Cursed Lover

Chapter 2

William reached his hand out towards me, waiting for me to shake his hand and accept his offer. Make it official. I knew the job wasn't going to be hard. I only had to check his paperwork and attend meetings and parties with him. It was something I could do easily. I smiled slightly, grabbing his hand in mine. My smile faded as I felt how cold his hand was. He shook my hand quickly and pulled away. He turned, his back facing me, pressing his hand into his pocket. His hand was extremely cold to the touch. I knew we were in the middle of winter but his fireplace was lit and warmed up the room perfectly. Even my hands were warm.

"Mr.... William, why are your hands so..."

"It's nothing. I'm just cold. I let Juliet move your things in the office across from mine. I need you close at all times. I also gave Juliet a list of rules you need to follow and a contract." the tone in his voice turned cold before he interrupted me. Yep, fu*king bipolar.

"Of course. Just call when you need me."

I left his office in a hurry, closing the door behind me quickly. Juliet was at the front desk looking at me. She rested her head on her hand, smiling deviously. This woman seemed too s****l for my liking. Did she do this to every person that came up here? Did she even do this to William? I cringed instantly at the thought.

"Got the job?" she asked, lifting her brows at me, her smile widening even more.

"Yes, I did." I said in a hurry.

"I knew you would. Even William knew." she giggled and turned to face her computer. She grabbed a stack of papers and held it towards me.

Taking the papers from her, I saw it was the contract. The contract, at first glance, didn't seem too extreme. I guess I just had to renew my contract when I accepted the new offer. I looked at her, smiled and walked to my new office that was across from William's. The doors were the same as William's. Now I'm wondering if my office would look like his as well. Upon opening the door, I scoped out the room. It looked similar, but a bit smaller. On the right side were more doors that seemed to lead to another room.

Curious, I made my way towards this extra room. I pushed the door, my eyes widened as I saw a walk in closet filled with clothes and shoes. Why do I need a walk in closet? Though, I didn't mind. I walked towards the dresses. They all looked very skimpy. Beautiful, but skimpy. Some were little black dresses and some were long dresses, some had slits and some looked like mermaid shaped dresses. Next to them were shoes. All pump heels. Formal yet desirable, I like it. I touched the black pump heels, picking one up, smiling at how beautiful this pair were. I've seen a pair like this in a fashion store not so far away from my apartment. I always wanted these heels. They were somewhat plain but had lace that surrounded the back and slightly at the front. Losing my train of thought, I almost dropped the shoe as I heard someone scoff behind me.

I turned quickly and saw Juliet standing in the door, leaning against the door frame. She smiled, looking around the room.

"So, this is where you will be getting ready for the meetings and parties. Through that other door is a bathroom. William wants you to look your best. There will be a hairdresser and makeup artist at your disposal, not to be used for personal endeavors." She explained.

"Is, what you said, in the contract?" I asked, with contract in hand. She nodded and left the room.

Why would this even be in a renewal contract? I kept thinking about what could be hiding on the papers. I was afraid I was going to get myself into something else than only my job. I hoped that the contract wouldn't cause me to be something personal for William, like a toy he could play with.

I followed Juliet out of the walk in closet and went to my desk. My office was more ladylike. Flowers, light wallpaper and light curtains. The fireplace heated up the room perfectly and felt the same as William's office. I sat down at my desk, running my fingers over the fine woodwork and vintage drawer handles. I loved this. It's as if William knew me by heart. Victorian and vintage furniture was my favorite. I had a few things back at my place that looked somewhat Victorian. My head board and bed frame, my coffee table, my dressing table. I didn't spend much on them. The antique store that was based around the corner of the coffee shop also knew me by heart. If I didn't go to the coffee shop, I went to the antique store. The owner was also extremely generous. He was old and kind of smelt like an old age home, but he was always neat. He treated me with respect. He always said I remind him of his daughter when she was my age. So he accepted me as his own.

I sat back into my chair and started reading through the contract. Some of the rules made me feel uncomfortable.

1. Employee will obey any and all instructions given by her immediate superior.

2. Employee will be available at all times, ready to be called upon. No exceptions.

3. Employee will remain no more than 4 feet away from her immediate superior when attending any meetings or gatherings of social or professional nature. Unless instructed otherwise.

4. The employee will ONLY be taken back to their place of residence by and ONLY by her immediate superior. If an unforeseen circumstance prevents this, the immediate superior will arrange for their personal driver to take said employee back to their place of residence.

