Hallows: The Golden Viper

He's Always Been Alone

Sleep Token- Granite

B.B.

I wanted to give Delilah some room to get over whatever it is she's thinking right now. I didn't expect Dec to be in a bad mood. It's been happening a lot more lately. He's happy to be around the guys but when I try to get close he doesn't want that. I don't know what to do or say to him. I knew it would be like this from the start. s**t, the only reason I'm not that way is because you can't exactly say no to Lucien Daniels or Carson Hayashi. Especially when they're being their charming selves together. I'm not charming. I'm a Blackstone. You either love me or hate me. I can't tell him what he should feel. Even when I want to just break those ugly insecurities by force.

"Del," I tap on her door.

"What?" she calls back from the other side of the door.

I didn't want to have this conversation in the bathroom. I don't want to go to my room right now. All of the Dec's car parts are in there and the last thing I want is to think of him. He kind of hurt my feelings.

"Let's talk about this,"

"There is nothing to talk about B.B. You're not going to listen to me, so why even bother?"

"Okay," I press my forehead against the door. "So then, maybe listen to me?"

"No, go away,"

"Dilly, I wish I could show you," I sigh turning around so I can sit on the floor.

"Show me what?"

"Do you remember when we were little and Mrs. Kennedy convinced Dad to take us both to Disney World? We were headed for the airport and Dad changed his mind and took me home. He took me and Stacy to see the Harry Potter marathon in Old Town,"

"Yeah, and he got you guys the robes and stuff. It was so f*****g annoying," her voice is just behind the door.

"David told him that there were hunters waiting for me at the airport. And it wasn't the only time he warned him. That's been my whole life, Del. And I've had you and Dad and everyone but I can't go anywhere without being targeted.

"It's not just that either. When we were five, we were taking horseback lessons together at the Halestorm Estate with Lucien and Carson. We were running around just being happy together," tears fill my eyes and I have to breathe in slowly to keep myself calm. "When David was five, his dad had his older brother and sister f*****g him up, Del. And I'm not talking about the way Carson and Lucien would playfight. I mean he would really f**k him up to the point where David could barely stand.

"He knew that he'd never be able to beat him in a fair fight so he would stoop to dirty tricks. He would think he his way out of having to fight him. And his brother. Arturo would get very angry when their Dad praised him for it. The only person who ever tried to help David was Mrs. Helsing. He found out a few years ago that the Panther he killed for killing his mom was sent by his father," I swallow. "Because she was trying to pull David from the Obedience Program.

"He sent Mrs. Helsing to kill Marcos's human grandpa and she did. So Belinda's mom came after her and David killed her. They made him believe that we did it without a cause and he hated us until he met Dad.

"There was this monster that David wanted to kill holding out his hand telling him that he didn't have to be scared because he would protect him. He would watch from the space where my lab is now. When Fredrick Blackstone would take Dad into the basement and hurt him. He would sit there in the dark listening to Grandpa hurt Dad the same way his father made his siblings hurt him.

"And he would listen to Grandma Penelope beg him to stop. He would watch them in the garden and he would listen to the pretty stories she would tell him. Then they made him kill her, Delilah. He begged her to run the same way he did when he went after Mom when she was pregnant with me," I wipe the tears from my face. "He had to lie to the only person who cared about him. The only person who made him feel human," Hot rage floods my body. "Dad. Black Death.

"They have to pay that, Delilah. All of them. Not just for David. For Rose. For all the little kids they turned into killers. For everything they took from us. I want them all to burn in hell. I want them to hurt just as much as I am. I want them to know what it feels like to have their greatest weapon turned on them," my entire body is shaking with anger. "You don't have to be on my side. You don't even have to be there.

"I have to make it up to him, Del. I have to show him that I'm sorry for everything. For telling him he'd never be Dad. For making him feel like he was nothing. He's always been alone and I don't want him to be alone anymore. He shouldn't have to be. I want to be on his side and when I kill him because I am still going to kill him. I want him to know that I'm killing him for the same reason I killed Mom. Because I love him. Because he's my Dad too,"

The door opens behind me and she wraps her arms around me as I try to breathe in properly.

