The Shadow House

Revel in the chaos

I awoke in a daze. For a few brief seconds I thought I was back in my old bedroom. That is until I opened my eyes to find myself in an over stuffed gigantic bed. With my vampire vision I could make out every detail of the room in the pitch black darkness. The blanket was a deep green color with black trim. The carpets were blindingly white, and the walls were a slate grey. I could see a desk to the right of the door with papers stacked neatly in piles. The door swung open before I could finish my assessment.

"Killian?" I groaned as I tried to sit up.

"Killian! She's awake." Alaric roared into the darkness.

A light flipped on overhead revealing two overly eager men. One was my beloved brother, the other, was my dreaded mate. For some sinister reason I felt like Alaric was to blame for all of this. If he'd just give the throne over I wouldn't be in this situation.

"Kill." I cooed as I embraced my brother in a hug.

"Ry, I am so sorry. I never meant for you to find out this way."

"Wait. Wait. Wait. First things first, Why did I pass out?" I asked as I attempted to compose myself.

"We spoke with the resident witch here, and she has concluded that it was your bodies natural way of sharing power with your mate. Your blood line has been cemented with mine. It was your way of initiating the mating process." Alaric interrupted.

"Hold on. You touched me. Not the other way around. I didn't initiate anything." I snapped.

"You're not listening Ry. The witch, Trudy, said that it was your bodies NATURAL REACTION to physical contact with your mate. You're not just a vampire, sis. You're a witch. We are the first hybrids." Killian proclaimed proudly.

"Could you people possibly drop anymore bombs on me?" I asked bitterly.

"As a matter of fact, we can. Mama!" Killian yelled the last part.

My cold dead heart fell deep into the pit of my stomach. My mother had always been my best friend. The day she died I was mad at her for putting me on restrictions. Sure, I deserved it. I mean, skipping schools isn't exactly a good thing. But I never expected my mother to die before I could apologize. Hearing Killian call her name struck a chord deep within my soul. I stared at the bedroom door through unshed tears with an alarming intensity. My mother walked inside, and before anyone could continue I tackled her to the floor with my vampire speed weeping like an inconsolable baby.

"Ryan, darling! I am so sorry." My mother cried.

"How could you? How could you leave me to think the worst? I spoke at your funeral, Mama! I mourned you!" I cried.

"It was the only way to keep you safe." My mother said softly as she twirled my hair around her fingers like when I was a child.

"But Dad? Where's Dad?" I asked hopefully.

"He's gone, baby. He was offered a large amount of money by Alexander to hand over you and Killian. I caught up to them, and killed your father. I am so sorry. I just... My children come first. I was protecting you." My mother confessed.

I probably shouldn't be surprised since I just found out that the man that raised me isn't my real father, but I was. I was shocked to my core.

"I can't believe Daddy would do that to us." I whispered.

"I'm sorry, honey. Why don't you get cleaned up and we'll discuss everything over dinner." My mother suggested.

"I can't eat like you do, Mama." I pointed out with a child like innocense.

"Sure you can. When you gave Alaric your witches mark it brought out the other part of you that your blood lust caused to lay dormant." My mother explained.

I sat still for a moment, thinking it over.

"I want pizza." I said excitedly.

Everyone in the room laughed. Killian and Alaric left to have the castles chef prepare pizza for dinner. My mother stayed behind to hang out with me while I got ready.

"So why did you have kids with this horrible Alexander?" I yelled from the bathroom as I dried my wet hair.

My mother let out a breath loud enough for me to hear through the door. It was quiet for a moment while she reflected on her past. I opened the door and started to put on the clothes Alaric left on the bed for me. I was just buttoning my pants when my mother finally spoke.

"My mate died in a terrible fire over one hundred years ago. Alexander bonded with me over the loss of our mates before he allowed himself to lose his humanity. We were married, Ryan. It wasn't until you were born that he lost his mind." My mother confessed.

"Wait... how old ARE you?" I asked in shock.