END ROADS

CHAPTER 52: HE WAS NEVER A FATHER

Grey and I were back to Vines coven before dawn. We didn't converse much I didn't feel like it and I could easily tell he was annoyed. I don't know what I was feeling but I was sure there was some link we had developed with each other that was suddenly missing and talking to him now seemed like something that wasn't my right anymore. I enjoyed my birthday, the cooking the cake and the company from Flora that made me feel nostalgic. Angela was fun too she showed me her room that was really pretty and all the fancy things she had. She understood magic much better than I did and she seemed too smart for her age. But... She kept avoiding me when I talked or asked about her father

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"Angela what is this?" I picked a strange looking stick and showed her. She grinned proudly.
"My magic wand" she answered
"Does it work!"
"It doesn't, but I am trying to make it useful with time. My power us not fully developed"
"Oh, does your mother know about it?" I shrugged "I mean that you are trying to make a wand?"
"She doesn't know, it is not fun at all when your parents know everything about you. Especially a mother, they are too paranoid"
"And your father?"
"Hey, look at this.... I got this doll from a claw machine when I ran off one day. W handsome man helped me get it. I was so frustrated I almost used my power in public" she sighed dramatically
"How does the guy look like? As handsome as your father!"
She went silent for a second "wow, this dress is my favourite too. I wish you had one too so we can celebrate the 12th month party together"
I sighed again, she didn't want to talk to me or what? Why was she avoiding the question of her father all the time.
"Angela, what is the name of your dad?"
"I also have my favourite pair of shoes. They were pretty expensive when mom bought them. I almost refused the kind gesture but, she is my mother after all" she smiled at me.
Before I could press on again Grey was standing at the door together with Flora.
"Time to leave Becky, the coven will hunt me down if they find out I abducted you two" she teased
"Oh, no don't worry, they wouldn't. They want me dead anyway"
"Not when you have four hundred vampires under your rule. It is not possible"
"Well, you saved my butt at least I can be sure to live a little bit longer, right?" I grinned as she walked over to pat my head
"Worry not, you are too strong to die with a snap of a bone"
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Then we were back in the coven before I knew much. I hurried into my room and left Grey somewhere in the hallway.bi didn't care, he had a life to live and I had mine too. As far as I knew he would keep me alive and I would try to repay him back as much, yet there were a lot of dashes and question marks scattered all over the place. I wasn't at fault for what happened to me from the start. My father was a vampire hunter, mother died in the car and I survived by chance. Well, I couldn't tell if the life I was living was real or a film. I showered and read a bunch of books I had gotten from the library. Since I got a bunch of vampires under me, Ariana barely served me as she always did. She seemed to be busy with other stuff and I was left to take care of myself on my own. Anyway no one would harm me especially when their kind lived or Rather were sheltered under my wings. So it meant keeping me alive for long.
I left the room, I needed a drink maybe so I can sleep.
I walked past Grey's door and took a flight of stairs turning left. I crossed a slight a jar door where I could sense the presence of three strong higher ranked vampires. At first I wasn't going to halt there by when I heard Ethan's voice that was full of disappointment I stopped for a moment.
"You shouldn't have done that Grey" he said
"Did I have a choice? The bond is getting stronger even without a complete mating. I could feel it, she also could feel it" he responded
"But she's your mate Grey there is nothing wrong with marking her"
"She must be ok with it too if she has feelings for you, right?" Jayden added
"What about Becky? She is not okay with it am sure she will be mad at me" Grey blurted
"She will understand, she wants you to be happy am sure. Natural things like a mate , we can't change or do anything about it"
"What if she won't agree and be mad at me? We are doing just fine and she's my good friend and companion I don't want to loose her" Grey's voice sounded distant.
There was silence for a while then Ethan spoke.
"Sometimes, we have to loose one thing in order to have the other. We can't have both. In this situation you'll either loose a mate or a good friend. The choice is yours, don't be greedy Grey. "
He sighed again "and you'll have to think what is best for the coven too, a mate who'll be the Princess of the coven or a friend who you enjoy her company alone"
"I don't like the way she's avoiding me even now when I kept my distance from her"
He answered sturbbonly.
"You can never keep both, you'll only loose both!"
"Fine then I will keep my mate!"
I suddenly felt like the whole world had dropped on my shoulders weakening my knees. I supported myself with the wall and leaned on it. What I feared most was here. He has found his mate, and chosen her over me! What was I thinking? That he would choose me? What the hell was I thinking?
I was getting angry and I was loosing the grip on my power at the same time. I was going to burn the whole coven down!
I needed to leave!
I staggered around the hallways, trying to contain myself. Why was I feeling rejected? Why was I feeling disowned? Why? Wasn't I prepared for this? I was prepared of course, I knew a time like this will come where he will have to choose between his mate and I. I knew it was coming. Then why was I burning with rage why did his words ring in my ears in the most taunting and annoying manner. Why did his face keep appearing before me all the time? Was was I thinking of the moments we shared right now? Why?!
My chest hurt , my vision blurred terribly. I stumbled around.
I feel like I don't know you anymore...who are you?... maybe I like you... I will not let anything happen to you...you are stuck with me... I will not hurt you...you are not allowed to die before me... You only die where I die ...
Why was he all over the place. He was everywhere... Was he haunting me? Was I going crazy?
