Levi.
Chop! Chop! Chop!…
A warm hand slowly grazes over my forearm, and I'm startled out of my zoned out phase. I reluctantly blink, and I know I did it again—for the third time just this evening.
"Is there's something on your mind?" My mother asks.
No.
I want to respond, but my mouth betrays me by staying shut. I only shake my head to mean, no. Of course, she can see past that because she places a pad of her fingers under my chin—although she's shorter than me, she makes me look into her small eyes. This is the part where I can't lie. It's as though she can see right through me, like I said earlier. She knows me more than I know myself, and some part of me hates that fact.
"Spill" she whispers. I can tell she is being careful with me. She always is, but some moments, she goes a mile further—like now.
"It's nothing Mom. I'm okay" I respond, more of a growl under my breath. It's in times like these that I feel like I need to be alone because my emotions are a whirlwind inside me, and the worst part is I can't place where that is coming from. It's infuriating, frustrating even.
"Are you sure about that?" Her eyes leave mine and drift to the chopping board under my hands.
I can only imagine what's down there.
Hesitantly, I avert my gaze to the chopping board and oh that poor cucumber, I have sliced it in a rather disturbing and assassin-like way. I stifle a sigh, I have no idea when that happened but clearly, I had taken all my mixed feelings on that poor thing.
"Levi, c'mon" Sandy presses and I hate her sweet luring voice. This voice can make you spill your deepest secrets, take You to sleep or wake you up.
"It's just-"
"It's her." She states, with a cocked eyebrow.
I nod. She knows, of course, she knows it's about none other than Ivy. This changes everything, it actually makes the whole situation worse because this is not supposed to be happening, but here I am.
"She went to their party" I continue. A sad expression dawns on my mother's face when I utter these words. It saddens her because she knows what I mean and what exactly I'm saying.
"It's dangerous" I state. Like she doesn't already know that. I don't know why I feel the need to protect her from 'them'.
"Will she be alright?" She asks.
I shrug, making another clear horizontal cut through the already ragged cucumber. "For now… I want to protect her Mom, but I can't."
My heart clenches in my chest as though it's being squeezed. Sandy only cups my cheeks, and she wants to utter something when the doorbell sounds through the kitchen.
"Coming!" she shouts and turns to me.
"It's her mom" I respond, uninterested.
"Have you seen Ivy? I thought you went with her to this party she told me she was attending, I'm worried about her…" Barb chirps as soon as she enters the house.
I wipe my hands over my black jeans before facing her. "Mrs Myers, no I didn't go with Ivy, but she will be safe" I say with no conviction at all. Hell, I'm not even sure she will be okay, for all I know those bloodthirsty monsters could dig their fangs into her appealing neck. Fuck. I groan mentally, I hate to feel this about her.
I know it's wrong, it is barely a year since my mate passed on, and I am already lusting on another woman? How inhumane could that be? I hate the vampires and their entire race, origin, or existence—why the fuck did they even exist. They are supposed to be dead, hell they're dead.
"Is it okay if you check up on her?, I'd be relived if I knew she was with you, Levi, please" Barb let's out an anxious plea.
Sandy looks at me and shrugs. I want to do this, but I know it's going to be pure chaos if I stepped foot in that place. Talk of territories and I hadn't even had any chats, since Lexi passed.
My eyes dart between Barbara—just a desperate, oblivious mother, who needs her daughter to be safe, and Sandy—a mother who knows what's at stake. It is now in my hands to decide what to do, whether to go on with this and step foot in the dead man's territory or to just sit back and hope they won't turn her or worse; kill her.
Ivy, is such an attractive and a sweet girl, it would be a great loss to turn her into a blood sucking monster. I can only imagine how her mother will feel…
I need to do something. I have to save her.
"I will grab my jacket and head over there" I respond, my voice is not even steady, fuck my heart is faltering. I make my way to my room, the wood beneath my feet creaks with each step I make towards my closet. I can go in my shirt and jeans I have no problem, though it's freezing outside. I bet you heard of the saying. 'Werewolves are warm-blooded supernaturals' trust me I'm not showing off, but it is true. For the show, though, I grab a brown hoodie and slid it over my head. It ruffles my hair a bit, but I don't care, it's always ruffled.
I head back downstairs and find Sandy settled next to Barbara, coffee mug in hand, and she is probably convincing Barbara that nothing will happen to Ivy—but she and I know, anything can happen to her daughter.
"I will bring her home… safely." I speak, even when I have no idea how true those words are. They still escape my lips, and I wish I didn't say them with so much conviction. I regret it immediately because if anything else happens, I will carry the weight of not being able to bring Barb her daughter and I will have to live with that…
That same weight I felt when I lost Lexi.
"Please Levi" Barb continues, I only nod and give her an assuring smile. It barely reaches my eyes, but God knows she needs it. I step outside our warm yellow and white suburban house. Sandy—as if on cue—follows me outside. The air tenses up with words unspoken, and I try to shake it off with a small sigh.
"I will be fine." I assure her, too. Clearly, she needs it as much as Barbara does.
"Be safe, I feel bad sending you out there on your own. I know they're monsters, but you know our situation." sandy says and cups my cheeks. Her hands are warm, so are her eyes, staring straight into mine as if she is giving me light.
I only nod. I know 'our situation' alright.
"No I'm serious Levi, be safe out there and don't…" she trails off, I know what she is about to say next. She holds back, but I shake my head, I can't believe how long it's been, but my wounds are still as fresh as ever.
"Don't turn this into the 'Lexi situation'" she warns in a low tone.
"I…won't," I pause, I look into her eyes and I can tell she is not convinced—this is likely to turn into the 'Lexi situation' as she puts it. "I promise."
I like to lie here and there, but anyone who knows me well enough, knows I never break my promises—although, I'm not entirely sure that this time I will be able to keep it.
Buckle up.