Chapter 14 THIRTEEN

MORGIANA'S POV The very first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pain in my head. It felt like someone hit the back of it with a metal rod. It was throbbing and my mouth let out a moan. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the white ceiling. I recalled the ceiling in my cabin back in the camp was not of the color white. After a few seconds of orienting myself to where I was, I realized I'm still at the school. Particularly at the infirmary. "Good that you're awake," I almost jumped in the bed when I heard Alaris' voice on the bedside. He was sitting on a chair with his arms crossed. I remembered what happened before I lost consciousness and I know Alaris might be very pissed at me. I wish I didn't wake up sooner. From the looks on his face, he seemed to be very pissed. I gave him a smile but he didn't smile back. Come to think of it, I never saw him smile. Not even when he's in school? "How are you always so grumpy?" I asked and his brows furrowed. I might as well have signed my death warrant from the way he looks at me. I sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? In my defense, they came to me first. I was just defending myself. I didn't want to hurt them, I swear. They just-" "I know." "I swear! You have to believe me-" I stopped in my tracks when I realized what he said. Did I hear it right? "You...do? You understand? You're not mad? Why do you look mad, though?" I saw him rub his temple and closed his eyes firmly. "I'm not mad. This is what I look like, Morgiana." Right. That's just how he looks. But still, something inside me tells me that something's bothering him. If he's not mad, then what is it? I racked my brain about what happened prior to passing out. There were four girls trying to corner me. I managed to not kill them, thankfully. I pushed some of them away and I remember kicking someone in her stomach and grabbing another one's wrist- I gasped and then I faced Alaris. "I didn't kill anyone, did I?" I said, dropping my voice as low as possible. The last thing I would want to happen is for someone to overhear me talking about it. I've already had enough rumors going on around. I can't afford to add another one to that list. Much to my relief, Alaris shook his head. "You didn't kill anyone. But you almost did." My eyes widened when I looked at him. "What? Are they alright? Holy-what happened? They're not critical, are they?" "Thankfully, they're not," he answered and was still looking at me as though he wants to say something. I ran my fingers through my hair as I rested my elbows on my knees. I can't imagine what would have happened if Alaris and Laurent did not come. I don't even want to think about it. "What...what exactly happened? I remember some of the incidents but I can't remember all. I'm sure I missed some details." I looked at him and he was also looking at me. I couldn't read what was on his face, as usual, but something else was there. Something I have never seen before. I am not someone who can read people easily but Alaris was looking at me like I was the only thing he could see at the moment. "You almost lose your control. Almost broke the wrist of the girl. And you almost drained her of her blood." "What?" "Earlier, you became a vampire, Morgiana," he said. He didn't even bother to lower his voice down but I shouldn't care about it. Did I become a vampire? I held up my hand. "Hold on. How...?" "You don't remember it then. You saw blood on that girl's wrist. Vampires are bloodsuckers. That blood triggered your vampirism." I couldn't believe I was hearing it. They have told me that I am a hybrid and that I am both a wolf and a vampire. But still... "I almost drained her of her blood?" He nodded and I muttered a silent curse. A vampire. I never believed in these creatures. Heck, I didn't even know there are creatures like them. The irony hits me like a storm when one day, I suddenly became a hybrid. How can one deal with this kind of situation? I could kill someone. I could kill a person with just my sheer strength. Even if manage to control myself, I could kill someone by sucking their blood. How am I supposed to deal with this new identity? Alaris was silent next to me as though he doesn't know what to say to me, either. Will I be living like this? Drinking blood and turning into a wolf every full moon? "The girls are fine," Alaris said. "Laurent took care of them. They weren't able to spread the news of what they saw and what happened. They're on the second infirmary." I know the risk that comes with them being in this school and with wounded and injured students. The school head must be wondering. "Even the school head doesn't know?" I asked and he nodded. "Laurent was useful. He took the girls to the infirmary