Aiden's car pulled up, they hadn't said much to each other after Isaac's phone call, but Aiden couldn't help but feel like a storm was brewing. It didn't occur to him that he would find out about him and Ally in the garden. Ally could sense he was suddenly nervous and gave a confused look.
"Hey, your hearts beating fast what's wrong?" Just as he was about to answer Isaac stormed through the entrance doors eyes locked with him. Ally could see the vexation in his eyes.
"Ally get back." Aiden readied himself in a fighting stance, but Ally wasn't standing for it. Ally stepped in-between them hands pressed against both of their chests. Isaac swung the first punch, but Ally caught it with ease and pushed him back.
"Isaac, if your throw another punch I'm going to throw one back. Stop this." Ally gave him a warning tone and Isaac smirked seeing Aiden standing behind her.
"Did you try to mark her?" he said gritting his teeth his blood red eyes glowing bright. Ally soon realized what this was about. Aiden didn't say anything, Ally didn't know what to say either.
"If you ever touch her again, I'll rip your throat out. What did you tell her that the spire bond didn't work unless she wanted it too?" Ally was confused. Aiden quickly stiffened up, he didn't realize his brother knew about it.
"What is he talking about?" Ally turned around and questioned Aiden. He sighed and ignored her.
"Brother don't…" he was practically pleading; what Ally didn't know was he had been hiding a very important detail from her about the spire bond.
"No, you want to keep her in the dark. How selfish could you be?" Ally knew he was hiding something from her she could see the fear in his eyes.
"Tell me." She said bluntly. They had finally broken that barrier where she trusted him and all along, he was hiding something from her. Earning her trust was like climbing a mountain, it was a slippery slope but once conquered you were safe.
Aiden, "Ally…"
"Don't Ally me, what is he talking about Aiden." Aiden leaned against his black Audi A8 resenting his brother for making him tell her this, he wanted to keep this from her in fear she would despise him. Sighing he looked her in the eyes.
"I lied about not taking advantage of you. A spire can influence their emotions on another spire. Meaning if I wanted you to feel something you would, it also means that this pull that we have is one-sided. I wanted you, so I made you want me. Every you've been feeling is my influence. I'm sorry Ally." Ally couldn't comprehend what he was implying, she didn't understand how he could keep this from her.
"So, your saying everything I've felt since I was turned is your influence. None of it was me?" she spoke darkly slowly realizing that this made sense. It always baffled her how she felt so empty when he wasn't there. Aiden nodded shamefully.
"I can't believe you could be so cowardly, why couldn't you just be patient huh? Instead you manipulated me behind my back and expect me not to leave. I was right I'm better off alone at least then I know what I feel is true." Ally wasn't angry she was disappointed in herself for not seeing it sooner, she could feel something was different which is why she'd been so emotionally unstable but never thought it would have been Aiden behind it. Ally turned around to face Isaac who was looking quite pleased with himself.
"And you can stand there grinning until your hearts content but your just as guilty for hiding that from me. Jealous is a cover for insecurity, you thought he was a threat, so you decided to put him down but instead created a deeper hole for yourself. I'm done playing the middle girl while you two contend like children. Stay away from me, you don't own me, and you have no right to think anyone else can't." with that Ally scowled and went into the mansion. Both brothers stood in shock, it was if she'd washed her hands clean of them.
"Great, excellent job Dash. What did you hope to achieve by telling her that? Did you think she'd hate me and run into your arms?" Aiden was furious he never wanted Ally to know he was practically forcing her to fall for him. Isaac suddenly didn't feel so clever.
"I told you if you used that spire bond against her then I wouldn't forgive you. If you hadn't of used that bond, then we wouldn't be standing here right now." Isaac rolled his eyes and went back to the mansion. Aiden leaned against the car with his head up looking at the starts frustrated he'd let it go so far. Ally was just starting to accept him, and he'd blew it.
--------------------------------Joseph's office---------------------
Joseph was filling out some paperwork when he heard a faint knock at the door.
