END ROADS

CHAPTER 23: HAZEL IN EXILE, GREY AND I

“Oh hey I can see my little patient is awake” he sang happily more of proud of himself. I sat up cracking my neck then I felt it pain at one spot. I touched it and felt it had two punctures. Before I could ask Grey spoke again.
“I am Grey, and I know you are Ethan Howells don’t ask why I know you. I know every rich tycoon that has ever existed in this world for years so don’t worry, your dear parents are resting in peace, I bought them nice coffins and buried them at the backyard next to each other. I didn’t forget the tomb stones, it has their names and any detail required on them” he paused sinking on the sofa nearby smiling at me “and your sister is very much alive, she is damn smart. Gosh who would have thought she would kill a whole bear and take its cave as her new home?”
“What? Hazel? Is she okay? Where is she? Did you harm her? Is she okay?”
“Easy boy, come down, come down. I was going to answer all those questions you are asking even before you think of them. Hazel Howells is very much alive, safe and healthy. But I will not tell you where she is, you will go out there and find her all by yourself. Am not doing everything for you. I healed you so you will go and find your dear sister”
“How did you do that?” as soon as I asked he changed, displayed his eyes and fangs he looked so handsome to admit just like a god.
“Now you are also this” he said “a vampire! So when you will be out there searching for your dear sister, avoid the sun as much as you can or you will turn into ashes before you think of it!”
“You bit me? Why did you turn me into such a horrible creature?” I pounced on him in a speed that I never thought of, he was quick, he shifted and I ended up crushing into the wall leaving threads of cracks. I gasped in shock and he just smirked
“You should thank me boy, you are no longer that weakling who couldn’t fight against those stupid men who bet your ass off. You are stronger now, with your ability you can live for centuries, you can find your sister and revenge the death of your parents, hypnotize that idiot and takeaway what he grabbed from your dad. You should be grateful at least, if I didn’t turn you into a vampire you could have died. Am pretty sure you wouldn’t rest in peace knowing your sister is unprotected and the person who led to your death is enjoying life as if nothing happened? Come on, think Ethan…think!” he spoke wisely like the great Solomon himself. I sank on the coach thinking
He was right, he was more than right. I could have died, my sister would be unprotected and the beasts who led my life miserable could be free while my soul was there in misery.
“Yeah, you are right” I sighed after some time, he was smiling at me proudly like a mother who had seen her child walk on her own for the first time “thanks Grey”
“Thank me once your parent’s souls are at peace, Hazel is safe and when you are at peace. Then your gratitude will be accepted” he answered nonchalantly.
“If I may ask, why didn’t you kill me? Am pretty sure vampires go crazy at the scent of blood” I asked.
He walked gracefully and sat on the bed right in front of me “you see Ethan, everything is in the head. If you get it in your head that wherever you see blood you just take it, then that will be you. If you do the opposite then you become. Like you now, you got abilities you are unfamiliar with, it may look hard to control them…but it is all in your head. Control of abilities all starts in the head, think of it, concentrate then act, now go I have granted you a gift. Go find Hazel, go find your peace of mind, go set your dear parents free”
With that, I got the willpower and left to find Hazel. I followed her scent till I found her six days later sleeping in a small cave, just outside the cave was a male bear with a large stick stuck in its mouth. It was already rotting and with my super scent detecting power the smell was disturbing. Hazel was in her pyjamas that were stained in blood from the bear she looked pale and sickly. Just as I stepped out someone called me.
“Hey, good job there I see you found her” just as I looked up Grey jumped off a tree branch right in front of me
“What the…what are you doing here?” I was surprised coz I was pretty sure I had come all alone.
“back-up don’t worry” he grabbed the dead bear and threw it away, it went flying like a small pebble “I know that foul smell is not at all good to be lingering around. Place the kid down” he instructed, I looked at him in surprise and followed his instructions. I placed the thirteen year old on the ground.
