In the Dark by Lila Rose (22 page)

Wiping my tears away after hearing about the hell Xavier had been through, I sighed. "Deep down, I know he's being noble and all, which is why I still care for him so deeply. However, my anger wouldn't let me admit it aloud until now. Hell, I couldn't even admit it in my head. Nothing can erase the hurt swirling inside of me or the slap of betrayal across my face and anguish that still burns me." I shrugged. "Maybe one day, we can be… friends again. But not if she's in the picture." I scoffed. "Something tells me I could never get along with her. Then again, friendship with Isaac would probably only upset me so much more, because I will never get to feel what I had with him again. And having him around, seeing him only makes me remember what I lost." I sighed again.

"At least you were able to say his name this time."

A snort. "Yeah, big improvement." We were silent for a few moments, then I broke it, saying, "Can I ask you something else?" He nodded, so I asked, "Why do you call Isaac master like off those old vampire movies?"

"Like I said, Isaac was the one who broke the bond from my sire—the vampire who turned me. Therefore, I use it for him as a term of respect. When a vampire makes you like them, you call them sire. Then, if for some reason your sire is no longer around or you have won the rights to leave the clan you were reborn as a vampire into, to join another, then the one who rules the new clan, you call them master. Again, it's out of respect, because they do so much for you."

I gulped. I knew he had heard it. "Has, ah, Isaac made anyone?"

Darik
.

Of course, Darik was the only one around who called Isaac sire instead of master. I wondered how it happened and why Isaac chose Darik. Had they been friends before it happened?

"My master has made only a few. Although, he has saved many, like myself, by giving them his blood. Which in turn, wipes out the connection from their other sire or master's bond."

I wanted to ask who the others were that Isaac made, but somehow I knew Xavier wouldn't tell me.

The week passed quickly. Each day, I woke with the dream fresh in my mind. I attended school, kept my distance from Isaac and whore-face, all while managing to dodge Darik's attempts at talking to me. However, he caught me one night while I was out on my nightly run in my other form.

Xavier had magically disappeared when Darik popped up out of nowhere. "Leila, how have you been? Of course I don't expect an answer." He chuckled.

I hissed at him and kept my pace.

"Now, now, kitty cat. No need to be testy. Seems you've been avoiding my attempts to try to speak with you. So I thought this would be a better idea. The best, in fact, because you can't talk back." He laughed again.

A growl escaped as I stopped running and turned to Darik. He grinned down at me. Was he waiting for me to meld my mind to his? It was not going to happen.

"All right, I can see you want me to get this over with. All I want to get across, for now, is that Isaac only wants to protect and take care of everyone in his circle. Including you."

Snapping my jaw in frustration, I pounced at him, landing at his feet. He didn't move. I turned and took off, hoping he wouldn't follow.

They needed to get through their thick heads, I may still be friends with
his
people, but I wasn't one of his to protect and take care of. Not any longer.

* * * *

Later that week, I turned my thoughts to another matter, one that had me worried. I hadn't seen Sofia around or even Raven, her sister. I asked a few people where she was. They, of course, told me to get out of their faces. I was tempted to go to her house to see if she was okay, but then I'd have to explain to Xavier the whys of it. Xavier had also taken it upon himself to be my shadow. He'd dropped and picked me up from school, took me to the supermarket and then ran with me every night.

Caelen had been around a lot, and by a lot, I meant he was there every afternoon when I got home and didn't leave until early hours of the morning. It was great to see Jezza and Caelen so happy. Too happy sometimes, to the point I felt like puking from the little lovesick gazes, touches and whispers of sweet nothings in each other's ear. Still, they deserved to be content, and the thought of that made me stop throwing things at them.

For some reason, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with Ty through the week, other than in class. I asked him around a couple of times, but he said he was busy at home helping his mum.

By Thursday night, I'd had enough of the sweetness between the happy couple, who were sitting on the couch together, and went to bed early.

I'd just gotten to sleep when I woke with a start from my bedroom door being thrown open. I was on my feet on the bed in seconds, ready for whoever entered.

