Chapter 7: Home

Alea's POV

I struggled to look small as we walked back down the hotel stairs. We hadn't been here long, a few hours at most, why were we leaving so soon? Not that I was overly fond of the place but moving so much was stressful, to say the least. Not to mention where we were going.

Home.

That word had never had much meaning for me, home was four walls and a mattress with busted springs, home was leaning against the door and listening for the sound of the TV, to try and hear what the people were saying. Home was a belt.

I still wasn't sure how to register that that hell, wasn't home.

My hands gripped tightly at my upper arms, my nails digging into my skin. I was surprised I wasn't drawing blood. I wanted to fall into myself and hide away from the world that I had been so desperate to become a part of. My mind was in tatters, and I had no idea how to deal with the emotions that were ripping their way through me.

My dream had sent me into sensory overload and opening the door to a disheveled looking Godric and an unrelentingly deep gaze from Eric was making my head spin. Part of me wanted to cry and hide away, the other part wanted to finish what my dream had started. My mouth went dry at the thought, and I had to physically stop myself from shivering.

This was terrifying. I had never felt like that, felt what my dream had thrown at me. I had heard of carnal pleasures only a few times from father, all conversations ending the same. His taunting voice disgusted, as though I was pure scum beneath his feet. As though I was dirty.

Pleasure isn't meant for freaks, my dear.

My fingers tingled against my arms, my chin dropping to my chest. A freak I was indeed. I felt tears rise to my eyes, my lip trembling as we reached the last step. My hands going numb against the pressure I was putting on them. I barely noticed that we had stopped at the front desk. The shadow that was beneath my feet seemed to bend towards me as we stopped as if trying to console me. I felt it's comforting pull as if it were inviting me in to play. Yes, freak. I really wish I could say it was just one thing that put me on that list, but no. There were many reasons.

Let's go over that list, shall we? One, killed a man in cold blood, with so much as a single touch. Two, I had never so much as seen the sun, until literal days ago. Three, I am following around two vampires just days after escaping, and I feel such a strong connection to them that the thought of losing them takes the breath from my lungs. Four, and I cannot stress this enough.

I am literal death.

Now, normality was something that I never expected, but why did it have to be this complicated. I never wanted much, I only ever wanted one thing. To be normal, to live normal. I dreamed of walking around my father's home unchained. I dreamed of a family to love, and a family that loved me. My choked promises to be better flashed through my mind, the feeling of a belt against my back as father let another blow loose. I had begged him to love me, my lip quivered. He made it perfectly clear that I wasn't deserving of his love, with each swing of his whip, with each chilling threat. He ingrained it into me so deep that it scarred my very core.

It made it hard to believe I deserved love at all.

I dreamed of things I would never have, the more that this horror show goes on the more that I realize that. I would never be free. My mouth set into a harsh line as we pulled away from the counter. The conversation obviously over, in my musings I hadn't even heard what they were saying. I was guided to the door by Godric's soft touch and for a moment I forgot my worries. His touch was cool, but not uncomfortable. His fingers seemed to linger on the low of my back before he pulled away as we began a steady walking pace.

We stop just shy of Eric's baby, hopping inside it with an urgency that I wasn't sure the origin of. Once we were all in the car Eric sped down the road, whipping out of the hotel parking lot with ease, the smell of burning rubber hit my nose and the foreign scent brought tears to my eyes.

"Are you okay little one," It's Godric's voice that pulls me out of my thoughts. His mellow voice brings everything rushing to me at once. I can't find the words to answer, what would he think of me knowing what was going on in my head? Would he laugh, or mock. Would he stare in disgust? I was surprised that he hadn't yet, like the others in the church. Their stares are burned into my skin and it sickens me. I sicken me.

It's his soft smile that eases my thoughts, the way his eyes light up when he sees me. I take a deep breath and settle myself. This is Godric, of all people I can trust him. My mistrust in him is if nothing else, misguided. He has done nothing but help me, he was my first real friend. I try not to let my mind shift to dark thoughts, as I glance at him. My eyes shift to his lips watching the way that they twist in a soft smile, ever so slightly damp. His skin shines, luminescent in the moonlight, the look of him taking my breath away.