"Enter." He watched as Ally walked in her face red with rage, she needed some guidance and something to take her mind off things. She'd noticed Joseph was good with that sort of thing.
"Joseph I'm sorry to bother you but could we go over the case notes." Joseph could see her leg shaking as she tried to calm herself down.
"You don't have to apologize of course we can." Joseph got out her file and began reading through it. Ally stared off into space reminiscing her time spent with Aiden and how disheartened she felt knowing deep down majority of what she felt wasn't real.
"Your opening statement is perfect the council can't object to your testimony as long as you have witnesses to validate your claims." Ally nodded conservatively.
"What about the jury and family attendant have their names been released yet?" Ally was asking hoping Eli wasn't on the family attendant list, if he was then she would struggle with composure. After what he did to her, she couldn't even cope with the thought of seeing that sadistic smile again. She could still taste his blood in her mouth if she thought about it too much.
"Ally he won't be able to do anything to you during trial, if he does, he will be reprimanded and punished. Plus, Isaac and Aiden will be there." Ally rolled her eyes hearing their names. Joseph noticed that and guessed they had overwhelmed her.
"Could I ask what they've done." Ally sighed and looked down hopelessly.
"Aiden used the spire bond on me and Isaac hasn't changed one bit, I can't trust them Joseph. Forgive me for speaking ill of your sons but I can't do this anymore, I'm exhausted." Joseph didn't take offence and smiled at her sympathetically.
"Ally, a person who truly loves someone will never let them go because that's human nature. Selfish as it may be my boys don't want to lose you but are suffocating you at the same time. I also believe before you can love someone you have to learn to love yourself." Ally listened intensely hearing the sincerity in his words. Joseph was smart and observant, he quietly evaluated people not seeming too crude or overbearing by letting his thoughts run freely but now he could see she needed guidance. This girl had suffered for a long time as now she was slowly finding herself.
"I wish it was that easy. How can I love someone, I don't even know? When I look at myself and the things I've done, if I was a person on the exterior looking in, I would be afraid Joseph. I would run for miles that's why I don't understand why they are so adamant to fix me. I'm not asking anyone else to do that, I'm asking them to support me while I save myself." Joseph looked at her admirably, she had such wisdom for such a young soul.
"Ally, I need to ask you somethings that's been bothering me." Ally looked up in interest.
"How have your regeneration abilities been since your transition?" Ally thought about it for a while and realized it hadn't been very consistent yet when she was a wolf, they were a lot quicker.
"It's been selective, sometimes I can heal in seconds yet other times It can take days. That reminds me when… when I healed James you seemed worried." Joseph took a file from his desk and handed it to her. Ally opened it up and every hair strand stood up seeing Lucian's face on the first page.
"The only ever vampires who were able to heal both humans and vampires are this family. Lucian in particular, his talent was being able to regenerate limbs to curing deadly illness. What you did seemed insignificant to you but to me it's revolutionary, if you inherited this ability in your transition I wonder if you contain other abilities excluding the speed and strength which are also excelling." Ally flicked through the file dumbfounded, she had never even considered her abilities. Being so caught up in the constant drama and turmoil she failed to understand what being a hybrid really ensued.
"I thought it wasn't possible for turned vampires to inherit abilities, so I was right I'm a supernatural anomaly. I also don't understand how my wolf gene is still present, Isaac was turned, and his wolf gene was disposed of."
"I've been theorizing but I can't identify any other hybrids on record. If you are the first of your kind then finding the answer will be troublesome, we just have to work this out for ourselves. If anything changes or you experience any other anomalies, make sure to record it." Ally nodded.
"Could I keep this for reference? I'd like to correlate any experiences maybe it can give me some answers." She said staring at Lucian's profile with a grim expression, seeing his face again brought back that night like a bad dream.
"Of course, if you need me, I'm here." Ally thanked him and exited the office clutching the file in her hand.
--------------------Ally's room------------------------
Ally actively avoided seeing Aiden or Isaac and made her way back to her room. Helen and Blake were sitting talking at the table only to cease when she entered.