Grey knelt beside her, checked her pulse and breathing. He held her up and made her drink some bottled water he had. The next second he sliced his wrist with a pen knife and made Hazel take a few drops of his blood before he healed himself. I just stared in shock.
“She was starved, the blood will stimulate her body to start functioning normally” he paused looking at me then “hey, come over” then two ladies emerged “This is Anna and the other is Abigail, Anna is human while Abigail is a vampire warrior. They will take the girl home I mean to my coven so she can be fed and changed. We are going out there to get those tycoons together. Trust me, Hazel is safe now come on we should not waste any time”
Hazel left with the ladies while Grey and I went on the mission. We captured the tycoon and the two mercenaries and killed them then buried them ourselves. I emptied his bank account filled the billions in a travelling bag. We stepped out of the bank majestically like armed robbers who had accomplished their mission. I was welcomed in Vines coven it became my home, I found my peace. I wanted to be bonded to Grey so I could serve him as a gratitude for his help. He said he would be happier to let me be a free soul. Later I had to explain everything to Hazel, she confirmed that actually Grey was the one who helped her kill the bear. He had thrown the stick towards her and asked her to stab its mouth as it pounced on her she felt victorious and strong but when she looked around he was gone. I had to turn Hazel into a vampire too, she was very happy and this is home for us.
Hazel was taken away later when war broke out between this coven and the Gala. She was howled away but after weeks she called and told me that she was caged and all they wanted from her was her blood for sampling and all that she never called from then because her phone was taken away. Later when Grey went crazy and decided to attack the Gala he confirmed that she was safe and they were not planning to kill her. Her immune was keeping her alive because it is rare to find a vampire immune to every negative power. I just hope and wish that I will be with her someday” Ethan finished explaining his heart touching story, I was tearing all the way.
“Your story is so damn touching gosh thanks goodness you are safe alive and well. I should have known why you hated me so much. If I were in your shoes I could have killed the stupid Gala daughter at that instance” I laughed heartily
“Come you can’t say such awful things about yourself, Becky. You are not the Gala who killed lots of vampires and kidnapped my sister. You are different, I feel like, you will be the reason I will see Hazel again. Just don’t lose that pure heart of yours and you will do wonders” I smiled teary at him, jumped on him hugging him tight.
“You will squash me come on” he said between laughs
“You sure?” I asked releasing him but I was still straddling him “You are such a pretty boy”
“So says the little sweet squirrel” he said pecking my cheek, I blushed hard smiling the hell out of myself. I stared at his handsome face cupping his face with my hands, his eyes were gentle and lovely. I kissed his forehead, he pouted like a big baby.
“I feel like a kid that has been left at home all alone and is being asked to be good” he said. I got off him laughing hard.
“Don’t worry you fully got my message, be a good boy” I winked at him and escaped through the door. He chuckled loudly.
Once I was outside, I heaved a sight and began heading to Dermot’s room that was now considered mine. I teleported to the corridor. Ethan’s story was awful and amazing at the same time, Grey is his saviour while for me Grey is the beginning of my misery. How funny now what was I to define Grey? A good person or a bad one.
But…I leaned against the wall releasing my hair that was confined in a ponytail. He saved Ari too, and now Ethan and Hazel. He saved me from the hands of Steel and either way I was the first human he ever healed. He’s a good guy! I decided, I brushed my hair with my hands the smell of rain wafting my nose.
Grey!
I turned around swiftly, Grey was standing at the end of the corridor with sad eyes, was he feeling guilty because of what happened? He kicked me out of his room in the midst of making out session. He was in pain, why was it because of me? Why was he feeling guilty? He was a good guy if am not wrong then why does he have to suffer so much, I took a step forward…he stepped back. It was like a game, a frustrating game why was he running away from me? Did I do something wrong?
I was trembling in fury, frustration and anger. My hands began shaking veins expanding on my arms and neck. What was happening to me? What? My breath was becoming furious I felt like I was emitting smoke from my ears. Oh god save my life what was this, I lowered my head closing my eyes tight, trying to contain myself. But then a furious scream rolled from my throat my face was burning red and I could feel a ticklish sensation in my eyes. I lifted my head staring at Grey murderously. Seeing the worried look in his eyes, my anger slowly melted away.  In seconds he was holding my upper hand and we were in my room.
