CHAPTER 4

My parents looked at each other and then walked into the room. They watched me trying to get up and act normal again. 

"What are you doing, Lily?" My father asked with a raised eyebrow.

I stammered, "Nothing, just... I was just..."

I got up quickly and tried to change the subject to stop them from being curious. "Is there something you need?"

They shared another glance before my mother spoke up. "We just wanted to let you know that Tyler will be joining us for lunch."

I felt lots of feelings all at once, but they changed too quickly for my parents to notice. How could my parents understand how messed up and broken I was feeling? My mom especially always liked Tyler and thought we were a great match. She'd drop hints about us being perfect together. I couldn't be mad at them for telling me this. 

"Okay," I said quietly, trying to sound calm even though I wasn't. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

My father cleared his throat, his expression slightly more serious. "Actually, Lily, I'd like to talk to you later today."

I got confused and my eyebrows scrunched up. I wanted to know but also felt a little worried. "Sure, Dad. About what?"

He only offered a small smile. "You'll find out."

They left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I closed the door and sank to the floor. I would have to put on a fake smile this afternoon, pretend that everything was okay when it was far from that.

_____

Lunchtime arrived. The table was set, and the atmosphere was really tense. Tyler, Audrey, Tiana my parents, and I sat together. It was beyond uncomfortable, especially for Tyler and me. He looked at me a lot, but I didn't look back at him. I focused instead on my food, trying not to pay him any attention.

My parents attempted to maintain casual conversation with Tyler, asking about his father and the pack's affairs. He responded dutifully, keeping up the facade. 

My dad faced Tyler, "So, Tyler, how's your father doing? And how are things going with the pack?"

Tyler answered with a monotonous voice, "He's doing well, thank you. The pack's affairs are under control."

My mother turned her attention to Audrey, and the two engaged in light chitchat. 

Turning to Audrey, my mom asked Audrey, "And Audrey, how have you been?"

Audrey smirked subtly, "Oh, you know, just enjoying life's little surprises." She threw me a sly glance and then ate a piece of meat from her fork.

Unaware of the underlying tension, my mom smiled at her, "That's good to hear."

Attempting to steer the conversation, Tyler chipped in, "Audrey's been helping out a lot in the pack too, making things easier for everyone."

He didn't know he only annoyed me more by praising her.

With a sly smile, she replied, "Yes, we all have our roles to play, don't we?"

My dad nodded, "Absolutely, teamwork is essential."

Trying to keep composure, I cleared my throat, "Pass the salt, please."

Audrey smiled innocently at me, "Oh, you need the salt? Surprising." She held it out to me but I stared dead-on at her.

"I don't think I need it anymore. Thank you." I looked down at my food.

Still unaware of the tension, my dad smiled and said, "Well, let's enjoy the meal."

The conversation kept going, but one could feel things were not quite right. We were trying to act like everything was okay, but you could sense the tension just under the surface. My parents were the only oblivious ones. It didn't take long for Audrey to find an opening to subtly jab at me.

"So, Lily," she said sweetly, "I hear you've been keeping busy."

I bit my lip, refusing to be baited. "Yeah, life has its moments."

My father then turned to Tyler. He finally understood and attempted to ease the tension. "Tyler, how was your birthday party?"

I muttered something under my breath without meaning to, and everyone looked at me. 

Tyler answered, his voice soft but kind of unsure. "It went well. Thanks for asking."

I blew on my meat and ate it. I could feel Tyler's eyes on me.

Then it got really quiet, and nobody said anything. Only the sound of knifes and forks on plates remained. The air felt heavy, like there were things we wanted to say but couldn't. Normally, lunchtime was the chattiest, but that day was different. My parents could've figured out something was wrong.

My mother shifted the conversation, trying her best to lighten the mood. "Tyler, did you like the gift Lily got you? She went through so much trouble to find it. She said it was a one of a kind gift for a one of a kind guy like you."

Tyler looked at me, but I looked down at my plate. My heart was beating fast. He smiled at my mom, but it seemed like he was trying hard. "I appreciate the effort, but I never actually received it."

My mom looked at me, seeming curious. "Why didn't you give it to him?"

My patience wore thin. Placing my fork and knife down, I looked at my mother and forced a smile. "Tyler was busy, and when I tried to give it to him, it slipped and fell as I was coming down the stairs from his room."

You could tell she was disappointed. "That's a shame."

Audrey chimed in, and the way she said it made it sound like she was hinting at something. "Maybe next time she'll manage to actually give it to him." Then I saw her hand glide over Tyler's on the table.

I couldn't take it anymore. Pushing my chair back, I stood up and excused myself.

"If you would excuse me please, I want to use the washroom." The eyes of everyone at the table followed me as I left. Tyler's lips thinned and his expression was unreadable.

~~~~~

I got back to my room and shut the door. I leaned on it and all the feelings I tried to hide suddenly hit me really hard, like a big wave. I sat down on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks. The pain in my heart felt so heavy and it was too much to handle.

Why did that girl's words hurt so much? And Tyler, he was just there. He didn't say anything, he didn't stop her. He just stared at me like a moron and kept shut.

I covered my face with my hands and sobbed quietly. This was going to be a routine from then on.

But then I heard it. Faint noises were coming from behind the curtain near my window. Fear gripped me. "Who's there?" I asked, my voice trembling.

The noises didn't stop; they got louder. I gathered courage and walked closer, step by step, until I finally got the courage to open the curtain. My breath caught in my throat when I saw a vampire lying by my window.

I screamed in surprise and fell back, shockwaves flowing through my body.

~~~~~

I was panicking and couldn't move. I was looking at the vampire I saw by my window, feeling like my feet were stuck to the ground. His skin was pale, and his hair was a tangled mess of white and dark strands. His clothes were torn and stained with dirt, and there was a gash on his side, blood soaking through his shirt.

I didn't know what to do. The grove and pack had always taught us to despise vampires, to see them as enemies. But here one was, injured and vulnerable. He staggered forward, his voice barely more than a whisper, "Help me... please..."

My heart was beating fast, and I felt really conflicted inside. It was like my thoughts were pulling me in different directions. The things I learned clashed with a strange feeling that I should help him, save him from his pain.

I moved slowly as I trembled with fear. I got myself to sit up and then stand. He asked for help again, sounding really desperate. Something strange came over me. I felt like I had to do something, like I was connected to him in some way. Even though things were complicated to explain, I just wanted to help him.

Gathering more courage, I walked closer. I bent down and touched his wounded side, checking his injury gently. I was amazed that I wasn't very scared anymore. I felt like I really needed to help him. A strong feeling had come over me to help him and I couldn't shake it off.

I recognised the wound. It was a bite mark that only vampires could make, I knew what hurt him – poison. I started thinking quickly, and I immediately thought of my father's room. Fear shivered down my spine. The thought of going there made me feel uncomfortable and worried.

He grunted in pain, and blood gushed out from his wound. I was sure about what I wanted to do. 

I said quietly, mostly to make myself feel better, "I'm going to save you."

Standing up, I walked to the door, stepped out and locked it behind me. I looked down the hallway, feeling really determined. I knew what I was going to do. Despite the risks, I was going to save the vampire.