Celeste:
Death glares greeted us, Amelia wiping off the dot of blood off of his face. Cocking his head, he locked the doors behind him. Novi pulled me close to his hips, a nervous grin twitching on my lips. Benji stepped forward with Amelia in his arms, his head held high. A triumphant grin danced across his lips, his hand tossing his parents' fangs to the floor. Beaming with pride for my friend, my inner wolf warned me of a traitor in the crowd.
"I am your new king and you can't do a damn thing about it. Things can go either way. You can obey me like the obedient leeches you are, or I kill you all like the maggots you are." He announced with a rumbling laugh. "I know you all conspired to kill me. Celeste, my dearest friend, would like this to be as peaceful as possible." Novi kissed the top of my head, pride swelling in his eyes. Hearing the word friend felt so nice, my hands crossed. Hisses echoed around the room, his ruby eyes scanning the large ballroom. Dark wood lined the walls, the crystal chandelier flickered. A seven foot vampire stepped forward, his hand ripping a couple of swords off the wall. Tossing one to Benji, he raised it to the level of his eye. No more deaths should be had by my friend's hand, a discreet grow rumbled in my throat.
"I, Jackson Dreadfust, wish to kill you for treason against our king and queen!" He announced boldly, Benji raising his blade in response. "How could you kill your own mother and father, my dear nephew?" Tying his dirty blonde waves into a ponytail, his black lips curling into a malicious grin. His red eyes twinkled with malice, this pissing contest was pathetic. Stepping in between them, their swords hung limply by their sides. Collecting them, everyone gasped the moment I snapped them in half. Turning to the sea of tuxedos and sparkling gowns, Novi walked next to my side. Feeling his aura around mine relaxed my fraying nerves, my throat clearing. Vampires' level of emotional maturity proved to be rather pathetic, werewolves starting to show that they tended to only have major jealousy issues.
"Do you know how dirty your former king and queen was treating you?" I inquired serenely, scooping up their fangs. "Who here would try to assassinate their own child, their only child at that? Let's see a raise of hands." No one put their hands in the air, a devious grin spreading on my lips. Now that the tension had died just enough for everyone to pay attention, Benji called out for me to watch out. His uncle charged at me, my hands wrapping around his head. The wet crack thundered around the room, his head popping off with ease. Blood painted my face, his body collapsing into a heap. Placing his head gingerly at my feet, sharp gasps passed through the crowd as I stomped his head into a pile of brains and mush. All of my anger and frustration was finally released, my inner wolf sighing with relief.
"Since none of you raised your hands, I have another question." I chirped cheerfully, horror flashing on Novi's and Benji's face. "I don't play around with traitors. The question is how many of you were forced to be pawns? Please answer honestly, I am not in the mood for liars. The past few weeks have been a living hell for me, so please cooperate." All of them raised their hands, everyone's hand had been raised in honesty. Taking a deep breath, they lowered their hands cautiously. This result lined up with what I had sniffed out, the poor vampires had only been pawns in his parents cruel game of chess.
"Then accept him as your king or I will kill all of you for him. I can't stand for him to have his reputation tarnished. He is my best friend, and I have no problem getting my hands dirty." I continued briskly, crushing their fangs in my palms. "So what is your choice?" One by one, they bowed down to Benji and Amelia. Their foreheads pressed against the floor, Novi trembled next to me. No one tried to hurt my friends, Benj's eyes welled up with tears. Motioning for him to speak, Novi guided me behind them. Clearing his throat, Amelia intertwined his trembling fingers.
"I promise to be a much better ruler for all of you." He proclaimed valiantly, his face softening to a taxed smile. "From now on, you will be required to drink animal blood or your mates. We have killed too many humans, and must restrain ourselves. I have been drinking Amelia's blood from the moment we met, and I actually feel better. It restores your powers, so let's start our new diet tomorrow. You may now rise." Struggling to their feet, they all dumped out the human blood in their glasses into the nearby plants. Smiling warmly to himself, the local swing band began to play 'Sing, Sing, Sing.' Benji pulled me to the side, his shaking hands pulling out a handkerchief from his pockets. Wiping the blood off of my face, he chuckled softly to himself. My brow raised in response, his familial embrace shocking me.
