33
1176 Words
Robert Montgomery
The look of shock and guilt on Charlotte’s face confirms my suspicion.
Beruth Sanguinite may have erased Charlotte from his clan’s history, but he couldn’t erase her from the memories of the people who once knew her. Harry, as my assistant, was tasked with looking up Charlotte’s past. He couldn’t find anything at first, but talking to a few vampires with whom the pack is still on somewhat decent terms revealed a lot.
Charlotte Beaumont was once Charlotte Sanguinite, the oldest daughter of one of the most notorious vampire clan leaders. When Harry brought me that information this evening, I felt a variety of emotions: shock, betrayal, hurt, and anger.
It was hard to reconcile the gentle Charlotte with the greedy, ambitious, and cold-blooded man who was responsible for so much death and destruction of wolf shifters. When I arrived at the cafe to confront her, knowing she’s usually closing up at that hour, I didn’t expect to smell her blood or hear the death rattle in her gasps.
I didn’t expect to see Beruth Sanguinite’s youngest daughter, Arabella, on top of a limp Charlotte, strangling her, clawing her face.
And Charlotte, my Charlotte, was just letting her at that point. She wasn’t fighting back, and my blood went cold.
And my wolf lost control.
I would have killed that female vampire in a heartbeat. I never expected Charlotte to ask me not to.
As I held the unconscious Charlotte in my arms, I knew she wouldn’t tell me the whole truth. She would dance around it for whatever reason. So, I did the only thing I could think of.
I checked the security footage.
Not many places have audio security as well as video, but this cafe does, and it gave me an insight into Charlotte’s relationship with her family. More than that, it showed me the desire of a sister to reconnect, only to be brutally shunned.
And as Charlotte looks at me now, humiliation in her eyes, it breaks my heart. She looks so small in this moment, so young and devastated.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” My eyes take in the three deep scratches on her cheek, and my anger ignites again.
“I knew you’d never let me stay here in Portland,” she whispers, pulling her face away from my touch.
My eyes narrow, and I grab her by her uninjured chin, forcing her to look at me. “You could have tried trusting me.”
She holds my gaze, and there is an emptiness in her eyes that I hate. “I don’t trust anyone, Robert. It takes one second for a trust to be broken. You wanted to kick me out, right? When you first met me? You wanted to take my home away from me. You wanted to rip away the life I had built for myself, simply because I was a vampire. The only reason you let me stay was because I was weak and useless, and somewhat amusing to you. I was a source of entertainment, someone to warm your bed.”
The suppressed self-loathing in her voice as she laughs bitterly makes my heart twist in my chest.
“You don’t have to pretend otherwise. I know what I am.”
Useless. Worthless. Why haven’t you killed yourself yet?
Arabella Sanguinite’s words swim into my mind.
Does Charlotte believe them? Has she let her sister convince her of her lack of worth? Is that why she believes that my desire to be with her isn’t real?
I know what I am.
“And what are you?” I find myself asking.
She tries to move her shoulder in a shrug and grimaces in pain. “I don’t—What does it matter, Robert? You know the truth now, and Arabella knows where I am. She knows I’m alive. It won’t be long till she finds out where I live and decides to finish the job. I’ll…” She looks away from me. “You’ll get what you want. I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow.”
Out of my hair? Is she leaving?
“And just where do you plan to go?” I ask softly, touching a strand of her hair that is coated in her blood. My wolf is pacing furiously inside me.
She doesn’t seem to hear the dangerous edge to my tone as she twists her fingers together. “I have savings. I’ll find a job. I’ll leave Portland. I have Mano, and we’ll find another place to live. Homes are what you build yourself, right? Mano and I, as long as we’re together…”
She’s rambling now, not realizing that tears are streaming down her face. When I touch her hands, they’re icy cold, and she’s shivering.
“Charlotte,” I cut her off abruptly. “Stop talking.”
She shuts up immediately, but her shaking increases.
Taking off my jacket, I wrap it securely around her before saying firmly, “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not kicking you out. And nor will you let the fear of your sister drive you away from your home. Do you understand me?”
She’s staring at me blankly. “I have to go. You don’t know Arabella.”
“Arabella does not know me.” I rub her hands in mine, trying to warm them. “You will be safe. I’ll make sure of it. You and Mano will both be safe.”
Her lower lip trembles. “When she was—When I couldn’t breathe, I kept thinking about what would happen to Mano. Who would look after her? She’s my baby, and she’d be all alone…”
“No, she wouldn’t have been,” I reassure her, watching new tears spill from her eyes. “I would have taken her in.”
“Really?”
She’s a little delirious now, most likely from the pain she’s in, but I have no problem indulging Charlotte. She’s had a terrifying experience, and she has a concussion, on top of that.
I kiss her hands. “Of course. I’m not going to let anything happen to your cat.”
This time, Charlotte starts to sob, and I feel helpless watching her break, knowing she needs some outlet for the emotions pent up inside her. I wrap my arms around her, kissing the top of her head and holding her close.
She doesn’t say a word, just breaks down in my arms.
The sight of her tears enrages me.
Seeing Charlotte collapse like this, believing the cruel words her own sister spewed at her, makes me wish I hadn’t listened to her earlier. I should have torn that vindictive, bitter creature to shreds. How dare she touch what’s mine?!
My grip on the woman in my arms tightens.
This is merely a breakdown. She’s overwhelmed. She’s had a horrifying experience.
I know Charlotte is strong. This is just a moment of weakness; I’ll shield her from the world and let her gather herself till she feels whole again.
- Writer
