Hemlock Clan: What I Am

~ LIII ~

Blake

"I'm not sure if I can walk, never mind run." Cameron rested his head on my shoulder as he sighed. "My legs feel shaky."

I wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed him to my side, pulling him along with me. "I'll carry you."

He tried to lift his head, but it must have been too heavy for him as he let it drop back on my shoulder. "You can't carry me all the way to the mansion. I mean, it's a long way, isn't it?"

Gabriel chuckled as he led us along the hallway towards the stairs. Daytime had given way to night once more and it was now safe for us to leave the house that Lance had held Cameron in.

And I coudn't fucking wait to leave.

"Vampire strength," I explained to Cameron. "You'll be weightless to me."

Cameron yawned as we sauntered along, his legs unsteady. "Am I as strong as you now?" His voice sounded sleepy.

Smiled, I squeezed his waist. "Yes, you are."

He hummed as we reached the top of the staircase. Gabriel turned around and peered at Cameron.

"He's falling asleep." He smiled as he brushed a hand down Cameron's cheek. "He looks so cute."

"Hey," I growled at my best friend. "Back off. Go tell your own soulmate he's cute."

Gabriel held both hands out in front of him as he chuckled. "Just saying, man."

I rolled my eyes as I wrapped one of Cameron's arms around my shoulders, then reached down to lift his legs. Once he was settled in my arms, he rested his head on my shoulder again and nuzzled my neck, breathing softly and groaning.

"Will you be okay taking him back to the mansion?" Dad came up behind us and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah." I nodded. "He weighs nothing."

"I'll be running alongside you," Gabriel told me.

"Me, too."

We all spun around to find Amaya walking along the hallway. She stopped next to Dad as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

My father nodded and turned his attention back to me. "We'll all go together. As a clan. To the mansion. Get home. Away from this place." He swept his eyes over the hallway, his nose scrunched up in disgust. He didn't have to say what he was thinking ... We were all thinking the same thing.

None of us could wait to get out of here.

"What's going to happen to Lance?" Amaya cocked her head as she asked.

Dad sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead. "He's Dorian's problem now. And he has assured me that he'll deal with him." He shook his head. "Lance was hurt pretty badly by some of our clan. He'll be in recovery for a while. And then after that ..." He shrugged, not caring what happened to the guy once he had recovered from whatever injuries he had.

"Did Lance say why he did all of this?" Gabriel waved a hand at Cameron, who was now completely asleep in my arms. I squeezed him tighter and brushed my lips over his soft hair.

Dad glanced at me. "Lance has the mind of a madman. Who really knows why he did what he did?" He shrugged again. "We may never know."

"He won't be coming anywhere near us or our clan," I growled, my eyes narrowing. "He'll never get to Cameron again."

Gabriel and Amaya nodded their heads in agreement, both hissing and baring their fangs.

My father sighed. "I don't think he'll be allowed outside of a cell, to be honest." He wiped a hand across his mouth. "I'll call Dorian when we get back to the mansion. Make sure he knows the fate his son will face if he comes near us again." Blowing out a breath, he smiled warily at me. "For now, though, let's take Cameron back to the mansion, get him settled. No doubt, he'll have lots of questions. And we need to set up sessions with a therapist for him."