Fairytale

The pain surged through me as Carter continued to feed, my screams echoing in the darkness. Each heartbeat felt like a drum, pounding in my ears. Tears welled up in my eyes as a mixture of physical agony and emotional betrayal consumed me. The world around me blurred, and I felt a profound sense of weakness.

As Carter finally withdrew, a cold numbness replaced the searing pain. I gasped for breath, the metallic taste of blood lingering on his lips. I was too weak to hold myself up and crumbled to the floor. Carter's eyes bore into mine, a strange mix of satisfaction and guilt flickering in them.

"Forgive me," he whispered, wiping a trace of blood from his lips. "I didn't mean to take so much."

I lay there, battered and broken, grappling with the revelation that I was nothing more than a substitute. Emily—the one he loved, the one he would never harm. The truth pierced me like a dagger. I tried to make sense of the conflicting emotions—fear, betrayal, and an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

I had suspected that Carter cared more about her than me, but this confirmed my thoughts. Silas had thrown me here to be Carter's feeder; in the end, he truly didn't give a damn about me. To think, all this time, I had tried to jolt back Carter's memories. What if he didn’t even care for me in the beginning? What if his confessions of love had merely been a way to lure me into his darkness? Perhaps he had been after my blood from the very start.

I lay on the cold floor, feeling like my world had fallen apart. This time, I didn’t know how to piece it back together. A sob tore through me as the overwhelming weight of betrayal pressed down. I had no one. No one to turn to. I was helpless and alone.

Was this supposed to be my life now? Was I really meant to live out the rest of my days as a feeder? Did I have to get used to the pain?

Carter's expression softened, a hint of remorse crossing his face as he watched me cry. He moved closer, kneeling beside my broken figure. I flinched hard as he reached out a hand, and the guilt on his face deepened. I wanted to move away from him, but I knew that if he wanted more blood, I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

However, Carter didn’t bite me again. "I am so sorry. I... I didn’t know you would be... I thought you were a feeder already. Hunger clouded my better judgment. I won’t hurt you, please."

His cold hand touched my skin, and I shivered. My lids felt heavy, and my vision blurred; he had taken enough blood that I felt on the brink of passing out. When he lifted me and carried me to the bed, I barely noticed. I was grateful for the comfort of the mattress, though fear of being attacked again kept me from falling asleep.

"I won’t touch you, I swear," he said, as if sensing my unease.

I glared at him, hoping my eyes conveyed the hatred and betrayal I felt. But I couldn’t keep awake much longer. My eyes closed, and I fell into a restless sleep filled with nightmares.

---

When I woke the next morning, Carter was nowhere to be found. Fear clenched my chest as I scanned the room, expecting him to be lurking nearby. The memories of last night left me shaken. My entire body ached as I pulled myself into a sitting position. I was still in my clothes from the night before, dried blood staining the fabric. The side of my neck throbbed where Carter had bitten me.

I sat there, staring at my hands, wondering what the hell I was going to do. I couldn’t stay here; I didn’t want to be anywhere near the man who had nearly killed me—twice now. I should have stayed with Deric. At least he had kept his fangs off me.

The door opened, and a familiar figure walked in. My heart leapt when I saw her—my mother. For a moment, I wanted to run to her, to cry in her arms. But the pity in her eyes, devoid of any recognition or love, stopped me cold. She didn’t remember me. I had truly lost her too.

"Was it your first time?" she asked as she approached me, her tone calm.

She was dressed casually in jeans and a yellow top, her hair tied back in a messy bun. Unlike me, she looked well-rested and at ease, probably because Bill was by her side. Even if their relationship wasn’t one of husband and wife anymore, he still loved and protected her. I had no one. The man I thought cared for me had handed me over to be fed on like livestock.

"They say you’re Silas’s feeder," she continued. "So it shouldn’t have been your first time."

"I’m nobody’s feeder," I muttered.

"I see." She gave me a small smile, her eyes filled with understanding. She moved to the window and pulled back the curtains, allowing sunlight to stream into the room.

"When I was first brought here, I hated the very idea of being food to some dimwitted bastard," she said, her tone lighter now, almost nostalgic. "I tried to run away countless times. But the Lord always brought me back. He said I reminded him of someone, a memory he couldn’t piece together. Eventually, we grew close. Being his feeder stopped feeling like a burden. If giving my blood means contributing to his survival, I’d gladly do it."

I stared at her, stunned. This wasn’t the mother I remembered. She had always been staunchly against humans being used as food. She had even vowed to leave Bill if he fed on human blood. Yet, here she was, speaking with pride about being a feeder. She was a stranger to me now.

"Alright then," she said, breaking the silence when I didn’t respond. "Let’s get you cleaned up, darling."

She helped me out of bed and led me to the bathroom, where she prepared a warm bath. The water felt heavenly, the opposite of Carter’s icy touch. She seemed determined to help me wash away the dried blood, but what I needed most was privacy.

"I’ll get myself together," I said.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll come back with fresh clothes, and then we can have breakfast together. How does that sound?"

"Fine," I replied.

She smiled softly before walking to the door. A sudden thought struck me, and I called out, "Wait."

She turned. "What’s wrong?"

"If there was a way to change things—to make humans and vampires equals again—would you want that?"

"Of course," she said with a wistful smile. "It sounds like a dream. But that’s all it is—a dream. You shouldn’t believe in those fairy tales."

"What fairy tales?"

"Some humans believe there’s a tree in the forbidden forest. Its wood is said to be powerful enough to kill even a Vampire Leader. But only a fool would try something like that."

"Does the tree really exist?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I saw a picture of it once in Bill’s library. It’s massive, with sprawling branches. But it’s in a dangerous place, protected by the most powerful vampire in existence. No human could reach it."

She sighed, as though dismissing the story. "I’ll be back soon."

As she left, I stared down at my hands, my mind racing. A tree in a forbidden forest, capable of killing a Vampire Elder? If the legend was true, it might be the key to ending this nightmare. If the Vampire Elders were responsible for enslaving humans, taking them out could restore balance.

For the first time, a flicker of hope sparked within me. Could this tree be my salvation?