5. The employee will ONLY dress as pre-planned by their immediate superior. An outfit will be pre-planned and prepared for the the employee before the start of each day. The employee is not allowed to decline an outfit under any circumstances.

6. The employee will not be taking any illegal substances or prescription medication unless approved by their immediate superior.

7. The employee is only allowed to consume any liquids or solids given to them by their immediate superior and will NOT accept any sustenance from any other person while on duty.

My body cringed at the thought of me abiding by all these rules, but I've always been obedient. I've never broken any rules. Though, these rules seemed to take it a bit too far. It's exactly what I was afraid of. But maybe I was just overthinking everything. I set the contract down when I saw the last page. I had to sign at the bottom. It felt like I was selling my soul to the devil. I shook my head at the thought and signed. I already agreed. I really do need the extra money. The door from my office opened slightly. I looked up and saw Juliet peeking her head inside.

"William wants to know if you've signed the contract, and if so, you should take it to him now." She said. Her voice echoing through my office.

I smiled then sighed. I guess I have to sign it now. I quickly grabbed my pen and signed my signature at the bottom. I was trembling so much that dents where I have pressed the pen to the paper was hard that it nearly broken through. I hope William doesn't mind me almost destroying the paper. I pushed back my chair and quickly pulled the papers together, tapping them on the table to straighten them neatly. In a hurry, I jumped up from my chair and made my way to his office.

I stopped in my tracks in front of the doors, knocking twice. Hearing his voice, saying I could come in. His voice sounded stern and annoyed.

Opening the door, I saw a man towering over William. He was so tall. Very handsome as well. Curly black hair and light blue eyes. His muscles were almost the same size as William's but looked a bit bigger. A strand of hair covered his left eye, but I could still make out a scar that ran from above his eyebrow, over his eyelid and to his cheek. He had a chiseled jawline and defined cheekbones. His nose was a celestial . It has a concave feature that display a depression in the mid-part and a tip that protrudes slightly.

I walked closer to William, walking as formal as I could, keeping my composure calm, cool and collected, seeing as this man looked extremely formal. I placed the contract on his table, folding my hands over each other and waited for William to excuse me.

"Thank you, Lilith. You may be excused." William said, his voice low and cold, not looking at me. His eyes glued to papers that was on his desk. I bowed my head, and as I turned, I heard a cough coming from the man that was standing by William.

"William, aren't you going to introduce me to your new pet?" the man's voice was deep, cold and sarcastic. I stopped in my tracks, breathing in deep, cursing this man in my head when he called me 'pet'. I knew he was part of William's business, why else would he be here? So if I had to talk back to this man and tell him how arrogant and childish he is, William would've probably fired me, so I kept quiet.

"No. Leave her be. She's only my assistant." he looked at me and back to the man. "Lilith, please return to your office." William asked in a stern voice. As if he was warning me to leave.

I nodded and walked quickly, almost running, but before I could touch the door handle, the strange man was in front of me.

"How did he get to me so fast?" I thought to myself.

He was in front of me in an instant. Either I was too slow, or something else was going on here.

He smiled and I could see a flash of white fangs extending from his mouth, shining in the dim light. My eyes widened and all I could do was scream. The fangs threw me off and I instantly thought about what my mother said about supernatural beings. This proved to me that they are real, or I'm just too tired and started seeing things. William pulled me by my shoulder, throwing me back. I flew through the air and hit my back against his desk, moving the desk with brutal force. William was strong, so strong that he actually sent me flying. How was this even possible? It couldn't be. My mouth fell open and my breath blew out in a sharp gust, struggling to breathe. Pain shot through my spine when I hit the desk. The pain was unbearable. My eyes flickered, but what I could see, William now had his hand gripping the man's throat.

"Never touch her again!" his voice echoed through the office. The anger he had for this man, I could feel it the moment I walked into his office. I wondered what kind of relationship William had with him. It didn't seem friendly. It seemed more deadly.

"Come on, son. You can't still hate your father. I gave you this life!" with that, I fell into a deep sleep.

William's POV

"You didn't have to do that." I said as I had my hand around my father's throat. My grip tightened slightly. He smiled at me, his eyes turning blood red. He let out an evil chuckle, licking his lips.

"She smells sweet." the words hit my eardrums like daggers. My blood boiling.

