In the Dark by Lila Rose (28 page)

Scoffing, I glared and then screamed, "I was trying to protect those I love." Hands to the table, I leaned over it. "What goes around comes around. At least
I
didn't hurt anyone, besides the damned bad guys, while
I
was protecting."

"I think everyone needs to calm down," Jezanna said.

Jack threw his arms up and demanded, "What are they even here for? This is a family meeting."

"Don't," I barked. "They"—I pointed to Jeremiah and Jezanna—"are my family also. They've been there for me through so much. They didn't turn their back on me. Hell, even Jezza trusted me to take on the situation with Jason and his friends."

"Now hang on—"

"What?" a new voice growled. We all turned to the living room entryway to see Isaac there with Darik. "You let her go into a situation on her own? What were you thinking?"

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," I spat. "She's been the only one who's had my back when you've been too busy boinking—"

"I told you that never happened." Isaac's growl was low and dangerous. He stepped closer and got his face into my space. His upper lip raised when he said, "I would never touch her like that, not when I had perfection already in my arms. One day, Leila, you
will
forgive me and you'll regret even thinking I would do something like that behind your back. Still, I will forgive
you
. Yes, I hurt you, but I was stupid to think I was doing it for your own good."

Heaving out my breath, I noticed our noses touched right before I snarled, "How dare you again. You do not get to—"

"Stop!" Dad yelled.

Everyone did and turned to him. Thank God, I was seconds away from jumping Isaac. Then I remembered all the heartache he'd caused me. My insides fluttered.

Isaac must have seen it, because he whispered, "Leila."

One day, I could get over what he'd done, even if he thought he was doing best by me. However, it was still too fresh.

So when he reached for my hand, I stepped away.

"You're not very good at listening, vampire," Jack sneered. "We told you to stay away."

Isaac stood tall. "My family is here. Therefore, I am."

"We're getting nowhere with all this bickering." Dad sighed. "Everyone, take a breather and sit down." Everyone sat. Isaac and Darik moved to the other end of the table while I sat between Jeremiah and Jezanna. Dad said, "Leila, I need to tell you something."

"Justin," Jack warned.

"She needs to know."

"What?" I asked.

"Your mum, she's not your real mother."

Well screw me sideways.
Of course, I'd already guessed it, but it was still a shock to actually hear the words.

Mentally tired once again, I rubbed my eyes and said, "That explains why she tried to kill me when she saw me shift for the first time."

Jezanna gasped. Isaac and his brother hissed.

"I'm sorry I haven't told you before, but I couldn't. If others found out what you were, they would have taken you from me and locked you up. So I pretended I found you one night and brought you home. Stacey and I were new in a relationship, but she was willing to pretend to be your mum. For me."

"Wait, are you even my dad?"

"Yes." He smiled. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Your real mum, Izzy, had disappeared two years before I met Stacey. I didn't know she was pregnant at the time she left. When she found me, she told me people were after her and her kind. She begged me to take care of you. Little did she know she didn't need to beg. I would have done anything for you, for her, but before I could ask her to come with us, she ran and I haven't seen or heard from her since."

"Why would Stacey try to harm Leila if she was willing to take care of her?" Jeremiah asked.

"She thought she could handle it. But, she wasn't strong mentally. When the town kept saying things about her, about Leila, it was hard."

"Hard? Hard for her? What about me? I had to live being different. Being teased every damn day."

"I know, sweetheart. But
you
are strong. Look at you now."

Shaking my head, I said, "You took her away and stayed away for so long, why?"

He looked pained. "Because she threatened to tell everyone about you and I knew if she did, the people who were after Izzy would want to come after you."

"Where is Mum?" Shaking my head, I corrected, "Stacey now?"

A grimace from Dad made my heart ache. "I don't know. All of a sudden, she left. I was searching for her when Jack found me and told me what's been happening around here. All the leads I had on Stacey were amounting to nothing. So I came home."

"What exactly did Jack say?" I asked.

Dad smirked. "Just that you had new friends."

