Not Even Human

Chapter Sixteen

I jumped from roof to roof as quickly as I could to avoid someone sighting me. To the regular human, I would be a blur and be thought to be a mere illusion.

The backpack I carried was light. It only carried a large and black floppy sun hat, sunglasses, a large coat, and gloves- all which I bought on the way or already had. I grunted in annoyance as the buildings started decreasing in height as I got closer to the school, not really wanting to be too indiscrete. I stopped once I spotted my highschool, looking around for the most exposed roof without any shade.

There- by the highschool was the cafe I went to earlier with the door facing the front of it. The sun was seconds away from its peak- I ran over without hesitation, without care. Maybe a human would spot me, but I didn’t care. I needed to build rapport with the Vampyr community, and if I was going away- maybe they could let me know of other communities in the other parts of the world.

I landed in front of a crouching and sobbing Reyna, and started unloading my backpack immediately. I placed the hat on her, startling her from her sobs. She looked up at me with relief and confusion, “You came!”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I placed the coat around her shoulders and helped her stand to button it up. Reyna put on the gloves as fast as she could and flinched as the sun reached its peak.

We stood there for a moment, and I spoke up meekly. “How… How did you get my number?”

Reyna stayed silent for another moment before huffing, “I snagged it from Nico when he wasn’t looking.”

“And why would you do that?” I felt confused- I honestly thought she hated me, but now she seemed to fluster.

“Because! You saved me from the wolves in their territory- and you’re a royal! No… no royals stick their necks out for turned ones like me. We’re… We’re replaceable.” She looked away, holding herself. “I thought I should thank you.”

I couldn’t help my grin at the realization, “You were tracking me. That’s why you were at this cafe earlier…”

“I just…” She stammered, still looking away with a reddened face. “I heard where you lived from gossip around the vampires- and I had my own disguise for the sun and everything but then I ran into the wolves and-!”

“They were tracking me too.” I scoffed in disbelief. “There’s no way you would just run into them by accident…”

“They thought they would get even with me, I guess.” She looked up at me with guilty eyes, “Why did you save me anyways?”

I blinked. Was she really asking that?

“Because it’s the right thing to do. You- You’re only, like, fifteen.” I frowned, “Do… Does the community make you feel that just because you were turned that you’re lower than them?”

“Of course it does.” She said it as if it were normal. As if it was only right. As if… God. I couldn’t leave her like this at all. I… Jasmine would be her age by now. I wondered if she remembered me… I wondered if she resented me.

“I… How do I make them respect you?” I looked at her with pleading eyes, “You know this clan. Tell me what to do.”

“I…” She hesitated, before speaking up with regained confidence. “Well, for starters- everyone thinks you let Gabe sleep with a born Vampyr girl and I don’t-”

“I don’t get what that has to do anything?” I scoffed.

“It means you don’t demand respect. And for a royal…” She raised a brow, shrugging as she trailed off.

I clenched my jaw, “So what? What do we have to do to make them respect us?”

“I have a couple ideas…” Reyna trailed off with a smirk.

-

I held my head high as I stormed into the lobby with Reyna behind me, standing still only for a moment to look around until… I spotted her. That woman from last night… she stood there, her blonde hair swishing as she turned to me. Her bright blue eyes were somewhat smug, especially with the way her lips turned into a smirk. I immediately growled, going towards her with Reyna in tow.

She squared her shoulders, her eyes narrowing as I approached. Her voice rang out, still as high pitched as last night. “And what do you wan- Agh!”

I pulled her by the hair, dragging her towards the backyard area. Everyone gasped, murmurs spreading like wildfire as they witnessed the spectacle I was making. The minute I went through the backyard door, I threw her ahead of me and onto the grass. She got up in a hurry, looking at me with a murderous glare as the others rushed out to see what was happening.

The woman stood with an enraged shriek, “Who the hell do you think you are?!”

“I’m Gabriel's fiance, remember?” I yelled back, and she scoffed with an eye roll.

“And that’s my fault, how?”

“You knew he was with me and you still decided to sleep with him! It’s your fault just as much as it is his!” I did feel outraged at that, and how could she be so smug about it made me feel all the more disgusted.

“I wouldn’t have been there if you had been enough! Obviously, he needs a real woman that knows how to please someone like him-”

I’d heard enough. I sped forward in the blink of an eye, my hand reaching into her chest and gripping her heart. Multiple sharp inhales were heard, and Reyna chuckled among the crowd. The girl- who was just so smug moments ago- looked at me with a shocked expression.

I kept my grip firm, and looked back at all the Vampyrs who stood there with wide eyes in contrast to Reyna who was grinning. I raised a brow, “I know my betrothed’s reputation, and I know he is very playful with women. Him cheating is his fault, I know that. But the fact anyone would think I’m just some little b***h who will be walked all over is idiotic. This-” I squeezed her heart more, making her grunt with pain as she held onto my arm, “-is what will happen to those who think it’s okay to sleep with my fiance without talking to me first.”

I looked at the woman, her eyes pleading with me. I smirked, letting go of her heart as she gasped with relief, and kneeled on the floor, coughing. I glanced at my bloody hand with a shrug. She glared up at me before I turned away with a satisfied feeling.

“I knew you didn’t have it in you.”

Reyna shook her head, and others sighed and murmured at what she said. I couldn’t help but grin, seeing red when I turned back around and lunged towards her, my thumbs digging into her eyes as I hissed with dominance. The woman shrieked as her nails raked against my arms, a sob releasing itself at the way I gouged my thumbs into her eyes.

I pulled away, shaking my hands to get the blood and weird substance under my nails. Reyna walked over, placing a hand on my shoulder, c*****g her head at me with a smug expression. “How did that feel?”

I looked down at the woman’s sobbing form, her hands reaching for her eyes. She would heal, but very slowly. She wouldn’t regain her sight for maybe a day- she was only a born one. I nodded, “Satisfying.”

“What did you do?” I heard Nico’s voice from behind me, and looked to see his broken expression. He looked past me, eyes widening at the broken and helpless woman.

I pursed my lips and raised a brow, “I taught her a lesson.”

“She challenged her.” Reyna said, and Nico growled.

“No, this isn’t how we do things-”

“I’m not part of your clan just yet, Nico.” I snarled, walking past him. He grasped my arm, holding me back and I looked up at him with a grimace.

Nico shook his head, “We’re gonna have a talk-”

“Nico-” I pulled my arm, but he pulled me along with a grunt.

“Now.”