Chapter 5 Selena's Scheme
1028 Words
"What the hell? Why does it smell like booze in here?"
Through my hazy consciousness, I heard Laurence's annoyed voice coming from the doorway.
Forcing my eyes open, I saw Alaric walking in, one arm holding Laurence and the other wrapped around Selena.
They looked like a real family. And me? I was just an outsider.
With a drunken grin, I stared at them foolishly. Alaric frowned and walked toward me.
"Why did you drink so much? You're still injured. This isn't good for you."
He reached out to steady me, his voice filled with the same concern as always.
I let out a hiccup and laughed. "I'm just happy for your little family reunion..." I slurred, pointing at them one by one. "You're the dad. You're the mom. And you're the son..."
As soon as I finished, my stomach churned, and before I could stop it, I threw up all over Alaric.
Selena immediately pulled Laurence back, covering her nose in disgust.
"You're disgusting! I don't have a drunk for a mom!" Laurence shouted furiously before stomping upstairs.
"I'll go check on him," Selena said, giving Alaric a small nod before following Laurence up the stairs.
With a sigh, Alaric shrugged off his jacket and grabbed some tissues to clean me up.
"Why are you doing this to yourself? What's the point of all this?"
I stared at him. He was still so gentle, so considerate. But I knew—his kindness wasn't meant for me. It was just because I looked like Selena.
I had always been disposable. And now that she was back, my time was up.
I covered my face, lying back on the couch as silent tears streamed down my cheeks.
Seeing me like this, Alaric hesitated for a moment before pulling me into his arms, completely ignoring the mess on me.
"Evelina... don't overthink things. No matter what, we've been together for ten years. I..." He trailed off, as if struggling to find the right words.
Just say it.
I shut my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable. Better to rip the bandage off now than let the wound fester.
Once he said it, I wouldn't cling to him. I'd make it easy for him. I'd ask for a divorce myself.
"Evelina, the truth is... Lena is—"
Before Alaric could finish, a loud noise came from upstairs.
Something heavy had fallen.
"Lena—!"
Alaric's expression shifted instantly. He let go of me and rushed upstairs.
I watched his retreating figure, let out a bitter laugh, then quietly followed.
Throwing up had sobered me up quite a bit. And if my marriage was going to end tonight, I wanted to witness it with my own eyes.
Alaric reached the top of the stairs and saw Selena collapsed weakly outside Laurence's bedroom.
"Lena!" He rushed forward, scooping her into his arms.
Selena shook her head weakly. "Keep your voice down. Laurence is already asleep."
"Why do you look so weak? Haven't you been getting enough rest?" Alaric asked, his brows furrowed in concern.
She leaned into his chest and spoke softly. "You know that after an Elder Vampire awakens from Eternal Stasis, it takes time to fully recover. I didn't get enough rest when I first arrived... and," she paused, looking up at him pitifully, "I've realized that since this rebirth, my thirst for blood is even stronger than before. I need to feed..."
Without hesitation, Alaric tilted his head, exposing his neck. "Take mine for now. Tomorrow, I'll get you some blood packs."
Selena inhaled deeply, taking in his scent, then shook her head. "I prefer... fresh human blood."
Alaric hesitated. "That's going to be a problem. Lena, times have changed. If we want to live among humans, we have to follow their rules. Attacking people in the streets is illegal—"
Selena cut him off, her eyes gleaming. "Oh, sweetheart, I would never ask you to attack random humans." Her gaze flickered downstairs. "But we already have someone right here at home, don't we?"
"You mean Evelina?" Alaric's face hardened, and he rejected the idea immediately. "I was planning to part ways with her peacefully. This isn't right."
For a brief moment, a flash of resentment crossed Selena's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a pitiful look. "Forget it, then. I don't want to trouble you. I'll just go out and hunt on my own. I'll be careful, I promise..."
She struggled to stand, but Alaric caught her in his arms, looking at her fragile state with deep sorrow.
"You're so weak right now... If you go out, you'll get caught before you even get the chance to feed."
Alaric seemed torn, then finally made his decision. "Alright. But you have to promise me—wait until she's asleep before you take any blood."
Hiding in the shadows at the stairwell, I heard everything. My hands clenched over my mouth to keep from gasping, but my entire body trembled.
Alaric... how could he?
Was I so insignificant to him that he'd offer me up just to please his beloved?
If I hadn't followed them upstairs, I never would have known the truth. I would've just thought my health was declining for no reason, right up until the day we signed the divorce papers.
Who gave him the right to make this decision for me?
I wanted to burst into the room, grab Alaric by the collar, and demand to know—was I nothing more than food to them?
Selena smiled triumphantly as she nestled into his embrace. She lifted her head, brushing a soft kiss against his lips. Alaric cradled her face and deepened the kiss without hesitation.
Even at their son's bedroom door, they couldn't contain themselves.
I had finally seen enough.
My situation was beyond dangerous.
Living under the same roof as vampires, with no way to defend myself, I was nothing more than a walking blood bank.
If I wasn't careful, I'd end up as nothing more than Selena's next meal.
For the next month, my only goal was survival. I had to find a way out—before it was too late.
- Writer
