The Vampire's Executioner

Chapter 6

"I'm not hungry, Carl," she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft, "but thank you."

She thought that he might argue with her, but after a moment of strained silence, she heard his footsteps tap away. Nikolai definitely wasn't going to be happy, but she didn't particularly care. Her gaze found the ceiling again when her traitorous stomach rumbled, begging for sustenance. She furrowed her brow, ignoring it. She wanted a good night's rest to prepare for the tasks ahead. The faster she found out what the threat was, the faster she could return home. And the less she had to socialize with royal vampires, the better.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to doze off, but her mind had other plans and was spinning in turmoil. She couldn't believe Jackson had given her this job when he knew – he knew that she didn't like vampires. She wasn't discriminatory or anything; she simply did not like them. And the reason for her utter distaste of them spawned, as it usually did, from a man. Well, technically speaking, a vampire, but a male one at that.

His name was Brick Christler, and he was the most beautiful thing Lizzie had ever laid eyes on. With his pale skin, grey eyes, and black hair, he was a mess of contradictions that she wanted to spend the rest of her life trying to figure out. He was quite literally the love of her life, and she thought that was how it was going to stay.

Lizzie had never been a romantic, and that was working out just fine for her, but that didn't mean she didn't want to fall in love or call someone her own. She got lonely at nights, and there were times when she got scared at noises in the middle of the night. She wanted to feel someone beside her, holding her. She wanted someone to connect to, emotionally and physically... but that would mean opening up, and that would mean being vulnerable. Too vulnerable. It wasn't something she wanted to get mixed up in again.

She should have known that getting involved with a vampire was a bad idea. Her mother had warned her about them before she had passed away, and even then, Rachel's mother had done the same. Maybe that was why she had felt so drawn to Brick, because she wasn't supposed to be with him, to like him.

It was silly, really. She had met him when she and Rachel had gone out clubbing to celebrate her passing her midterms. How old was she then? She couldn't have been more than nineteen. When she had first seen Brick, she felt her breath leave her lungs and she couldn't help but stare at him. When she caught his eye, the two danced like there was no tomorrow and soon, they became inseparable. People warned her of a vampire's true nature – it was practically impossible for a vampire to remain faithful. Hell, it was doubtful they were ever really in love.

That was why vampires chose to be with other vampires. Who better to understand a vampire's nature than another vampire? It was rare for vampires and werewolves to stray from their species when choosing their mates, but it was possible. Vladislaus and Elise were proof of that. However, werewolves and vampires intermingling were nonexistent. At the time, Lizzie paid the statistics no mind; she believed in the way she felt about Brick and thought that they would be the exception.

In fact, they had been together nearly two years, and during that time, Brick wanted nothing more than to transform Lizzie into one of them – a vampire. She always refused, making up random excuses when the truth of the matter was that she was scared. Once someone was transformed, there was no going back, and unlike werewolves, vampires didn't mate for life. While Lizzie was sure of her love, something inside her refused to take that final step.

Upon their third anniversary, Lizzie had decided to push away her fears and let Brick transform her. She felt herself become excited at the prospect, and as she walked into the apartment she shared with him, she found that she was actually looking forward to her change.

Except when she opened the door to her bedroom, she found Brick in bed with another woman, a vampire no less.

Without a word, she left, heartbroken but resolved, a burning hate for vampires everywhere lodged where her heart used to be. Of course, after that, she made a vow to never fall in love with one of them ever again.

--

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

QOTD: What are your plans for New Year's? I'm taking my kids to my parents' place where we're going to watch the Michigan game before we watch the ball drop.

What about you?

Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think by leaving me a comment or adding this story to your reading list!

I would love to keep in contact with you and would love if you might consider signing up for my free newsletter here!

Thank you again!