Jezanna turned on the light. She looked terrible. Tears stained her cheeks and her body shook violently. Something was wrong, very wrong. I jumped off my bed and ran to her side.

"What is it, Jezz?"

Oh, God, please don't let it be Isaac, please.

"I have to get to the hospital. It's Father. He's… Something attacked him. Oh, Leila, it doesn't look good. Please, will you come with me? I can't get a hold of Caelen. He left two hours ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't ask this of you, because my brothers will be there."

"Of course I'll come. Let me just get dressed."

"Xavier's preparing the car. I'll meet you in it." She gave me a quick hug and flew out the door. I grabbed the clothes I'd discarded on the floor and threw them on. It ended up being my running clothes, my black leggings and T-shirt. I shook my head knowing they stunk, but there was no time to change.

Rain poured heavily from the dark sky. I quickly took the long black duffel coat hanging beside the door and hurried out to the car.

The three of us sat in the front, my arm around Jezanna, trying to console her as she cried. Meanwhile, I tried my best to hold my own emotions and thoughts at bay.

My heart constricted. I hadn't managed to spend enough time with Greg. He'd better be okay. He couldn't leave us, not now, not ever.

"Why doesn't someone just change him?" I thought, but I must have said it aloud, because Jezanna sobbed harder.

"He won't let anyone," Xavier said.

Oh, shit, really? Although, I understood why, at least he'd get to be with his loving wife, who he missed every day since her passing. But couldn't he see he was needed here? It may have been selfish of me to think it, but… Crap, no, I couldn't let my emotions control me. I needed to be strong for Jezanna's sake. I had to stop thinking.

We pulled into the hospital's emergency car park. I jumped out, as did Jezanna. Xavier mumbled something about parking the car and he'd be along in a moment. Only Jezanna had already started running for the door, so I followed her.

She reached the information desk, screaming where to find Gregory Grey, before I had the chance to catch her.

"Jezanna," I whispered into her ear. "There're humans around. You can't run off like that." She nodded.

We waited for the administrator to pull up the information on her computer. Before I had left the house, I grabbed some tissues off the kitchen bench, and now handed some to Jezanna. She took them and wiped her tears from her face.

She hiccupped. "I can't help it, Leila."

"I know." I turned to the lady behind the desk. "Geez, woman, how long does it take?"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. You will find him on floor two, south. Room thirty-five. If you go straight around the corner, you'll find the lifts."

"Thank you," Jezanna said.

We sprinted around the corner. The pain-in-the-arse part was waiting for the lift to come back down. We jumped inside and I pushed the button. I then proceeded to tap my foot impatiently while holding Jezanna's hand.

We didn't have to walk far to find the room. As soon as the doors opened, we spotted Isaac leaning against the opposite wall to his father's room. I glanced behind me as I stepped off the lift and saw Adan guarding the area. Darik was pacing the floor in front of his sire. Isaac looked up to see who was coming out of the lift. His eyes were tired and sad. He straightened from the wall as Jezanna ran to him and threw herself into his waiting arms. I didn't want to seem like I was intruding, so I walked slowly down the hall, Darik meeting me halfway.

"Is Gregory okay?" I asked.

"It doesn't look good, Leila. They've given him until morning."

"What? How? What happened? Who did this?" I gripped his tee. "It's too sudden."

"We don't know anything yet, but we have people searching for answers. He's taken a lot of internal damage and lost so much blood. We know it's one of our kind. He… he had a stroke right after the attack."

My hand went to my mouth. Tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away and wiped my face. I had to be strong for Jezanna. She'd need me. Remaining strong was something I was used to. I'd cry later, alone.

"You'll get answers? You'll make who did this pay?" I asked.

His nod was stiff, but the hardness in his eyes told me vengeance was just around the corner.

I watched Jezanna walk into the room where Jeremiah's voice came from within. She closed the door behind her. I looked to Isaac to see how he was holding up. He was turned away from me. My heart clenched when I saw his shoulders shaking; he was crying.

