END ROADS

CHAPTER 57: FAMILY SEAL

Arthur poured himself the second drink and we clicked glasses before gulping down the whole thing.
"How have you been?" He asked
"Am fine, and you?"
"Am well too. I heard your dad tried to snatch your gems"
I laughed lightly.
"You're suddenly a smart mouth" I said "he tried but failed"
"Sorry about that, I would have come to check on you. I didn't because I was finishing an assignment you gave me"
I sipped my drink turning all my attention to him.
"Jog my poor memory" I challenged.
"
"Coz your mistake wasn't equivalent to death. You only need to see the wrong and correct it as soon as possible"....taking away all the pain after a punishment is zero work you need to learn a lesson"....You are a good vamp Arthur but that doesn't mean am forgiving you yet. Show me you deserve forgiveness and I will be happy to have a brother...."
"You remember now?" He asked sipping his drink
"I do, now can I mark the assignment my dear student?"
He laughed hard and poked my cheek.
"You're so funny, I should have noticed before. I was such an asshole" he declared with a fallen tone.
"You are not an asshole at all, we all have holes here and there. We just have to sew it back together as neatly as we can" I said
"Who's the smart mouth now?" He asked pouring another drink. He smiled brightly and for the first time his smile reached his eyes.
"Wait!"
"What?"
"You have dimples!" I exclaimed "can you smile again"
He laughed hard.
"Gosh, you are being wierd now" he stated
"They are beautiful, smile often Mr, you look cute"
"Now am blushing" he said covering his face. I slapped his shoulders.
"Don't be a kid."
"I wish I had dimples too!" I spoke in a pouty manner.
"What a fabulous day today is. So I finally got something you can envy me for. How amazing does that sound?"
"Finally? So there is something you envy me for?" I drunk from my glass sitting back. The girls were playing a game together, most boys were at the pool, Grey was sitting beside Lisa . Now he seemed to be the uncomfortable one, he kept stealing glances at us.
Serves you right!
"Well, you're kind, you have a skill to adapt easily. And you're really smart" he responded as if it was an obvious matter
"I am not kind" I declined
"You are, I can testify. Am a living testimony"
"That sounds dramatic"
He laughed and shrugged, how else could I place it
"Well, I don't have any other suggestions, I will let it pass" I paused for a moment poured two drinks for him and I then asked.
"So? Can I be assured that I have a brother?"
"Do I have to prove myself?" He grinned widely "I am more than glad that I got to meet you and know you. I do loved if you were a vampire too but it seems like a being human has its own beauty as well. You can balance this stuff. Sometimes we night creatures cannot see the difference as long as it's beneficial to us"
I was staring at him in fascination, was this the Arthur I have always known?
"I didn't realize you were this smart... Where have you been hiding your good brains all this time?"
"I didn't notice I got them till I saw that concerned gaze you gave me when I was the one who wronged you"
Amazing!
I wish you do be like this all the time, forever just be good it doesn't hurt at all. A smart Arthur will be useful to everyone.
"You are a good vampire Arthur!"
"I appreciate the honour" he raised a glass to me.
I poured myself a drink "cheers to the reborn Arthur"
"Cheers to me"
We cleared the glass and sat back.
"So what are you planning? Anything you got up your sleeves tonight?
"Wanna play chase?"
"I used to, I don't think I can remember how to play anymore" I said cowardly
"Come on, I'll teach you"
"Ok, help me get up"
Honestly I was very drunk, and following Arthur to his room was not a good idea when it comes to a hundred percent rating. He had changed yes, but honestly I wished Grey could pop up out of nowhere and come take me with him. He didn't, instead he watched as Arthur wrap his arm around my wrist and his arm draped around my shoulders keeping me upright. His gaze bright red, bloodthirst and angry he watched him lead me out of the club and didn't bother to even make that possessive growl. He didn't care and I didn't have a reason to wait.
Live the moment! I said to myself and shut my nagging conscience away.

