Chapter 26 TWENTY-FIVE

ARLEIGH'S POV Most people would dub me as a princess. Or at least close to it. Being born to the Hawthorne family had its perks. My family is one of the founding families in Great Oaks together with other families. My father, being the mayor and the school head at my school had its advantages for sure and I had been enjoying those privileges too much. Too much that I wasn't even aware of the dark side of this town. I am a brat, I admit that. I guess I grew up used to getting what I want. People follow me and I thought that was power. I wield power just like dad and mom do. And I enjoyed it. But then I realized they follow me because I am Arleigh. They follow me because I am the daughter of the mayor and the school head. They follow me not because I have power but because my dad does. And I hated it. I hated Morgiana. I heard her parents died and she was living with her aunt. There was nothing more that could complete my day other than bullying her. It was fun. It gave me a sense of power especially when she doesn't fight back. It wasn't good, I know but it had become a habit that I couldn't stop doing. Bullying Morgiana became an essential part of my daily life. I didn't even know what she was. I didn't know she was a … hybrid. That was the first time I heard of that word. Well, there were a lot of words unfamiliar I heard tonight. Vampire. Compulsion. All of those are still so surreal and too fast. One moment, I was enjoying the party like any other in the yard. I was already planning what I should be showing to my friends the next day at school. Photos of me wearing a magnificent dress or the item at auction I snuck out before it could be displayed. Until Adrian served me drinks at my table. He was handsome. So, so charming. He used compulsion on me. I remember it now as I turned into someone like him. He compelled me to go with him. To lead him to someplace inside the city hall where we could talk. And…And while we were walking down the hall, he pinned me to the wall and whispered those words while looking straight into my eyes. Kill yourself when I give you the signal. Those were his words. Not a handful but changed my life forever. I remember feeling so obedient. I didn't have control over my head or even my actions as I nodded and smiled at him. When we were inside my father's office, it began. I wasn't on my right head. His compulsion was too strong that when he told me to drink his blood, I did not protest. In fact, I felt like it was the most important thing I could do in my life and so I drank. I fucking drank. Then Morgiana came out of the blue, stopping him. I remember at that moment, I was pissed that she was there. I didn't want my and Adrian's moment to be disturbed. Especially not by her. And from then on, everything happened too fast. It was a blur but I remember it clearly now. I let myself rest on the soft mattress as I closed my eyes. The taste of blood was still in my mouth. I could still feel the metallic taste of blood as it coated my tongue and wash down my throat. I should be disgusted by it but I wasn't. Not because Morgiana compelled me not to but because I am a vampire now. And I am supposed to drink blood. It was delicious. Probably the best thing I have ever tasted in my whole life. But I can't live like this. I saw the look on my father's face. I saw the look on my mom's face. They can't accept me for what I am now. I am now a vampire. The creature this town worked so hard to drive away. My door opened and I almost jumped on my bed. When I turned to look, it was my father. His face was red and I don't have a good feeling about it. I don't know what is going on but I feel like it's not going to be good. I saw the fear in his eyes when he saw me earlier in his office. My dress was soaked in blood coming from my neck where I stabbed myself with a pen. "Dad-" He held up his hand and I did not say anything. I heard rushed footsteps coming and I knew it was my mother. She arrived and she held my dad's shoulder. "You can't do this, Lukas," she said, trying to stop my father from whatever he was about to do. I stood at the edge of the bed and I was about to walk toward them when my mom stopped me. "Don't!" she said, her voice a bit too high-pitched. And she was trembling. She's trembling from me. "Don't take another step forward, Arleigh." "Mom, I'm not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you-" "You already did. You've hurt us, Arleigh. You're…You're a vampire now! What are we supposed to feel about that?" "I am still your daughter, mom. Dad, I am still your daughter. You can't be scared of me. I am still Arleigh-" "Silence!" I jerked when my dad raised his voice. He rarely raises his voice and that's when I did something he doesn't approve of. The last time he yelled at me was when he knew I was bullying Morgiana. But he had given me something too, making me promise I won't do it again. Now, I don't think it will be the same. "Why did you go with that man, Arleigh?" he asked and my lips trembled at his question. "I have warned you so many times to stay away. I told you! I told you that that habit of yours will eventually doom you. But did you listen? You didn't. You never did. Look what that got you now." "I'm sorry, dad-" I sobbed when he picked up the vase and threw it just next to me. I heard my mom screaming and I was covering my ears as I sobbed harder. The emotions inside me all swelled up. For some reason, I feel a lot more times scared and sad, and overwhelmed. I don't understand it and I don't think I would be able to live like this. "She's going to be executed, Glenda. If they know, she's going to be executed. No excuses." "You're going to let them execute your own daughter? Are you out of your mind, Lukas?" "What can I do, Glenda? Sooner or later, they're going to find out that Arleigh had turned into a vampire. They're going to demand to execute her as per this town's rules." "You're going to choose this town's rules over your own daughter?" "They're going to do it, Glenda. You know they will." "And it is your job as her father to protect her, Lukas! What is wrong with you?" "Stop it," I said but my voice was merely a whisper. Barely heard. I was on the bed, covering my ears as I continued to sob and then something inside me broke. I remembered Morgiana telling me to control my hunger but at the moment, I feel like feeding. I want to taste that metallic taste once again. And I could hear their heartbeat. It was beating too fast. And I was imagining myself savoring the taste of blood. My body moved quicker than my self-control. One moment I was on the bed and the next, I was holding my father in his arms. My mother was screaming but all that mattered to me at the moment was the rich blood in my mouth. I buried my fangs in my father's neck and drank his blood. My mother's scream was muffled by my own senses as I focused solely on the taste of the blood now filling my mouth. I drank in huge gulps and I could feel my father thrashing but I was stronger. A lot stronger. Morgiana was right. I was indeed faster and stronger. She had compelled me earlier to control my hunger but I don't know what is happening. I am about to kill my father. I felt something on my head and then the sound of shattering. It was then that I realize my mother had hit the back of my head with a vase. It made me pissed off that I stopped feeding on my father to face my mother. The fear on her face was something I had never seen before. I heard the thud behind me. Sign that my father had lost consciousness. Or perhaps dead. At that moment, I couldn't care less. My mother took a step backward as I walked closer. "Arleigh," she called but the fear in her eyes was enough to piss me off again. "I told you, mother. You didn't need to fear me. Why are you looking at me like that?" Tears streamed down her face and I hated it. "You just bit your father, Arleigh." She sobbed harder. "Because he was too noisy. And didn't you hear what you said earlier? He wanted to kill me." She shook her head. "That's not true. He…We love you, Arleigh. We would never let it happen-" I pushed my mother to the wall and she grunted when the back of her head hit the wall. I didn't let her talk and I was about to lean forward and bite her too when I heard her quiet sobbing. She did not thrash and protest. My mom just waited for me to do what I needed to do. Suddenly, my hunger faltered. I took a step back and looked at her. She was closing her eyes, waiting for what was going to happen next. That's when I fully realized what I had done. I looked behind me to see my father lying on the ground. Blood was pooling underneath him. My hand went to my mouth as I stifled a gasp. What have I done? I looked at my mother and she was about to say something when I got out of the room as fast as I could. When I was already outside, far enough from my house, I bawled my eyes out.