Walking with the Vampire |COMPLETE|

37. Danielle

Danielle stepped aside and allowed them inside. They all gathered in the living area where the little mermaid was playing in the background.
'I believe you remember Fauna.' Nick asked her getting comfortable on the sofa.
She nodded. The guilt that had been gnawing softly in her belly intensified with Nick here. And the fact that he wasn't yelling or stressing the situation immediately had her feeling all the more shifty.
'Nick, I...'

'This is Cayden Lynch.' Nicholae tactlessly went on interrupting her before she could speak.
'Osei's cousin from the Valley.'
Danielle stared at the man who, now that she thought about it, bore some resemblance to Osei, the love of her life.
She wiped her clammy hands and offered one to Cayden who hesitated in taking it.
'Nice to meet you.'

'I wish I could say the same.' He bluntly replied letting her know that he already knew who she was.
It had been six months since she'd collaborated in the killing of her then fiancé and that wasn't nearly enough time for the pain in her chest to ebb away into obscurity.
She'd been dying to know how Osei was doing. Was he even still alive? Did he die? Did he remember her or had he completely erased her from his heart?
These were the questions that kept Danielle up at night trying to find the answers to. Standing before her was someone who could actually tell her about him.

'Let's all play nice.' Nick dryly said.

Clarissa came to stand beside Danielle holding her hand and sending a silent apology to her for ratting her out.
She patted her friends hand.

'We're leaving, Danielle, now. We're going to the Valley. I'm sure you've already seen your mother.'

Danielle frowned, she couldn't leave now.
'What about the parade?'

'What about the parade?' Nicholae sarcasm bit.
She didn't blame him for being angry at her but his display was an unusual contrast in his demeanor.

'I need to be there with my father and mother. And I just can't leave, my mother is sick.'
Nicholae stood from his seat and took three threatening steps towards her.

'Yes. Yes, you can. It is not safe here, you won't be safe out there. Your being here puts all of us in a spot we don't want to be in. That's why I brought the shapeshifter and a witch to try and cover our asses.'

There was the other thing.
'I don't know where you're taking me.' She complained.

'Did you not tell her anything?' Cayden asked Nicholae.

'I was working under the principle of a need to know basis. She already knows enough.'

Cayden rolled his eyes.
'Did He Tell you that witches, werewolves and vampires exist?'

'I didn't think Vampires existed.' Danielle slowly replied. It should have been a natural progression of thought but she hadn't thought about it since no one mentioned it. And honestly it wasn't a surprise to her because it wasn't as frightening as when she found out about werewolves and that she was in love with one of them.

'Well he's a vampire, I'm a wolf and she's a witch.' Cayden bluntly stated.
Danielle stared at Nick, why hadn't he told her? And how was he walking in the sun without combusting. The casual throw of information shook her trust in this man... no, vampire.

'I'm guessing the Valley is then home to all of you supernatural creatures?' She guessed.

'Exactly. So now that you know. We need to get moving, we've spent enough time here as it is.'
Nicholae said.