Nights were getting darker, quicker now, Eugene mused as he looked up at the stars. It was only just past seven and the street lights were on. It was depressing. But everything in the United Kingdom was depressing when you lived for as long as he had.
He was outside a cosy, semi detached house in the middle of the countryside. It was clear whoever owned it was well off. Eugene stood, hoodie up, shrouded in darkness as he watched the man that had shot Annalise eat dinner with his children. His jaw clenched to the point of pain, hands bundled into fists in his pockets.
Right now, Eugene could kill this man. It would be easy. He was well built, clearly military but nothing could beat a Vampire's speed. Especially not a human. He'd tracked down the man easy enough. You didn't get this far in life without having a few connections.
Joseph Miller. That was the name of the man who'd almost killed her. And here he was, laughing and eating as if he hadn't just shot an innocent woman. Like he hadn't just titled Eugene's whole world on its side.
The two young children cringed at a bad joke, Joseph had told. They were ginger. Just like their father. Eugene sneered. He could kill him. No one would stop him. He could leave, and no one would know he'd ever been there in the first place.
Eugene turned around on his heels, and walked away.
He was a man, not a monster. Something that couldn't be said for Joseph Miller.
--------
An awkward silence permeated the room, as Annalise looked to the white ceiling in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. It only partially worked. Surprisingly it was Victoria who spoke first. Jolting her out of her shock momentarily .
"Give me that," Victoria hissed, yanking the TV remote from the bed and slamming the off button. It cracked under her long nails. She tossed the remote uncaringly, watching as it bounced off the floor and shattered. Without pause, the blonde vampire huffed, pushing Annalise back down onto the bed.
She bounced lightly under the pressure.
"Rest." Victoria demanded, grabbing Dawn by the cuff of her neck and sashaying out of the room, with all the sass that only Victoria could possess. Dawn grounded her complaints the entire way out of the bedroom, but followed her girlfriend loyally nonetheless. Their dynamic was an odd one. But somehow, they made it work.
Cassius grimaced after them, and then turned back to Annalise with a slight tilt of the lips. "Rest, mi amiga. She might be rough. But she has a point." He spoke gently, ruffling the hair at the top of her head. He paused, his demeanour changing in a split second as he took in her appearance. "And, im sorry,"
With those final words he left, Raul trailing after him. The half demon stared at their retreating backs, head tilted to one side. The apology hit her hard. Like smoke in her lungs, she could tell something was wrong. It was stupidly obvious, and if Cassius had tried to hide it at all, he clearly wasn't doing a good job of it.
It reminded her of the situation she was now in. The god awful guilt. It was a childish sort of sadness that made it hard to breathe. The type where all you wanted to do was go home, all you wanted was a hug from your mum. A yearning in her bones, that sang out for home. And that was something Annalise was no longer allowed to have. With a loud sniffle, she yanked the cream covers over her head petulantly.
She didn't want Eugene to see her cry.
"Anna, Anna come out of there," Gene pleaded from somewhere near her head. Even though he couldn't see her face, she shook her head, burying herself further under the covers. There was a moment of silence, the quiet shuffling of clothes and Annalise was sure he'd left.
"Well, I guess you're just going to have to deal with it then," Eugene huffed, a playful note to his voice. Her heart sank for a moment, before spindly fingers attacked her sides. Annalise gauffed heartily, wriggling like a worm to avoid his tickling. Unwillingly she giggled, curling in on herself with laughter.
"Stop! Stop!" Annalise laughed, "I'm gonna pee, stop!". Eugene hummed in the negative, shifting on top of her to get a better vantage point.
"Not until you say it," He teased.
"Fine! Fine! You win! I'll come out now," Annalise squawked, pulling herself out of the bundle she got in. A sharp pain halted her movements, and she jerked instinctively cradling her stomach, as she pulled the covers off. The bullet wound was slightly hot to touch, and burned with pain.
Clearly, she hadn't fully healed yet. Eugene's face flooded with guilt as he stared at her stomach. Annalise smiled back at him, covering her pain with a quick, awkward laugh. It wasn't fooling anyone.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, blonde tendrils of hair covering his eyes. It was about time he got it cut, Annalise thought to herself briefly.
"Its not your fault," The half demon retorted, waving her hand dismissively as she tenderly pulled herself up to a sitting position. Quilt bundled up by her upper thighs, she fiddled with it. It was a distraction from the torrent of emotions bubbling underneath the surface, but not a very good one. Absent-mindedly she played with the frayed edges, maybe it was time for Harvey to invest in new covers?
"Not just for that. I'm sorry, for that too," Eugene said, waving a hand towards the TV. Looking half his actual size, as if the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders. "I should have thought about that sooner." She dropped the quilt abruptly and she scowled at the offending object. If only she hadn't turned it on, she would be none the wiser. She wouldn't know that her mother now hated her. Well, technically not her, just who her mother thought she was. But still, the sentiment counted.
"Oh, yeah," she sighed, shoulders drooping. Her own mother had condemned her on live TV. That wasn't something she ever could have predicted.
"It's not your fault, you know that right." Eugene spoke, taking the very words from her mouth. Her lips tilted upwards slightly, in a self demeaning smirk. It might not be her fault, but it sure felt that way.
"I know, I just. I don't know Gene," She backtracked, "I just. Since I came back from hell. I thought, maybe, just maybe I could see them again. Now that I have this body I thought-" Annalise cut herself off with a firm shake of the head.
"No. I just wasn't thinking. To them, I'm already dead."
"Its normal to want to see them again Anna," Eugene soothed, threading his fingers through her own, detaching them from the death grip she'd resumed on the covers. "I don't say it much, I know. But I'm incredibly lucky to have my brother." That got her attention, the entire time she'd know him, he'd acted as if his brother was the bane of his existence.
"Not many of us, vampires at least, have any relatives left. It's lonely, for supernaturals. I think," Eugene swallowed, "It might be even more lonely now. Now everythings public." That was right. Supernaturals, and their existence were now known to the public. There was no telling what humans would do now. The ball was in their court.
Her issues paled in comparison to the bigger picture. It was a political minefield, that was what this would be. But Annalise held on to that slim thread of hope that they could cohabitate. She would rally for the equal rights, and cohabitation of humans and Supernaturals. It could be done. It had to be done. Because, Annalise didn't know what she would do if they couldn't.
A firm set of determination lined her shoulders as hazel eyes met green.
"We have to go public. We have to show them there's no reason to be scared."
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Authors Note:
Hey guys how are you doing? I hope you're all doing well! I think i caught a bit of the winter flu lol, so ive not been too good lately. But still, i hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think <3
And if you havent already, check out my other work, Royally F**cked! Updates for that too are becoming a bit more consitent now i have some more time. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks so much fore reading <3
Lots of love,
Sam.E
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The Vampire And The Demon
Romance[BOOK TWO OF The Vampire and The Ghost Series] Hell, it turns out, wasn't half as bad as it seemed. It wasn't half as bad as earth. As being human, Annalise would come to find out. Having been thrust down under, quite literally, by her new found Aun...
