Eternally Hers

Part Thirty Three

Arabelle Warren

I barely slept at all that night.

After everything that had taken place in a mere twelve hours, it should have been expected that I'd fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow and I'd remain sleeping for many hours.

But I didn't.

The nightmares came with a ferocity I'd never known before. Macy lying bloodied on our front lawn, a dead Elden slouched in the chair in his living room while his poor dog was still alive in the house. Valentina's head lying feet away from her body, her expression forever one of fear and anguish.

I'd killed someone. I had taken a life. An immortal life, at that. I'd killed a woman that otherwise would have lived forever. Killing should come naturally for me, and functionally, it did. I shouldn't have known how to kill a Vampire and yet I had ended her life with ease. But emotionally? I wasn't prepared to kill. Even someone who'd been traumatizing my family and many families before us.

This was blood on my hands that I simply could not wash off. And I hated it.

Saoirse has gotten up before dawn to go deal with Valentina's remains. When she saw that I was already up, my face caked with tears, my knees pulled into my chest, she had pulled me into her arms and let me cry for almost an hour, whispering gentle words to me with her chin resting on the top of my head.

It was nearing eight now and she still hadn't come back. Normally, it wouldn't worry me. Valentina was dead. She was no longer a threat. But it was all too easy. Tess had told us that Valentina wasn't working alone. It seemed like the blonde Vampire was the leader, but we couldn't be entirely sure what her accomplice would do now, assuming they had no emotional ties to Saoirse or myself. If they were only following Valentina's command, it was likely they'd leave us unbothered, but I wasn't about to hold my breath on it.

I made my way out of bed and sluggishly put myself through my morning routine. I slipped into leggings and a cashmere sweater, sticking to socks instead of putting on shoes as I had no plans of leaving the house.

The main room was empty when I stepped in except for Willow, who was sitting at the island sipping what I assumed was coffee from one of our mugs. She barely made an effort to glance up at me as I entered, but she nodded her greeting nonetheless.

"Good morning," I nodded to her, stepping around the island to pour myself my own cup of coffee. "Have you or Tessa eaten breakfast this morning?"

"No, we haven't."

"Alright, I'll make some." I maneuvered around collecting everything I'd need to make breakfast, but before I began to make anything, I said, "Elden, you don't need food like this, but do you want some breakfast?"

Elden appeared in the hallway in seconds, the study door ajar, with a grateful smile. "Please!" He said quickly, and then paused. "Is it going to taste disgusting or make me sick?"

I couldn't force a laugh in response, but I did smile at him before turning back to the counter. "No," I assured him, "it tastes the same, it just does nothing for you."

"So I could eat anything and not gain weight at all?"

I nodded, back still to him. "Precisely. Saoirse really likes fruit gummies, she snacks on them all the time and it doesn't do anything to her."

"Good to know," the man mused from behind me.

It was then I turned back, taking in the Hunter and Vampire in front of me, and I frowned. "Where's Jamie?"

Elden's smile faltered. "She left about an hour ago to go talk to Dorothy. If I may ask... what was their relationship like?"

"You'll have to ask Jamie that," I replied, but I sent him a reassuring smile. "Meeting Saoirse was the best thing that ever happened to me. Meeting your mate in general is amazing. But it doesn't rid you of past pain, not entirely. I know it must be hard for you with Jamie because of Macy. It's hard on Jamie because of Dot, too."