A Love Returned

((Hey! I noticed that my chapters have been quite small at the beginning, but I'm doing my best to make them longer, so please keep reading and enjoy!!))

If it had happened a month ago, Ingrid would have completed the job a second after she'd recieved it. If it'd happened a week ago, she would have finished it without delay.

But it happened yesterday, when her family had finally felt complete. They loved her, and she knew it.

Only she had a chance to be loved more than they ever could; the chance to get back the love of her life. In exchange for one who also loved her.

She knew she should have felt pleased beyond imagination, yet now, in these circumstances, the job was dusting her; right at the centre of the heart.

Why did this have to happen now? When her life was finally back on track?

Ingrid had two choices, and no matter which she picked; her life would be ruined yet again.

Five days they'd told her. Five short, miserable days to make the choice. Then she'd have to act upon that choice. An action which would either give her a new family and destroy the one she had. Or take away all hope of her own love, and keep her blood family complete.

It was yesterday, at midnight, that Ingrid had been summoned upon by the Vampire High Council. They had grown cruel, and she had chose to no longer be a part of them. Now that decision was haunting her.

"Give us the Chosen One," they'd said, "And we'll give you the one you crave," the sentence repeated itself in her head, "Five days. You have five days."

They knew her weakness. They knew who would make her life complete. They knew how to destroy her. And they knew how to use it for their own gain.

"I won't let you hurt my brother," she'd told them.

"Then you won't have your half fang," was their cruel reply.

They were clever, it was destroying her. Ingrid didn't know what to do. She wanted to tell her dad, but would that only make things worse?

She could tell Vlad, she knew that. But now that she'd 'rejoined' the family, she knew he'd confront the council. And if he did that Ingrid knew he would get hurt.

She kept telling herself to let her mate go. He was dust. Bringing him back would get Vlad staked.

But she wondered if it was worth it. She could run away with him.

"Will..." she whispered to herself. She felt a tingling sensation in her body. She had to make a choice, either way someone would get hurt.

"Will..." Ingrid had made her choice, "Will."