"You're shaking," she whispers.

"His essence is really hard to control," I choke out. "He's so angry,"

"I'm sorry," she sits down in front of me.

"For what?" I look up at her.

"For always thinking the worst of you," she looks down at her hands.

"In your defense, I kind of am the worst," I shrug. "I'm Dad's daughter," we both laugh. "You don't have to come with me,"

"I kind of do. There is no way in hell I'm going to let you be both our Dad's favorite. You have to let me have one,"

"You're definitely David's favorite. You look like grandma but you're a lot like Mom. She's kind of the other love of his life,"

"Stop crying," she takes a red handkerchief out of her back pocket and hands it to me. "You're eyes are going to get puffy and when Lucien sees it he's going to be upset with me,"

"Why do you have this?" I ask using it to dab my tears.

"You f*****g cry all the time," she laughs. "We all carry one,"

"f**k you guys," I say and stand up. I offer her my hand and I lift her. "Del,"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever you're hiding, I want you to know that you can tell me when you're ready," I glance into her room to see she's cleaned up most of the mess it was the last time I went in there. She reached for the door and shuts it. "Whatever it is, I promise I'll just listen,"

"I'm fine," she lies. "It's just weird s**t with Ash,"

"Okay," I nod. "Are we good?"

"We're good," she nods and hugs me.

I step back when she goes for the door. She pauses and waits for me to move away from it and even when I don't want to walk away, I do anyway. When I get to my room, I find my dad laying on my bed with the journal I left in his study. I know he heard because my door was slightly open. He sits up and looks over at me.

"We should talk," he says and pulls my gaming chair closer to him. He taps it. I go over and take a seat.

"Are you going to try and talk me out of it?" I ask.

He pulls my chair directly in front of him. The doors in the room all shut and the sounds around us disappear. The glass door on my balcony starts to turn black. Suddenly, I don't feel so safe, but my body refuses to believe that my dad would do anything to hurt me. I just sit back and wait for him to make the first move.

"No," he shakes his head. I push away from him when he steps out from behind my bed.

"Chance?" I look between them. I stand up pushing the gaming chair away from me. I can feel Remy close but she's not coming to me.

"You're becoming hostile," Chance says as he comes closer. "I can feel you calling to them. They can't get in, Belladonna,"

"You're being threatening. I might not be able to get Rem and Eve in her but it doesn't mean I'm defenseless," I look between the two of them.

"Yes, I am very well aware of your weapons," he says stepping up to me. He opens my hoodie to reveal my holster. He smells amazing and I find myself breathing him in. "I told you I'd never hurt you,"

"You did. You also seem to be going out of your way to complicate my life. Everything always leads back to you. You're the only constant in all the bad s**t that's befallen, my family," I accuse him.

He takes a step back as if I've insulted him. He looks over at my Dad who can't look up at either of us. His tail flicks back and forth the same way Timothy's tail does when he's angry. When I slide my hand down his entire back. He hates it.

"Is that right?" he asks.

"Unless you have something to tell me, yeah," I nod.

"I have nothing to explain to you, little death," he turns his demonic eyes back to me. "I'm not one to justify any of my actions to anyone. Especially not a mortal like you,"

"Why are you here?" I ask him.

"David Helsing," he answers. I look over at my dad.

"What about David?"

"I want him,"

"You're going to have to get in line," I reach for my gun. Dad turns away but I don't miss the smile that crosses his face.

"I don't wait in line. I'm a prince," he glares at me and I laugh.

"Not here you aren't," I scoff. His eyes flutter. "You're the prince of hell. This is my house. My world you're in. You have to be summoned to be here. Here, I'm the princess, and if I say you have to get in line. You will,"

"You're not going to like me when I'm upset, my love," he glares at me. I laugh shaking my head.