My father always takes everything from me. He might be the council leader... An amazing leader at that, but he's a sh*tty father. He never took my feelings into consideration. He was a beast that would be able to kill me in an instant. I don't know why he's not fighting back. He's stronger and faster than me. He just stood there, accepting my hand around his throat.

"Son, she's-"

"Shut the f*ck up!" I gritted my teeth as I interrupted him before he could continue.

"Very well then. I guess I'll take my leave." he smiled once more, grabbing my wrist and removing my hand from his throat with ease.

He corrected his clothes and wiped away the strand of hair hanging in front of his eye. He looked at Lilith one more time, his smile fading. Why did he look concerned? A moment ago he wanted to attack her. I jumped so fast when he stopped her from leaving. I didn't think twice about what he was going to do. Being good or bad, but he had sympathy in his eyes. What the f*ck is this?

He looked at me again, nodding his head once, turning slowly to leave. I sighed and turned to face Lilith. I approached Lilith's unconscious body. I brushed my palm softly over her cheek before picking her up. She was as light as a feather. She would definitely break if I had to even press her too hard. I knew that she was special the moment she ran into me. Her scent gave off something familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Time to take you home." I whispered.

Juliet joined me in the office, accessing my office's elevator that was hidden behind the bookshelf. I couldn't let anyone see her like this. They would ask too many questions. I just have to get her friend to look after her for me, till she's ready to come back to work. Even though I know she's going to hound me. The elevator doors opened slowly. I made my way inside, waiting for Juliet. She quickly pressed the button for the elevator to go down to the basement level. The underground parking area that only I could access.

As the elevator got to the basement level, my car was already there, waiting for us. I'm glad Juliet thought to call the car. I forgot. My mind isn't with me today. Thanks, father. He pisses me off and know just what to do for me to lose control.

Placing Lilith into the car, I let her head rest on my thighs as I got in. She shouldn't be uncomfortable. This girl's making me feel something. Something I haven't felt in years. It actually hurts. I shake my head before getting flash backs of my past. It's something I don't want to get stuck in again. I was a monster that time. I can't let it happen again. If I had to let my past haunt me, I wouldn't be the same. Lilith would've been dead the first second of us meeting.

After a long drive, we arrived at Lilith's place. It was an apartment complex. Looks... Homey. Not my taste, but I guess she can't get something better than this. She only had enough money to barely pay her rent and to barely get through a month with minimal food. I had her file in my desk. I went through every page before I called her into my office. I chose her, not cause of her familiar scent, but because she was obedient. She did her work perfectly and she was always on time. Well, sometimes. The files contained her bank statements and only minimal information about her past with her family. I only noticed her aunt. Her mother passed away when she was a child so there wasn't much information on her mother. Her father left before she was born. Talk about family problems. I did have my own.

Lilith's friend ran towards me while I helped Lilith out the car.

"I'm giving both of you leave for a few days. She needs rest and you need rest after tending to her." I advised her. She nodded immediately.

"What happened?" I knew she was going to ask.

"She tripped and fell." I lied. I couldn't tell her exactly what happened. She would've had a heart attack if she had to find out that I threw her through the air. She ran to open the door of the apartment, making it easy for me to get in without letting Lilith go.

"You're safe now." I whispered in her ear again.

Lilith's POV

*Dream*

"Lilith!" I heard my name as I tried to make my way through the thick forest. The voice sounded like my mother. I tried my best to follow her voice, yelling out frantically. Not knowing where to go. I cried, falling to my knees as I saw the forest was suddenly engulfed in flames. From the flames, a woman emerged. It was my mother. She clasped my cheeks, smiling, trying to calm me. The look in her eyes were sincere, sympathetic and loving.

My mother died when I was 5. She couldn't see how far I came since she died. I achieved so much. Trying to make her proud. Since her death, my aunt took me in. She is just as amazing as my mom. She cared for me as if I was her own. She helped me get to where I am. Mom, if only you were here. We could've shared so much together. I cried even more as my mom kneeled down, wiping away my tears.

I knew this was just a dream. I've had this dream ever since I can remember. But something seems different. This feels more real.

"Mom? Don't leave."

"Honey, I'll always be here. In your heart and memories. Where we are now, is just a dream. But a very powerful one."

I was confused. A powerful dream? I didn't know that dreams could be powerful even in the slightest. Dreams are just dreams. Which we conjure up from what we feel or what our subconscious is showing is. Well, that's what my aunt always said. Though, she hid so much from me. She carried so many secrets.

My mom took my hands, lifted me and brushed my hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"Honey, it's time you knew the truth."