My heartbeat quickened, and I felt a blush rise to my cheeks once again. I glanced away from his tempting lips as quickly as I could, my eyes meeting his once more. It startled me how deep they looked, how demanding they felt. He blinked once, and the look was gone, replaced once again with his normal radiant eyes. The confusion must have been evident on my face, as he lowered his smile slightly, his eyes faltering as if caught in an act.

I forced a smile for him, my gaze dropping from his as I tried to force the blush down. "I'm fine." The words don't sound near as convincing as I would have liked, but I can't manage to muster anymore. I brought my hands together, rubbing my thumbs against one another in a nervous motion. I felt Godric hesitate, his breathing hitching before I felt his gaze leave me. He gave me a look of understanding as he turned, and I nearly let out a sound of relief. This wasn't something I was ready to discuss, and I could tell that he understood that somehow.

I didn't want to see the fear in his eyes, I wasn't ready for the piercing feeling of despair as he figured me out.

Pleasure isn't meant for freaks, my dear.

I can't get my father out of my head, his sickeningly soft tone. I don't want to listen to his words, but his claws are deep. My dream was just that, a dream. Godric and Eric, they saved me. I am a friend at very best, a burden at worst. I frowned deeply, unable to stop myself. I tried to forget the feeling of Godric's hands on me, the feeling of his breath against my skin. My thoughts ran rampant in my head, tearing me down piece by piece.

Such a silly thing, emotions are. Godric was the first person to treat me like I was a living, breathing being. Perhaps my irrational attraction to him was because of that? Eric, Eric is Godric's. So maybe his connection stems from that. Regardless of where these feelings came from, I can't let myself ruin this. I can't lose them over something as small as this. I shake my head, my eyes set on the back of the seat in front of me. My lip quivers, and I can't stop the fresh tears that come to my eyes.

I won't tell them. I won't put them through the disgust that my father promised would follow me. I would hide my feelings, hide whatever that dream woke up in me.

They have done everything they can to try and keep me safe. To make me comfortable. I would never be able to repay them. The least that I could do was keep my idle fantasies to myself. How could they possibly feel for me how I feel for them? I hesitate, my head dipping and the tears now freely falling down my cheeks. My blood went cold, and a chill ran through my body. My father's words, regardless of if I wanted them to, set my decision in stone.

Pleasure isn't meant for freaks, my dear.

And I hate to say that I believed him.

Godric's POV

The turmoil coming through Alea's blood bond would have brought me to my knees if I hadn't already been sitting. She radiated unnerved in a way that I never thought I would feel again. My lips tighten into a tight line as I turn away from her. She doesn't wish to speak, I can feel it, it is something I know all too well. She's being tormented, by her father, by the wounds that are far more than skin deep.

Thoughts of my maker run through my head, his sadistic smile to this day haunts me. I can only imagine she is having the same problem now. My hands clench into tight fists at the thought of Edger Grey. His sickeningly sweet smile makes my blood boil.

I've known him for many years, and in all those years I had never known him to be anything but a gentle giant. All 6'6 of him. He's roughly the same age as I, and we spent many of our earlier years training together. His maker was just as despicable as mine. So how had he been able to do this to such an innocent soul, to Alea? I struggle to hold back the growl as I think about it. It feels like a betrayal, even if he doesn't know it yet this has shattered the ties of our once bonded kinship.

Guilt hits me through the bond next, a soft sniffle hits my ears. I want to pull her into my arms, to comfort her. The feeling is foreign, and I can't even find the will to fight it. I can only guess what is going through her head, I want to ask but I find myself hesitating. She will talk when she is ready, of that much I am sure. She has been introduced to so much, and so quickly. I'd imagine overwhelmed is the understatement of this century. That thought doesn't stop my hand from fluttering, I have to stop myself from turning back to her.

Space. The little dove needs space. I try to convince myself of the words though it doesn't stop the aching. From her, nor from me.

Her emotions continue to flutter, and I feel helpless. The little spitfire of a girl who has managed to not only entrap me, boy death. But also, my brute of a son Eric. My gaze turns to my Viking, his body is tense behind the wheel, and I can tell he's struggling as much as I am. His worry over scaring our little one overruling his need to be in control of a situation.

A sight I never thought I would see.

He turns his gaze to me slightly, his mouth in a tight line. I only manage a nod back at him. Ensuring to him that I feel it too. That it burns me as much as it burns him.

