Sign of Life / MIW Adoption

.seven.

Everyone walked through the city grouped together. I had my arms around Vinny's neck as he kept his arms around my legs to keep me anchored to him. It wasn't a long walk to get to the hotel, but I was glad Vinny offered to carry me. I was looking up at the moon in the sky above us. It wasn't a full moon, but it was bright enough that I could make out almost everything within ten feet in front of me.

"At least if you dropped her, she wouldn't fall far." Ryan said, amusement lacing his words as Vinny dropped me onto the Queen sized bed closest to the window in the hotel room.

"Fuck you, Ryan. I wouldn't drop her." Vinny yelled in defense before he ran at Ryan and tackled him.

I was in awe of how comfortable the bed was. I had never been on a mattress, they were usually taken by the girls who were obviously pregnant. But I knew the mattresses at the manor were nowhere near as soft as this one was. I leaned back onto the bed and let my arms rest above my head. The other girls my age that never liked me and would make fun of me for being a virgin and for not being pretty enough to be chosen to make a baby would fight over this bed until someone was dead. I used to be so jealous that they were chosen to make babies. I used to want to be paired with a handsome guy. But I like what's happened, what I never dreamed about, better than what I always dreamed.

I felt the bed dip lightly under the weight of someone else. I opened my eyes and moved my head upwards to see Chris collapsing onto the mattress beside me, lying on his left side, his head on his left hand, propped up by his elbow. His eyes were focused on Vinny and Ryan as they acted like they were punching each other. Chris had a small smile on his face. He moved his dark eyes down to look at me, "I don't think Vinny would ever drop her. He's too scared of her hating him or being scared of him. He has this thing where he has to be loved and adored by everyone."

"I do not!"

"You do, too!" Chris said back and Vinny ran towards the bed. Chris chuckled then grabbed my arms and quickly pulled me up into his lap as he sat up. A small squeak escaped my throat as I noticed how close Vinny was to me. He squinted his eyes at Chris, "Oh, you're lucky Melody is here, Cerulli."

Chris chuckled again as he tightened his arms around me and set his chin on top of my head while Vinny sat on the other bed, "I would say Melody is the lucky one, not me."

Ryan was now in front of me, leaning down so his face was inches from mine. His face looked hard, his jaw was tight as his brown eyes stared at me. I closed my eyes and wished he would go away. I felt one of his rough fingers graze my cheek, "A slave doesn't seem very lucky."

"She's free, Ryan." Chris said, his chest vibrating against my back.

"She is still human which means she is bound to slavery by law." Ryan said coldly.

Everyone was silent. I didn't like it being silent like this. I felt my heart stop.

He's right. I'm supposed to obey what an immortal tells me because I am a human. I felt warm tears come to my eyes but I didn't want them to fall. I was tired of crying. I opened my eyes and looked into Ryan's brown ones, feeling a surge of anger come over me. I remembered what Andy told me earlier, how they wanted me to be a vampire. Why am I still human?

"Turn me, then." I said, spitting the words like a poison and sounding so confident that he wouldn't say anything other than okay.

It wasn't unheard of to hear a human ask an immortal to change them into whatever they are. Humans often beg to become an immortal. But any human that speaks about it is usually dealt with in a way they won't ever ask or beg to become immortal again. I've heard of tongues being ripped out, mouths sewn shut, fingers being cut off, and simply being killed have been all of the punishments for any human brave enough to ask. Even though my heart was thumping hard in my chest, I wasn't afraid of the punishment. I felt safe with Chris' arms around me. I wasn't asking to be turned into a vampire; I was telling him to turn me into a vampire.