" A pout formed on her lips unconsciously as she walked past him.

"Everybody's scared Nora, but if you don't let your fears take you down, that's what we call bravery!"

Vincent said from behind. Nora froze in her tracks for a second but then continued her way back to her room.

Vincent's eyes fell on the fallen first aid kit and he turned his head to look towards William's room, only to find William himself standing there and watching the scene unfold.

"She is just too much extra sensitive. How the hell is she even our sister by blood?" Vincent rolled his eyes in annoyance.