Beauty of a crystal

CHAPTER 15

Abigail sat by the window, Crystal with brow furrowed in a deep frown. "If you keep frowning like that, you'll age faster, you know?" she said, her voice tinged with concern. She held a cigarette between her fingers, the smoke rising in a thin, hazy cloud.

Crystal glanced at Abigail's hand, then back at her face, ignoring her first statement. "You smoke all the time?" she asked, curious.

Abigail shook her head slowly, the cigarette still between her fingers. Crystal watched as she took a deep drag, and then blew out a plume of smoke. Her lips were painted black, and Crystal couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as she watched her inhale the toxic substance. "Only when I'm agitated," Abigail said, her voice low and gravelly.

"Babysitting me?" Abigail smiled fondly at Crystal. But her smile dropped the second she looked it into her eyes.

"Be honest with me, Crystal. What did Vlad show you?"

Crystal's eyes widened as she struggled to recall the memory. However, before she could say anything, a harsh and dominating voice interrupted them.

"Get out."

Crystal sat in silence, refusing to look up as she felt the tension between Abigail and Xavier. Abigail gave a silent bow to Xavier before leaving the room, leaving Crystal alone with the dominating presence of the man before her. She couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions towards Abigail for leaving her in this situation.

As the silence grew thicker, Crystal couldn't help but feel like a storm was about to break. She saw a spark of lightning on Xavier's feet and knew that this was not a man to be trifled with.

Although she wanted nothing to do with him at the moment, their bond demanded otherwise. Crystal closed her eyes and felt the waves of desire and temptation cloud her judgment. She refused to meet his gaze, lying still on the bed and wondering what they couldn't do at that moment.

Xavier had always thought of women as simple creatures, easy to charm and even easier to bed. He had lived for centuries and had had his fair share of them. A charming smile, a few brushed touches, and they were all stacked up underneath his sheets. But as he looked at the little angel wrapped up in his sheets, he knew he had made a grave mistake. He hadn't charmed her to that bed, he had caused her harm, and now she lay there, scared and vulnerable.

He called out her name, "Crystal," hoping she would at least look at him. She turned her head towards him.

"You and Matthew are horrible monsters," she whispered low, her first words after she had woken up. Xavier felt a pang of guilt at her words, knowing that what she said was true.

"It isn't how you were supposed to find out," he grunted angrily, his frustration evident in his voice. Crystal tensed at his harsh tone, and Xavier realized his mistake. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Crystal's voice was barely audible as she whispered, "I wanna be as far away from both of you as you let me." She kept her gaze fixed on Xavier, who was standing across the room while speaking. Despite her quiet tone, the frustration and anger in her words were palpable.

Xavier smirked in response, clearly enjoying the discomfort he was causing her. "But you won't let me, will you?" Crystal's eyes widened as she realized that he was right. She was trapped, with nowhere to go.

Feeling vulnerable, she grabbed a pillow and held it close to her chest, using it as a makeshift shield. But Xavier was too quick for her, and before she could react, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her towards him. She struggled to resist, but he was too strong.

Finally, he pulled her onto the edge of the bed, where she sat, seething with anger and frustration. Xavier stood over her, looking down at her.

"I can see that Vlad didn't hold back on the information."

"Get your hands off me!"

"I am not your mate and you have no right to treat me like this." Crystal struggled to break free from Xavier's grip, but his hold on her was too strong and possessive.

He sat down on the bed beside her and pulled her onto his lap. Crystal fought back with all her strength, but Xavier's arms were like iron bands around her, making it impossible for her to escape.

She acted as if his touch was repulsive to her. Like his mere presence was suffocating and terrifying. Realizing this, Xavier felt like a sword had been plunged into his heart. Fed up with her resistance, he put her to sleep.

As Xavier carefully placed Crystal back in her bed, Matthew's voice could be heard from the doorway. "This is precisely why we need to think before we act," he said in a stern tone. Xavier didn't bother to turn around and face him, instead keeping his focus on the sleeping girl.

"In our defense, we both made the mistake and tried to cover it up by erasing her memory," Xavier replied in a calm voice, trying to diffuse the tension.

Matthew's response was quick, "But clearly, your 'erasing' tactics weren't effective enough," he said, his tone accusatory.

Xavier's eyes narrowed as he turned to face his brother. "I suggest you don't push it right now," he said, his voice laced with warning.

Matthew walked up to the other side of the bed. "We need to own up to our actions," he muttered, his expression softening.

Both brothers let out a heavy sigh as they stood there, looking at the girl asleep in the middle of the bed. They knew they had to come clean and face the consequences of their actions.

~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~

Crystal was lying on the floor, her body trembling with fear as she stared at Vlad in horror. He had sunk his teeth into the neck of a woman lying next to him and was greedily sucking her blood. Crystal couldn't bear to look away, even though the sight made her feel sick to her stomach. She could hear the woman's faint moans of pain and desperation.

As Crystal stood there frozen, she heard the desperate pleas of a woman echoing in her head. The woman begged, her voice trembling with fear and desperation, "Please. Please stop. I...I can't take it anymore." Crystal's heart sank as she watched the life slowly drain out of the woman's eyes, tears streaming down her face. She felt helpless, unable to do anything to stop the tragedy unfolding before her. The scene was etched into her mind, haunting her long after it was over.

Vlad dropped the body on the floor with a harsh thud. She was dead yes—be gentle. With a deep exhale and a wipe to his chin, he turned to crystal. Horror stared back at her at the sight of Vlad's face. His eyes glowed a terrific red his mouth and teeth coated with disgusting red as the remaining flowed down his chin. He had a proud smirk in his eyes.

Vlad's voice was rough, but he couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "You humans truly confuse me. Shedding tears for a person you don't even know the name of?" He paused, waiting for a response, but when he received none, he continued. "You know, 540 years, six months, and three days ago, my mate rejected me because of yours." He slowly began to turn back into his human form, his once-freezing skin now turning back to its unhealthy shade of gray. His sharp fangs retreated back into a normal tooth. "I thought about doing the same to them, but then I realized you would never be able to reject them because, you know... unalived," he finished, a sly grin playing on his lips.

"But that's to easy." His voice changed to a sinister tone as he grabbed Crystal's throat in a matter of seconds. "I want them to feel the some pain I felt from the rejection of my other half." Forcing her to look in to his eyes. His grip on her throat blocking her air supply.

The sudden rush of memories flooded her mind, bringing with it nightmares that she had forced herself to forget. These memories were buried deep within her brain, hidden away from her consciousness until now. Her fear had consumed her entirely, and she felt as though she was suffocating. She didn't need Vlad's hand around her throat to block her airway; her mind did it for her. The memories and emotions piled up inside her, running around like a chemical reaction inside her mind. She felt trapped in her own endothermic reaction, unable to escape the pain and fear that had been brought to the surface.

As Vlad disappeared into dust, she caught a glimpse of her mates holding her tightly as she struggled to break free. The memories and emotions were too overwhelming for her to handle, and she never seemed to win in situations like this. The pain and fear from her past experiences were simply too much for her to bear.