Our Last Hope

What I Deserve

I was the first to wake. A small spark of panic set in as my eyes adjusted. I assessed the room. Both of my babies were still fast asleep, but Gregor was not in bed with us. I sat up quickly and searched the perimeter of the room. I tried to link him, but I was getting nothing back. My heart jumped into my throat but I desperately tried to keep myself calm. There was a reasonable explanation for why he wasn't here. I tried to link my dad, no answer as well. My brain started to settle, they were probably in a meeting, but just to be sure.

Mama? Are you there?

Yes baby, I'm here. Are you alright?

Yes ma'am, I'm fine. Have you seen Gregor?

He's in the study with your father. He didn't want to wake you. I'm heading upstairs now.

There was a soft knock on the door before mama popped her head in. She saw that the twins were still sleeping. I waved her in and she quietly shut the door behind her.

"I came up to tell you. The boys think they found something. We may know how to defeat it."

I took a sigh of relief, that's the best news that I have heard in a while. Happy tears sprang to my eyes. I know that we weren't out of the woods but it was a start.

We waited until the twins got up before we headed down to the study. I felt like I was taking forever to get down there. I was so anxious, I was praying that this would all be over soon.

I sat on the floor with Lilly and Henry in my lap and listened intently to Gregor as he read from his ancestor's journal.

"October 15th, 1778. I encountered a creature unlike I have ever seen before. It moves at the speed of light and has bright yellow eyes, terrifying enough to haunt me in my sleep. Its long, claw like talons could cut a man to ribbons in a single swipe. I have heard the legends but never believed them until I saw the creature for myself. If it wasn't for the foul smell coming from it's mouth, it would have made me its next source of power. The stories say that the creature must siphon magic from other mystical creatures for survival. Seeing as our settlement is mostly composed of the vampire race, I have lost many friends and family members to this heinous beast. Many are convinced that it was released straight from hell. But others have sworn that it was created here on Earth. The first missing comrade of mine was a fellow by the name of Callum McCleary. He fought along side me at the battle of Culloden, when the Scottish highlanders fought against British rule. He was one of the first settlers to break ground here in North Carolina. But sadly, he had sustained an injury from the battle that was not healing despite his ability to heal himself. Callum decided to enlist the help of a woman named Mary Johnson. She was said to be a witch, one that could make miracles happen."

My mouth was agape at the amount of information that we got from that single entry.

"There has to be more, right?"

Gregor looked up from the leather bound book."I assume so, but I haven't been able to find anything more just yet."

I was slightly disappointed, but it was more than just speculation. We had proof that what I saw was more than just my imagination.

I looked down at Lilly, she was reaching for my cheek. She was going to show me something, or so I thought. This time, her touch was warm, and I started to feel weak, but only slightly. Suddenly, I heard the rapid flipping of parchment.I looked into her eyes, they were bright purple and her cheeks were rosy. I glanced past her and focused on Gregor sitting behind the desk. He was watching the pages of the journal skim on its own. Lilly held on for about 20 more seconds before pulling her hand away. When she did, the pages stopped turning. Gregor looked down at the pages to see where it stopped.

"Holy s**t. This is exactly what we have been looking for. Lilly flipped to the right page, we know how to defeat it!" I could see the excitement on Gregor's face. Mama rushed over and read over Gregor's shoulder.

"He's right, this is exactly what we needed."

Lilly giggled in my lap and I clapped her hands together. We all shared a celebratory moment, but just for a moment before it was all business once more.

"December 4th, 1778. I am currently following a trail from Charolette to Charleston. More than a dozen men, women, and children have been found along the main stretch of road. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to track down the creature again since the first time I encountered it back in Autumn. I have been in correspondence with the witch responsible for the transformation. She explained the process needed to reverse the spell, it will not be easy. I am to capture the creature and bring it to her. She has the power to destroy the creature for good. When in a fine powder form, White Snakeroot can be used as a paralytic and disarm the creature long enough to transport it to Charleston. Once neutralized, Mistress Johnson will preform a 'Transformatio' spell that will expel the evil from the host. The original host will most likely not survive the reverse transformation. The only true way to ensure that the evil will not return is to burn the body in a pyre following the transformation,"

Gregor looked up from the journal to assess the room. "So where do we start? I haven't seen Snakeroot around here in decades."

