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Picking up the Pieces
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2022-12-02 19:15:47Related chapters
Dawn of the Vampires Fear of the Heart
Quietly slipping inside the apartment, trying not to alert anyone that she hadn't come home at all last night, Harley tiptoed through the kitchen and down the hall until she reached her bedroom. Opening the door, she crept inside and closed it again, placing her hand against the catch to muffle the clicking sound. She took off her jacket and hung it up on one of the hooks attached to the top of the door, and turned around; jumping back as soon as she saw her father sitting on her bed."Gosh! You scared me.""Yes, well never mind that. Where have you been?""Out. On my shift.""Really? You actually stayed out until sunrise like I have asked you to?""Mm-hmm." "I'm impressed. I have to say, I never thought that you had it in you; so what's the report?""Still no vampires roaming. I checked and double checked all of the hot spots." "That's my girl.""Yeah…" She said with a half smile. "Dad… I was thinking about something last night.""I see… don't leave me hanging, what were these thou
Last Updated : 2022-12-02Dawn of the Vampires A Knife to the Back
Harley remained silent for a moment as she tried to process the stranger approaching her. She opened her mouth to speak, and being unsure of what to say, she closed it again with a frown. Those words sounded familiar, yet the woman was no one that she recognised. Finally finding her voice, she cleared her throat."I'm sorry, do I know you?""Me? Oh, no dear. We do not know each other. I am but a mere stranger passing by.""Right. Well… are you lost or something? Is there anything I can help with?" "No, not at all." The woman answered. "I suppose I'm not really making myself clear at the moment, it's just I was walking through the cemetery and I couldn't help but overhear you talking to your mother…""I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your peace." "You didn't… See that headstone opposite your mother's, to the left a little?" "Yeah…""That's where my daughter rests.""Oh. Wow… that must be painful.""It is. She was just a little girl and I can't help but wonder how she would hav
Last Updated : 2022-12-03Dawn of the Vampires Rising Up
Mason cupped Harley's face in his hands as they stood with little distance between them and leaned in, kissing her softly. She rested her arms around his shoulders and held onto him tightly, not willing to let him go. His own hands dropped to her waist and he wrapped them around her tightly. They weren't doing anything; this wasn't a goodbye, and the night wasn't over yet. It wasn't an act made in lust for one another. It was a simple act of affection. Harley sighed."What's wrong?""I don't know… I just have this feeling like something will happen and it's gonna tear us apart.""It's hard. Constantly having to look over our shoulders and sneak around, away from your father and Demitri, it's frustrating." He agreed. "It's also worth it, and I don't know about you, but I'm not going to stop fighting for us, and you. There's nothing that anyone could ever do to change that, no matter what happens."Harley smiled and sucked in a breath of his scent; a mix of musk, forest, and pine wood,
Last Updated : 2022-12-05Dawn of the Vampires On the War Path
Harley's phone rang, cutting right through the silence in the air. She looked at the name that had illuminated the screen and instantly swiped to reject the call. It wasn't the first time that Kiara had tried to call her within the last week, and she doubted that it would be the last. Though no matter how many times she might try, Harley would not pick up.The date of the planned attack on the city was vastly approaching, but she had not been home since that morning. Instead she'd spent the time with Mason. After their conversation at Hillside Manor, he had brought her back home with him despite her protests that it was risky. All of it was risky, and either of them could be killed by Zander or Demitri at any moment. Though during their time together, they hadn't wasted a split second. If that day of reckoning came to pass, they had a plan. They would be ready for it. "She's going to keep calling if you don't pick up.""She can call all she wants, I've got no sympathy for her. Zande
Last Updated : 2022-12-07Dawn of the Vampires Battle Cry
Placing a silver dagger down on the table, Mason walked over and stood behind Harley, threading his arms around her waist and resting his head upon her shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the intense pressure lighten just slightly. He hated seeing the amount of stress and anxiety that had been building up since the night Zander had burst in and carried out an attack. The week had flown by, and she had done nothing except map out different routes of the city, stock up on and sharpen weapons, and plan their entrance to the fight. As soon as the daylight faded into night, Demitri and his clan would wreak havoc upon the city. Harley wasn't the only one dreading this; Mason was just better at hiding it since she could not see his aura. It had been a great shock to him when she had taken a hit for him, and even more that Zander continued to attack her. His mind had been plagued with worrisome thoughts ever since."Everything's going to be okay, right?" She asked, turning arou
Last Updated : 2022-12-20Dawn of the Vampires Love in War
Mason got to his feet, helping Harley up with him. She frowned as the wound on her head began to throb, but forced herself to ignore it as she gathered up her best weapons and changed into attire suitable for battle; a black vest top with a belt that could hold many weapons, and black leggings that had hidden compartments for smaller weapons, and boots on her feet that hid slender knives at the side of the treads. He gave a wry smile as she reappeared from her bedroom, trying his best to believe that the night wouldn't end in a bloodbath. She didn't return the smile, and reached for the door handle, surprised when he reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the door.Harley gave him a questioning look, but before she could verbally ask him, the door was kicked open with a force that almost knocked it off its hinges. Mason stared past her, glaring at the person standing in the doorway; Julian. Though he was barely recognisable as the vampire he'd always known. His face ha
