Amelie's Daughter

Love Prevails

Chapter 2 (Alayna)

The sun shines brightly in the sky, the smell of roses is in the air...wait, roses? Where does that exquisite smell come from? Oh...red roses as red as blood are spread around the corridor behind me...There's a door at the end, I move towards it but it seems to get further away with every step I take..I run, it grows smaller and smaller...I stop and the door stays still, what is behind that big oaken door? I must know! The floorboards behind me creak slightly but before I can turn around someone grabs me around the throat...A large salty hand covers me mouth, I bite it and a harsh scream escapes my capturer's lips...its a man. He let's me go and slaps me across the face, I'm indifferent...I didn't feel his harsh, scaly hands strike my cheek for I am not human...I am unnatural...I am a vampire.

"Alayna!" Melanie snaps her fingers in front of my face and I emerge from my past, "Are you in there?"
I nod my head and waves her hands out of my face, "Just leave me alone. I'm not in the mood." And with that I grab my books haistly and walk quickly out of the common room where we had been relaxing after my Biology exam, I don't see her confused look as I walk out. I collide with a tall body (a guy) as I turn around from shutting the door, my stress suddenly relieves itself of me and I forget what had just happened in my daydream.
"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I'm so clumsy, well I'm not normally but-", I get out.
" Hey, its fine", he steps back and looks at me, "Hi I'm Johnathan." He holds out his hand and, tentatively, I shake it. His warmth takes me by surprise, I don't normally get close to humans.
"Bonjour, Je m'appelle Alayna- oh, I'm sorry I fell into my first language. I mean hello, I'm Alayna", I stutter. Why on Earth did I just speak French? He probably thinks I'm weird now! On the contrary he smiles at me.
" Are you laughing at me?"
"Well, yes I guess I am", he's still smiling, " I've never seen a girl get so flustered about what language comes out of her mouth."
He's actually really cute. Wait...did I just say cute? Ok maybe he is... He has wavy brown hair which falls just above his shoulders, he's about 6ft tall, he has beautiful rich chocolate coloured eyes which are concealed by his large glasses, his arms (like mine) are laden with science books and he's just...really hot. Darn it! Why do I always fall for this type of guy? And what's more... He's a science geek too!

"Hey, Alayna? Are you listening?" He waved a hand in front of my face and I realise that I've been staring at him.
"Wh-what? Yes, what did you say?"
He laughs, "I said, do you want to go grab a coffee with me?"

Is he asking me out?

"Um...I can't... I um.."
"What is it?"
"I'm... Well, I'm engaged ok?"
"So? It doesnt mean that you can have a coffee with a friend does it?"
"No, I guess not." We head towards the University reception to sign out. The sun shines through the windows...shit! The sun! I shrink back away from the door.
"I-I can't go out there", I say still backing away.
" Oh, dear God...are you.. A v-", I cut him off before he can say it even though there is no one to be seen.
"Yes, now don't say that word in public! I need my cloak, just let me get it out of my bag." To my surprise Johnathan doesn't seem to be scared of me. I put my cloak on, pull on my black gloves and pull my hood over my head; hiding my face.

Chapter 3 (Alayna)

Its late when I finally get home. Diego is in the office on the phone as usual (he's really beginning to bore me, he never comes out of that darned office! Its so annoying!) And I'm guessing that my mother is in the drawing room as I can hear muffled voices beyond the think oak door. I knock and my mother's guard Marc opens the door. I glide past him and find my mother seated on the elegant French settee, which must be a couple of centuries old now, with the mahogany coffee table stacked with paperwork. A young girl is seated on the chair across from her.

I know that my mother could sense me coming in, but she has not looked up; she is still talking to the young girl. Discreetly I sit on the chair in the corner of the room and grab the book Dracula from the bookshelf, but I don't actually read the book even though I have opened it and am staring at the clean white pages.

The girl eventually gets up and leaves and its about time too! Its been three hours since I got home. I make myself seem indifferent and don't let my emotions show on my face in case my mother is looking at me. I continue to read.

"Alayna?" She is kneeling right in front of me, making me jump. How did I not hear her approaching? I must have been in a world of my own.
"Yes, mother?" I manage to get out.
"I am sorry I did not appear to notice you, it was important", she says, " Jessica is one of the humans under my protection...or for a better way to put it; was under my protection. She came here to discuss the terms of her contract, I declined and so I released her from her contract." She gently takes the book out of my hands and looks at the front cover, smiling when she sees it. "If only humans outside of Morganville would see the irony of this book..." She puts it down and takes my hands, pulling both of us to our feet at the same time and she surprises me by pulling me into a hug.

"Mother?" I gasp struggling to speak, she's hugging me so tightly.
She relaxes her grip and holds me at arms length, "I was so-"
"Worried?" I supply.
"Yes, of course I was worried. You were gone for so long. Diego has been in the office all day making phone calls."
"No change there then.." I grumble.
"Daughter, you do know that you don't have to go through with this marriage. If you're unhappy, forever is an awfully long time when one is a vampire." Tears well up in my eyes and begin to flow freely down my cheeks. I look down at my left hand, at the ring that I'd been given as an engagement ring. I take it off.
Looking up into my mother's pearly grey eyes I wipe the tears away and say, "I can't do this. I don't love him...I thought I did but now I know the truth...I'm in love with another!"

After much more crying, I place the ring back in its given box and knock on the office door.
"Come in, its open!" Diego says.

Diego is stood facing the wall, his fists clenched. He turns around when he hears the door close behind me. "Alayna? What is it?" He sounds tense.
"I just came to give you something." I say and place the box on the desk. A crease forms between his eyes and he walks over to the desk, lightly picking up the box with two fingers. Opening it and seeing what is inside, he looks at me. "Why?" Its a simple question but it has many answers. My mind goes blank trying to find an answer.
"Alayna! Why?" He shakes my shoulders. Looking at my feet I try to build up the courage to answer him. I look up into his eyes.
"You've changed," I say and he looks slightly daunted, "I thought you loved me and I you, but we have...spaced apart over the course of the past weeks."
"Are you saying-Don't you love me?"
"No I don't, now I will thank you if you will pack up your belonings-well...what little you have- and get out of my house. I don't want to see you again." His face hardens but he grabs his coat and leaves...just like that, he leaves.