Alea. She is tiny, her small body taking up a fraction of the space in the back of Eric's rather flashy custom made 4-seater McLaren. Which was a vibrant bright red, flashy as always.

Her scent hits my nose and I find my eyes closing, letting its gentle flavor glide over my skin.

Flashback

It was the soft smell of the ocean mingled with an aged oak that woke me from my sleep. The intoxicating smell that had been overtaking my senses for well over a week now. Little hints had been making their way into my cell, driving me mad. What creature could possibly be releasing such a pleasant aroma? I was starting to go insane, my self-control slipping with each breath. What could possibly smell so good?

I took a large inhale as my senses returned to me fully, my eyes opening lazily. My tongue tingled as the scent registered with my body, my fangs nearly dropping. I chastise myself, unable to comprehend how something was making me act so, new. I hadn't been this enthralled since my early years. I shake off the feeling the best I can and glance around the cell. My sight freezing on a small mound in the middle of the floor, that was not there when I went dead for the day.

The extra presence in my cell, or rather the body, lie motionless before me. My head snapped to it, as I took another large inhale, my eyes widening. The absolutely enthralling smell was coming from this person, this little slip of a woman. She smelled so unique, like nothing else I had encountered in my long life.

I watched carefully for the gentle rise of her body, to indicate her breathing, but I knew it was no use. I could not sense her heartbeat, nor could I hear her blood flow through her veins, the poor girl was dead. I felt a frown come to my lips, and I felt uncharacteristically disappointed. The fact that I felt anything at all was odd.

I stood with one quick movement, before walking carefully to the girl, who was lain out haphazardly on the floor, as I grew closer her sweet scent threatened to take over my senses, my self-control wavering. I swallowed harshly, sucking hard on my gums to stop my fangs, once again, from dropping.

I kneeled next to her slowly, leaning in to view her wounds, and was greeted with something that made my blood boil. There were knife wounds covering her entire exposed back, some so deep they exposed the bone beneath. I felt an acid taste grace my tongue, and I couldn't stop the growl that came to my lips as I realized what they had intended this girl's purpose to be.

They had torn her apart as a meal for me, I could feel my eyes blacken, there is no doubt this small creature didn't deserve this. I placed my hand on her shoulder, shocked by the warmth of her body. She couldn't have been gone for more than minutes, such a shame.

I left my hand on her, not wanting to pull away or to acknowledge that I would very soon never smell her wonderful scent again. The warmth of her skin was a cruel reminder of how fragile humans were. I lowered my head, praying to the gods I no longer believe in.

Then a groan echoed throughout the room.

I was frozen still, unable to move or register what had just happened. The body beneath me moved, and the girl took a deep breath.

What. The. Fuck.

Her skin seemed to heat to inhuman levels, to the point where I had to pull my hand away or risk being burned. I could only continue to stare as the girl before me seemed to defy death. Rising from her own ashes like a phoenix. As her head lifted, I was greeted with the most stunning pair of eyes I have ever seen. Their purple hue captivating me almost as much as the small woman did. I couldn't think, and it's a damn good thing I didn't have to breathe. As she stared at me, I could only think one thing.

Beautiful.

End Flash Back

I smile softly to myself as I recall meeting her, regardless of the circumstances I am forever grateful to have found her.

I glance at Eric again, he's staring at Alea through the rearview mirror. The painful look still on his face. I reach out to him instinctually, my hand resting on top of his spare, which is resting on the middle console. I nod with assurance, a haphazard grin coming to my lips. He seems stunned for a moment. I probably look out of place. I haven't been this excited about something in over a millennium. His bright smile stretches across his face, his eyes shining, the display of emotion rare for my Viking these days.

We will save her, protect her, hopefully, one day have the honor of loving her. How could we not? She took two of the most stubborn vampires on the planet and managed to tame us, to save us. In a matter of days. The connection that I feel, that we feel is magnetic and the pull is stronger than either of us.

We need her as much as she needs us. I feel a smirk come to my lips, as I turn back to her now sleeping form. My soul set, bound in a way I never expected, and from the look on Eric's face, his was the same.

She is ours. Now we just need to convince her of that.

Sorry for the long wait everyone, college is rough T-T. Hope you all enjoy the chapter! Je t'aime my lovelies, until next time.