Leave {z.m.}

Twenty Five

"Stay away!" Adelaide shouted as she glared at the monster at the front door's entrance. 

She did not seem surprised or even afraid anymore, just angry. 

"He is the one who has been following you, Adelaide. He is a vampire, a monster." 

"Who are you?" She pressed, ignoring my words.

"Oh, sweetheart, I would love to tell you my name." 

"Don't," I warned her and she glanced at me with a confused expression. 

I shook my head and she tried to speak again, but I covered her mouth with my hand. I was shocked as she struggled against me as if I were the one trying to hurt her. 

"Zayn, stop. I make my own decisions!"

"How about I spell out my name for you and then you say my name at the end. Fair enough?" 

She contemplated this in her head. She could not say his name. She did not know what game he was playing, but I did not wish to make her think that I wanted to control her. I would never want that. I wished to be stronger, but I was afraid of losing her, of her pushing me away.

"Fine," she crossed her arms and waited. 

"L-O," he started. He paused and Adelaide became impatient. 

"I know your name isn't "Lo", so I suggest that you hurry up and spit it out already." 

I wanted to smile as I recognised the fire within her. I admired it.

"L-O-U-I-S," he finished spelling it out for her. 

"Please don't. Don't say his name," I pleaded. 

I did not understand why she would not listen to me. I was only trying to protect her. I wished she would see that! 

"Why are you so afraid of a single name?"

"Ah, ah, ah," He waved his index finger around in the air. 

"You know, I could easily kill every single person who lives near you within five minutes. I assume you would not want that on the news though. 'Everyone suspiciously dies except for a single man and his...toy'. You would be questioned endlessly."

"I don't believe that," Adelaide remarked with a stern look. 

"Alright then," He shrugged and disappeared. 

Before I could blink, he had a woman asleep in his arms. "Oh, I took her whilst she was sleeping. It certainly makes her death a quieter one."

Adelaide froze and I stepped forward. 

"Let her go. We do not need to bring innocent people into this." 

He raised an eyebrow, "Let her go? If you insist." 

Before a single second could go by, he had thrown her against the door frame and a snap was heard as her neck broke and she fell to the floor.

Adelaide gasped and slowly backed away. 

"You failed to mention how you wanted me to let go of her," he stated as he brushed his hands off.

 "Now say my name," he growled whilst staring at Adelaide. 

I found myself inept as she whispered his name and he entered the room in an instant. Saying a vampire's name was the key to allowing them to enter a home.

He pushed me out of the way easily before I could put up a fight. He started towards her and I yelled just as he screamed in anguish, holding his hand to his chest. I rushed over to Adelaide and the emotion on her face was of utmost bewilderment.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything," she repeated, zoning out. 

"What is she?" He was panicked, almost as if he was actually afraid of her. 

"What are you?!" He yelled out. 

"I didn't do anything." 

I wrapped my arms around her small body and pulled her to my chest. "I know, I know. You did not do anything."

I smoothed her hair down and moved her behind me; I was her shield from him, Louis, shrieking on the floor. I had deemed myself useless already though; all I wanted was to protect her, and I did absolutely nothing to follow through with that plan. I failed her, though she somehow protected herself.

Louis' hand was outstretched and I noticed a brutal burn mark on his palm. What could have caused that? Adelaide? That was impossible. Suddenly, he stood and bared his fangs at me and her. He was raged and if I could not do anything before, it would have been much more difficult now.

The only way I could stop him from doing anything irrational was saying it. I know it was him.

"Eleanor," I taunted quietly. 

I watched as his fangs slowly retracted until they could pass as ordinary teeth. His expression twisted from wrath to wretched and grief. 

"If you refrain from your violent behavior, I will tell you exactly how I know her name. Deal?" I professed.

I did not know how I felt about making deals with vampires; it had never occurred before.

"I'll play your game. Deal."