The room was silent as we weighed our options. It would take us longer to set out into the woods and find it ourselves.

Mama suddenly perked up, "What about Lorelei? She already offered to help us with the protection spell. Do you think she might have what we're looking for?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "regardless if she has it or not, she's a good place to start."

****

Gregor and Daddy stayed behind to re-read the entries, to be sure that we didn't miss anything. Mama and I headed straight into town in search of Lorelei. She has a store front right off the main square. She is one of the only witches left in this region. Her ancestors settled here shortly after the Harrington's arrived. This is not the first time the Harringtons have had to call upon the Felds for assistance.

When we walked in, the chime rang above our heads. The smell of burning sage filled the air. The walls were lined with ceremonial candles, incense and various crystals. There was a small desk in the far left corner of the room and beaded curtains that hung in the doorway. After a few seconds, Lorelei popped her head out of the back room.

"Ahh, hello there Harringtons!" She fully stepped in past the beads. "How can I help you ladies?"

I took a step towards the desk, "Hey Lei, we have a little bit of a situation on our hands. We were hoping you'd be able to help."

Lorelei and I were in high school together, she graduated two years before me, but we have been close since we were toddlers. I was always entranced by her beauty. She had a delicate, heart shaped face and bright blue, glistening eyes. Her olive skin was soft and voluminous, it made her freckles more prominent on the bridge of her nose. Her beautiful dreads were tied back into a bun with a silk head scarf tied around her temples. "Absolutely, Let me lock the door and we'll get started."

****

The three of us sat around the table in the back room. When I was done catching Lorelei up on the events from the last couple days, she silently stood up from the table. She paced for a minute or two before turning towards the various rows of glass jars that lined the room.

"Hmmm, I know that I have something on these dusty shelves." Mama and I looked after her as she shuffled through her stash. "It should be right around... here!"

We all perked up when we realized that she must have found the White Snakeroot. Lorelei turned towards us and set the small, glass jar in the center of the table.

"It's not much, but I should be able to get more. I'll have to reach out to my cousin in Georgia. I'm sure that she has more. How soon do you need it?"

Mama and I exchanged looks, before I turned back towards Lorelei. "As soon as possible. I don't know how much longer my nerves can take this."

Lorelei nodded, "Did the journal say what kind of spell the sorceress used?"

I shook my head. "We were hoping that you would know at least where to start. You know more about this than we do."

Lorelei smirked, "I see. Can you give me a day or two to figure out a couple different ones? I can talk to a few of my relatives and see what we can come up with."

I felt the relief rush through me, I was so appreciative of Lorelei. She gave up practicing magic the last couple years, she really wanted to focus on the healing side of powers, I was thankful that she was willing to help. We agreed to rest for a couple days and reconvene again on Friday. We thanked Lorelei for her time and expertise before turning towards the door.

Mama and I were both deep in thought the entire drive back. I just prayed that this would all be over soon. I still didn't understand how this creature came to be. There hadn't been a local sighting in nearly a century, why now? Was there something that we were missing? I know that the vampire race has a strong stigma of being indestructible, but we too have weaknesses.

We pulled into the compound and waited for the gates to open. My stomach balled into a knot and I suddenly felt a tight pull in my stomach, I was going to puke. I jumped out of the car before mama had fully parked. I expelled the entirety of my stomach content on the gravel in front of the house. I was half way into my second trimester, I shouldn't have morning sickness still. I felt mama's arms around my shoulders as I continued to heave. She was rubbing my back and waited for the purging to stop.

"It's just the nerves darling. We've all been through a lot the last couple weeks. Why don't you go inside and rest. I'll rally the troops, you need some sleep."

