Tortured Awakening (Book #1)

Chapter Twenty

This dress has left me feeling confined and I wanted nothing more than to escape from it, so that I could finally breathe.

Getting out of it was proving to be more difficult than it should be.

I groaned and slumped down on the seat in front of the vanity "If only time could turn back"

Knowing that nothing good would come from this event did not make this feel any better. 

Despite knowing that it would not end well, it did not prepare me for what has happened.

Someone is out there looking for their loved one, not even slightly aware that she is dead, because of a vampire.

How could Annabeth be so ignorant?

How did it not cross her mind that perhaps this was not the appropriate place to feed on a human?

I looked at myself in the mirror, forcing a smile.

"Everyone believes it but myself" I muttered.

Looking at my false appearance made me want to take a heavy object and just strike the mirror with it, so that I no longer had to see myself.

I do not want to play this role anymore of acting as if I am perfectly fine.

Not for my family.

Not for those guests, who should never have stepped foot in here.

Not for the vampires surrounding me.

And certainly not for myself.

Despite the physical beauty of the night, the events have turned into a darkened nightmare that terrified me to the point where I can no longer speak of it.

Nathaniel should not have turned up at this event, but he did and the determination that filled his wicked heart worried me.

I pressed my palm to my cheek, still feeling the sting from where he had slapped me.

He did it in front of an audience, but no one acted shocked by it.

How did they know to invite him?

Although, I would not put it past Killian to pull a stunt like this to show what is his now.

He might as well be pissing on me to mark his territory.

He and Nathaniel shared that trait.

I ran a brush through my hair, trying to get the messy knots of it and ignore the pain in my scalp as I did so.

What if he came back, like he said he would?

"Are you feeling at least somewhat better?" Killian asked, from the doorway.

I set the brush down, messily, unsure of how to even begin to answer his question.

Should I actually be honest, for once?

I slowly shook my head "I cannot help but feel deeply concerned"

He walked up to me, taking the brush from my vanity "Your hair is beautiful" he ran his fingers though it "So soft"

I watched as he ran the brush through my hair, pulling it gently as he tried not to hurt me.

"Do not go distracting me" I whispered, trying not to enjoy the feeling of him doing that.

"I am doing no such thing" he replied, speaking softly.

I sighed "Then what is you are trying to do?"