Last Updated : 2023-01-11Dawn of the Vampires A Martyrs Heart
Four Weeks Ago…His hands tucked into his pockets, Mason continued down the sidewalk until he reached the house that, for many years now, he had been calling home. Sliding in through the front door, he turned around and sighed in frustration as he saw Julian sitting with his legs folded and his stare fixed on the door. The night had already been the worst of his life, and coming back to deal with this did nothing to lift his spirits. He could barely think straight; all he could think about was her."Ah, and so the soldier returns from battle alone." Julian greeted him. "Could it be that Demitri got his hooks into her… or did you finally come to your senses?""Don't!" "Come on, dude. I'm not trying to fight you… besides, I'm- I'm done with Demitri.""What?""You heard me.""Yeah, but why?" Mason asked, confused."He stopped by after you left the apartment, removed the vervain bullets that you put in me; thank you for that, and when he started on how I failed orders I told him that I c
Last Updated : 2023-01-20Dawn of the Vampires Game Changer
Mason's head was spinning with a thousand thoughts. He was almost certain that he'd misunderstood what she was saying. There was no chance that Harley would ever ask for such a thing, and by now he thought he'd made it obvious that he had no intention of ruining her. Yet here they were; standing in the middle of the cemetery in the dead of night, having this conversation that he never thought would see the light of day. He pinched the bridge of his nose in between his finger and thumb, then looked back at her. "Change you?... Harley, are you saying what I think you're saying?""I don't know what you're thinking right now, so I can't say.""Because the way I heard it was that you want me to make you a vampire.""That's exactly what I'm saying.""No way!" He protested. "I- I refuse to burden your soul with this curse. I could never forgive myself if I ruined you."Harley gasped at his words. She hadn't been expecting him to protest against her request. It was inevitable that their love
Last Updated : 2023-01-27
Latest chapter
Dawn of the Vampires Freedom at Last
Harley folded one final shirt into the suitcase that was already heaving with clothes of both hers and Mason's and then clamped it shut. She felt arms thread around her waist from behind and tilted her head up slightly to see Mason smiling down at her. "You know, I'm surprised that the case hasn't exploded yet." He chuckled. Much to his surprise, she laughed with him. It was something he hadn't heard in a long time, which made him appreciate it all the more. "So, are you ready to get out of here yet?" He questioned."Yes…" Her voice leaned heavily on the hiss of the S. "But, as much as I'd love to leave before the sun comes up, there are still a few loose ends we need to tie up beforehand."He sighed. Though still content, these loose ends didn't contribute towards the feeling. The city felt smaller than it had only a matter of months ago and he was glad to be leaving it at long last without any repercussions. "Can we get an early start on that then?" He pleaded."Yes, of course."
Dawn of the Vampires Falling of the Great
"Okay, repeat the plan to me one more time." Mason requested.After an afternoon spent coming up with a plan, he'd had Harley recite it to him three times already. The daylight was already beginning to give way to the pastel colours of twilight. Julian had told them that the attack would take place at night time, but he hadn't given them a set hour. "Is this really necessary?" Harley groaned."Not really, but we need to make sure that things go as planned tonight. This could be our last chance." He urged."I know." She glanced briefly towards the door and sighed. "When the attack happens, I stay out of sight. I won't intervene in the fight until he thinks he's gaining the upper hand. Once he's misled, I'll take him by surprise and we take him out together using my old silver dagger."Finally happy with her perfect memory of the plan, he flashed a small smile before his lips pulled back into the firm line they'd held all afternoon. She, too, managed a smile as she slid the dagger into
Dawn of the Vampires Plan of Action
The last drop of blood drained from the bag and Mason threw it into the trash can in the corner of the kitchen. Harley stood in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. A lot had been spoken between them at her mother's grave and yet there was still so much that remained unspoken. She dug the tip of her fangs into her tongue. She was through the worst of her adjustment period but they had much bigger problems to address. Mason looked up, having finally satisfied his own hunger, it was easier to focus. "Uh-oh, I know that look.""No, I'm fine, I think the worst parts of the transition are over… There's actually more that I wanted to talk about." She assured him."Then why do you have that look?" "What look?""You look like someone just died or something." "Mason, that's not funny." She scolded. "It has nothing to do with what happened yesterday.""Sorry, too soon?" He raised an eyebrow."Way too soon." "Anyway, I'm guessing that what you wanna talk about involves a certai
Dawn of the Vampires Adjustment Issues