Oh, God. I ached to reach out to him. Squeezing my fists into tight balls, I walked over to him. Darik stayed where he was.

"Isaac," I muttered. He didn't turn and I didn't expect him to. I knew he'd hate anyone to see him as he was, so vulnerable. So I did the only thing I could. I wrapped my arms around him from behind, hugging him tightly. He stiffened on first touch then crumbled. He turned, his own arms coming around my waist, and buried his head into my shoulder. I held him close, my own eyes filling with tears once again, only that time I let them out. I was honoured he'd let me console him, hold him. And hurt that it would take such a tragedy to have him in my arms again.

We stayed that way for a while, even after I felt his crying subside. He didn't move away from me and I didn't pull away from him. Only one thing ruined it. We both heard the lift doors open. I knew it was her by the way Isaac quickly dropped his arms from me and moved away, not meeting my gaze. I stepped back and shifted so I didn't have to witness him take her in his arms. I shrugged out of my jacket and placed it on the ground.

"Darling," MaryJane cooed. "I'm so sorry. If only I was with you at the time it happened instead of out hunting."

"It's all right. It can't be helped," Isaac replied softly.

"Well, don't worry now. I'm here for you."

The door to Gregory's room opened. I turned to see Jeremiah filling the doorway. He looked around at everyone. Darik, Isaac, snot-head and her three guards, including Jensen.

But when Jeremiah saw me in the back, he grimly said, "He wants to see you."

My body went rigid.
Why me? God, no, I can't. I won't be able to hold back if I see him, talk to him.

Jeremiah moved out of the way for me to enter. He quickly gave my hand a tight squeeze as I walked past him. The first thing I saw was a pale Gregory. He lay on the bed in one of those hospital gowns, his lower half covered by a blanket. He whispered something to Jezanna. She nodded, got up and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I closed my eyes. I couldn't do this, be in here on my own with him. I wasn't strong enough for this.

"You can come closer. I don't bite like the others," he said, humour evident in his weak voice.

Snorting, I opened my eyes and went over to sit in the chair beside the bed.

He held out his hand to me and I took it. It was cold. "Do you…" I cleared my throat and began again. "Do you need another blanket?"

He smiled but shook his head. In an exhausted whisper, he said, "I've asked you to come in here, because I wanted to say a few things to you in private." He pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it then placed it back on the bed within his own. "I'm so glad you came into our lives, Leila. You've made my household alive again. I only regret we haven't got to spend much time together." He paused to take a few deep breaths. I hiccupped back a sob and rubbed at my eyes with my free hand.

He smiled. "At least I know when I leave this world, I leave my family in safe hands—yours." I went to argue, but he squeezed my hand to silence me. "No, don't say anything. Not yet at least, please." He gave me a chance to grab some tissues. I blew my nose and rubbed at my face. Curling into a ball and hiding from what was happening to such a wonderful man wasn't an option. No matter how much I wanted it.

"You're a level-headed, strong, caring woman, and I love you like another daughter. However, you're stupidly stubborn as well." I raised my brows at him and he smiled.

He licked his dry lips. I offered him a drink, but he declined. "You won't listen to people. Leila, you need to fight for what you want. For
your
family, for us, them. You know that's what we are to you, your family. I understand you're hurting and Isaac has his own foolish reasons for doing what he has, just… I only ask you don't give up on him. I don't trust MaryJane one bit." Another deep breath. "For me, will you keep a close eye on her and be prepared for whatever she may throw your way? She can do things others can't of their kind. Ask Jeremiah to explain about her."

He sighed. "Our people, family, will be better off without her around. I'm afraid it will come down to you to do something about it. Because I fear that Isaac will have his own battle on his hands very soon. Be careful, sweet Leila. I don't want to see you up there too soon." He smiled at me. Hearing those words brought me back to what was really going on in the room.

He would be gone soon. It wasn't fair.

"No. Don't cry or be upset for me. At least we got to meet. As I said before, I go happy knowing you're here with the ones I love. Take care of them, like I know you can." Another squeeze to my palm. "I need you to get them back in here. Stay with us?"