"You can get mad all you want. See if I care," I sit down on my gaming chair to look up at him. "What can you do really? You've already taken everything. You've made it clear that my guys aren't really mine. You're the one that needs me. Not the other way around,"

"You'd be dead without me," he growls.

"So, what? You're going to take it back? Kill me. Let me go. End my suffering and yours," I challenge. He doesn't like that.

"B.B.," Dad shakes his head.

"I want David Helsing," Chance repeats.

"No,"

"Belladonna," he warns.

"Chance," I say his name with a smirk. He growls. The sound shakes my room and I laugh. "If you destroy anything in my room. I will put the mark back on him and seal it with my blood. Then the only way you can have David is by killing me. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not," he says.

"Why do you want him?" I ask. He rolls his eyes at me and looks away. "Then you'll have to wait in line behind me and everyone else that wants him dead,"

"You are a spoiled little girl," he growls. I laugh.

"You have no idea," I agree. "Just tell me what you want him for,"

"It doesn't matter what I want him for. I always get what I want," he looks down at me. The room shakes again. He turns to look at the door.

"That's Carson. He's not going to stop until he gets to me," I place my hand on my chest. "I can feel his fear inside of me. He's f*****g up my house,"

"My reaper needs to claim David Helsing,"

"No," I shake my head.

He growls, this time he doesn't hold back. His hand wraps around my throat. My dad is pushed away from us. This is a whole different feeling than the one I get when Carson or the others do this. I'm genuinely scared of this thing. He's a real threat but if I give in, he's going to take more. He already had my dad and my mom. I can't let him take David as well.

"B.B.," he growls leaning into me.

"I don't want you to have him. You already have my parents," I whisper. He lets go of me and takes a step back. "I think you have enough,"

"You still believe-" he looks me over and then looks over at my dad.

"I still believe what?"

"Fine," he growls angrily. "Keep him,"

The room shakes again. All at once the quiet darkness around us disappears and I can breathe properly again. My dad falls to his knees and stumbles away from the door.

"B.B.," Carson and Ahsan barge into the room. His eyes land on my dad and he goes for him. I rush over and step in front of him.

"It wasn't him," I shake my head. "It was Chance,"

"Chance?" he looks around the room. "What did he want?"

"David is a popular guy," I shrug. His hands instantly come up to my face.

"Are you okay?" he asks and his eyes land on my throat. His eyes flutter and he pulls on the collar of my top. His eyes darken.

"I'm okay," I place my hands on his wrists reassuringly. "He just doesn't like being told no,"

"He hurt you," he shakes his head.

"We need to bring Espinosa here. He can't be out on his own anymore. Even if they find out we took the mark off him. He belongs to us now,"

"B.B. what happened?" his expression softens.

"Carson," Dad gets up. "Why don't we give B.B. a moment to herself?"

"But she-"

"Car," Lucien calls out from the hallway.

"I'll be in my room if you need me," he nods and walks out.

"Dad," I stop him before he walks out.

"He wants David to be like me. The last Horsemen," he sighs. "Famine,"

"Why him?" I ask.

"I don't know, B.B. I don't know why he's doing any of this. It's like you said," he turns back to look at me. "Everything leads back to him. All of it. He f*****g owns us and I have no f*****g idea why,"

"Dad, I don't want you to be with him,"

"I cut a deal, Bella. My soul belongs to him. I don't regret that. I never will. Whatever the reason, he's already got his foot on our necks. All of us. We're just pawns. Try not to piss him off more than you already have. I don't want him to hurt you because of us.

"Just give him what he wants. I don't think this is over. He's not going to let a mortal talk to him like that. He's really f*****g powerful, Pinky. I've seen him do f****d up s**t with a flick of his tail. Do what you have to and give him what he wants. I don't want him to take it back, B. I don't want him to make you go away," black tears slide down his face. "Please. I'm sure David is going to understand,"