The Dark Inheritance

Chapter 3

Aria helped Serah quickly deal with the procedures to check out of the hospital. She even bought her some new clothes for which Serah was infinitely grateful. Her previous one was muddy and couldn't be of use, after all.

"I promise I'll repay you as soon as I can." Serah said with emotion as they rode in a taxi on the way to Aria's home.

She waved her hand dismissively. "There's no need. Just think of it as a gift from your new friend."

"Okay. Thank you." Serah smiled, once again thanking the heavens for having sent her such kind people to help her out of her difficult situation.

"So… Asher is your brother?" Serah asked cautiously.

"My step-brother, yeah. My mother adopted him through the foster system when he was twelve."

"I see…" she mumbled pensively.

"He can be a bit of a douchebag at times." Aria added after several minutes of silence. "But he's really nice at heart." She turned to face Serah and gave her a reassuring smile. "He'll warm up to you with time. Don't worry."

"I hope so…" she mumbled. It would be so awkward to live in the same house as someone who hated her very presence.

The taxi pulled to a stop and Serah's gaze remained fixed on the modest-sized cozy-looking home in front of her as she descended from the vehicle.

"Is this your house?" She asked Aria.

"Yes. What do you think?"

"It appears so homey and cozy." She said dreamily.

"Wait till you see the inside." Aria quipped, holding Serah's hand and dragging her towards the building.

As soon as they opened the front door, a middle-aged woman appeared in front of them. Her hair was the same brownish color as Aria's, her amber eyes which were rapt on Serah crinkled in a warm smile.

"You must be Serah." She said in a kind voice. "I'm Jennifer Summers, Aria's mom. Welcome to our home."

"Thank you so much for taking me in." Serah said demurely.

"It is our pleasure." She grinned. "Come on in." She grabbed Serah's hand, pulling her inside. "I already prepared one of our spare rooms for you. If there's anything you need, do not hesitate to ask us."

The interior of the house was as snug as the outside with decorations strategically placed to increase the homey feeling.

Serah spent several hours speaking to Aria and Jennifer. They bother reassured her that she could stay with them as long as she wished. Jennifer even offered to take Serah in as her foster child in case her memory takes too long to return.

That night, she lay on her bed, exhaustion weighing her down, yet unable to indulge in the comfort of slumber. Her mind was too preoccupied. Not knowing where you belonged and where you were supposed to go had such a crippling effect. The minutes slowly ticked by but then Serah grew alert when she caught sight of a shadow passing across her window. It could be just from the movement of a branch or leaf, but she still chose to check. Soundlessly creeping to the window, she peered into the darkness faintly illuminated by distant streetlights. She once again noticed the same movement and her eyes rounded in horror when she saw what appeared to be a man sneaking into the house through one of the windows, quickly disappearing inside. Her heart beat erratically. Could this be a thief? What was she supposed to do? Call the police? But what if she saw wrongly? Even as she stared at the now closed window, she wondered if she hadn't imagined the scene from earlier. Still, she couldn't leave it to chance. She'll just check to make sure no one suspicious had entered the house. She discreetly sneaked to the room she assumed the person had entered and listened through the door. When not a sound could be heard from beyond it, she slowly peeled it open, warily scanning her surroundings. Not a single motion could be detected in the almost pitch black room. After several debilitating seconds, she opened the door, stepping fully into the space. It appeared to be a bedroom but it didn't seem like it belonged to anyone. The bed stands and shelves were bare and the bedsheets neat and unfrazzled. Once she was reassured no one had entered the room, she was around to head back, but suddenly she was shoved backwards, her body slamming into the door, shutting it. She could barely register the hard body which was pressed to hers before a strong hand wrapped around her throat, blocking off her airflow.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Asher gritted out. The words were whispered so close to her ear, they coiled around her, tightening her stomach with nerves and other unknown sensations.

Her mouth opened to speak but she couldn't get anything out. She stared up into his fierce eyes which caught the light even in this plunging darkness. Ire emanated from every inch of his countenance but there was also a hint of another unknown emotion as he raked his gaze over her.

His hold on her eased slightly and she sucked in a breath. However, this caused his enticing scent to hit her and she was back to lacking enough air.

"Answer my question!" Asher raged, pushing her further against the door.

"I saw someone sneaking into this room through the window." She rushed out. "I thought it was a thief." She was now starting to realize that person might have been Asher. She hadn't heard him returning home earlier so it was highly probable he was out all this time. "In fact it was you, wasn't it? It was my mistake, sorry."

He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Was it really just a mistake? Or did you come here with some ulterior motives?"

"What ulterior motives could I possibly have?" She demanded, his constant distrust beginning to annoy her.

Asher snorted. "That's for you to say."

"I never had any ill intentions in coming here." She grated, not bothering to hide her irritation. "Can you please let me go now? You're hurting me!"

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Even when angry she looked incredibly gorgeous. Those eyes glaring at him glimmered like finest diamonds. When he first glimpsed their bright purple color, it almost took his breath away. Asher tried to keep pulling forth his anger. The girl had the guts to sneak into his room on the very first night she stayed here. This ought to draw forth his suspicion. But his mind chose to head in totally different directions. Why did his carefully crafted control keep threatening to slip in front of this girl? He was about to shove her away, but then noticed the clothes she wore.

"You… why are you wearing my shirt?" His voice sounded hoarse even to himself. It had to be the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Something possessive, almost primal awoke from inside him with the knowledge that she was wearing his clothes.

Serah glanced down self-consciously. "It's yours? I didn't know… it's what Jennifer gave me to wear, so..."

His hands shook from the effort it took to keep from touching her… to feel more of that tantalizing body. What the heck was it about that girl? The effects she had on him couldn't be normal. Unless…

"Are you a witch?" He demanded. Witches had long been known to be crafty in nature and experts in trickery and deception. The powerful ones even had the ability to hide their supernatural abilities and pass off as a normal human. For all he knew this girl might be a witch collaborating with the vampires to get him to lower his defenses.

Serah blinked in confusion. "What?"

He grit his teeth, sending her a scathing glare. No matter if she was a witch or just a normal human. He wasn't about to let any stranger get close to him.

He briskly opened the door and shoved her out of his room with such strength that she fell onto the floor. She appeared shocked at first, then bristled up at him. Her mouth opened, seeming about to drop a scathing remark, but he spoke over her.

"Don't ever step foot in my room again. I don't want to have you in my sights any more than necessary." Before she had a chance to respond, he slammed the door shut in her face. Ignoring the pang in his heart which her slightly hurt expression brought forth, he walked to the bathroom, deciding he needed a cold bath to calm his nerves.