Anya slowly woke up, her eyelids fluttered as she became aware of her surroundings. She found herself lying on a couch, and as her vision cleared, she saw the three men—Kai, Damien, and Zephyr—watching her closely. She was consumed by fear when she remembered Damien's words.
"Stay back!" she shouted, her voice was shaky as she scrambled to sit up, pressing herself against the back of the couch. "Don't come any closer!"
The men exchanged glances, their expressions were calm, almost patient. Her heart pounded as she prepared to run, but Kai spoke.
"Damien, do it."
Her eyes widened. "Do what?" she asked, her voice trembled with confusion.
Damien wasted no time. He gripped her arm firmly, and before she could react, he looked her dead in the eye. "Forgive me," he muttered under his breath, then added, "Forget everything I told you up until this moment."
Anya's mind went blank for a second, the tension in her body slowly ceased as the memory of their previous conversation disappeared. She blinked a few times, then looked up at them with uncertainty. "So... I'm still waiting for that explanation," she said, her voice was steady, as though nothing had changed.
The three men stiffened, clearly taken aback. They exchanged nervous glances, unsure of how to respond. Damien cleared his throat, attempting to conceal his hesitation. "Uh... Why don't you get some rest first? We'll explain everything tomorrow."
Anya narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. "No. I want to know now. I'm not waiting until tomorrow."
Zephyr stepped forward. "Anya, I promise we'll tell you everything, but for now—"
"I'm not going to bed until you tell me," she snapped, crossing her arms stubbornly.
Kai, visibly fed up with her resistance, sighed deeply. His patience had worn thin. He moved using his vampire speed to close the distance between them in an instant. His hand gently cupped her face, his red eyes glowed. "You're sleepy," he said firmly. "You need to sleep. You need to take a long nap, not too long, but long enough."
Anya's eyelids began to droop almost immediately. She let out a small yawn, blinking sluggishly. "Where's... where's the bedroom?" she mumbled, her body swaying as the urge to sleep overtook her.
"Don't worry," Kai said, his tone suddenly went soft and almost gentle. "I'll show you."
Kai scooped her up with ease, carrying her upstairs as she slowly lost consciousness. He entered a lavish bedroom, laid her gently on the bed, and covered her with a blanket. Just as he was about to step away, Anya, half-asleep, murmured, "Cuddles."
Kai froze, confused. "Cuddles?" he repeated, bewildered.
She nodded lazily, her eyes half-closed. "Yeah, cuddles..." she slurred, reaching out for him.
Uncertain, he awkwardly leaned over to hug her, but she weakly pushed him away. "No... not you," she grumbled, barely awake. "Teddy bear..."
Kai exhaled in relief. "Teddy bear," he echoed to himself, realizing what she wanted. Using his vampire speed, he dashed back to her belongings and rummaged through her bags until he found the small, worn teddy bear. In seconds, he was back by her side, gently placing the bear in her arms.
By the time he returned, though, Anya had already drifted off into a deep sleep. He stood over her for a moment, watching her peaceful expression. Unconsciously, a small smile plastered onto his face as he watched her hold the bear close.
But the smile faded just as quickly as it appeared. He straightened up, cold and emotionless once again, and left the room quietly.
Meanwhile, the brothers discuss on how to go about Anya's case. Time wasn't on their side. Kai entered the room. He immediately joined his brothers, who were already deep in conversation. Damien leaned against the wall, with a lot of cigar in his hands, while Zephyr paced back and forth, his brow was furrowed in thought.
Kai wasted no time. "One way or another, she has to know. Whether she's ready or not."
Zephyr stopped pacing, turning to face him. "And how do you suppose we let her know this kind of information, Kai? She fainted just from hearing we're vampires."
"We tell her the truth. Some of it."
Damien let out a frustrated sigh. "When I told her we were vampires, she passed out. I didn't even get to quarter of what she needs to know."
Kai's voice grew firm. "Vampires are dying or going to hiding, and soon we'll die too if Anya doesn't play her role. Hunters are teaming up with witches. Werewolves, shapeshifters... hell, it wouldn't be long before Agatha's on our case. But here we are, hiding in this big mansion, waiting. It's now or never."
Damien and Zephyr exchanged glances. Kai's words was heavy.
Zephyr broke the silence. "What if she faints again, Kai? What then?"
Kai shrugged, his tone was casual but with an edge of finality. "Then we compel her again. It's the only way."
Zephyr shook his head in disagreement, his frustration was clear. "There has to be another way."
Kai's voice remained steady. "There isn't. It has to be done."
Zephyr sighed, running a hand through his ginger hair. He didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do. This was their only option.
There was silence between the brothers, and for a moment, they stood still, all knowing what had to come next.
——-
The next morning, Anya was still sound asleep. Zephyr quietly entered her room, carrying a tray with breakfast. He placed it on the bedside table and glanced at her peaceful face. She hadn't woken up yet. With a sigh, he turned to leave the room when he ran into Damien, who was standing by the door with his arms crossed.
Damien raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Bringing breakfast now, Zephyr? Really?"
Zephyr defended himself quickly, whispering, "She needs to eat. We can't just let her starve."
Damien chuckled, shaking his head. "You're soft." He grabbed a slice of toast off the tray before walking away, lighting a cigar. "Good luck with that," he said over his shoulder.
Later in the afternoon, Anya finally awoke. The room was dim, and she had no idea it was already midday because the curtains were still drawn. She rubbed her eyes and slowly got up. After stretching, she made her way out of the room, wandering towards the living room.
When Kai spotted her, he immediately stood up. "Anya, we need to talk," he said. He quickly arranged a meeting in the living room. Soon, Damien walked in, lighting his cigar as he sat down on the couch.
"Go ahead, Kai," Damien said, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "You've got the fucking floor."
Kai cleared his throat, turning his focus to Anya, who stood in front of him, arms crossed but curious. "You've been wanting to know everything, right?" he began, his tone was more serious than she'd ever heard before. "Well, I'm going to tell you. But I need you to listen carefully."
Anya met his gaze. "I've never been more attentive."
Kai paused, his expression softened just slightly. "Promise me you won't freak out."
"I swear," she replied. "On my life."
Kai exhaled, starting slow. "First off, you don't have a grandmother who signed the title deed of this mansion to your name."
Her eyes widened in confusion. "Wait... then who did?"
Kai's voice remained steady as he dropped the bomb. "We did. Two years ago."