Owning the Vampire King

Vampire Tears

Lillian

It had been two hours, and I had yet to recover from my shock. When I got home, William was in my bed. On any other occasion, this would have been perfectly normal, as he has stated several times that my bed is more comfortable.

However...

He wasn't just laying in my bed. He was under the covers, curled in a fetal position. And William, my sweet vampire, was crying. Big tears rolled down his face as he tried to quietly sob into my pillow, which he clung to as if his life depended on it.

I slowed my pace as I walked up to him, and he must not have heard me. He jumped and whimpered when I put my hand on his trembling shoulder.

"William? Will? What- what's wrong?"

At my questioning, he choked out another sob and his body shivered, his eyes squeezed shut. I couldn't fathom for the life of me what could make him react this way. My William was a strong, demanding vampire who was forced to grow up at the age of sixteen. He was barely willing to ask for help with turning on the shower. He held his head up even on the stage when being presented as an object to be sold.

So what could have possibly made him cry? What could have made him tremble so?

I put my bag on the floor and climbed onto the bed beside him. I gently grabbed his shoulders and guided him to lay his head across my lap. He turned so that he faced my stomach and his lean arms wrapped around my body.

He opened his eyes for the first time since I'd walked into the room, and I saw that instead of red they were a dull orange. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to calm him down.

"Lil- ian..." He started.

"I'm here, Will," I spoke softly.

"I don't- it hurts.."

"What hurts?" My voice was now more than concerned.

"My head. My head really hurts... I didn't- He hurt me. He wouldn't stop."

My eyes widened, more than they ever have in my life. Did he mean Ethan? Ethan wouldn't hurt him, though...

He didn't talk anymore, so I just held him. I had never seen him so broken. Even when he had been standing on the auction stage, he had held himself high. And now, as he clutched my stomach, he seemed like a small child.

Eventually, he fell asleep in my lap, and I remained where I was with my eyes still wide with shock. I didn't move, though, because I was sure that I would accidentally wake him up and he needed the rest.

Occasionally he would whimper in his sleep, and I would hold him tighter. When he finally seemed to be in a peaceful sleep, I slid out from under him and left the room, shutting the door behind me.

I walked down the stairs in search of Ethan, and found him on the couch looking very confused and sad. He was mumbling something to himself, but I was too far away to know what it was. I walked closer, pressing my heels into the ground softly and rolling onto the balls of my feet quietly. He was so busy fussing at himself that he didn't hear me coming.

"Useless. Useless. You're fucking useless, Ethan!"

I furrowed my brow in confusion and sped up my gait. Now he heard me coming, and he looked up. His expression was distraught.

"Lillian, I- I'm sorry. I didn't- Just keep him away from your mom. Please. I can't tell you what happened other than she didn't hurt him.."

I let out a sound that I'd never heard come from myself before. It sounded almost growl-like. I wrapped my small hand around his throat and squeezed, though I knew that I could do nothing to him. My anger was enough to fuel my actions.

"That's not what he said!"

"B- but she didn't hurt him. She barely touched him before he had a panic attack. She got scared and told me to take him away. I promise you she didn't touch him." He immediately went to defend my mother.

"He said someone hurt him..."

"He's just in shock. I assume memories of the auction house. You know, they don't exactly treat our kind well."

I thought about what he had said. He wouldn't stop.. He hurt me.

I frowned and turned to go back to my room to make sure Will was okay, done with the conversation. When I opened the door, he was still on the bed. I leaned over him to see if he was still asleep.

I immediately regretted the decision to lean over him. His hand shot out from under the covers nd wrapped around my throat in a secure grip. I choked out his name and clawed at his hand.

"William, it's me," I croaked.

He opened his eyes and looked into my own. I gasped, seeing that his eyes were red with bits of orange and blazing like a fire.

"William, let go."

He opened his mouth in a scowl and let out a deep growl. His grip around my neck tightened and I panicked. "Please. I didn't do it. Whatever you're suf- fering, I'm sorry. B- but I didn't cause it. Don't punish me for their wrongdoing."

He's hurt, and he's defending himself. You can't be upset.

His grip loosened, but it was only a slight change. I relaxed a little, hoping to calm him by calming myself. I spoke in a soft tone, "I won't hurt you." He finally let go, and my hands rushed to my throat as I took in a gulp of fresh air. I continued to breathe in deeply for a few seconds before I looked up at William.

"Fuck."

He gazed at me with regret before glaring at his hands as if they'd insulted him. Before I could speak a word, he vanished from my sight and my bathroom door slammed.

I'd never seen him use his ability to move that fast.

He spent the rest of the evening locked in my bathroom.