Chapter 15 - Bonding
1695 Words
#musicvibe - Back to my roots, Jay Smith
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Valeria POV
The sun was setting outside the bedroom window. Evelyn and I sat on the bed facing each other, both of us still shocked by Mr Burke’s revelation.
“I can’t believe it.” I laughed. “I’ve searched my whole life for any biological family, and now I have a cousin.”
Evelyn laughed too.
“I feel the same way.” She replied. “Everyone always hated me, and I wanted nothing more than to have a family.”
“I’m sorry you had to live like that.” I whispered. “I wish I could turn back time and come find you sooner.”
Evelyn frowned.
“The day we met, you said that you were born human.” She said. “I don’t understand. Your father was a werewolf. How come you weren’t?”
“I was.” I replied. “I didn’t know it. We didn’t live in a pack when I grew up, and my father died when I was eight, so I never had the chance to ask him about it.”
Evelyn shook her head in disbelief.
“I have so many questions.” She said. “What happened to your dad? How did you get your powers? Did you shift when you turned eighteen?”
I shrugged.
“I don’t know much.” I said. “But my father started working for the military after he left the pack. He was sent on a mission to Sweden to infiltrate a religious group. They had been approached by a scientist that chose my mother to get primer serums. The serums created a genetic marker that was making genetic manipulation possible on a whole new level. She was supposed to produce a child with the scientist’s son because they were deemed a good genetic match. I’m not sure, but I think my mother was my father’s mate, and he took her away from there.”
“What happened?” Evelyn asked.
“I was eight when they found us.” I continued. “They checked both my sister and me to see who had inherited the generic marker.
I did. My sister didn’t.
So they took me and killed the others.”
Evelyn stared at me and I sighed.
“The next six years, I spent locked up in a factory along with eleven other kids. We all had different powers. The scientist’s son that was planning to produce a child with my mother took over the operation and he trained us to be soldiers.”
I looked down.
“He did things to me.” I mumbled. “Things I’d rather not talk about.”
I hated talking about my ‘special training’ with Myers. It took me a while to realize how wrong it all was, and I just feel dirty every time I think about it.
“The day they breached the factory, they tried to get rid of the evidence.” I continued. “They started executing us, one by one. I was the last one. Just as the gun pointed at me, the troops rushed in and saved me.”
I smiled softly when I saw Evelyn’s eyes fill with tears.
“You were the only one to survive that orphanage, so I guess you know what that feels like.” I whispered.
“Does it ever get easier?” Evelyn asked quietly. “This guilt, it just hurts so much.”
“Not really.” I admitted. “It took me years to come to terms with it, but finally I managed to accept that there must have been a reason why I survived. Besides, I know that they are all in a better place, free of the pain, so I’ll happily carry that guilt and pain if it means that they don’t have to.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“So now that you know everything, will you stick around and keep being my assistant?” I asked.
Evelyn smiled.
“I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway.” She replied. “I like this job, and I want you to know how much I appreciate that you gave me a chance.”
The door opened and Tyson walked in.
“How are you doing?” He asked.
“We’re just fine.” I grinned. “Just some bonding between cousins.”
Tyson smiled and sat down on the bed next to me.
“Welcome to the family, Evelyn.”
Evelyn bowed.
“Thank you, my king.” She replied.
“Call me Tyson.” He smiled and Evelyn smiled back.
I glanced at the time.
“It’s getting late.” I said and got up from the bed. “We should all get some sleep.”
Evelyn got up too and gathered the tray with drinks we had earlier.
“I’m taking these back to the kitchen.” She said. “Good night guys.”
“Good night.” Tyson and I replied in unison.
After Evelyn left, Tyson cupped my cheeks and studied my face.
“How are you?” He asked.
“I’m fine.” I said. “I know I have a family that loves me, but it’s still so great to meet someone that I’m actually related to that isn’t a complete nutjob.”
Tyson chuckled and I rolled my eyes at the thought of my maternal grandmother that turned out to be a very disturbed person.
“That’s true.” He replied. “I think she can be good for you. I know you’ve been struggling a lot lately with the whole queen thing, and I’m sorry that I haven’t been there for you as much as I should have been.”
I shrugged.
“It’s okay.” I said and gave him a brief kiss. “Something tells me that it's going to get easier from now on.”
*
Evelyn POV
I felt a thousand pounds lighter when I almost skipped down the stairs back to my room. Even though it was late, I wasn’t really tired.
It was a shock to find out that Valeria was my cousin, but it was the best thing that could ever happen. Even though Valeria was this all powerful being and you could feel that power radiating from her, she was such a kind and caring person, and I really liked her.
My thoughts were interrupted when I rounded the corner to descend another flight of stairs and something got caught in my foot. I let out a loud scream when I tumbled down the stairs, the tray falling to the floor with a clattering sound. Pain shot through my leg when a piece of shattered glass pierced my thigh. I reached to pull it out, but stopped myself when I saw a figure towering over me.
My heart pounded and I stared up at the seething blonde with fear.
“You just don’t listen, do you?” She snarled. “Stay away from the queen.”
“Why?” I asked shakily. “I don’t understand. What do you want?”
She crouched down next to me and I scrambled to get away from her, but I froze when she grabbed my bleeding leg harshly, making me whimper from the pain.
“She’s just using you.” She said sweetly. “She just wants you for your uterus.”
I stared at her.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“The queen can’t carry children of her own.” The girl said. “That’s why they have to choose someone to carry the royal heir for her. Someone close, that they can trust with that honor.”
She gave me a once over and chuckled coldly.
“Are you sure that you can handle the implications of being the queen’s assistant, little girl?” She sneered. “She’s preparing you to carry her child.”
I froze.
“What?” I asked.
“Leave this place, quickly.” She whispered. “Let someone take over that is actually worthy of the honor.”
I shook my head and she raised an eyebrow at me.
“Do you want to be pregnant?” She asked.
“Umm- no.” I replied. “Val- erm- the queen hasn’t said anything about this.”
“Well, of course she hasn’t.” The girl chuckled. “She’s clever. She waits until you can’t run, and then you’ll have no other choice than to do everything she asks. She knows that if you knew everything about what she was planning for you, you’d run away screaming.”
She patted my leg and got up.
“Make the right choice, little girl.” She sneered. “Leave.”
With that, she left me alone with my thoughts swirling in my head.
No.
I didn’t want to doubt Valeria, not after everything that happened today.
But I still wondered if it was true that she couldn’t have children, and why she didn’t say anything about it. Maybe this was some end goal and she was just waiting for me to warm up to her so that I’d actually consider it.
I forced the doubtful thoughts out of my mind and pulled the glass out of my leg. The cut wasn’t deep, so I staggered to my feet and picked up the broken pieces of the glass and put it back on the tray. To my relief, the kitchen was empty and I dumped the glasses in the trash and limped back to my room.
My whole body was aching from falling down the stairs, and I cried silently while I dressed my wounds. I didn’t know what to think, and I still hated myself for even questioning Valeria’s intentions. She had been so kind to me that I was so afraid that there was an ulterior motive that I couldn’t see. But I still didn’t want to believe that evil girl either.
I went to bed, but I was wide awake for hours with my mind on overdrive, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t shut it off.
- Writer
