Life Within Crystalfort: Our Story Continues - Part Two [COMPLETED]

Chapter Seven

Clawdeen had left the house hours before, but I still sat in my room trying to think of how to deal with Clawd. I shook my head and took a slow sip of the hot chocolate on my desk. I held the cup tightly in my hand as the cocoa's warmth spread through my body. A soft knock at my door made me jump in my seat. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and looked towards my door.

"Come in," I said quietly. Another knock on the door followed. I sighed and stood up and walked up to the door. I pulled it open a crack to see my father standing in the doorway. I opened the door the rest of the way and stepped out of his way. "You can come in, Dad," I said softly. He nodded silently and walked into my room. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the edge of my bed.

"What's all this about?" He asked, gesturing to my desk. I glanced back at the bag of chocolate chips on my desk. I shrugged.

"I like chocolate. Is that all you wanted?" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Silently, he shook his head.

"The wolf.... Clawd is here. He wants to talk to you," he said, his voice low. I shook my head. "You need to talk to him, Draculaura. Or he needs to talk to you. Either way, you need to get downstairs and talk to the boy. Kid already lost his father. He can't lose you, too," he said. He stood up from the bed and walked past me, patting my shoulder before he left the room. I sighed and stood up, closing the bag of chocolate chips. I went downstairs to find Clawd standing in the foyer.

"Can we talk?" He asked, resting his hand on the back of his neck. I crossed my arms over my chest and walked past him. I sat down at the kitchen table.

"I don't know. Can we, Clawd? Can we actually have a civil conversation?" I asked, placing my arms on the table. Clawd came into the kitchen and sat down. He took in a deep breath and ran his hand over his jaw line. The bruises and cuts that covered his face softened my expression, but my anger still burned inside of me.

"We can, and we will," Clawd said, his voice little more than a whisper. I drew my arms into my lap and frowned. I looked up from Clawd to see my father standing in the doorway.

"Fine.... Try me," I said softly, staring at him. Clawd ran his hands through his hair.

"Alright.... I'm sorry, Laura. I realize now that you're not like my kind. You guys don't mate for life or anything like that. I mean, I'm different than you and you're different than me," I held up my hand to stop him.

"I'm not like your kind? Clawd, what are you even trying to say?" I asked. "We don't mate for life? Clawd, we zing. That's what my kind does. And, "my kind" means humans. I am a human, not a vampire. That is something you need to drill through your mind. I want to be a vampire so bad right now. And you wanna know why?" I asked. Clawd said nothing. "I want to be a vampire so I can live forever. Not for myself, but for you and Dad. I want to be there for you forever. Why? Because I mate for life, Clawd. I love for life," I said. I grabbed the edge of the table and pushed myself up from my chair. I stopped short of the doorway, finally remembering that my father had been standing there. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a warm hug.

"I can turn you.... If that's what you want, Draculaura, I will turn you," he said. I shook my head against his chest.

"No. I want to stay human, now. Especially if I have nothing more to stay with forever," I said, looking back at Clawd. I carefully pushed myself away from my father and walked out of the room and back to my own room.

"Hey," my heart jumped as I saw Clawdeen in my room. She sat on my floor, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. She patted her hand lightly on the floor, gesturing for me to sit next to her. I shut my door and sat on the floor.

"You scared me," I said softly. She let out a quiet laugh and handed me another bowl of popcorn. I smiled in spite of myself and stuck a handful of popcorn into my mouth.

"Sorry. How'd it go, Laura? You ok?" After a moments pause, I nodded. "You sure you're ok? It sounded pretty tense," she said quietly. Again, I nodded.

"I'm fine. Just.... Dad said he would turn me back if I wanted him to."

"Isn't that want you wanted? Shouldn't you be happy?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I said no. I.... I'm trying to prove a point to Clawd. If.... If he doesn't need me, then I don't need him."