58MONICA’S POVThe pen in my hand clattered to her table, and I blinked. It felt like she had been reading my thoughts and seeing through me.“L…lying?” I asked and couldn’t help stuttering a little. Adria’s eyes went to the pen on the table which had rolled off the floor and then returned to me. “How… how would I lie to you? Why would I lie to you? Like… what exactly would I lie about to you? I don’t understand.” I blurted out, holding a hand to my chest, and trying to look hurt but her expression didn’t soften, nor did it change.“I don’t think Professor Lucien has girls coming over to his house every single day. Even when I go for lessons without informing him, no single girl ever comes.” She said, and I blinked hard.“I… I…” I started but didn’t know how to finish it. “I wasn’t lying!” I insisted and she shook her head slowly.How dare she a lowly human shake her head at me in pity? Who did she think she was?“Can’t you just tell me the truth? I really hate to think that you’ve p
59MONICA’S POVI turned away, pulling open my door, walking in and slamming it hard enough for the house to shake if only it hadn’t been built perfectly.Hurting Adria would be delightful. She was a stupid know-it-all who taught she was the most perfect being on earth. Countless times, she had judged me with her expression, she had looked down on me just because she was going out with Lucien and she believed in him stupidly.No matter what I said or did, her love for and trust in him did not wane. It almost felt like I wasting my time on her. I had to go more forcefully. Make her leave, if possible transfer her out of the country, destroy her phones and all the numbers she had and eradicate everything linking her to New Orleans. If possible, I’d brainwash her but at the moment, I was going to take a rather drastic step and scare her out of her wits.I was sick of pretending anyway and was waiting to show who I really was. Monica who acted shy and sweet was disgusting. I needed to sho
60LUCIEN’S POV.Adria had been so busy that she rarely had time to come for lessons but whenever we passed each other by in the halls, we locked eyes and in hers, it felt like she was wondering if she really had someone like me all to herself. It felt like she saw flustered having someone like me in her lie and those little moments made me happy. Whenever we had class together, we shared secret smiles and locked eyes a lot more.For the group and individuals assignments, she always came to my office but we always had little time to talk because she had way too many classes and little time.Two days had passed and I rarely caught sight of Monica. Whenever I left my house, I didn’t see her and at night too, I didn’t see her laundering around her house through my window waiting for me to come out. Had she really gone? The thought made me happy. If she was gone, then it would be better. I wouldn’t have to hurt her more than I already did and I and Adria’s growing love wouldn’t have to be
61ADRIA’S POV.When I awoke, there was a little sunlight streaming in. My neck ached from sleeping in a bad position all along and I raised my head which had been lolling to the side. Then I began to grunt and give muffled sounds as I realized my mouth had been taped and I had been tied with ropes to a chair.I shook on the chair violently, trying to get my hands out but it was all in vain, it had been too tight, I tried separating my lips but the tape was too strong and too large. Fear and panic raced up my spine giving me shivers. Was I a kidnap victim? Was it a serial killer? What had happened?I continued to shake violently on the chair and it wasn’t until I had calmed down before I recalled what had happened. I had been hit by something hard on my head and thinking about it when I furrowed my brows, there was some restraint on my skin. It was probably the dried up blood. I smelled horrible and began to panic for real. Sweat rolled down my face like it were a hill and I shook eve
62LUCIEN’S POV“I’m sorry but can I send this to my phone?” I asked politely and the plump looking woman, willingly sent it to me after I had told her I was trying to see if my friend was cheating with my girlfriend.Humans were so easy to fool but despite that, they were loveable creatures who felt compassion for others although they could also be crazy and wicked creatures like Monica.I left her house and called Zayne.“I spotted her. Tell my students to stop searching.” I told him.“I also caught something from a recording I checked. Hey! Professor Lucien’s student!” I heard Zayne call out in the background before he ended the call and I shook my head. How would he address them that way.We all met up back at the house and played my video first.“Did Monica ask to meet there? Would Monica really kidnap her? I think we’re accusing the wrong person. Monica is shy, sweet and always clinging to Adria.” Tommy spoke up, and I knew it was all the more reason to be convinced she was the
63MONICA’S POV.She looked even more annoying than a fly at that moment and I desperately wanted to hit her till I was satisfied, probably till she was blinded by the blood pouring from her own onto her face.Her eyes radiated with fear and she looked like she had just gotten the hang of things.“Tell me exactly what you want in Lucien. He’s too good for you. He’s not in your league. He’s for me. He’s mine! I adored him for years and longed for a single kind word from him. I had all his pictures and videos on my wall. I liked all his pictures on all the social media he had, and even if he didn’t post much of himself, that didn’t stop me from leaving a comment on every single thing he posted, and then you come along. What? You want to be his? You want to stay by his side? Those lovesick looks you have are meant for me alone! I’m the only one eligible to give Lucien that look, and it won’t be pretty if I leave you that way!” I shouted, staring at her who looked at me like she were seei