I underestimated Arthur, he was fully changed he had even planned some snacks a movie and a few drinks. We had a good time watched movies played chess and then we rested for a few hours before dusk....
I walked past Grey's door heading to the library bit I was suddenly yanked out of the corridor. The sound of a door shitting was the next thing I heard before my jaw was grabbed fiercely and a kiss that blew my mind out followed.
I could not breath from the intensity of it my heart was beating erratically and the dominance that was emitted from him was making every fibre within me tremble.
I struggled to free myself but my natural strength was not helping he was using his male power over me . I was going to die if I didn't break free my lungs hurt as if I had inhaled hot corrosive gases.
I used all the power within me and pushed him off slapping him across the face. I fell to my knees trying to soothe my lungs that were burning. My face was hot red my shoulders hurt and tears stung at the back of my eyes.
"What has gotten into you? What is wrong with you Grey? Are you nuts? Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?" I rumbled questions after question choking on my own breath.
I heaved a sigh and tried to hold my breath and stabilize it.
"The next time you'll do something like this, I will kill you" I growled fiercely.
"Why can't I do it?"
"I don't allow you to, I belong to myself Grey, I don't care if you abducted me or keeping me alive. I belong to myself!"
"You don't! You belong to me, you are mine!" He growled hovering over me like a predator.
I stood up trying to match his height but he was taller I was just able to look up at him.
"I don't!"
"You do" a growl split at the pit of my belly demanding submissiveness that I was unable to resist. I lowered my gaze and made myself look smaller.
"What did you do with him?, You slept with him?"
"What are you saying?"
"I saw you with him the other day. You went to his room and left at dusk. What were you doing?"
"Nothing,okay? Nothing we just played games and had a movie is there a problem with that?"
"But you were just the two of you" he pushed.
This was frustrating what does he think of me?
"You think am a wore? When you see me you just see a slut? I might be a slut or a cheap idiot with you but that doesn't mean every man I see around can get into my pants. I don't even know why you are the idiot I like, I don't know but am not a slut" I could not controy tears "you are just unbearable, you are... I hate you Grey. I fuckin hate that I knew you and liked you!"
"I didn't...
"Don't make excuses with me. If you didn't want anyone to go with me you could have said so. You just watched us leave while you were busy with Lisa. You are the one who's always all over the place. One time you are scaring me the other you are trying to get me to be comfortable with you. You're complicated and I don't have a slightest idea of which Grey I should assume you to be. Don't try getting on my nerves and besides you are not my boyfriend. So stop being clingy with me. It's disgusting!"
I pushed him aside and left the room.
I went out to the rooftop to calm down first. He was unbearable I could not understand him. One time he's the boy of my dreams the other he's in full master mode and wants nothing to do with me.
I cleaned my face and sighed sitting at the edge of the roof.
"And why is Cinderella looking so desolate?"
Arthur was standing below looking up at me.
"Cinderella seems to be investing her heart in the wrong prince"
"Can't Cinderella find another one to like?"
"She seems to be enchanted with him and can't seem to free her poor self"
"As her brother, can I get the honour to take her out for a run?" He raised his hand up to me and I jumped off and took his hand.
"Sure, prince Arthur"
"Have this, it's a tracker watch. Just in case you are somewhere you don't know I will be able to find you"
I fixed the watch around my wrist, it was quite fancy. I was always surprised how vampires could easily blend technology with history together and make it seem normal and look beautiful.
Or was it because all vampires were beautiful?
"Go!"
I sped off into the Woods allowing my power to take control over me. I could barely feel the group beneath me or hear any sounds of distraction. My eyes were focused forward manoeuvring through the twisted branches and bushes in my way.
I couldn't tell how far I had gone but suddenly I caught a scent of a higher ranked vampire in despair. I could smell sorrow, instinctively I diverted and dived into the dense bushes cutting across a short line of wild flowers to a secluded pond .