"What the hell brought this on?" I queried playfully, his hand smacking the back of my head lightly. "I didn't do anything special." Grabbing my shoulders, a steady stream of tears flowed down his cheeks. Hugging me again, his tears soaked my shoulder. Were these tears of joy or sadness?
"How could you say you did nothing? You prevented me from looking like a total tyrant. They would never have agreed to me being their king. Are you okay?" He fussed over me like a mother would, my eye twitching with irritation. "I mean mentally. You did just admit to a bunch of vampires that you were mentally unstable." Peeling him off of me, my eyes fell on the brain and bone covering my boot. The sight made my vision blur, the gravity of the situation slapped my face.
"I am fine as I am going to be." I promised poorly, beginning to be horrified at what I just did. "He was going to hurt you. You can punish me anyway you wish." Shaking his head, a fit of laughter burst from his lips. Confusion dawned on my face, his last tears crashing to his shoes. Turning to leave, he buried his hands into his pockets. Glancing back at me, he tossed me an original copy of The Phantom of the Opera. A Cheshire Cat grin brightened my face, the words were all in French. That really wasn't a problem, my knowledge of the French language was rather vast. I didn't deserve such a treasure, I thought darkly to myself.
"That was my father's. He never liked the story but Novi told me that you loved the story." He sang jovially, dancing around. "I won't ever punish you for your services. That is your reward. Just promise me that you won't go around ripping off anymore heads." Shooting him a thumbs up, he waved goodbye as I clutched the book to my chest. Novi peeked his head around the corner, his hand pinning me to the wall. A low growl rumbled in my throat, my thighs rubbing together.
"What am I going to do with you, Celly?" He teased tenderly, tracing my lips. "Are you okay? You really broke everyone there. What is that?" Beaming ear to ear, I presented the book like it was a trophy. Raising his brow, he didn't understand. Squirming out of his hold, my feet barely touched the floor. This was the greatest gift a friend could give me, the excitement masking my growing dread.
"It is one of the original copies of The Phantom of the Opera." I babbled excitedly, hugging it to my chest. "Benji gave it to me as a thank you gift. Do you know how much these go for? He is awesome." Novi placed his hands on his hips, his worried expression slowing me down. Setting the book down, my arms curled around his neck. Pressing my lips against his sensually, his arms wrapped around my waist. Melting into each other's arms, his scent relaxed any tension I had. Spinning me around, he placed me onto his back. Grabbing my new book, he leapt out of the window. Bouncing off the walls, we ended up on the roof. Setting me down, he plopped down next to me. The tiles complained as Benji and Amelia climbed up, pleasant smiles were exchanged between us.
"Party too loud for you as well?" Novi suggested warmly, Benji and him now acting like friends. "We are actually going to head home. I get the sense we aren't welcome at the moment. Thanks for hosting us." Placing me on his back, he leapt onto the ground near his car. Fixing his hair, he opened the passenger door for me. Sliding into the seat, his loving gaze never left me. Cupping my face, his thumb traced my cheeks. Stress was written all over his face, his trembling hand clicking my seat belt. Slamming the door shut, his mood had shifted. Crashing into the driver's seat, the engine roared to life. His lips pressed into a thin line, my eyes falling on the blood on my dress. Oppressive silence hung between us, my eyes watching the trees flash by my window. Clearing my throat, his eyes refused to meet mine. I had gone too far, and I knew it. Bowing my head in shame, teardrops crashed onto my lap.
