Children of the Fallen: Bloodlines (BOOK #3)

Chapter 7: Takes One To Know One

Chloe Whitlock

Cheeks flushed and hair still a mess because Sterling wanted to show me how much she is going to miss me. Several times. I was just about to go back between her legs and suddenly she sits up abruptly yelling that she's late. She had to practically bust down Reid and Bash's doors then sprint to their jet. The both of them complained that it's literally their jet it won't leave without them but she refuses to be late. Our goodbye was quick because she was stressed as all hell but she looks forward to the next time we see each other.

I head into Victoria's palace through the back and making my way to my room I hear a steady, calm heartbeat inside of it. I walk in with a tiny smile that has yet to leave my face since last night, only to have that smile wiped off completely when I find Morgan sitting on the edge of the bed; reeking of alcohol, with her hollow icy eyes staring at me indistinctly. "Why are you awake and drunk and still here?"

"Unfortunately no longer drunk but we need to talk." She leans forward resting on her knees with her forearms.

"Do we?" I cross my arms.

She sharpens her stare. "We have to not be at each others throats if this is going to work. Trust me when I tell you I want him dead. You can freely continue despising me that's fine, I don't care but you're going to have to trust me."

"I don't. I'll work with you but I don't."

"And why not?" She tilts her head in an antagonizing manner. "I've given you a lot of reasons to hate me but none to not trust me. I've been nothing but honest actually."

"There's honesty then there's just being a cunt."

She chuckles, leaning back on the bed with her hands posted behind her. "ooohh, harsh words from Miss Whitlock." I cut her a glare. "Do not confuse liking someone with trusting them."

"I'm not confusing anything, you have nothing in you that's worth trusting. Nothing that I can safely say I trust with something that could very well get me, Victoria, and Grayson killed. No empathy, no sympathy, no kindness, no morals. If I didn't hear your heart beating before I came in here, I wouldn't think you have one." I say while her viscous smile widens with every passing word. "You've thrown away your humanity." She laughs instantly.

"Chloe, I am not human. We," she waves her hand quickly motioning to me and her, "are not human yet the golden standard for us is being human? Striving to mimic them, for what reason?"

"So we're not monsters like you."

She pushes on her bottom teeth with her tongue. "And why is vampirism immediately associated with being a monster for you?"

"You have no remorse. No guilt. No feelings or emotions. You do whatever you want- which most of the time means killing people. If that's not monstrous I don't know what is."

She flashes an amused smile like she's enjoying this. "I have emotions. I experience anger often."

"Great you have one emotion."

She chuckles as she stands up clasping her hands together in front of her. "Look, I was made to not have feelings or emotions but by default I should have them. Am I a monster? Yes I am, but not because I'm a vampire. I'm a monster because that's what Lucien wanted." She declares and I blink in surprise of her self awareness. "We are different than humans. Yes, we have to exist in their world when we're not in our cities but deciding whether or not you're a good or bad person based on human standards will give you the latter as your answer every time." I clench my jaw at her statement but it quickly turns into disgust when she says, "So many vampires constantly spiraling because of what another species- our literal food thinks of us."