The pond had still waters but I could still scent the vampire around, was he under water?
Who was he? One of the council elders? Steel? Or it was another trick my father was pulling?
And why did his sorrow and despair have anything to do with me? Was I bonded to him without a claim? Why was I feeling his sorrow?
I sat there trying to think but every question got another question instead of an answer. I sighed hugging my knees close watching the waters.
There were ripples suddenly, the ripples got stronger and stronger then the waters seemed to be gathering around the centre of the pond. The waters begun circulating and a body emerged from the pond.
At first it was coal black hair. My heart gave a loud thud.
Grey?!
Then his entire being smoothly emerged from the pond like a water god. My jaw dropped. He was in full shifted mode shirtless with tight leather pants on.
My entire being submitted unwillingly, smoothly as if it was what I should be doing. With my head bowed I lifted my eyes to look at his broad back.
His hair was sticking around his tout neck and he looked too handsome to ignore.
My eyes caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his back and the other on the backside of his arm. They were never there before. He turned around still floating above the pool and looked down on me.
There was another on his hard cubes of his stomach. Did he get a tattoo overnight?
He snapped his fingers and his wings disappeared. He stood at the edge of the pool looking at me with eyes that had a thousand of emotions swimming through them .
He said nothing and just ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
"Are you not done staring?"
I cleared my throat awkwardly "I am not... Staring"
"What brings you here?"
"A voice... No not a voice... I don't know what it was"
"You were hunting me, do you admire me that much?" He squinted his eyes leaning closer . I panicked for a moment,I felt small around him. Water dripped from his hair landing on my chest and thighs. I shuddered.
"I wasn't....
"Doesn't matter, now that you are here,dry this hair for me"
"What?" He was serious?
"Cast a spell for me and dry my hair" he said pointing at his head "don't cast the wrong one and make me bald"
I grinned but stopped when his eyes hit my eyeballs. I raised my hands and touched his hair before chanting a spell slowly. Energy travelled through me and reached out for him. When I was done, he was all dry.
"Amazing, so useful" he smirked stroking his hair.
He began walking off and I followed closely studying the tattoo on his back. My... My face!!!
My eyes flew wide open and my jaw hit the dirt below.
I looked at the other on the back of his hand. It wasn't a tattoo... More of a mark or a seal. It was a C shaped symbol with a lot of star like tails on the back side and a diamond on the inner side.
"Grey?"
"Yes?"
Wait... This seemed awkward. I just called him and he responded casually?
"The mark on your hand....
"It's our family seal, the Archibald royal family"
"How many royal families are there?"
"Ten in this region" he answered casually
"You never had it before"
"My other side slows down or fastens some stuff. We normally get the family seal at birth but I am not like the other royals"
"Oh, I see" I nodded
"Did you know you were eventually going to end up a half breed from the start?"
He halted and I bumped into his back. I rubbed my nose glaring at him.
"What did you say?"
"Your mom locked your demon side forever but you unlocked it with the use of the book you found. The wings were an extra from the book"
He went silent for long then almost laughed.
"So I was this since birth?"
"Yes , that is why Ashura was afraid of leaving you with your both sides active"
"Where did you get all this?"
"I have been reading about a lot of stuff. I just found out yesterday"
"Oh, ok"
He sounded passive.
"I will take you back to the coven." He grabbed my wrist and sped off.
We halted at the entrance of the coven where Arthur was waiting. Grey have him a death glare before leaving.
"Better?"
"Yeah, am fine"
"Where did you two meet?" Arthur asked as he removed the tracker watch from my wrist
"He was in the woods for a run as well. We just bumped into each other"
"Oh I see" he shoved the tracker I to his pocket "prepare for my farewell party tonight. You got to dance with me"
"Alright I will be going to prepare"
"Ok bye"
"Thanks prince Arthur"
"You are welcome princess Reba"
I laughed "Rebecca? Seriously?"
He shrugged "get used to it!"