Pallido

Ten

Peter strained against the chains that held him down. He put all his weight on the chains but they wouldn't budge.

Matthew snapped right out of the chains, the smallest of pulls doing the trick. He walked over to my side and brushed my hair back from my face.

"What the hell? You could've done this the whole time? You could've saved her!" Peter yelled.

"I did."

"No, you didn't! She's dead."

Matthew pulled my lips apart. "From the second she came to my house, I've been giving her vampire blood without her knowing. I knew they'd come for her. It was only a matter of time. She wasn't safe. And I was right."

"You could've hid her! You could have made it harder for them to find her."

"If the council wants to find someone, they will. Especially a human."

"He tortured her. She didn't deserve that. Why would you let her go through that?"

Matthew turned around to look him in the eyes, a look of rage on his face. "You think I wanted her to be in this position? You think I wanted to see her in so much pain? You're right, she didn't deserve this. But it happened and we have to live with it."

"She's not going to forgive you for this."

"That's her decision."

Peter sighed. "Would you come get me down from here already?"

Matthew smiled. "The baby needs help now?"

Peter growled. "You're an ass, you know that?"

"Never said I wasn't."

"Now, get me down from here."

Matthew walked over to where Peter was and snapped the chains that held him to the wall.

"Will she be okay?" Peter asked, looking down at me from beside the table.

"Her wounds will heal."

"What about her voice? What if she can't talk again?"

Matthew sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. I would assume it'd work but I don't know for sure."

Peter ran his fingers up and down my arms, staring at nothing in particular as he spoke. "I knew this would happen. I knew once I got her back that she would be targeted. I tried so hard to prevent that."

"Did you even love that other human? Chloe?"

Peter was quiet for a few minutes, staring down at me as if I knew the answer and would say it for him. "Not as much as Sydney."

"From what I hear, you loved her a lot. The other girl, I mean."

"Is that what she told you?"

Matthew nodded. "Anytime she talked about you, she seemed... disappointed. Like you'd let her down."

"It's my fault she's here."

"Don't say that. The council is messed up. Always has been, to tell you the truth."

Peter cupped my cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing my bottom lip.

Without opening my eyes, I bit his hand, hard enough to draw blood or whatever vampires had. Whatever I had.

Peter cursed and pulled his hand back. "Shit, that hurt."

"Looks like she's awake."

I opened my eyes and saw Matthew and Peter standing beside the table. Peter was holding the hand I bit against his chest, a look of pain on his face.

But I had to put that aside. Because I was livid.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked Matthew, glaring at him.

He held my gaze for a few seconds before he answered. "I didn't want you to feel like you couldn't trust me."

"I can't."

"I didn't tell them where to find you, Sydney. I swear."

"Yeah, right. I'll believe that when I'm a human again."

"Sydney-"

I broke out of the chains that held me to the table easily, my strength overwhelming me. It was amazing how one moment I was weak and vulnerable and the next I was strong and tough.

"I'm leaving and don't follow me. Either of you." I got down from the table and left the room, not knowing where I'd go or how I'd get there. I just knew I couldn't be around either of them.