Lurking in the Shadows (Completed)

Chapter 7

Mina

I’ve been getting lessons with Jasper from the council every other day and they’ve been helpful, but I’ve noticed that I’m slowly getting more and more angry all the time. I’m sneaking out at night to go to a local hospital so I can get some blood bags from a compassionate and sympathetic nurse. That’s been helping, but I still feel angry. During my lesson with Jasper, I space out and just look out into the garden.

“Mina? Mina… are you alright?” I come out of my daydream, and readjust myself to the library again.

“Sorry Jasper…” I give him a sheepish smile.

“You’re either spacy or angry lately, is something going on?”

“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to tell me? I didn’t choose this life! I didn’t choose for some random person to attack me! I wanted my beloved to turn me out of love! Not because someone saw me as a snack!” I covered my mouth quickly, realizing my mistake. “I’m so sorry! I’m normally not that outspoken… it’s been getting worse lately.” He gives me a sympathetic look and sits down next to me.

“Whoever this deadbeat sire of yours is probably was drunk at the ball and saw you as a snack and a threat.” My thoughts were raging and swimming.

“Me, a threat!? I barely left the manor except for gardening and going to the market with my mother!? How is that threatening??”

“Vampiric pride is a common thing with older vampires, it doesn’t make sense dear. As for your anger problems you need more blood before you go on a rampage from not drinking enough.” He’s completely serious! Me intentionally hurting someone!?

“I already go to a blood bank, I sneak out at night and a kind nurse offers me some blood.” I tell him shyly. I haven’t even told my father about it.

“Just don’t panic when these urges happen.” I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. I fall out of my chair and he’s right behind me supporting me.

“Am I doomed? Why am I snapping at everyone!? The sun is like going outside without a parasol, I can’t sleep well anymore, and I have to have a chalice of blood with me at all times and in my room!” I could feel the angry tears falling down my cheeks.

“You’re not doomed! This is normal, when you slowly lose your human half, anger is a normal and valid feeling. I’m sure your parents understand. For sleeping, maybe change your schedule around. Sleep during the day and go out at night. You have to drink more blood. It helps with the anger. Avoid the sun until you fully turn and try to find other ways to calm yourself. You can always go back to gardening when you feel like it.” I wipe away my angry tears and look up into his amber eyes.

“Am I changing?” I ask him meekly. I feel him wrap his arms around my shoulders and leads me to a more comfortable seating area.

“It sounds like it… but before you panic, it’s not too bad. A lot of half-bloods keep some of their human attributes like empathy even after changing.” This gave me some closure, but I don’t have high hopes.

“How? When the attack happened father sucked the poison out of my blood, but I guess it was in my system long enough to change me.” I felt sick by this… I didn’t want some random stranger who was probably drunk at the ball to change me!

“Vampiric venom usually takes a couple of minutes. If you were fully human, for half vampires like you and your sisters it’s shorter, maybe even 30 seconds, to start the process.” No… it definitely took them longer than that to get to me!

“But it’s been slow for me? It’s taken weeks for me to change.” I had this last glimmer of hope.

“This might be because of your family lineage. Do you know your parents' background?” I think about this for a couple of minutes, but I think I remember my father telling me something.

“I think father’s sire was a noble of some form, but he hasn’t told me how he was turned.” Then it’s as if a lightbulb went off.

“That might help, also because you didn’t consent to the turning it might fight with you to turn you. Consent is important in this process.” Soon more tears are falling down my cheeks again and falling onto my lap.

“I’m scared, Jasper.” I lean into his shoulder. We’ve gotten close since he’s been tutoring me. More like a father figure since he’s much older than me.

“It’s going to be ok, I promise.” I feel him rubbing my back trying to comfort me.

“I wanted my beloved, as you say, or my mate to turn me… to do it out of love like my parents did… now I can’t offer that to him.” The sad thought made me cry harder.

“He’s going to understand, you didn’t ask for this to happen, and if he blames you, then reject him. You could find a second chance when you’re older.” The thought of rejecting my beloved breaks my heart…

“I hope he doesn’t… I haven’t found him yet. I was hoping to at the winter ball…”

“If he has half a brain he will understand, sweetheart.” He’s been calling me pet names recently, but I let him. He’s harmless.