“What was…I mean how did you do that?” he asked in both fascination and worry.
“Do what?” I was terribly confused.
“Your eyes, they changed they…they were blue and you looked…different” he said
“Blue? And how different?”
“You looked like Regina somehow when she was all angry and furious. Murderous and dangerous like a vampire filled with rage ready to turn the whole world into ashes” he answered.
“Wow, I didn’t see that coming I have no idea how or why it happened” I answered honestly Grey looked all fascinated and excited beyond control? He looked as if he had been waiting for it to happen
“Have you ever wished I were a vampire?” I asked innocently. He dropped his hands off my shoulders running his fingers through his hair. He looked as if I had asked him the toughest question in the world.
“Why do you suddenly ask that Becky?” he asked in frustration
“It is just a question Grey, no big deal Grey. Have you ever?” I pressed on.
His eyes locked with mine, he swallowed taking a step towards me. He cupped my face with one hand giving me that admiring look he gave me a while ago in his room. His other hand went round my waist and he pulled me into a hug. This sudden gesture left me dumbstruck. I had simply asked a question, I can’t remember asking for a hug.
His hand went round my neck cold as always, he buried his head in my hair inhaling deeply. The next second his head was on my neck his cold lips brushing on my exposed neck. He kissed it his fangs grazing on my skin. He paused as if waiting for me to consent his bite but I was numb my mind blank dysfunctional.
He pulled away, when I looked at him, his fangs were gone only his red eyes remaining.
“I have never wished for you to be a vampire Becky, but if you become one I won’t be mad either I l… as long as it is you and nobody else. Even if you become the daughter of the devil it won’t bother me” he finally answered.
At the moment I was already in daze that his answer did not matter anymore he was the one, the only one I could see and think of.
“Grey, what happened back in your room, you were in pain? You sent me away and I heard you scream” I asked tears stinging at the back of my eyes
“Nothing happened…
“Don’t lie to me please” now I was tearing up for real, why couldn’t he just tell me the truth?
“I have a problem with taming myself when am around you, I always get the urge to bite you. If I do you will be stuck with me forever, even when I will hurt you or you just want to go your way, you will find yourself walking back to me as if I have put you under a spell. I know you don’t want that so that is why I rather send you away, put myself together and endure the pain instead of ruining your life” he explained, I could believe it somehow but still I felt there was something he wasn’t telling me.
“Why me? Does it happen when you are around someone else?” I asked awkwardly
“No, it only happens when am around you, because you are Becky. I feel you are not like anyone else there is something very different about you” he answered rubbing his thumb on my cheek
“Antonio can explain it, right? Where is he? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?” I asked out of curiosity
“Antonio is very far away, he travels in times. No one knows if he is in the future or the past in order to summon him back. Only his brother Edwardo can summon him when he has travelled into times. They travelled together and if anyone tries to summon him and does it wrongly. As in call him from the future and he is in the past and vice versa he might never be retrieved to the present then the whole vampire dynasty is gone. So it is better for us to wait for him to show up on his own” I nodded in agreement.
Grey embraced me wishing me a good rest, he was about to leave when I called him back
“What is it?”
“Are your senses improving?” I asked quietly
“No, they are just the same as they were” I nodded silently
“Go and clean up and go to bed right now. You should rest a lot awaits us all” I was relaxing in relief when he asked me to go prepare for bed but his last statement made me hold my breath. He saw that and brushed it off with a smile and disappeared into thin air.
I heaved a sigh then finally entered the bathroom to clean up. Once I was done I went back to the room to dress up I found Ari had already brought in my dinner. But I wasn’t in the mood of having anything, the meal from lunch was enough to keep me alive and kicking till morning. I put the meal away and went straight to bed drowning into a world of nightmares