"Truth? What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About our family. About who and what we are..." she paused for a brief moment before continuing.

"I should've told you this when I was still alive, but at this moment, your aunt conjured my spirit into your dream. She thought it be best for me to tell you."

"Tell me what, mom? Please, you're scaring me."

"My sweet baby girl. We come from a long line of..."

"Mom!" I yelled as I jumped up from my bed. Mandy ran to my side, holding my hand.

"You're okay, Lil. You're home. You had an accident at work. You fell pretty hard, and you lost consciousness. You've been asleep for almost two days." Mandy explained trying to keep me calm.

"Two days!?"

I threw the blanket off of me and hurried to my closet. What was with that dream? It was the most vivid dream I've ever had. I've had the same dream ever since my mom passed away. The same forest, same fire. But my mom never came to me and talked to me like she was still alive. This was new and I couldn't think straight.

Scurrying through my closet, I found my work clothes. I added my winter stockings so that I don't die of the cold. I don't want to lose my job. I have to get back to work. Wait, what's the time even? I moved towards the clock next to my bed and saw it's only 4 am. I sighed, relieved that I won't lose another day's work. I fell down on my bed, rubbing my face softly, trying to recollect what happened. Mandy held my hand once more, looking at me with so much concern in her eyes.

"Mr. Patrova brought you home. He asked me to stay by your side until you woke up. He won't be mad that we lost some work. He authorized leave for both of us." Her voice laced with sympathy.

I didn't think that William would be generous enough to bring me home and give me and Mandy a few days off. He's a perfectionist who always expects maximum effort. I didn't think that if he had to let us stay home, that he's work would fall behind. He could've gotten someone else to take over as we weren't there. His business never sleeps. There are people working shifts which I thought was odd. To me, the job didn't seem as important, but nobody knows what lies beneath the surface.

I nodded as tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I couldn't control them so they came crashing down, rolling down my cheeks, landing on our hands. She wiped my tears quickly, reassuring me that I'll be okay. She knew how to comfort me when I felt like I was lost and had nobody to turn to. Mandy let go of my hand, walking towards the kitchen. My stomach started growling. I haven't eaten in almost two days. I feel so weak, but I'll be okay. Mandy came back with a plate in her hands. The smell of warm pizza filling the air. I smiled at her as she gave me the plate.

"Lilith." hearing my mom's voice again, I dropped the plate. The plate scattered into pieces and the pizza was now on the floor. Standing up slowly, I looked up and then around the room, trying to figure out where her voice was coming from so I concentrated hard. Mandy's voice was deafened. I felt her tugging on me, but my mind was elsewhere.

"I had to move to your realm. To tell you the truth, honey." My mom explained, continuing from where she left off in my dream.

"Mom? Where are you?" I asked frantically.

Right now, I believed that my dream wasn't just a dream. She actually did come to me. How? I don't know. It wasn't possible. Nothing about this seemed real. My mind kept hounding me, telling me it's all just a dream. A dream in a dream. I've never experienced a dream in a dream. This was new to me.

"Honey, enough! You need to know the truth in order to protect yourself from those vampires!" Her voice laced in frustration.

I frowned, walking towards the living room. I couldn't fathom the idea of vampires! They don't exist! There's now way that these creatures existed. My mind immediately went back to the day I got hurt. That man. His fangs. Vampires do exist? And I was almost killed by one? This couldn't have been possible at all. I always thought we lived in a normal world. Now, my whole world has been thrown upside down.

"Our family. Like I wanted to say before you woke up. We come from a long line of witches. Powerful witches." She continued to explain after losing her patience with me.

Vampires and witches. I can't. It's too much for me to take in. Me? A witch? I don't believe it, but I can hear my mom's voice. Or, maybe I'm just going crazy. First vampires and now this? What if I was born human into a family of witches? My father was human. Or so I thought. I could've inherent my father's human side. If that's possible.

" I'm going crazy. " I chuckled and placed my hand on my forehead.

"No, honey. Please, go to your aunt when you have time. As for me, my time is running out... I love you sweety. I'll always be with you." Her voices faded as she said her goodbyes.

"Mom! Mom!" from there, I couldn't hear her anymore. She was gone. My heart ached, but I was also happy to hear her voice. I loved my mom more than anyone in my life, then she was just taken from me. In that moment, lurked a vast pool of hurt. All the information she's given me was like something out of a book. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea. Nothing in my life seemed real anymore.