The Tattooed Vampire

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

"No." 

My voice is strong and defiant as I place my disagreement out on the table. But by the look on his face, I can tell that what I believe and what I want really doesn't matter to him right now. I squint at him, giving him the evil eye as he sits back in his chair, arms folded behind his back, hands interlaced. His beautiful blue eyes pierce my own as he shows his determination. We are both stubborn vampires.

"I said no, Callum!" I growl, crossing my arms over my chest. 

We're at his house now. A house I have never been in before. We've been staying at Zee's for the past few weeks but now with Kiley gone, it didn't feel right to live there. Nathan left with us, staying in the guest bedroom. Callum told me that Nathan lives with him but was usually at his mate, Rachel's house. In fact, that is where he is right now.

"Basia, I'm through discussing thi-"

"Well I'm not!" I holler. He stands to his feet and gives me a harsh glare but I don't falter from it. Callum wouldn't hurt me. "You told me I couldn't go-"

"Yes. You can't go, but I never said anything about me or William!" He argues back. I feel my eyes widen a fraction. 

"That's hardly fair." I growl. Callum shakes his head and sits back down at his desk, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"We don't live in a world that is fair, Basia." He grumbles and pulls out a piece of paper that looks complicated and important. I assume it has to do with the hundred of vampires he has under his wing. I stare at my mate for a while longer, not believing he spoke those words just now. Callum has always been happy-go-lucky and would never give up. Yet here he is, head bowed and shoulder hunched. 

"Callum..."

"You will stay here with Zee, Luke and Nathan. They will protect you." I shake my head.

"Don't do that." 

"I'm sorry, Basia. But I must go. If the King finds out that you are alive, he will kill you." He says with a soft growl at the end. He doesn't look up at me, however, and that makes me angry. He tells me he is going to leave me here for God knows how long and he can't even look at me as he says is?! 

"How long will you be gone, Callum?" I ask.

"You are dismissed, Basia." He tells me. Now that makes me furious. I snarl loudly and slap a hand on the table, my eyes fixated on his face. It's cold as stone and his eyes move back and forth, scanning the document he his reading. Who does he think he is?! Sure he did call me into his office to talk, but he can't just dismiss me like that.

"No." I seethe. He still keeps his eyes casted downward. I growl and reach over to snatch the paper, effectively crumpling in the process. His eyes finally snap up at me, though they aren't the crystal blue I love. "Look at me when we are speaking!" I yell. Callum gets to his feet again and he walks around his desk to position himself between me and the desk.

"You want to talk? Okay. Let's talk." He rips the paper from my grasp and places his back in it rightful spot. 

"Why are you acting like this? These past few days, you have been distant. Is it because of Kiley?! Is it because you are finally realizing that her death was my fault?" I ask in a whimper, my voice growing quiet at the end. Callum sighs and looks away from me, shaking his head.

"It wasn't your fault, Basia..." He grumbles.

"Then why-"

"Because I don't have your answer! I know you want me to stay and I know you want to know how long I will be away. But I do not know! I may be gone a few days or a few years!" He screams loudly at me. My eyes widen sufficiently and I take a step back, not believing what he just said. 

"What do you mean?" I ask, biting my bottom lip. Callum's still refuse to meet mine as he bows his head.

"What I mean is, is that the King might request my presence." I arch an eyebrow.

"Meaning..." I prompt, not understanding him. He needs to finish his statements and stop leaving me hanging. 

"Meaning that he will ask me to be by his side. More like order me. And it is something I will not be able to deny." He tells me. "King Jackson wants me because I have the power of persuasion. When I come to him in the need to help, he will use his request against me. I will not be able to say no." I shake my head, taking another step back from him. Callum leans against his desk as he peeks at me through his blonde hair.

"There has to be something we can do." My voice is thick with desperation. "Why do you have to go? Why not just William?" I ask.

"Because King Jackson doesn't bring people to life just for any reason. He does it if he owes someone or if he is close to the family of the deceased. It's a long shot that he will even say yes to us. I will have to bargain with him..." He confesses. 

"No." I shake my head. Callum is not going to bargain his own life with the King. It is not something that I am okay with and I will be damned if I let Callum walk away if I know that he may not come back. "There has to be a way to get around this..." I say more to myself. Callum lets out a sad, tired sigh.

"There's one." I feel my eyes flick up to him, eager to hear what the second option his. We'll go through with it, if it means that he will come back to me. "But we cannot." 

"And why not?!" I snap. Callum has the opportunity to escape a life-long service to the King and he tells me that we can't follow through with it?!

"Because, the only way King Jackson would let me refuse is if I had a mate to get back to." He tells me. For some reason, his words were a slap to the face. What is he saying? 

"You do..."

"He cannot know that!" Callum snarls, his eyes darkening again. "If he knows you are alive, he will know I never asked permission to change you. He will kill you!" Yet another slap to the face. I feel my shoulder sag with defeat as I know that no matter what, Callum will never tell the King that I exist. I really do not like being someone that has to be kept hidden. I feel ashamed and worthless.

"So you're just going to leave?" I ask sadly. Callum lets out  groan as he walks over and grabs the side of my face, lifting me cheek to look me in the eye.

"Listen to me, baby. I will come back. No matter what. I will come back and-" I feel my eyes water as I watch him frown, "I will marry you." I squeeze my eyes shut, allowing the tears to leak. "I promise, Basia Michalski. I love you and I will return." I nod, believing every word he says to me. He leans forward and places a kiss on the top of my head. "Can I just ask for one favor?" He asks.

"Anything." I say.

"Watch after yourself. Take care of yourself. I won't be here to protect you, so please...never leave the house without Zee or Nathan or Luke... Please." He begs. I try to give him a soft small to show him how his words touch my head, but I fail so I give him a nod. 

"Good. Because, as of right now," He turns and leans over his desk, grabs a pen and writes something on the blasted paper that he seems so obsessed with. He picks it up and then shows it to me with a small smile on his face. "You are in control of the Diggory Clan."