CHAPTER 141: A NEW HOME

Hailee POV

There she was. Mother Violet. My nanny from birth... the one who had been more like a mother figure in my life. She stood waiting just beyond the gates, a bag slung over her shoulder, her dark hair gleaming in the fading light. The moment I saw her, the dam inside me broke.

I dropped my own bag and ran straight into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mother..." My voice cracked, broken. "I’m alone. I—I have nothing left."

Her arms wrapped around me tight, strong, and comforting, and she whispered into my hair, "No, you’re not. You have me. Always."

I cried harder, clinging to her as though she were the last solid thing in my world. She pulled back just enough to brush away my tears, her eyes shining with a mix of sorrow and concern.

"Don’t worry, Hailee. You’re with me now. And I’ll never let them hurt you again."

Through my tears, I choked out the question, "Where... where are we going?"

Her lips curved into a soft, almost secretive smile. "We’ll stay with one of my friends. She’ll take us in."

I blinked at her, confused. "Your... friend?"

She nodded, her hand smoothing over my hair. "Yes. She’s a vampire—but don’t be afraid. She’s a good one. She’ll keep us safe."

My chest heaved as I tried to steady my breath, the words sinking in. I didn’t know what waited for me beyond the borders, or with this vampire friend... but I wasn’t scared because Mother Violet always took care of me.

Mother Violet didn’t waste time. She pulled my bag over her shoulder with one hand, her other arm still holding me steady as if she knew I might collapse again at any second.

"Come," she whispered firmly. "We need to leave before your father changes his mind and sends guards after us."

I nodded quickly, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. My chest still ached, but with her beside me, I felt like I could breathe again.

We walked down the road together until we reached the main street outside the pack lands. There, she raised her hand, and a taxi pulled over almost instantly, as though she had arranged it beforehand.

I slid into the backseat beside her, clutching her hand tightly as the car sped away. I couldn’t bring myself to look back at the gates I had just been thrown out of. My home was gone. My family—at least the one inside those walls—was gone.

The ride was quiet, the city blurring past the window, until we stopped at the airport. My chest tightened again as the weight of what we were doing hit me. We weren’t just leaving the pack... we were leaving everything.

"Do we... really have to fly?" I whispered, my voice trembling as we walked into the terminal.

"Yes," Violet said gently but firmly, guiding me along. "It’s safer this way. By the time your father even thinks of searching, we’ll already be far beyond his reach."

Her confidence soothed me. She moved like she had done this before.

We checked in, boarded, and soon I was strapped into a seat, staring out the window as the plane rumbled to life. My heart pounded as the ground fell away beneath us, the world below shrinking until it looked like nothing more than a shadow.

I clutched Violet’s hand the entire time, even when my eyelids grew heavy. Somewhere between my fear and exhaustion, I drifted off.

When I woke, the plane had already landed. The air outside was different—warmer, scented faintly with something sweet and metallic I couldn’t place. Violet led me through the busy streets until finally, we reached a quiet estate tucked away from the city lights.

It was tall dark, with stone walls covered in ivy. Lanterns glowed along the path, and the silence around it was so deep it made my skin prickle.

"This..." Violet said softly, pausing at the gates, "is her home. The vampire I told you about."

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around hers. My heart thumped, but I forced myself to nod.

"Don’t be afraid, Hailee," she said, her voice full of reassurance. "She’s not like the others. She’s my friend. And she will keep you safe."

And with that, she pushed open the gates, leading me inside.

The gates creaked open, and Violet’s steady hand guided me forward. My heart pounded in my chest as we walked up the stone path, the lanterns flickering with a strange, eerie glow. The heavy doors opened before we even reached them, as though someone had been waiting.

A woman stepped out. She was tall, with long black hair that shimmered like silk in the dim light. Her eyes—red, but not cruel—studied me carefully, and for a moment I froze, every story I had ever heard about vampires screaming in the back of my mind.

But then... she smiled. Warm, calm. The sharpness of her aura softened as she opened her arms toward Violet.

"Violet," she said, her voice sounding friendly. "It’s been too long."

Violet’s hand squeezed mine as she stepped forward. "Thank you for welcoming us," she said quietly. "This is Hailee... my girl."

The vampire’s gaze slid to me, and instead of hunger or hate, I saw something else in her eyes—concern. She nodded once. "Then she is welcome here."

Relief tugged at my chest, though nerves still prickled under my skin. I lowered my gaze, whispering, "Thank you."

"Come," she said, gesturing us inside.

The air shifted as we stepped into her home. The warmth of the lanterns gave way to the rich scent of herbs, books, and something faintly metallic that I tried not to think about. The space was large, yet strangely comforting.

As Violet and I followed her deeper inside, footsteps echoed faintly from the staircase. I turned just as someone appeared, descending with calm, unhurried grace.

A man.

He looked young—no older than his mid-twenties—but there was an otherworldly sharpness to him. His hair was white as snow, falling just to his jaw, yet his eyes were a deep, mesmerizing, striking green. That contrast alone made my breath hitch. He carried himself with ease, dressed in simple dark clothes, yet there was something about him.

The vampire woman glanced at him, then back at us. Her lips curved faintly. "This is my son, Frederick."

His eyes flicked to me, curious but unreadable, before landing briefly on Violet in acknowledgment. I swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how out of place I felt standing there in my worn clothes, a bag clutched tightly in my hands.

For the first time since being cast out, I realized—I wasn’t just in a new place. I was in a completely different world.