Owning the Vampire King

It's Time

"Lillian!"

My mother screamed up the stairs and I sighed, putting my bookmark in the pages and setting The Fault in Our Stars on my nightstand. Knowing that a simple answer wouldn't be enough, I made my way downstairs to see what she wanted.

"Yes, mother?"

My mother sat on our red couch, her curly brown hair reaching her lower back. Her hazel eyes met my mine, and she waved me over to sit by her, smiling the fakest smile I'd seen from her in a while.

Once I sat down, she pulled me in for a hug and tucked my waist-length, chestnut colored hair behind my ears. I would rather it be shoulder-length, but she won't let me cut it. She says it's prettier when it's long.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Adequately," I nodded, wishing I could just get back to reading my book. She should know by now that when I give one word answers, I don't want to talk.

"We need to talk."

Well that piqued my interest. That statement always means either something really good or something really bad.

"About?" I raised a brow, confused. My grades were decent, and I kept myself out of trouble. I'm not really a "normal" kid. I spend my time reading instead of on my phone, and I focus on my grades instead of boys or social media or whatever people my age did.

I mean, of course those things could be interesting and I learned from scenes in my books that boys and what they do could be nice. I just preferred to stay to myself.

What could she possibly want to talk about that would cause her to give me fake smiles and watch my expressions warily?

"I think- I think it's about time you got a slave, dear."

I recoiled almost immediately, looking at her incredulously. I find the fact that people own other beings repulsive. They may have been deathly dangerous at one point, but they are still living, breathing creatures.

Instead of treating them as such, people use them to do their bidding and train them into submission. Humans never even have the supernatural a chance to live in harmony with us.

My family was by no means poor, and had the money to afford at least twenty slaves, but I didn't want one. I just wanted to read my books in peace. That fact made my answer that much easier.

"My answer is no. I'm gonna head out, though. I'll be at the library from eight to ten, and then I'll be going to the park to read. I should be home by one in the afternoon." No longer wanting to be in the room, I stood up and walked towards the door.

I didn't get very far. Ethan, my mother's werewolf slave, grabbed my arm, keeping his icy gaze on my mother. At her nod, he lifted me from the ground with ease and carried me back to the couch. I glared at him.

You're supposed to be on my side, you dumb mutt.

The minute I was back on the couch, my mom resumed her little talk as if I had never tried to leave.

"We are the only house in this town where the oldest, and in your case only, child does not own a slave. You already make me look bad enough by always staying in your room and avoiding your peers. You don't even have friends, for heavens sake!Now, I've gone long enough being the laughing stock of this town. I have had enough of it. I am having Ethan take you to the auction house and you are going to get a slave! I will not take no for an answer, Lillian."

My brows were furrowed in confusion at her outburst. She's never yelled at me this way. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth and chewed on it, a nervous habit I've had since a young age. Nodding, I stood up, looking towards Ethan.