“What if I fully change in front of him?” Ugh that’d be my worst nightmare. The thought gives me shivers.

“If he loves you, then he won’t care about that, and support you fully.” This makes me calm down and I take some deep breaths.

“I hope he can protect me from this deadbeat sire…” I always imagined my beloved like my father. Kind yet scary when he’s protecting me.

“If he can’t then I will and I’m sure your family will too.” He gave me a reassuring smile, and I hugged him.

“Thanks Jasper…” I lean on his shoulder trying to calm down.

“Do you need some blood?” He asks me so seriously. I nod my head sheepishly. “Here… it’s alright I’m a few centuries old you wouldn’t be the first fledgling to feed from me.” He offers his wrist to me and I’m just shocked…

“Are you sure?” He holds out his wrist again with a smile. “Alright… if I hurt, you let me know.” I gingerly hold his wrist and bite down. I hear him wince and stop immediately.

“NO it’s ok… the initial bite hurts at first, but I’m ok.” I go back to his wrist now the smell of blood in the air and I can feel my frenzie about to start. I bite down again and his blood tastes like caramel. I held my latch for maybe a minute before stopping. I wipe the blood off my face and lick it up off my hand.

“Feel better?” He asks me with a smirk.

“Yeah… thanks.” I gave him a shy smile. “Sorry about that, I thought I drank enough before coming here.”

“Never apologize, I offered. Now let’s go back to your father and tell him about your lesson.” He helps me off the floor and we head towards father’s study. To be honest, I didn’t want to tell him. I felt embarrassed that I had to feed off of a friend. It was like feeding off of Willow before the council meeting. Jasper knocked on the door gently and then smiled at me.

“You’ll be fine.” He cups my hand in his and we both head in.

“Ah, Jasper, Mina, how was your lesson today?” He gives us his loving smile as he always does and I can’t help but smile back.

“It was good father, but it got me thinking… how did you turn?” His smile turned to a frown slowly and it didn’t make me feel good. “Father? What’s wrong?”

“I was hoping you would never ask me this… but given your circumstances I’m not surprised… I too don’t know my sire. I only knew that he was a noble.” I hid my gasp in my hands and went to hug him.

“You mean? You went through the same as me?” I could feel the tears welling in my eyes along with my father's.

“Yes, dear… I went through the same… except alone… I had already moved out of my parent’s manor and I was on my own for the first time. Weeks later I met your mother… and settled here.” I hugged him tightly and cried into his chest.

“I’m so sorry father!” Realizing now that for him, history repeated itself…

“That’s why I’m doing everything I can to find this deadbeat sire of yours. If you don’t find your mate I’d have Jasper sire you.” I turn to him and he smiles back at me. I guess that wouldn’t be so horrible. At least he’s willing to teach me.

“So because you came from noble blood, Mina’s transformation is going slower.” Jasper piped up with realization. Father nodded his head slowly, and I just held onto him. It’s not often I see father cry, but it breaks my heart when I do.

“I’m sorry, my friend. Must be hard to see Mina go through this.” Father nods his head slowly and I just hug him more.

“There’s more that happened, father…” I turn to Jasper who just nods at me encouragingly.

“What happened? Are you alright?” Father asks me worriedly and scared.

“I’m alright now, but I had to feed off of Jasper…” I closed my eyes worriedly hoping he wouldn’t get mad.

“You what!?” He didn’t sound angry, more shocked.

“I didn’t intend to, Jasper offered. I was getting angry and panicked about the change and Jasper helped me calm down.” I wipe away my tears again.

“It’s ok sweetie, I know it’s scary. You’re not alone and we’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Of course you’re not alone. You’ve got a whole house to help you.” Jasper rubs my back, and it relaxes me.

“Thanks… I love you, father. I know you won't leave me.” I hugged him again and I felt him kiss the top of my head.

“We’ll get through this together.” Jasper tells me with a smile and father agrees.

“Together.” I smile at them back and it gives me such comfort knowing I have a good support system.