28. Maeyve

After breakfast the next morning, I headed to my cabin for the rest of my clothes. I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Anevae's side. Being with her made me feel more comfortable since the ward around her home was down.

As soon as I walked out the door to leave, I felt eyes on me. Inhaling deeply, I caught the scent of leather and tarragon. Damn, vampire. I needed to come up with a way to get rid of him. He was a nuisance, and he frightened Anevae. He was the reason she would no longer step foot outside.

Anger pumped through my veins as I crept down the stairs, looking around for any hint of him. I'd have gladly killed him if given the chance. Unfortunately, a vampire could only be killed by decapitation or a wooden stake to the heart; catching a vampire off guard and decapitating them was difficult as they were always on edge and vigilant of their surroundings. Vampires were well aware of their weaknesses and only became vulnerable when they were starved. As they grow hungrier, they become weaker and slower. Seeing a starved vampire was like seeing a rabid animal; they bit everything and anyone in sight, just trying to get some blood.

A glimpse of movement to my right caught my attention, darting into the forest. Bounding down the stairs, I threw off piece after piece of clothing before shifting and sprinting toward the movement. As soon as I reached the tree line, I inspected the ground where I found footprints. The vampire's scent was strong there.

Irritation flowed through me as I followed the scent deeper into the forest, keeping my other senses on high alert and using an abundance of caution. A couple of twigs broke ahead. Then I spotted him. He stood about twenty feet away, waiting for me to approach him.

Snarling, I bared my teeth at the vampire. A smile spread across his face, and he chuckled deeply. "The king is getting very impatient. If she doesn't come to Caellaias within the next week, I'll have to take more drastic measures to get her out. Hmmm, that sounds tempting, actually. She can't stay in that house forever. The clock is ticking, foxy!"

A growl rumbled in my chest as I snapped out at him. We didn't know what the king wanted with Anevae besides the fact that she was his granddaughter, but the vampire would take her over my dead body. She wasn't his, nor was she the king's property. She barely knew anything about the kingdom of Caellaias.

His bright red eyes locked onto mine. "You're so fucking annoying. I wish I could just fucking kill you already. You're disgusting, and you don't deserve her."

Baring my teeth at him again, I barked and snarled as I prowled closer.

Rolling his eyes, he let out a sigh. "Would you just fuck off? I'm going, alright? Stupid bitch." Then, he ran off in the direction of the portal.

When he was out of sight, I scurried home to get dressed again and gather my remaining clothes. Eventually, I'd have to buy more, especially if I kept ruining the ones I had.

After stuffing everything into one of my few duffel bags, I rushed out the door to get back to Anevae. I was sure she was getting worried as I'd been gone for a bit. When I walked out the door, I looked for any signs of the vampire in case he had followed me home. No scents or sounds caught my attention, so I continued to Anevae's cabin.

Her face was plastered to the window, searching for me. I smiled as I approached, and a look of relief washed over her face when her eyes landed on me. The curtain fell closed, and she jerked the door open, ushering me inside.

Once we were safely inside, I pulled her into a tight embrace. Even though I knew she wouldn't leave the house, I was glad to see her waiting for me. Resting her head on my shoulder, she kissed my neck softly.

"I was worried about you," she whispered against my skin. After a few more moments, she released me and took a step back. "Is everything okay?" She asked as if she didn't want to know the answer.

Smiling back at her, I lightly kissed her temple. "You don't need to worry about me, but I appreciate that you do. Everything is alright now."

"Now? It wasn't before? Was the vampire out there?" Anevae asked, concern lacing her voice as her pupils dilated and her breathing picked up.

I sighed and met her gaze. "He was out there, but he's gone. Just breathe. I won't let anything happen to you; I promise. What are our plans for the day?"

Anevae scoffed as she looked away from me. "We have a lot we can do around here, especially since you've never seen most of the movies I own. I need to check in with my sister at some point, though. She didn't call me last night like she promised. I need to update her on everything that happened yesterday. I think she's skeptical about everything that's going on. We discussed involving our parents, but I'm really irritated with them right now. How do I know they won't try to take over and move me away from here? Or hide me away again? I'm no longer a child."

"You will always be their child, and they will always want to protect you, but I understand your frustration. They should have told you and prepared you for being on your own; they can't treat you like a child because you aren't. You're an adult whether they like it or not. They need to treat you as such."

When she turned back to me, the sadness was evident on her face. I could understand the feeling of disappointment and betrayal as I'd felt it from my mother many years before, back when she chose the family she found in the brothel over her own daughter. Your parents are supposed to protect you from danger and prepare you to take care of yourself; our parents had let us down, each in different ways. While my mother abandoned me and I'd never known my father, her parents neglected to prepare her for the world they ran from. They had to have known they couldn't keep her from it forever.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you, and you feel like you can't turn to your parents for help when you need them," I whispered. "Why don't you pick a movie that will cheer us up? I'll grab us some drinks and maybe make some popcorn if there's any left."

She smiled and nodded, then began searching for a movie as I headed to the kitchen. I found the last bag of popcorn, popping it into the microwave before getting us some drinks. We would watch this movie, and then we'd have to work on a plan. We needed to figure out what the king wanted with her, but I wasn't sure how we'd manage it. My eyes began to burn as tears welled to the surface. My heart ached for Anevae and the betrayal she was feeling. And for the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to feel sorry for the younger version of myself who just wanted her family to love her.