and now, he's with them. Nobody has gone out of that room since. They're fine." "So..." I swallowed hard. "We're going to convince them not to spread it? Not to tell anyone about it?" To my surprise, he shook his head. "You're the one who's going to convince them, Morgiana." "What? I...I can't! I mean, they're already probably scared of me. I won't be able to convince them!" "You are a vampire. You can compel someone." "Compel? What are you saying?" "I'm saying that you have a special ability to tell someone what to do and they would do it." That was not something I expected. "I...what?" "All vampires have the power to compel humans. That is, you can tell them to forget what happened in the bathroom and they will forget about it." It was bullshit. Something like that shouldn't be real! But looking at Alaris' face, he doesn't look like he's kidding too. What reason does he have to joke around? Do I have that kind of ability? I should have it if I am a vampire. "How do I do that then? I mean...I know you're not a vampire but do you know how I could use it?" "Just look at their eyes and tell them what you want them to do or remember. And they will do that instantly. That's how that works." I still have doubts about it but at the moment, all I could do is cling to something so unbelievable. I don't have a choice. Swallowing hard, I looked at him and nodded. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll convince them." Alaris let out a sigh and I don't know what it was for. He stood and offered me his hand which I took. He never struck me as someone who would do that gesture but I didn't mind it too much. He led me to the other infirmary where the four girls are supposed to be. The hallway was silent and I instantly knew it was in the middle of the class. When we arrived in front of the door, I took a deep breath before I turned the knob and entered inside. Indeed, Laurent was with them and they seem to be having fun flirting with him but as soon as they saw me, they all scuttled back and screamed. Good thing Laurent was able to shush them down. "Calm down, girls. I'm not going to let her hurt you again," he said and gave me and Alaris a look. I think he already knows what I was told to do. "She's here to apologize. And you should apologize to her too while we're at it." "Why should we apologize? She's the one-" "You attacked her. Your friend said so," Alaris said and looked at the other girl sitting on the corner of the bed. She looked down when the rest of the girls gave her a hateful look. "Miss Davis is going to apologize first so I want you to look at her and then you do the same. Is that understood?" Even as a teacher, he exudes that commanding aura. It made the girls nod and look at me. Their eyes were hateful and they didn't even bother to hide it. Not that I care. Alaris looked at me and nodded slightly, signaling me to begin. I don't know how to do a compulsion. Heck, how should Alaris know too when he's a vampire? But somehow, I feel something inside me. Some kind of confidence that I could do it. I cleared my throat and looked at them. Alaris said I shouldn't' stutter. That I should say it like how I say a command. At the same time it should be reassuring, like a person taming a wild animal. "What happened in the bathroom did not happen," I said and waited for them to react to my words. But when I looked at them, I saw they were just looking at me. There wasn't even any kind of violent reaction. I felt Alaris nudging my arm, signaling me to continue. "We...We never saw each other in the bathroom. Your injuries...you got that because you got a bathroom cleaning assignment and you four slipped. That's where you got it." The girls were still staring at me and the closer I look, the more I see how their gazes have changed. They looked like they were in a trance, as though in some kind of hypnotization. "It's working," whispered Laurent. I don't know how they knew it was working but I suppose it was because the girls were just looking at me in a trance. "Is that understood?" I said and they all nodded. I gasped at that. "We never met in the bathroom. We slipped and got out injuries," said the one in the middle with a wounded wrist. I could feel my hands shaking. Maybe it was excitement, maybe it was fear, maybe it was both-I wanted to do it again. So I said, "Stand up and go back to your classes." And they did. They all stood and walked towards the door. By the time they were all out, my knees wobbled and I swore the ground swelled down below me. But before I could even feel myself falling, I felt Alaris' arms wrapped around me, keeping me standing. When I looked at him, I saw the corner of his mouth twitch a little bit as he looked down and said, "Not bad." I swear my heart skipped a beat.