Or I'll Kill You

Or I'll Kill You Ch. 15

Fifteen

Nate just let me go, and I was able to walk home. When I got there, everyone was waiting for me in the living room. "Well?" My Mom pressed, "Did you get him? Where's Otto? Maeve, where is he?"

I looked at my Mom, and hated her for a minute. She was the reason why I was the one being targeted. I looked exactly like she did when she was younger, and because she attacked Nate, he thought it was me.

She was small, and had long dark brown hair like I did, and chocolaty brown eyes. Now she was weaker and smaller now. "Well Maeve?" She pressed.

I looked around at all the faces, and tried to find Jesse's, but then I remembered that he was still angry at me, and wasn't talking to me at the moment. But I wanted Jesse to be there right now, because I needed someone to comfort me.

"Spit it out Maeve," Afton snarled.

"It was the same vampire that killed Mackenzie," I whispered, "And now he's got Otto and Matthew. Didn't anyone notice he was missing?"

No one answered me, and I kicked the table over. I pushed everything out of my way to get out all of my anger. "You know he's torturing them?" I snapped, looking at my family, "Took a silver blade, and pierced it in Matthew's ankle, thigh, and side. Then his accomplice took the blade and put it into Otto's ankle and side."

"But Otto's not a wolf," Ian called.

"Does it matter?" I growled, my eyes tearing up, "Before I left he said I had three days to find them, and if I didn't he'd find me and make me watch them die before he killed me."

"Why is he doing this?" Rose whispered, as she held tightly to her Mother.

I looked directly at my Mom and she looked at me as if she really didn't know why. "It's a form of torture," I whispered, "To get back at me for holding Nate down while we killed his brother. He said I gave him the scar under his eye."

Mom suddenly looked like she realized what I was saying. Her eyes widened, and she started to cry. "This is all my fault," She cried, covering her face with her hands.

My bottom lip started to quiver, and I cried in front of my family. They all just stared at me as if they didn't know what to do. So I felt humiliated just standing there as tears slowly slid down my face.

"Maeve," Someone whispered, and I looked to the side. Coming out of the kitchen was Jesse. He leaned against the kitchen door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "Jesse, I really am."

"Don't be," He whispered. He held his arms open to me, and I rushed into them. He held me tightly, and I rested my head on his chest. He held me tightly, and pulled me into the kitchen so that I wouldn't have to be seen like this. "Do you love him Maeve?" He asked in my hair.

I thought of the pain it made me feel when Samantha dug the knife into Matthew's side. When he screamed out in pain, I did too, and it was like my heart was slowly breaking.

"It's not my fault," I cried, "I'm sorry Jesse, I'm so sorry."

Jesse sighed, and held me tightly. "I guess I'll learn to share," He sighed.

I looked up at him, resting my chin on his chest. "I don't want you to share though," I whispered.

"But I'll have too," He pouted.

"I know," I cried, kissing his chest.

Jesse sighed, and rested his forehead on mine. I just tried to think I was lucky, but I knew I wasn't. I was stubborn, headstrong, hardheaded, and strong, but I was never lucky. I wasn't really generous either, but for some reason everyone put up with that.

"What're we going to do?" Jesse asked, "Where would we look?"

"I don't know," I confessed, "Jess, I don't know what to do."

"Did he give you any clues?" Jesse asked.

"No," I laughed, "Nothing."

"Well-" Jesse started.

"MAEVE," Afton yelled, "Someone left something at the door for you!"

I looked at Jesse, and then walked towards the front door. Everyone was crowded around the front door. I pushed through to see a dead bird on my porch. "What is that?" I snapped.

"It's such a pretty bird," Reed muttered, trying to sound hopeful.

"It's got two bites," Mom whispered in horror, "Vampire bites."

"Is it a clue?" Jesse asked, leaning over my shoulder.

"What kind of bird is that?" I asked, "Does anyone know?"

"Hold on," Daye whispered, "I've almost got it."

She had a big bird book in her arms, and was scanning down the page. "Okay it's a cardinal," She explained, "And it's the national bird of...."

"Of where?" I asked.

"Of North Carolina," She whispered.

"North Carolina?" Jesse and I yelled.

"Well how are we going to get there?" Mom asked.

"Wait a second," I said, "I have to go alone."

"No, I'm going too," Jesse argued.

"Alright, Jesse and I will go," I sighed, "And we'll have to go right away!"

"You can't run the whole way," Ida snapped.

"Yeah," I muttered.

"But we don't have a car," Jesse said, "And we don't know how to drive one."

"What about someone in school?" Mom asked.

Then an evil idea struck me. I looked up at Jesse, and smirked. "Oh no Maeve, oh no," He growled, "No way!"

"This boy I sat next to," I whispered, "We might be able to persuade him. Come on Jess, let's go pack."

I grabbed his hand, and ran up the stairs with him. I pulled out the single suit case we had, and put all our things into the suitcase. "I won't allow it," He snapped.

"Jesse, you don't own me," I whispered.

"You know what I mean Mae," He sighed.

"Are you going to help me pack?" I asked, putting my hand on my hip.

He sighed, and placed some things on the bed. I pushed everything into the suitcase and sat on it while Jesse zippered it. He grabbed my hand, and helped me off. Then I grabbed our coats as he took the big bag downstairs.

"You're leaving so soon?" Mom asked.

"The sooner, the better," I told her, "Give Teresa a kiss for me." I kissed her on the head, and then walked out the door with Jesse.

"Wait," Mom called, and she followed me out the door. "Maeve, I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"It's alright Mom," I told her, "I probably would have gotten into this mess anyway. I love you."

"I love you too," She whispered, kissing my forehead.

I looked at Jesse and asked, "Ready to find Max?"

"No," He grumbled.

"Good, let's go," I said, and we were off digging ourselves deeper in the hole. Who knew what Max would say? Hopefully he would say he was our side.