So Dad rushed home to protect me from the big bad vampires. Except Isaac and his family weren't bad.

"I won't let you harm any of them."

Jack sighed. "We're hunters, not executioners, kid. We only hunt those who don't abide by the laws." He shrugged. "So far, they've been behaving."

"And we'll continue to as well." Jezanna glared.

"Then why has there been an increase of supernaturals in our area? Planning a war?" Jack asked.

Jeremiah scoffed. "If we were, you'd be the first on the list to kill."

My fist banged on the table. "No one talks about killing one another."

"It's because I've taken to live here," Isaac offered.

"Sire," Darik warned.

"No, they're a part of Leila's family. They need to know what's going on."

"They're hunters," Jeremiah snarled.

Isaac's hard eyes snapped to his brother. "Who can help us. We all want the same in the end, to live free and safe. A person once told me I should reach out for help to obtain a goal we all want." Isaac looked to me. I rolled my eyes. He laughed, before turning back to Jack and Dad. "There has been an intake of more supernaturals, because they are my people."

"What do you mean by
your
people? As far as we know, there's only one governing vamp and he's in Russia, goes by the name of Gerald."

Isaac went to answer. I waved my hand at him and told them, "Long story short, Isaac was prophesised to become… I guess you could say King, with not only the vampires, but all supernaturals. Gerald didn't like what he heard from his fortune cookie, so he wants him dead."

"Why here?" Dad asked.

Why Isaac's eyes came to me, I was unsure. However, they did, and in them held something I didn't understand either. He quickly looked back to my father.

"I was informed this was a safe place and I can understand why, knowing there are many hunters who live here."

"Right," Dad said, as if he didn't really believe him. I wasn't sure I did either.

Rubbing my hand over my face, I thought I would have gotten enough rest when I'd passed out, but I yawned and then said, "Honestly, I don't think my brain can take any more. I need some sleep. We have a sad day tomorrow, so I'd like everyone not at each other's throats before it."

"Agreed." Isaac said.

"Of course. I heard about your loss. I'm sorry," Dad offered.

Kicking Jack under the table, he jumped and said, "Yeah, sorry." He then added to me, "Kid, you need to eat some food first." I nodded as my stomach growled.

"Leila." I looked up to Jezanna. I hadn't heard her move. In fact, all of them were standing. "Since your father and uncle are home, I'll be going back with Jeremiah and Isaac."

Of course, it made sense. Still, I didn't like her leaving. I was used to seeing her all the time.

Her hand took mine. "I'll see you tomorrow and every day. No one could keep us away from you."

Smiling, I said, "Same."

"Good." With a final goodbye, she left with her brothers and Darik. Not before I felt both brothers take it in turn to reach out and touch me in some way for comfort. Jeremiah touched my shoulder, while Isaac… he ran his fingers through my hair, causing me to shudder, and then ended with his hand at the back of my neck. He gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't like that guy," Jack mumbled after we heard the front door close.

"Hmm," was Dad's reply, which didn't tell me anything.

Standing back as I surveyed the funeral about to take place, I realised life was too short. Even if you were immortal, there weren't enough days to be with the ones you loved. Isaac and his family knew the day would come when they lost their second father to them. They just didn't know how soon it would happen. The way Gregory had been taken away from them was brutal, unfair. So really, we had to appreciate each day. I knew I should, even when it was hard, live and love the best I could, because there were dangers in the world no one could stop, no matter how much people tried. There were moments where accidents happened or even illnesses took away a life. Any day. Any moment.

Regardless of it all, the pain and hurt, what Gregory taught me the most was that through those times, it was good to have your family close.

I had mine.

And there was nothing that would separate us again.

Isaac and I had our issues, but one day, those painful memories would pass. It didn't mean I didn't stop having feelings for him, stop caring about him. He was important to me.

So many people were important to me, and I would do anything for them.

Especially for Gregory. He'd asked me to help take care of his family and I would.