"I am sorry if I scared you. I understand if you want to get rid of me." I stammered brokenly, feeling worse by the second. "I screwed up and went too far. I am such a failure." Cupping the sides of my head, my whole world felt like it was crashing down around me. Why couldn't I just be a good girl and do as I am told? His hand reached for me, my body flinching involuntarily. Crap! Why did I do that! Lowering his hand, his fingers drummed on his lap. Every cell in his body wanted to make me feel better, frustration brewed on his face.
"I am not mad at you. I am just worried for your mental health. We lost you for three weeks and I don't want you to get that bad again." He explained himself gently, my body shaking against my will. "Not to mention, you jumped off of a building. You were so sad you broke your wolf. Forgive me for being overprotective. I just want you to stay okay. Also I am pretty sure you are beginning to have an anxiety attack." He wasn't wrong, my chest had been tightening. Pulling over to the side of the road, he turned off the engine. Sinking further into my anxiety attack, my breathing grew shorter. Undoing my seat belt, I couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Collapsing to my knees, my legs felt like jelly. Novi clutched me to his chest, his chin resting on my head.
"I am such a mess." I wheezed, the words coming out like slow squeaks. "You should go find a better mate. You can do so much better." Gripping his jacket, he began to rock me back and forth. Crying uncontrollably, his shoulder caught most of my tears. Shushing me, he began to hum a random song. Bit by bit, my breathing slowed down. Telling me to breathe in and to breathe out, his words brought me back to my normal. An angry migraine began to throb, his finger lifting up my chin. Tears still flooded from my eyes, my muscles still feeling like jelly. Passion burned in his eyes, a gentle rage showing in the tenseness of his muscles.
"I won't go find a new mate." He growled through gritted teeth, his face softening at my numb expression. "I don't care how many attacks you have but I will always be there to hold you. It must have been something I said." Shaking my head, he was wrong. The only reason for my attack was the pressure getting to me, a weak smile dimming my face. The emotional cork had exploded from the bottle, every messy aspect of my life spilling across the cold dirt.
"It was just everything getting to me." I admitted sheepishly, feeling like a small child. "I just feel like the whole world is on my shoulders. I feel like I would disappoint everyone if I just set it down just for a minute. I must seem like an immature idiot to you." Kissing the top of my head, his tired smile didn't really help. Yawning groggily, my head rested on my chest. Rubbing my back, his mind searched for what to say.
"You had a traumatic life. You can't expect yourself to heal in a minute." He whispered sweetly into my ear. "I was blessed with a good life with parents who loved me. I may not understand but we work through it. How about we seek a werewolf therapist? You would get better if you just saw someone. Can you promise me that? I know they are rare but they also know how to handle your inner wolf as well." That would be like finding a needle in a haystack but if it put a stop to the nightmares and panic attacks it was something that I would do for him. I would lay down my life for him, and he knew it. I couldn't put him through the hell of not sleeping for weeks again, the guilt beginning to eat at me.
"Okay. I will go to therapy. I can't put you through the endless weeks of no sleep again. You looked like hell and it was all my fault." I uttered in a defeated tone, a satisfied smile lit up his face. "We can go home if you want." A devilish grin danced across his lips, his arms scooping me up. Yawning groggily, sweet slumber stole me away to dreamland.
Jerking awake, Novi was nowhere to be found. Glancing around, the early morning rays flickered on the wall. Swinging my feet over the bed, my pale skin was soaked with clammy sweat. Nausea wracked my stomach, my bare feet skidding into the bathroom. Vomit flew up my throat, my fingers gripping the sides of the toilet bowl. Another bout of vomit burned its way up my throat, Novi rushed in with his phone to his ear. Holding my hair back, my eyes narrowed in his direction. Still not awake enough to hear the conversation, he hung up the phone. Rubbing my back, he helped get back up. Wiping my mouth off, he sat me down on the bed. Shifting through the closet, he picked out a soft yellow sweater dress and my boots. Such a curious choice of an outfit, I thought nervously to myself.