64LUCIEN’S POV“Is she coming?” Stacy asked me, getting up immediately she saw me coming from the stairs after the call from Monica.“Yes. She will be here in a few minutes.” I replied, going to sit where I had been seated minutes ago.“I’m really looking forward to where she’s going to say she is at. Adria said she has no friends so I’m really looking forward to knowing where she’ll say she is now that Adria is missing.” Stacy spat, looking into blank space violently.“I’m more curious as to where she’ll say she was when Adria went missing. If she couldn’t meet up with Adria, why didn’t she call anyone? Does she have an alibi who can vouch for her innocence?” Daniel questioned and Zayne nodded.“And what she was doing for the two days she had been absent from school.” Tommy added.We waited for minutes before the door bell rang. I opened it, and Monica looked up at me with an expression I couldn’t seem to read well.Then she walked in and paused when she saw everyone. Her wide confi
65LUCIEN’S POVI left with the woods in sight, running as fast as I could because Monica was crazy and would do anything to hurt Adria. Thinking of it, the look on her face on the night we spoke before Adria went missing wasn’t one of hurt.It was an expression that got stronger and stronger with each word. Looking back at it, it seemed she was making the decision in her mind while I did the talking and there I was over the last two days, thinking happily that she had left New Orleans because I had told her to.My guts told me she had done serious preparation to kidnap Adria since I wasn’t sure she’d ever had to kidnap a person before.People I passed by stared at me in surprise as it was quite uncommon to see a grown man like me running all by himself. It wasn’t even the time where people working out were many on the streets, but I didn’t pay them any attention, all that was on my mind was thoughts of Adria.My feet crunched on dry twigs and leaves as I ran through the forest, pushi
127ADRIA’S POV.I took it out, and happiness flooded my heart. The happiness I had felt when I had received it.The fact that those memories could be happy memories that I wanted, brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t remember. Why? Why was I feeling so happy just by seeing a tumbler?Then, as I kept on studying it. The memory had become clear. Lucien had given me the tumbler. I turned to him wondering why he would give me a tumbler, smiling when we were enemies, and then, I recalled his name.With the recollection of his name, everything suddenly hit me like a blast. I recalled lots of faces, and everything about me. I became myself.How had I lost control, and killed those helpless humans? How?And why was I about to kill Lucien?“Lu… Lucien.” I called, but it was so hard to speak. My throat was dry, and unused. He looked at me with relief, and joy flooding his eyes, and I tried hard not to break down.“Lucien.” I called again, and my breath came out in hitches. My hand found his fa
126LUCIEN’S POV.With the speed of lightning, Adria appeared to me, staring at me, with lasers in her eyes. The wolves made to attack, but I held up my hand once more.“No interruption.” I instructed, and Adria struck, trying to slash my neck, but I dodged, and took hold of her hands, turning her the way I always turned her, whenever we fought.“Adria!” I called, but she easily broke out of the lock I had her in, and managed to slash my right arm.It was a deep gash, but that did nothing to me. I was already healing. She thrusted, and I parried. We carried on with that pattern for a long time because I didn’t wish to hurt her, but she became even more violent.“Adria!” I called once more, but she didn’t budge. She raised her claws to slash my neck, but I bent, and wound my leg around hers.She fell backwards, but made it to her feet quickly in a backward roll. “Adria!” I called again, trying to bring her to her senses, but she was too restless, and too fast.It was obvious she was st
125LUCIEN’S POV.I wasn’t the only one, who felt it. Everyone felt it. The wolves, Lycans, and the vampires too.The odd sensation that filled the air. Like something was coming.They all paused one after the other, looking around. So did the wolves, and the Lycans.And it felt like I already knew what was happening, but was too scared to admit it.The vampires on the right began to part, and about half of them bowed, while the other vampires looked irritated.Out of their midst, on the clear path formed, after they all separated, came Adria.The white dress she was wearing was tattered, and covered in blood, but that did nothing to diminish the aura around her, and it didn’t stop her from being beautiful.She walked confidently with her eyes red, and flaming.Her dark claws were out, and longer than I remembered. They looked like they could claw out the human heart in a matter of seconds.It felt like she commanded the air. It hung around everyone, with a feeling of doom. She had fi