Gazing at the people around me, at those who were ready to help Isaac and his family through this pain, who were there to show their support for their leader, I couldn't help but think, even though it was a sad day, I was lucky.

Lucky to have found them. Lucky to have been included in their world. They were like me and I like them. Nothing normal, above average in fact.

So the day would be a day that left a hole in our hearts for losing such an amazing man, but it would also be a day to remember what he taught us.

Family meant so much.

Taking the few steps I needed, I stopped between Isaac and Jezanna as they stared down at the grave dug out for their father, his coffin supported above it. The hole didn't seem to be right for Greg. No man as good as Gregory should be put to rest into a hole in the ground where dirt would be thrown over him.

Still, it was how he wanted to go. He wanted to be buried as his wife had. If anything, I knew Greg. He would be looking down upon us all, with his wife standing in his arms, thinking we all looked like a sad bunch of idiots. Well, he'd just have to get over it because feeling the loss of him left us hollow.

The reverend stepped forward, but his words blurred into one another. My hands reached out blindly to take Isaac's. Jezanna was already curled into Caelen. Jeremiah stood on the other side of Isaac. Both brothers looked the same, their eyes hard, jaws clenched and body tense. I wondered if they were listening to the words of the reverend or if they were remembering their father in their own way. My eyes widened as Sofia stepped up beside Jeremiah and took his hand. He glared down at her and tried to shake her off, but she wasn't having it. She held strong and I was grateful for it. Because his body seemed to sag, give in and in his eyes, I saw appreciation.

My eyes turned back to the man next to me to find his eyes on mine. Oh, God, the pain I saw in them nearly took me to the ground. If Isaac hadn't whipped his arm out and around my waist, I would have fallen to the ground. He brought me close to his side. All I could think was that it was all wrong.
I
should be the one to console him, hold him, not the other way around. But then, as my arms wound around his middle, I realised we were helping each other. We were supporting one another through the loss.

We held each other right until the end. Even as Gregory was slowly lowered into the ground, we watched on together.

Tears fell down my cheeks as the dirt was placed in over his coffin. I gripped Isaac's black shirt tighter. His hand threaded into my hair, bringing my cheek against his chest and held me there. His heart beat solidly in his chest. I wondered if mine was in tune with his.

We stayed there until the last person left. The only ones still solemnly standing around were close family and friends. The sun peeked out behind the dark clouds. The day was cool; however, it didn't faze any of us except maybe my uncle and dad. Though, they were dressed for it. Again, I found myself burning warmer than usual, so I'd picked to wear a black sundress. Everyone seemed shocked by it.

Raising my chin, I looked up to Isaac while Jeremiah was thanking the reverend and I whispered, "He'll always be missed, but he'll always be in here." I placed my hand over his heart.

His nod was minute, but I saw it. His hand threaded into my hair where he gave it a tug. "I wouldn't have been…," his voice wavered, "strong through this without you by my side."

My heart ached.

Shaking my head, I said, "Yes, you would have."

"No, Leila. You make me strong. You make me want to be so much."

"You need to be who you want without thinking about me."

"You're right. I have been hidden for so long, leaving my people to fend for themselves. It's time I stood up, be the one my people need." He paused, sadness flashed through his eyes. "I just worry I will lose myself during it."

"You won't. I— no one will let you."

"You will help me then?"

"I won't be the only one."

"You're the only one I need at my side."

"Isaac," I groaned. My head fell forward, hitting his chest with my forehead. I needed to step back, put some distance between us. It wasn't what I wanted though. Staying in his arms, his warmth drummed inside of me. Isaac Grey owned me, but I wasn't sure I'd be strong enough if he decided to hurt me again.

"I realise I'm putting you on the spot, so I will stop. However, I need you to understand, Leila,
you
as well as ruling are my destiny. I see it no other way. One day, you will forgive me—"

Quickly looking up, I told him, "I already do, but—"

"Then one day you will learn to love me as I do you."

What?

It was then I took a step back. Eyes wide, I searched his face for the truth and I saw it; his eyes shone with it.