"I found a therapist but he is four hours away. We have to leave now." He said exhaustively, adjusting his fresh Italian navy suit. "Just let me help you." Struggling with my bra, his steady hands helped me out. Pulling the dress over my head, the deep v-neck emphasized my cleavage. Novi slid on my boots, embarrassment burning my cheeks. Helping me up, the nasty vomit taste still poisoned my taste buds. Placing me on his back, he stopped by the kitchen. Grabbing the cooler, my brow cocked. Leaving a note on the counter, his neat signature made my heart skip a beat. Locking the door behind him, he set me down in the passenger seat. Rushing to the driver's side, he watched me put in my seat belt. Crashing into his seat, the engine roared to life. Dread bubbled in my stomach, the idea of talking to a stranger scaring the shit out of me. My whole life I had no one to talk to, my body beginning to tremble. No, now was not the time. Taking a deep breath, this shouldn't be so frightening.
"Thank you." I mumbled groggily, a piece of gum resting in his palm. "Thanks for that as well." Chewing on the gum distracted me while taking away the bitter taste in my mouth, my fingers scratching at the top of my hands. Gazing over at Novi, black bags hollowed out his eyes. Had he spent all night calling around? My lips parted to speak, his hand cupping mine stealing all of my words away. Tears welled up in my eyes, the guilt of me trapping him in my mess gnawing at me.
"Don't worry about me. I simply wanted you to start getting better." He commented lovingly, his lips kissing the top of my hand. "I could only get the appointment for once a month. I know it isn't much but is the best I can do." He apologized sincerely, making sure I stopped scratching at the top of my hands. "We don't have to talk. Just enjoy the ride." Turning on the radio, my eyes watched the trees turn into the highway. Nodding off, the bumps on the road kept waking me up. Random people talked about the latest news, the words not even entering my ears.
"A fun story to tell all of you about." A deep male southern voice twanged, his fellow hosts all laughing with him. "A viral video of a female Phantom of the Opera has surfaced. Everyone is wondering who she is." A raspy female interrupted him, her voice reminiscent of a warm cinnamon roll. Novi beamed with pride, his fang hanging over his lip. Nervous laughter tumbled from my lips, my hands quaked violently. Hide, I wanted to hide.
"You have to watch it. Her voice was amazing." She complimented excitedly, clapping her hands. "She was the best actor to play that role in a long time. If I knew who she was, I would pick her brain. Moving on." Her voice drowned out, my ears becoming beet red. Chuckling nervously, my mind now wide awake. Ripping out my phone, a thousand alerts bombarded me. All of them were congratulating me with different emojis, my quaking fingers shoving the phone back into my purse. Sinking further into the seat, nothing good was going to come of this.
"Well, someone is internet famous." He joked lightly, my anxiety growing by the second. "I won't let anyone get near you, don't worry." The last thing I needed was attention, my phone going off every second. Snatching it from my purse, my jaw dropped. The video had a million views, Novi tossing me a blanket from the bag. Hiding underneath it, the darkness felt so nice. My love of small spaces began when the bad abuse began, the reasoning being that no one else could fit in there with me. Alone, I wanted to be alone. Novi let me be, my eyes reading the comments. Not one was mean, most of them saying that I had the voice of an angel. Opening my social media page, it was just a bunch of trash. Pulling out my headphones, my fingers hovered over Sootube. Selecting three long hours of scary stories, Novi moved the blanket. Plugging in my phone to his radio, the stories began to play. Crimson colored my cheeks, another piece of my life had been exposed.
"So this is what you listen to when you are cooking." He mused playfully, turning it up. "This sounds fun." His smile faded to gritted teeth, the gorier the details got. Shrugging, his hand wrapped around mine. Horror wasn't his thing, my frayed nerves relaxing. These stories may stress others out but they took my mind somewhere else. Opening the glove box, he pulled out the newest Stephen King book. A wide grin brightened my face, he was spoiling me. Opening the book, he smiled warmly to himself. Getting lost in the twisted tale of horror, my inner wolf was wagging. She loved books just as much as I did. This ride was going to be the best ride in a long time.