Rage swept me off my conscience and I trembled terribly. What was happening to me? What was going on? Was I normal? No, since I met Grey I have never been normal. I know that for sure he and normal don't get along.
I rushed out of the corn with the nearest exit. I sped off into the dense forest. It was dawn but the sun was not up, I knew that much but did I care. I felt like my senses were being nipped off from one end to the other. My clothes felt like thorns, my skin itched. I was burning. I collapsed to the dirty forest floor screaming and yelling. I tagged on my hair Iike a mad woman striping my clothes off. They were burning me. They were burning!
My ears could hear everything, birds, the wind, insects creeping around and rodents burrowing. Every single sound was loud... Too loud in my ears. I could hear vampires conversing from far off. Grey was one of them and Jayden. They were coming closer. Were they going to watch me naked? Not again, I crept around shading myself behind a tree. I felt hot, I scraped my skin and it stung I could feel the pain deep down inside my bone marrow. It was maddening, I was going crazy!
"Becky! Becky! Becky!"
I could not respond to his desperate call I couldn't speak, my mouth was sour, my jaw numb and my mouth dry. I couldn't I just whimpered behind the tree like a beaten dog .
But he found me, I forced my eyes open to stare at his beautifully sculptured face. He looked shocked scared and confused.
"What happened to you?"
I just stared at him as if he was speaking a foreign language.
"Why is your skin this scaly? Why did you tear your clothes? What happened to you?"
I just stared at him then he suddenly snapped his fingers a clear dome enclosed us. A few vampires arrived at the spot but they seemed not to see us though I could clearly see them. Then Grey opened his dark wings and covered me in them. As soon my skin came into contact with something other than the soil it started burning again. I scratched hard and cried out.
"What is it?"
"Burn... It is burning...
I managed to answer. His eyes darkened as he closed his wings instead he held his shirt over me but didn't let it touch my skin. The dome disappeared and a number of vampires gathered around.
"Go back we have found her, Jayden and Ethan stay back for a while" the others nodded and left while the two remained.
"I will take her to the cave of the white waters you can follow me." He said to them then he grabbed my shoulders. Staring at me worriedly.
"Can you teleport?" He asked
I didn't answer him, my throat was soar. Too soar to say a thing but I concentrated on my internal power. A sudden force engulfed us there was a slight tremble of the earth beneath then we were standing in the cave I had fallen into the first days in the coven.
"You will soak in the water for a while then we will see what else we can do to help you" he said as he led me to a creak and helped me sit. I sunk into the water leaving my head alone above the water.
He sat at the edge watching me with those dark worried eyes.
"This cave is several centuries old. It's water has a healing ability. It can heal anything anyone is suffering from. It can only be used once a year and so it is highly protected. No one knows the source of the water or how the cave came to be. We believe it was a gift by the mother of witches and vampires. It is all we can believe in"
I only listened to him as he spoke and nodded slowly at the end.
"I have no idea what is happening to you. But I hope it is not something that will cost you your life. We need you alive. All of us"
I nodded again.
Jayden and Ethan entered the cave together. Jayden rushed over and grey threw his shirt over me. He shadowed my small figure.
"Anything?" Grey demanded
"It's David!"
My heart sunk .
"What do you mean?"
"He is using the golden ripe binding to activate and destroy her power at the same time!"
"What?"
"Yes, there must be something useful or beneficial to the vampires clan integrated in her power. He is using Elia's power to activate her's and destroy it at the same time"
"Why is he doing it now?"
"Maybe he is afraid she will discover her abilities fully before he destroys it. If he has her as a barrier to his mission then it will be hard to destroy the vampires as he wants"
"But that could kill his own daughter for heaven's sake!"
"From what I heard he did to her, I don't think that makes him feel any different from how he feels towards us."
Grey sighed rubbing the back of his neck.
"What should we do?"
"Jeep her alive, that is the only choice we have"
"Any similar case from the past? Any written literature?"
"There is one and the only protection was his mates blood. A wizard tried to extract the power of a half witch son from its barrier where it was hidden. He became as wild as she became. His mate found him and fed him her blood. The blood acted as a barrier to the wizard's power. He was under her protection for a three days then on the last day they carried out a blood vow ritual. The next Time the wizard tried the same, he was struck dead by an unknown force"
"I understand, but how did he know she has her powers?"
"Don't forget how she tuckled his army the other day. Strongwook must have said it all the the beast!"
Grey was burried in thoughts for a long time then he finally sighed.
"Am sure the coven is in chaos, you guys go back and try to explain something to the troublemakers. Do something also to cover the dark trail she left behind"
"Sure" Jayden nodded and walked over to Ethan.
"Let's go"
Grey turned to face me with those pitful eyes. I had thought it was about him finding a mate that caused me the pain, who knew it was my father. That old wagon who cared about no one except himself. I pitied my sorry ass. No mother, no father, no lover.
What a pitful little creature I was.
Grey walked into the water as shirtless as he was, he approached me carefully his gaze on my face. He sat beside me slowly his fangs sinking into his arm. Then he forced his arm over my trembling lips. I had no choice other than to comply. I was torn in and out I just wanted to feel myself again. I wanted to be alive even if I had no ambition.
When I was done drinking, he healed his hand and stroked my hair softly.
"You scared me" he said slowly. "I wish I knew where that David is, I would have killed him already. It is enough of hurting you ."
I listened to him speak for a long time then I fell asleep in between. I do forgotten his blood has a sleeping effect on me.