I slowly straightened up and nodded my head. I swiped the back side of my sleeve across my lips. Mama wrapped her arm around my shoulders and walked me inside. Gregor was in the foyer exchanging words with a staff member when he saw us. He rushed over and assess the imaginary damage. He cupped my chin in his palms.

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Mama tried to shoo him away, "She's fine. I'm sure breakfast just didn't agree with her." Gregor looked between my mother and I. I nodded my head and concurred with mother.

"I'm fine Greg, honestly, I think my body was just overwhelmed. I'm going to go lie down for a while."

Gregor looked at my mother, "I can take her up. Mr. Harrington was asking for you anyway."

Mama kissed my cheek, "I'll bring up some fresh blood when I'm done talking to your father." Mam fluttered off towards dad's office, leaving Gregor and I at the foot of the stairs. I hooked my arm through his elbow and let him lead me upstairs.

"How are the twins?"

Gregor started to chuckle, I turned to him with a puzzled expression. "What does that mean?

He shook his head, "Nothing, they're fine. They got into a fight of some kind today. None of us knew what it was about but they were yelling at each other in gibberish. I do know exactly what it was about but there was a lot of passion in that argument." he took a small breath, "So what happened to you?"

I sighed, I know he's going to be protective over nothing, it was just a little puke. I shook my head, "It was nothing, honestly. I think that all the stress, nerves, and pregnancy got to me. I got a sour taste in the back of my throat, It's honestly no big deal."

"I believe you, your face was just completely void of any color when you came in through the front door. I'm sorry that I tend to over react." I patted the top of his knuckles as we neared my bedroom door. "I'm also sorry about how this past year has been turning out. All I want for us is to have peace and eventually get back to normal."

I started to tear up, I desperately wanted that too. But he had no reason to be sorry about any of this. Greg was one of the main reasons that I was still alive. It was I that should have been apologizing to him. He went in for a kiss but I was quick to stop him.

"Did you not just hear what I did outside? There is no way that I am kissing you before I have brushed my teeth." Gregor leaned in again but settled for my cheek.

"Fine, Ill wait for you, but you owe me two kisses then."

"Deal."

I finished up with my teeth and walked back out into my bedroom. Gregor was sitting on the foot of the bed double checking his texts and emails. He had so many new correspondence now that he was the head of the coven's gaurd. I came over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. He looked up at me with his beautiful eyes and I melted into him. He leaned in and kissed me with my arms still wrapped around his neck. He scooped up my hips and brought me further into his lap. I eventually shifted so I was gentling straddling him. I placed my hands on his chest and we just sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the ever fleeting peace. Suddenly, something on my hand caught his eyes. He picked up my left hand and held in the air for a few seconds. He began rubbing the ring that was still stuck on my finger. The ring that used to play mind tricks on me. I was still so scared to take it off, I didn't know what kind of power that it could yield.

"I don't know what will happen if I take it off. I didn't want to take any chances."

Gregor huffed, "I understand. I wouldn't want you to take it off anyway. This ring would have meant something completely different, if I was the one who gave it to you. If I was the one who met you first. I would have treated it as the highest honor."

I could see that Greg was getting choked up. He mindlessly stroked the center stone. "This ring has been in my family for generations. I am so ashamed of the things that have happened to you while you wore this. I don't expect you to continue to wear it, knowing what it now represents. William's actions have forever poisoned this family heirloom."

I reached for this hand and kissed his knuckles. I could feel the pain and frustration radiating off of his body.

He looked into my eyes and his walls broke down as I pulled his forehead to mine. I knew that he blamed himself for what happened to me, and this ring was a reminder of the terrors that I had to endure. It was supposed to be a sentimental item, something that should have been cherished and held sacred. I felt myself welling up as well, pulled back a bit and tilted his chin up so I could look in his eyes once more.

"Some day soon, I will take this ring off and leave behind all of the terrible memories that has surrounded it. We will be able to move on from this nightmare and start making our dreams a reality."