"You don't have to talk about me behind my back, if you're worried about something then tell me. Or are you going to hide it from me like Quinn?" her tone was bitter, and Blake could see she was in a bad mood, seeing Isaac's reaction he could guess why.
"Sis, I'm sorry for telling Isaac. I didn't mean to cause trouble for you." Ally scoffed feeling no sympathy for him.
"Yeah, well you did Blake but don't worry I learned a valuable lesson." Her tone suddenly softened.
"I learned that I can't trust anyone, sometimes it's better just to keep your enemies closer." Helen sighed to see her walls were up yet again.
Helen, "Ally, your brother was just looking out for you. I know your angry, but you can't start pushing everyone away again. It's too late for that."
Ally, "At what point was he looking out for me? Keeping important information from me and protecting me are two completely different things. You can stop defending him he's nineteen years old mom, if he still needs your guidance 24/7 then maybe he shouldn't be running a pack." Ally wasn't even considering what she was saying, in fact she didn't really care.
Blake, "If you didn't think I was capable the why did you promote?" he asked sadly.
"You're perfectly capable brother but you still have to learn a lot of things. Number one, is keeping your mouth shut about matters that don't concern you. Number two, is confiding in your Beta instead of withholding information. Number 3 is to stop doubting yourself if you lack resolve then so does your pack. Finally, stop being so reliant on other people and grow up." Blake stood up in anger clenching his fists, this was the first time Ally had spoken to him so harshly.
Blake, "Fine, if you know my duties so well then you run it." He sounded like a brat, it was an honour to be an Alpha, yet he spoke about giving the role away so carelessly.
"Do you know how many people would kill for your role? Stop being a brat and take my advice, there are ques of people waiting to take your place. If you've learned anything from me, let it be that you shouldn't take being superior so lightly. After everything our father did to us you finally have a chance to make a change Blake, don't throw it away." Blake felt suddenly defeated because she was right, he needed to look after his pack. Ally wanted him to be independent because she couldn't promise she would be by his side to guide him.
"Look, I know your hearts in the right place it always has been. Blake you need to stop worrying about me. I know things are hard right now, but I'll get through it. I always do, please don't keep secrets from me. I'm your Beta it's my duty to support you not the other way around." Blake walked over and hugged her hearing the remorse in her voice. Ally tried to be bitter but seeing his big blue eyes broke down her walls effortlessly, she could never stay angry at him. Playfully she patted his cheek.
"I need to talk to mom could you give me a minute please." Blake looked at her wearily, she never volunteered to talk to their mom. Blake nodded hesitantly and looked at Helen who was just as shocked, slowly he walked out, and Ally closed the door behind him pressing her head against it. This was the conversation she was dreading but it had to happen while she still had her head straight.
"Mom…I have a favour to ask of you." She said sadly, Helen had a hunch what this was about.
"I need you to make sure Blake is alright when I'm gone." Helen felt her body shiver, she wasn't expecting this.
"Gone? So, you weren't just speaking out of anger." Ally peeled her head from the door and sat down with her mother.
"No, I think finally I was speaking sense. It's too dangerous for you all if I stay here. I'm going to take my inheritance from grandma and go as far away as I can. Hopefully, Eli will follow." Helen looked at her in despair, she had just gotten her back and now she was leaving?
"Blake needs you Ally. What about Isaac and Aiden you're just going to leave them too?"
"There's a difference between wanting something and needing something. As for Isaac and Aiden, I'm tired of their childish games. I'm exhausted mom if anything I felt better when I was alone. At least then I didn't have to worry about constantly keeping up appearances. I'm worried all the time waiting for someone else I care about to get hurt. The problem isn't you, it's me, ever since I transitioned my heads been on the block and I refuse to let you all join me."
"Ally, have you thought about how everyone else would feel if you just left. Blake would be devastated; Aiden and Isaac wouldn't know what to do with themselves." Ally rolled her eyes these were all things she'd already considered but this was for their own good.
