CHAPTER 96: – A VAMPIRE –

Lucian’s eyes flickered and he slowly shut the book, keeping it down on the table. He was about to move, but then the door pushed open and coming out of the bedroom was Nikolas.

He sized him up.

Lucian sized him up.

"What...happened to you?"

His shirt was half-unbuttoned, collar twisted. His wet hair hung loose and uneven, falling into his face in tangled strands. And under his eyes were deep dark circles that made it very clear he hadn’t slept at all.

It was almost unbelievable to tell that this was his twin brother who always looked imbeccable in every way possible.

"Nikolas..."

"What are you doing here?" Nikolas asked in a gruffy voice, both hands gripped the edges of the door hinge.

Lucian’s hands balled by his side. "What am I doing here? You’re really asking me that? You do realise that I can feel when something is going wrong with you, right?"

"You’re making my head spin."

"Yeah, maybe because you’ve been drowning yourself in fucking alcohol! What is wrong with you?" Lucian snapped. "I’ve been calling you over and over again. Why didn’t you answer my call?"

Nikolas’s face twitched in annoyance. "Can you stop shouting?"

"Nikolas—"

"So what if I didn’t answer your call? Who gives a fuck? Dammit, let me be. You’re not my keeper or something, fuck off," he grumbled.

And that set Lucian off. "You’re my twin brother. How the hell do you think I feel seeing you like this? You’re asking me to fuck off? Say it one more time, and I’ll punch you right back to your senses."

Nikolas shot him a shape gaze.

"Fuck you! Is it so hard for you to leave me alone?"

"Yes, it is hard for me to leave you alone. I don’t care that we’re twins, I’m still older than you—"

"Yeah, sure, by a minute." Nikolas rolled his eyes.

Lucian grabbed his collar. "—And it’s my damn job to look after you, to care for you, to love you and fucking take care of you. I don’t want to see you like this!"

"Then keep quiet and don’t bother me. Fucking dammit." He walked out, picking up a glass of drink to gulp down the remains of it. Lucian however was in his face in seconds.

He snatched the glass from him and threw it against the wall before grabbing him. His fist collided with his face. Nikolas’s head whipped to the side. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Fuck you, Lucian." He spat in his face.

Another punch. "Snap out of it!"

Nikolas’s ears rang as the world tilted back to him. Lucian had him slammed against the wall firmly, eyes staring at him fearfully. "I’ve never seen you like this. What is happening to you?"

But Nikolas shoved him, wanting to break free from him. Lucian wouldn’t let go, holding him by the arms. "You look pathetic. Look around you, you’re a mess. A man like you, a mess and for what?"

Nikolas threw his head back against the wall.

"Breathe, Niko," Lucian begged him. "Look at me. Hey, look at me!"

He snatched his chin roughly, forcing his eyes over to him. "What happened? What made you like this?"

"She..." Nikolas swallowed, trying to choke out. "She left me."

Lucian’s eyes flickered. ’She left? His wife?’

"Where did she go? D-do you know?"

Nikolas shook his head. "No."

"I don’t understand." Lucian was confused. "I thought everything was going well. Her letter made it clear she feels the same way for you. W-why would she leave you?"

Nikolas shoved against him. Lucian however refused to let up, keeping him still, with every strength of his. After all, while they were twins, Nikolas could be considered to be a bit stronger than him.

"Everything," Nikolas said. "She found out everything. All my fears came true. She looked at me with those eyes, Lucian. She thought me a monster, and even...it haunts me that she for a second believed I could hurt her. That I could..." He stressed, sliding down the wall to his knees with his head lowered, droplets of water falling from his hair.

"I can’t breathe, Lucian. I can’t think."

Lucian was motionless. He lowered his gaze, eyes shifting to his wrist where he wore a particular bracelet which looked customised to suit him.

’He read the letter...’

"This is fucked up." Lucian squatted down and slowly grabbed him, pulling him into a hug. "I think...she’s just angry, Niko. I mean, we all tend to say a lot of things when we’re angry. She will come around. You saw her letter, the things she said. She does seem to be in love with you too. And feelings don’t just wither away in seconds. We’ll fix this, alright. W-we will."

———

Viviana stood in front of the bathroom mirror. She’d booked a hotel, intending to get an apartment as soon as possible. There was no intention of going back to her father’s house.

Stripping off her clothing, she turned and glanced over her shoes at the scars on her back. It was as angry red as it’d always been. It was ugly and it made her hiss, before she looked away, walking over to the bathtub that had been filled to the brim.

Getting inside, she settled with her head rested back against the edge, face turned to the ceiling.

’A vampire...’

Her thoughts wavered.

None of it felt real. It couldn’t be real. How could he possibly... "A vampire..." she muttered to herself. It made no sense. How could it be real? How could he be that?

But she knew she hadn’t hallucinated at that warehouse. She’d seen him crisp and clear. The form he was in, his blood red eyes, his hair that stood on end. And that thing surrounding him...

Viviana felt like she was going crazy.

Her fingers glided up, rubbing her chest where this dull heavy ache just wouldn’t go. Her lips were trembling and so were her eyes that she’d blinked rapidly as if trying to restrict the wetness threatening to build up.