Gregor nodded with tears in his eyes. I wanted so badly to make his pain go away. I stroked his hair and pushed it back out of his eyes. I kissed his forehead tenderly and wrapped him into my arms. He rested his cheek on my chest and I could feel him squeeze a little tighter. We exhanged a few soft kisses before his hands slid down my back. I subtly adjusted in his lap and grounded myself on his strong frame. He held tight to me and laid us both back on my bed. I bore my weight against his chest and placed my hands on either side of his face as our kisses became more fervent, more intense. His hands moved along my curves until he reached the waistband of my leggings. Our lips never lost contact as I shimmied my leggings down my legs. We were both getting frustrated when I couldn't get them all the way off. Greg and I started to laugh as I struggled with the fabric. He craned his neck, trying to get a better view.

"f**k this." He reached down and grabbed at either side of the seam and ripped. They were much easier to get off now that they were in shreads.

I started to giggle as I looked down at his face. "Well that's one way to do it."

Greg flipped us over so now he was on top. He smoothed my curls from my face before kissing me softly on the lips. I felt his fingertips stroke across my skin until he made his way down to my lace panties. He hooked his finger into the fabric and pushed the center part of my underwear off to the side. He slipped his fore fingers into me making me moan. He planted kisses along my chin and down my neck until my hoodie got in the way.

He started to laugh again when he hit another rode block. He buried his face between my breasts in frustration. "I can't win, can I?" He sounded muffled against the heavy fabric. I started to laugh and rested my hand on the top of his head.

"Here sit up, let me help." I lightly pushed Gregor off me and sat up. I grabbed the bottom hem of my hoodie and slipped out of it quickly. "I might as well take this off too." I looked down at my sports bra and unzipped the front. I tossed everything on the floor and looked at Gregor. "Better?"

Gregor smirked, "Much." He suddenly pounced at me, knocking me back down to the mattress. This time, he rotated so his full weight was on me. He wasted no time ripping my panties off of my hips and tossing them to the side. He slid his gray sweatpants down to his ankles and kicked them off. His lips pressed against mine and we began panting as our passion ignited once more. I know it sounds silly, but I would much rather find a partner who makes me laugh while f*****g. It should be fun, it should be a special bond between you and your partner. Yes, intensity is important, but so is laughter.

Our bodies started to align and we were lightly grinding against one another. I grabbed at his t-shirt, I started bringing it up to his shoulders. I broke away from his lips just long enough to get it off over his head. I spread my legs and felt his c**k against the inside of my thigh. I wrapped my arms around his neck and braced his hips between my thighs.

I heard him moan as he slipped into me. I rolled my head back further into the mattress and his lips moved down to my collar bone. My breathing became heavier as I felt my body relax and my nerves took the drivers seat. Gregor and I made more sense, we were softer, gentler with each other. You can feel the love, the light, the passion between us.

Our rythym increased and so did our panting as we were both climbing. I felt goosebumps cover my body and my back began to arch off the bed. A long, slow 'f**k' escaped my lips and I tightened around his c**k. His lips wrapped around my n*****s and he began to tug on them. He pressed his hands on my wrists and placed them above my head. I tilted my hips up and brought my ankles higher up on his back. Gregor bit down on my bottom lip and cursed under his breath.

My orgasm flooding my brain and I felt my toes begin to curl under. I interlocked my ankles behind his back as he f****d me further into the mattress. Gregor released my hands and I threw my arms around his back and instinctively dug my nails in and I crashed into oblivion. I felt Gregor flex inside of me, giving me every last drop that he had. His lips met mine once more before traveling down my neck.

"Thank you for being mine" He said in a hushed tone as we both came down from our high. Gregor rolled onto his back next to me and placed his hand on his chest before looking at me. "I can't describe in words, how much I love you. Thank you for giving me my children. Thank you for making me feel worthy of love."

I smiled at him, the man that I had met last year was no longer here. The arrogant, childish, broken boy, was now the man that I had always dreamed of. I turned on my side and placed my hand on his right cheek. "Thank you for being the man that I deserve."

We leaned in for a tender kiss before he pulled me into his arms.