Red Tainted Love #(Watty's 2016)

Chapter 18

I woke up with a major headache.
Shayde was asleep next to me and I sighed as a watched him; it had been two weeks since my ordeal with Damon.
Rumen and Galahad were long gone, and although I was happy that they had made a deal with Shayde and chosen not to kill him, I was still a bit hurt that Rumen had not even bothered to say goodbye to me.
I got up, wearing Shayde's shirt, I went down stairs to the kitchen, nearly jumping out of my skin when I found Rita and Rick sitting at the table, a glass of blood each.
Rick smiled, "Morning, pet."
I nodded awkwardly.
Rita raised a brow, "You look like married life is treating you well."
I shrugged, "I guess it is."
I still was not used to living with Shayde, nor was I used to this whole "wife" business, but I was getting there.
What would probably take me longer to get used to, however, was the fact that Rick was dating Rita.
I made a face as I looked at the two, it was just so wrong on so many levels.
"Why do you look like you swallowed poison, pet?"
I shook my head at Rick before getting some instant coffee.
I turned to look at them, thinking of how things had already changed in my life.
I couldn't help but wonder how much more things would change for me and my husband.
Thinking of, he walked in, his jeans a little low on his hips.
Rita smiled, "Well, good morning, big shot vampire."
He chuckled and came over to me, giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Good morning, wife."
I couldn't help but smile, "Morning, hubby."
Rita rolled her eyes and Rick made a gagging sound, although he was trying to be playful, I could see the hurt in his eyes.
I took a step back from Shayde and was thankful for my phone ringing.
"Hello?" I answered warily of the unknown number.
"Drac?" a pause, "Its Claw."
I frowned, this was a shock, I hadn't heard anything from her since my abduction, "Um.. Hi?"
"Can I see you please?"
"I don't know." Did I really want to see her after what she had done to me?
"Please, Drac? I'm in trouble."
I sighed, "Where and when?"
++++
I sat at a table in a coffee shop waiting for Claw.
I traced the dents in the table as I waited, wondering why it was always some dodgy coffee shop people needed in.
Shayde, Rick and surprisingly Rita, had all tried to convince me not to do this, and when they realised they wouldn't convince me, they had wanted to come with.
Of course I had declined; I didn't want to feel like I was a child needing a babysitter.
Obviously they were worried this was a trap, I also thought of this but it was a chance I would take.
Just as I was thinking this, Claw walked in.
The first thing I noticed was the dark circles under her eyes, her clothes hung on her, her hair oily.
She found me and relief washed over her features as she sank into the chair across from me.
"Drac..."
"What's wrong?"
She sighed and looked down at the table, I knew this was a sign of her trying not to cry.
Her face would crunch up soon and a sob would escape.
"Drac, I messed up," the tears started pouring down her face, "I hurt you when I never meant to. And now karma has come for me."
She was making no sense at all but I chose to keep quiet and allow her to continue.
She looked up through tears, "I'm so sorry. He promised me he wouldn't hurt you."
I nodded blankly, it was killing me to see her like this, but I couldn't just forget what she had done to me; I had almost died because of her.
"Drac, I need your help. I'm pregnant."
My mouth dropped, "What?!"
She was having a baby? Who was the father? Damon?
"Damon's?"
Claw nodded.
"Shit." I hit my hand down on the table and she flinched.
"I need to kill it, Drac. Please help me."
This was all a lot to take in, my best friend was no longer my best friend, and she was asking me for help.
"Claw, how can I possibly help you?"
"I-I have some money, but not enough. I need five hundred more. And I need you to go with me."
She was asking me for money?
I shook my head, "I'll get you the money, but that's it."
"Please, Drac, please. I have no one and-"
I stood, "I'll call you later to give you the money." I took one last look at her before walking out.
My heart ached for her, but I simply could not pretend we were okay.
She had betrayed me, she would never be trustworthy again, and as much as it hurt me, I couldn't be her friend ever again.
I took the long way home, enjoying the walk in the cold cloudy wind.
It was good for thinking, and I had a lol of thinking to do.
I wanted so badly to reach out and hold Claw, to tell her everything would be okay, but then everything I had been through in that basement came back to me and I couldn't.
Claw herself knew that it was her karma that had come back to haunt her.
I stepped into the large marble mansion with a sigh.
"I'm in one piece."
Within a second I had Shayde, Rick and Rita in front of me.
"What did she want?" Asked Shayde.
I sighed, "She needs money. I told her we'd give her five hundred."
The three vampires exchanged looks.
"What does she need that for?"
I ran a hand through my tangled hair, "Abortion."
Shayde's mouth dropped, "She's... ?"
I let out a loud sigh, "She's pregnant with Damon's kid."
Rita let out a whistle, "Oh wow. That kid will be a hybrid."
I frowned at this.
Obviously my confusion was clear because Rick cleared his throat and explained, "She's human. It will be a werewolf-human hybrid."
"She wants to get rid of it, understandably ."
Shayde shook his head, "Its not that simple. The pack will kill her."
I sat down and dropped my head into my hands, "They don't have to know."
"They are supernatural beings, pet, they will know."
My head was throbbing from all of this, the thoughts running through my mind at an unbelievable speed.
I couldn't believe this, it was obviously dangerous for her to do this alone, no matter what she did to me I couldn't let her go through this alone.
"Shay, I still wanna help her." I looked up and met his worried look, I expected him to say no but he slowly nodded.
Rick glared at him, "Are you bloody mad? If they find out Drac helped that bitch they'll come after her as well."
I rolled my eyes, "Rick, lay off. They can't do worse than Damon."
"And in any case, after what she went through with Damon, I'm sure she'll be more than ready for them." Said Rita.
I gave her a small smile of appreciation.
"I'll let you give her the money, but that's it. You will have no further involvement."
I nodded at Shayde, hoping he wouldn't see through my lies.
++++

I met with Claw and gave her the cash, and off we went.
Now, I don't actually support abortion, but I would support my friend, even if I strongly disagreed with her choice.
We sat in a bland waiting area, there were not many people and the receptionist looked like she wanted to kill everyone around her.
Claw's leg was jumping nervously as she bit on her thumbnail.
"It'll be okay, Claw."
She gave me a small smile before going back to her nail biting.
I sighed as I looked around the room, I couldn't believe I was sitting where I was with Claw.
We waited a few minutes before the doctor came out and called Claw to go in.
I stayed on my seat and a short while later she came back out with her pills she was to take.
She continuously thanked me for my help and after dropping her off I returned to Shayde's.
I was thankful that no one was there, I needed time to sit down and think about everything that had recently happened.
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Another 2 to 3 chapters before the end!