Bloody Curse | Book Two of Blood Trilogy

Chapter 55

Violet
I knocked on my friend's door but no response came from the other side. A faint heartbeat could be detected, so I knocked again.

"Cam? You in here?" I asked even though I knew he was. "I'm coming in, okay?" I announced. The door creaked open when I turned the knob.

His bed had been untouched the entire night. I looked from one corner of his room to the other, then I glanced at the closed bathroom door. I heard a heartbeat so I didn't think twice then to open the door and walk straight in.

He was leaning close against the vanity with a razor in his hands. He had almost finished shaving his face when he turned to me with wide eyes.

"Oh, hey, Vi. I didn't hear you come in." Cam mumbled then faced back to the mirror so he could finish shaving.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked him while jumping up onto the counter to sit on it. I kicked my feet back and forth, waiting for his answer. He sighed then put his razor down.

"I'm hanging in there." He whispered. I nodded with a small smile. I peered into his eyes and saw sadness but he was trying hard to mask it. My eyes then fell to his hands, where he was holding the razor.

The grip on the shaving item was tight and he was trembling a bit.

"It's okay, Cam. I'm here for you, okay? I'm right here." I plucked the razor from his hand then laid it down onto the counter. I held both his hands with mine. "It's okay." I whispered once again trying to convince him.

He sighed and glanced down at his feet with slight nods. He knew that it wouldn't be okay, but he had to stay positive because that's how Derek would've wanted him to be.

I turned my gaze down to his hand and noticed how bandages were peeking from under both his long-shirt sleeves. He tried to hide the bandages that were wrapped around his wrists.

My hand gently wrapped around one wrist and I turned it around so his palm faced the ceiling. I pushed a sleeve up to his elbow. His blood was pulsing loudly against his veins. He swallowed nervously but only stared my face as I carefully inspected him.

I covered a hand over his wrist then leaned forward to land a kiss atop his bandage.

"It's okay. It's all going to be okay. You're surrounded by your family's love. We're all here for you." I whispered then kissed his wrist once again.

I stood straight up so I could peer into his eyes. He was ashamed of his actions but just stared at me without words.

I stood on my tippy toes and pulled him close for a hug. My arms wrapped around his neck while his hands held firmly onto my back.

"Thank you so much, Vi. I don't know what I'd do if I were truly alone."

At that same moment, Jilly knocked on the bathroom door then walked in to join our hug.

Cam tossed his head back and let out a laugh.

"Well hello to you too. Have you been there the entire time?" He asked with an eyebrow up. She shook her head and a smile.

"No, I just handed Hazel off to Vi's mom then I headed here right away. How are you?" She asked while observing Cameron's current mental state. He shrugged.

"I'm better now that you two are here. It's just like the old times." He provided a small smile while trying to mask any other emotion from seeping through. 

"How about we head outside into the garden and can talk about anything we want, alright?" He asked, waiting for both our nods. "Great. I'll be down in two minutes then I'm all your guys'." He stated then waited for us to walk out the door until he closed the door behind us.

I waited until we were out of the guard chambers and halfway down the main hall. I stopped to turn to Jilly, she did the same.

"Did you notice Cam's wrists?" I asked with concern. She nodded slowly with worried eyes.

"Yeah, I did." She inhaled sharply then let out a slow breath while shaking her head. "I just didn't want to bring anything up. I wasn't sure if you've already talked to him or not." I nodded in understanding.

"Of course I said that everybody was here for him and that he shouldn't worry so much anymore since this isn't what Derek would've wanted." I stated back. She nodded with her fists placed on her hips.

"Let's just hope that he doesn't feel compelled anymore to do anything like this." She exclaimed.

As soon as she stated that, Cam walked through the entrance of the guards' chambers then walked up to us with a wide smile on his face. He squeezed between us then hooked both his arms across our shoulders.

"My favorite women. What an honor to be accompanied with you two today. It's just like the old days." He stated with a grin. I smiled back. He was referring to those days without vampires and mates. The days when we were still in university.

The three of us trudged peacefully across the grass and into the flower garden where a couple fountains were located and numerous types of flowers were located. The birds sang on tree branches while they swayed a little bit.

"It's a lovely day for a walk today." Jilly stated after staring into the blue sky, that had been decorated by a few puffy white clouds.

"It feels like forever since we've taken a walk together." Cam said while breathing in the fresh air. I nodded at the two and squeezed Cameron's hand.

"Nature is a thing of beauty." I whispered, even though I was positive that the other two could hear me clearly.

"You know, I've always imagined Derek and I walking through this garden while our children ran around like crazy little monkeys." Cameron began. "I guess I forgot about that image when we first encountered the Shadow issue."

He paused and walked toward a nearby flower bush. There were gorgeous lavender hibiscus flowers with busy bees flying nearby.

"He promised me that he would provide a family; that we would have all the time in the world together, forever, to raise as many children as I wanted." His eyes glossed over with some tears, but none of them shed. He looked down at the ground with a smile, letting out a small chuckle.

"I guess, I'll just have to look at Zayden, Alexia, and Hazel as if they were my children. Hell, I've been here since Aidan was still a toddler." He chuckled some more. I smiled widely. He was right.

Jilly and Cam have been here not too long after my discovery of this kingdom. They've been here basically for as long as I have.

"We're all family. Whatever we have, we will share." Jilly announced then pulled everyone into a hug.