"None of that matters, they've survived just fine without me before. I'm selfish and I know that but…I can't lose any of you mom. The truth is I'm scared, I still don't know fully what I am. If I were to lose one of you—" Ally retracted her words fearing to admit what she would become if that were to happen. Helen cold see the struggle on her face and began to look at it from her perspective. It would kill Ally leaving them behind, but she was the target and they were collateral. This wasn't her way of pushing them all away, it was her way of keeping them safe. Helen took Ally's hand causing her to jump.
"I understand. I'll look after Blake while your gone but I have a favor to ask of you in return." Ally nodded her to continue.
"When this is all over, come back…" Ally didn't want to make false promises but nodded in agreement. If it would ease her mother's mind, then she would lie eternally. Eli was strong, stronger than Lucian and she barely survived that encounter. Ally wasn't sure if she faced him her heart would be strong enough to win. Helen hugged her and left leaving Ally all alone with her thoughts. Ally took out Lucian's file and began reading about the pure-bloods. After scanning over the notes something caught her eye. Pure bloods were the only ones able to turn people and they were very selective. It allocated special consideration, but Ally couldn't understand how Joseph was allowed to turn Isaac. It said turning a human without the consent of the royal was punishable by death, meaning Isaac must have been turned with their consent. It also stated that people could not be turned unless they were on the brink of death. There was a lot of rules in order to control the vampire population. Lucian once said to her he didn't want to see a waste of potential and had been watching her for a while as if he knew she would be killed. She began speculating if he would have turned her even if she wasn't on deaths door.
--------------------------------------Fox nightclub-------------------------
Eli sat in a private booth woman surrounding him, casually he fed like the world made and exception for him. Girls moaned seductively with each bite, but he recovers no satisfaction from them, there was only one girl on his mind. Red and yellow lights from the dance-floor would occasionally strike his eyes igniting the blood red ringlets filled with sadism. His blonde hair was stroke by the escorts around, yet he didn't grin once his face was stone-cold. These were just pathetic disposable humans who held no value. Eli pinned one of the girls against the seat and drained her in seconds leaving her lifeless body dangling, the other girl immediately got up and fled leaving his casually sipping his whiskey without a care in the world.
"You were never one for being discreet were you Eli?" A blonde woman with glowing red eyes stroked the dead girls face. Eli didn't even glace at her and continued drinking.
"What's wrong brother, you called for me, yet you look so disdained. Do you still hate me?" Eli glared at her with warning eyes, smirking she sat down seductively on the leather seat opposed. This woman was flawless, she had young cherry lips and big red eyes. Her long hair was a yellow blonde and she wore biker leather tightly showing off her hourglass figure.
"I found her Camilla." Camilla's eyes suddenly widened then a grim expression masked her face.
"I see. What did father say about it?" Eli drank the last of his whiskey and glared at her.
"Father doesn't know about her and he won't find out either. That girl is mine." Camilla mistook her brother thinking he purely wanted revenge, he didn't want to kill Ally he wanted to own her.
"That girl killed our brother don't take the glory all for yourself. How does a mere girl have the power to kill one of us anyway." She said darkly, and Eli smiled.
"She's a hybrid that's why." Camilla's face turned white, there hadn't been a known hybrid in centuries.
"T-that's impossible they went extinct ages ago." Eli laughed at her naive perception.
"Why do you think the girl killed our brother?" Camilla didn't have an answer, Lucian was a sadistic pervert there would be countless reasons to kill him.
"Our brother turned her, so she could be his pet. Lucian never meant to create a hybrid, she's an exception to our world. Rarities like that don't serve anyone so she killed him for freedom." Camilla scoffed.
"Freedom, how nostalgic. No-one is free in this world so why should she be an exception?"
"I never said she was an expectation, I don't care what it takes I'll break her. Wouldn't it be fun having a hybrid as a pet in the castle?" Camilla smiled a sadistic smile.
"I'm at your service dear brother."