124LUCIEN’S POV.“I’m thinking the same thing as you are.” Zayne said, confirming my suspicions.“You think Adria’s the one behind the missing people?” I asked, looking around for the remote controller.“Exactly what I think, and as for the rebel vampires… We’ve finally heard news of them.” He added, and I stopped my search for the remote controller.Watching news I had missed out on, was no longer important at the moment.“Tell me. What are they planning?” I asked.“They are creating an army large enough to defeat all the wolf clans, and humans, together.” He answered, extending the papers embodying his research.“How is that possible? How big would an army have to be to defeat the wolf clans, and humans alike?” I asked, taking out the papers, and skimming through.“A thorough investigation has been done. They’ve sought for vampires all over, and they’ve also turned some humans who have a strong will to kill. As we speak, they’re getting stronger in numbers, and enslaving the vampir
123ADRIA’S POV.I was being sincere. I was tired of fighting, and fighting endlessly. Before it ended in the death of one of us accidentally, I wanted him to close his eyes, and kill me.That was the solution we’d been ignoring. He didn’t want to kill me, with his hands, so he’d been avoiding it.“You’re someone I know as brave. It’ll be over very soon. I’ll rise again, and even if I forget you, my heart won’t forget the face it beats for. When I come to terms with who I am, and accept that I love you, things will be alright again, so please, Lucien. Please…” I begged, still holding his hand to my neck, but he withdrew it, and sighed.“How do you expect me to kill you with my hands…?”“Just do it! Do it! I’m sick of our clashes repeating itself over, and over. Aren’t you sick of it too?” I asked, getting to my feet, and looking at him straight in the eye.“Damn, Adria. We need to think.” He said, placing his hands on the wall next to him, and bowing his head.“We’ve done all the thin
122ADRIA’S POV.I felt sad, and distraught. What thick darkness was threatening to cover our light?Athena went back to tending to Lucien’s arm, and I watched her.“So, what have you come here for?” She asked softly, dabbing ointment on the wound.“Um… we keep on fighting each other. I’m a vampire, and he’s a werewolf.” I replied, watching her intently.“Of course, you keep on fighting each other more than the average wolf, and vampire would fight.” She replied, dropping the wool, and ointment.“Why?” I asked, and she got up from her stool, placing a hand on Lucien’s shoulder, and holding his arm with the other.“Because you both are the strongest of your species.” She replied, setting Lucien’s arm straight, in a single motion.Lucien didn’t make a noise, but the way he squeezed up his face, and looked away, suggested that it had hurt.“What a fine young man.” Athena replied, and moved to me, starting with my head. “You’re the daughter of the vampire Queen. A pure-blooded vampire, an
121ADRIA’S POV.Hope flooded my heart like never before, and we began to make our way, towards the shore. Lucien still couldn’t move his arm, so I had to take him all the way out of the water.Finally, I got out of the water, and pulled him out too.We panted hard, and looked at each other, with sparkling eyes.It had been done. We had survived it. At least that was if there were no more obstacles for us, on the way to Athena’s house.“I think we made it. Athena will grant us a safe path home, after she answers our questions. Lucien! We actually made it!” I squealed, and threw my arms around him.“It’s still too early to celebrate. Let’s get there first.” He replied, stiffly, and I immediately withdrew from him.His shoulder was swollen.“Lucien, did you…?” I was asking, and he began to walk away.“It’s not my first time having a dislocated shoulder. It’s fine. I’ll set it straight.” He replied, dragging himself, tiredly.“Hey. You… you shouldn’t have… you shouldn’t have covered for
120ADRIA’S POV.Fear gripped me hard in my chest, as I watched the large creature. Never, in my life, had I ever seen a creature as large as that.The worst thing about the giant octopus was that it seemed to have eyes everywhere on its body.“Damn.” Lucien muttered, and immediately turned around, pulling me with him. “Swim.”I began to swim, but it was hard. Already, my stomach hurt. The leaves, and cloth Lucien had used to cover my wounds had slipped off, and I wasn’t supposed to be in water, with such a would.Swimming forward was our only option because the water didn’t let us get anywhere near the shore.Just then, a large tentacle landed right between Lucien and me, with a large splash, and we were both driven apart by the force of it.I landed on another tentacle, and my heart threatened to burst out.“Adria! Use your claws!” Lucien said, as I began to rise out of his reach. I got up from the slowly rising tentacle, and tried to jump down, but another tentacle caught me, and w
119LUCIEN’S POV.Things were beginning to get worse. I didn’t know if we could outrun eagles when we were running at human speed, and I feared greatly for Adria who was injured.“Let’s run!” I whispered frantically, even though the eagles didn’t need to hear us to chase us.We began to run, and she winced continuously as she did. Honestly, I was also scared. Not just for myself, but for her. Even though I had promised her mother that I’d bring her back safely, the thing that scared me most was losing her.When she had been dying from my slash the other time, it had felt like the whole journey had ended, and I had lost her, but thankfully, I was able to save her.“Can you run? Will you get on my back?” I asked, holding her hand, tightly.“No, I would rather not slow you down. Besides, if those eagles sweep down low, I’ll be injured first.” She teased, and we continued to run. It was harder because we had to climb, though.Had it been on level ground, we could have been a bit faster. T