Changes

Chapter 7

I slammed my fist into a punching bag, making it swing. My brothers have been avoiding me ever since we trained. It's understandable since I hit them where it really hurts. I had received an ear full from our mother, but in the end she agreed with me. She expected me to apologize, kind of hard though when I haven't really seen them. So much for working together. Mr. Z and the others have been busy as well so I haven't seen them either. I had woken up with a note and a key to the store. The simply told me to watch the store while he was gone. That was a week ago. Now tonight is the Blood Moon ball and I had stupidly agreed to go as Vlad's date after he and the Elders told me of something from the tears taking vampire nobles, and I was too investigate. Vlad had made sure I had a dress and expensive accessories to match. I was to meet him outside of the shop and we were going to go together. 

I felt a presence watching me and saw it was Jay. "I heard you're going to the Blood Moon Ball," His tone was cold, no warmth whatsoever. I nodded, "Yeah, I'm investigating a thing taking vampire nobles." "Does Mr. Z know," He asked me. "Wouldn't want to piss him off for being with another man." "He's well aware. At least I think he is. They have eyes and ears all over this city, I would be shocked if he didn't know," I told him. We fell into a tense silence, his eyes looking at the floor.

"You were right," He whispered softly. "Had we listened to dad growing up, they'd still be here." I unwrapped my hands and walked over to him, "I regret saying what I did, but I needed you guys to get your heads into it." He nodded, "Yeah I know." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "How do you do it?" I leaned against the wall, "Once upon a time there was a young naive girl who wanted to live as much as possible and went to New York. But she didn't know the meaning, to live. One night she stumbled out of a club and into the vicious clutches of a beast from the tear. It loved women, especially the disabled kind. It loved children as well. It enjoyed the feeling sex gave it, and studying us before, during, and after. When the alcohol wore off she fought like hell, powers and all. It gave it a thrill, and he began to torture her, trying to get her to break. He enjoyed the method of making her scars and wounds disappear to make her think it was all just a dream. Until one day she saw a little girl run past her cell, naked and crying. The girl locked in the cell, snapped and became a woman who was going to unleash hell on Earth. She had been too late to save the child but the other women were freed and she knew then what it meant to live. When locked in that cell, being tortured for days on end, she had accepted death, claiming it's just apart of life, but when she was saw the sun for the first time in weeks, she learned what it meant it live. Now I walk hand in hand with darkness, accepting I will die, and the darkness accepting that it won't be any time soon. You and Jaden have that same darkness in you, you just have to wake up first."

I looked at the time on my phone and saw I had a ball to get ready for. "Is that why you understand these men so well," Jay asked me. "These aren't men, Jay. Never confuse the two. The Founders are beasts. Many of which are at war with the two halves. Even if some of them lie to themselves, saying they're men, it will never be true. As far as whether or not I understand them, I don't. It's just basic survival skills to know the predators in your surroundings. It's the difference between life and death."

I then went to leave the training room, but he grabbed my arm. I turned and looked at him. He took the ley line charm out of his pocket, "You may need this." I took it with a nod then left.

I stood outside of the store, in the clothes Vlad had given me. Vlad pulled up in his red Mustang. He used his vampire speed to come around and open the door for me. "Glad to know chivalry isn't dead," I said with a fake smile and slip inside of his car. The dress felt like it was suffocating me. It was tight like a second skin, that shimmered in the light as I moved. It was strapless and pushed my breasts up, but thankfully it wasn't trashy. It was actually very beautiful, too bad I won't be keeping it. It would most likely get blood on it anyways if tonight goes right. He looked at me, not starting the car. "You look beautiful Alanna," He said. Every time he said my name it used to always send shivers down my spine and pull me to him. That was until I met Mr. Z. That man was a force I couldn't get enough of.