Harley stared blankly at the coffee mug full of blood that had been set down in front of her. Mason had poured it from the bag to the cup with the idea that it would help after she'd been unable to bring herself to drink from the bag. Now the problem was that she was unable to bring herself to pick up the mug. Mason pulled out a chair and sat beside her. It had been two hours and she still hadn't let even the smallest drop of blood pass her lips. He could tell that convincing her was not going to be easy."Sooner or later you're gonna have to drink, you know." He prompted.She sighed. "I know, I know. I'm trying." She said. "Hmm…" He hummed, trying to think of another idea. "What if you close your eyes and drink?""I'll give it a try." She shrugged and reached for the mug. As she brought it to her lips, she closed her eyes and tipped the mug forward. The blood slid towards the edge but before any of it made it to her mouth, she lowered the cup again and groaned in frustration. "Wh
Dawn of the Vampires From the Ashes
It was at least an hour after her heart had beat for the last time before Mason could bring himself to move. He wanted to remain there forever, cradling her in his arms until she opened her eyes again. That's exactly what he did during that time, until the sound of the bird's morning song indicated that morning was on the horizon. It was only then that he moved, taking Harley with him, and returning to the empty house that he pathetically called home. Once he'd got there, he went straight to the master bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Her blood had painted his hands red and he hurried into the bathroom, unable to get them under the running tap fast enough. Water slid over his hands and with some scrubbing, the blood washed away. In his mind though, his hands were still stained crimson. He turned the tap hastily, ceasing the flow of water and glanced up at his reflection staring back at him in the mirror that was screwed into the wall. Anger and hatred bubbled up inside him unti
Dawn of the Vampires No Peace in Violence
Demitri was long gone, having removed himself from the situation before the fight had even begun. Mason wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for the lack of orders being barked at his puppets. He glanced towards the left exit of the cave, contemplating chasing down the elder vampire, but glanced back at Harley, who had her hands full fighting three of those puppets at once. That made his decision for him. He elbowed another vampire that had crept up behind him in the last half second, and then swung his fist back, striking them in the face. The vampire staggered back and gave Mason a window to attack another that was advancing towards Harley. In a swift and soundless movement, he swiped the sword that had been dropped earlier and sliced their head clean off. Harley kicked one vampire away and used the split second it gave her to plunge a stake into the other's heart. She spun to see Mason standing before her, having killed the last of the horde and let out a breath as she took in
Dawn of the Vampires The Front Line
Nathaniel Lawrence. He was the last person that Harley expected to see down in these tunnels. She hadn't seen him since Zander's death and they hadn't spoken since she'd skipped his funeral. Yet here he was, standing in front of her after threatening her. She sighed, knowing that this encounter could go either way."I thought you left after the funeral?" She raised an eyebrow in question."Yes, I did… but I came back." He admitted."Why?" Her expression darkened and her shoulders tensed, expecting a fight."Because I wanted answers." "Answers?" She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't follow…"Nathaniel hummed and stepped forward, causing Harley to inch backwards. She locked her eyes on his and maintained eye contact without so much as a blink. Another hum came from him and then he smiled. "My son's- your father's funeral. I didn't see you there."Harley exhaled silently. She had been expecting much worse when he'd said he was there for answers. It didn't change the effects it had on
Dawn of the Vampires In the Face of Death
Harley exhaled deeply and crept silently down the stairs and sauntered across the hallway, into the front room. Mason, having heard her footsteps, stepped away from the window and turned around as she approached him. "What is it?" She bit down on her lower lip, hesitating over what she wanted to say. "N- nothing." She closed her eyes with a sigh. "It's just… are we sure that ambushing Demitri is the right call?"Mason's eyebrows pulled together in a frown, indicating that he was rethinking the decision himself. He took another step forward, so that they were mere inches away from one another and his hands found their way around her waist. "Honestly, I don't know… but it's the best that I've got." "Yet you don't seem too excited about going toe to toe with him." She pointed out.At some point during those few seconds, her eyes had caught his own and he knew better than to lie about how he really felt about their plan. He kept his eyes locked on hers, and gave the closest thing to a
Dawn of the Vampires One Door Closes
Memories of the previous night flooded Harley's mind as she was pulled into awake by the strong rays of sunlight that leaked through the windows; being out in the city, experiencing things that she'd thought impossible, dancing with Mason underneath the Brooklyn bridge. She could still feel his hands entangled in her hair, her legs around his waist, and the trail of kisses from her neck to her lips, phantoms of the way their evening had ended. She opened her eyes, bringing her hand up to shield them from the sunlight, and tilted her head up as they adjusted to see Mason laying awake, his arms still wrapped around her figure."I thought vampires didn't sleep?" She muttered amid a yawn.He grinned. "We don't." "Have you been laid there the whole night?""Pretty much, but before you protest that I shouldn't have, I wanted to. You fell asleep pretty quickly after everything and I didn't want to risk disturbing you."A sleepy smile crept onto her face and she gently moved his head down to
