7| Crimson Fluid.

 

Jake quickly hooked Angel’s legs around his arm and wrapped his other arm around her back. He lifted her up and took her to her room, where he laid her down on the floor before rushing to the kitchen to get a knife and bowl.

 

She needed human blood, and he was going to give her his. He was ready to do anything to save his daughter’s life.

 

He met Emily in the hallway on his way back to Angel's room.

 

"How is she?" She quickly asked.

 

"I am about to go and give her my blood."

 

"I would give her mine too." Emily offered as she trailed behind him.

 

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. He wasn’t going to allow her to do that.

 

"No, go and stay with Taylor. He might come out and see her in her vampire form. You know he must not know that his sister is a vampire." Jake said before he continued walking.

 

But Emily wasn’t going to listen to him. She wanted to help save her daughter.

 

"He is asleep already." She informed him as she trailed behind him.

 

When they got to Angel’s room, Jake placed the sharp side of the knife on his palm and drew it across his flesh. Folding his hand into a tight fist, he positioned it above the bowl that was sitting on the floor next to Angel. The crimson fluid surged forth from the wound, filling the bowl halfway before gradually seizing its flow.

 

"Is this going to be enough?" Emily asked, worried.

 

"I hope so." Jake sighed, staring at the bowl of blood before him.

 

"Let me add mine, please."

 

"No, I don’t want you to get hurt; it is painful." Jake stated.

 

"I want to do it." She muttered.

 

She was her daughter, and to save her, she would gladly feel any amount of pain.

 

"No!" Jake said with finality in his voice.

 

Emily picked up the knife, and before he could stop her, she had already sliced through her palm, and blood started rushing out of the wound.

 

"Emily!" He yelled as he quickly took her hand and positioned the bowl below it. "Why did you do that?"

 

"We both know your blood is not going to be enough." She groaned in pain.

 

"You shouldn’t have done it." He sighed in frustration as he allowed the crimson fluid to flow into the bowl.

 

After a few seconds, he reached for the vintage scarf wrapped around her hair and tied her hand with it before she lost too much blood.

 

"Would this be enough?" She asked. Her voice was low, and she sounded weak as a result of the blood she lost.

 

"Yes." He nodded and pressed his lips together in a thin line. "She’s going to be dangerous when she wakes up. You should leave."

 

"No, I want to—" She tried to protest, but he cut her off with a frustrated yell.

 

"I am not taking no for an answer. Now, get out!"

 

She knew she had pissed him off by hurting herself. Even though she wasn’t sorry for doing that, she didn’t want to annoy him more. So, nodding her head, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room.

 

The second Jake was left alone with Angel, he picked up the bowl filled with blood and crouched beside her, wrapping his arm around her back and slightly lifting her up.

 

"Please come back to us, Angel." He muttered as he slowly poured the blood into her mouth.

 

After the last drop of blood went into her mouth without seeing any sign of her waking up, fear crawled up his spine, and his heart started beating hard against his ribcage.

 

"Angel please. Please baby. Please." He tensed. The cut on his hand was hurting badly, but he didn’t seem to care about the pain he was feeling. He was only concerned about his daughter, who was not waking up.

 

Suddenly, Angel’s eyes shot open, shinning red; her fangs popped out of her lips; and her claws sprouted out. She looked ominously dangerous.

 

The second she sighted Jake, she seized his neck in a vice-like grip and sprung up before moving at super speed, slamming him against the wall. She had lost sense of everything.

 

Luckily, Jake was still conscious despite the force she used to slam him against the wall.

 

"Angel, come back to your senses. It’s me, your father." He groaned in pain.

 

But she didn’t stop. She was still lost in the state of primal instinct.

 

Leaning in, she grazed her fangs against his neck before he yelled again. "Angel please! It’s dad. Come back to your senses."

 

The voice rang in her head, and a sense of familiarity struck her.

 

Releasing his neck from her tight grip, she whispered. "Father."

 

"Yes, it’s me." He said this in between coughs and whiffs. She had almost choked him to death.

 

"I am so sorry, father." She quickly apologized, her eyes scanning him with regret when she realized the situation at hand.

 

"It’s okay." He exhaled sharply before flicking his gaze at her. "Are you okay?" He asked as he carefully surveyed her body. And when he realized that her wound had completely healed and she didn’t look weak anymore, he let out a sigh of relief.

 

"I’m okay," Angel assured.

 

"Now, tell me, what the hell happened?"

 

"I don’t know. I was at a party when Chloe’s boyfriend grabbed my hand and ran with me, far into the woods—“ Angel started, but Jake interrupted her.

 

"Wait! That mother fucker lured you to the woods? Why did he bring you home then?" He yelled.

 

"No, he didn’t lure me to them. And what do you mean by he brought me home? Was he the one that saved me?" She asked, confused.

 

Jake sighed. "Yes. He said he found you by a tree; you were tied to the tree with sigil rope."

 

"By the way, what’s that rope, dad? I couldn’t even use my vampire powers to rip it off me." Angel asked curiously as she strolled to her bed and sat down.

 

"It is called the sigil rope." He told her as he inched closer to her and sat beside her on the bed. "It weakens supernaturals."

 

The people who tried to kill her told her things she hadn’t heard before. Things that were surprising and terrifying at the same time. She needed answers.

 

Looking straight into his eyes, she asked "Who are those people? They told me things," she exhaled. "They said you were the reason they turned me into a vampire and the reason they tried to kill me."

 

"Don’t worry about them, darling." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze. "I’ll deal with the issue. I’m just glad that you are alive."

 

"I have to know who they are." She retorted, refusing to let him wave off the matter. "I need an explanation. Are you a vampire hunter?"

 

"I‘ll tell you when the time is right!"

 

The door suddenly dinged open, and Emily ventured into the room. Her face lit up when she realized that Angel was awake and okay.

 

"Angel!" She beamed as she approached her.

 

A smile curled on Angel’s lips. "Mom." She called as she leapt to her feet and embraced her mom.

 

"I was so worried about you." Emily muttered as she patted her back. "Thanks for coming back to me, Angel."

 

"I am glad I’m alive." She said, pulling away from the hug.

 

Her gaze darted between her mom and dad before she finally settled on her mom.

 

"Mom." She called, a frown creasing on her forehead. "You know something, right?"