The Half-Blood Mate

Chapter Thirty-Three

Clara. Clara, wake up. Please be alright. You have to be ok. Clara. 

Landing on the marble floor, I rose to my feet. Vampires stood all around me, but they didn’t matter at the moment. My best friend lay here as if she was dead. 

What did they do to you? "Clara."

"And who are you?" A woman standing to the right of Clara turned around and asked. 

This woman's face reminded me of a smirking demon. A spiteful expression was on her face, but her eyes were hardened with coldness. 

"She is a classmate, Lady Asphodel. Amelia O'Connell." Beatrix, who was standing in front of one of the girls kneeling, placed a hand on her hip. 

Asphodel took a step forward. "I can smell she is a werewolf. Why would a werewolf be here, I wonder." 

"What did you do to her?" 

Lady Asphodel was a woman of mixed races. The copper red dress hugging her perfect figure and the A-line bob hairstyle made her look the part of the intimidating woman she was. Yet, that wasn't going to keep me from getting Clara out of here. 

"Tell me." A growl that I didn't think I could produce fell from my mouth.

"A new werewolf," she said, running a perfectly manicured index finger along her jaw. "Well, Newbie, this is our welcoming ceremony that you are intruding on."

"I don't care what this is." Looking in Clara's direction again, the anger rose in me. "What did you do to her?"

"Oh. I killed her. Drained her blood to be specific," she said in a matter-of-fact way. 

The way she said it, so casually without remorse, had my blood boiling where I stood. I could feel her. My skin was itching and tearing to let the animal in me free. To seek and claim revenge for the important life taken so early from me. I could hear his voice, but I couldn't make out what it was trying to say to me. 

All I wanted was to taste the life of the one who took my best friend away from me. 

With a step, I was running at the evil woman. Somehow, my nails had become claws, pointy and sharp. There seemed to be a gap between my teeth. As if fangs were keeping them apart. And my eyes. I could feel them burning with unshed tears. 

When I was close enough, I raised my clawed hand to cut through that smug face of hers. She just stood there unfazed. I didn't care at the moment so long as I could avenge. As I brought my hand down to deliver the blow I knew would give me the revenge I craved, I found my attack had been blocked by the arm of another. Engaged, I called upon the little fighting knowledge I've gained from my sessions with dad and threw a kick to the one who stood in my way. 

The kick was caught by the hand belonging to the arm that blocked my first attack. When I brought my gaze up to growl at my opponent, the fog of rage instantly cleared up my mind. Clara stood there holding onto my leg like nothing was wrong. 

"Clara," I cried out in relief. She was alive. 

Clara didn't say a word. Her eyes were closed, which had me wondering if she was angry. It was usually like that with her. She would close her eyes just before delivering a scowling whenever I didn't stand up for myself. What was more strange was the fact that she still held onto my leg. 

"Cl-" Just before I could call her again, she yanked me forward only to shove me in my stomach. I went flying across the floor, landing a few feet away. 

The group of vampires began cheering. Snippets of 'Get the wolf' or 'Fight' fell from their mouths. I started to push myself up from the floor. Annoyed, I looked in her direction. "What the hell, Clara?" 

Clara's eyes opened slowly. And soon, the red ring around her pupils had my own eyes widening. It was also the moment I took in her scent. She smelled like Clara, but there was a stench of death clinging to her. It took no rocket science to figure out that I was too late.

Clenching my teeth, I dropped my head. I could hear her footsteps as she descended the few steps and later was crossing the smooth floor. With my hands in fists, I pulled myself up from the floor. The cheering still continued, but I was riddled with loss gripping at my heart. 

"Get away, Amelia!" 

Lucian's voice reached me, but I didn’t care at the moment. Clara, my friend, was turned into something she didn't have to be turned into. Why did she do this? Was she even the Clara I know now? 

Hands wrapped around my left fist, making me look up. Clara smiled back at me with that familiar smile she always gave me. The first time being when we first met as children. She turned her head. There was a challenging look in her eyes on her face. "You idiots! As if I'll hurt my only bestest friend in the whole world. She needs me too much. Look at her!" She turned back to me still smiling. "This cutie crybaby is my forever sister and I will personally rip anyone's pretty little head off about her."

"I'm not a crybaby, Clara," I said even as my own tears were falling. This feeling of happiness was one I couldn't describe. 

"Well you are crying, so I'm going to keep calling you that." She leaned closer and whispered, but was obviously heard. "And did you notice the hotties in this room?"

I shook my head and wiped my tears, smiling back. She was still Clara after all. "I think they can hear you, Clara." 

She took the moment to look around. And I did too. The faces weren't all happy, but a lot were amused at us probably. I didn't care. Clara was back to being Clara. And we clearly had a lot to talk about. 

"Clara, dearest, you need to complete the ceremony." Lady Asphodel extended her right hand. "Wouldn't want you draining your precious friend's life, now would we?"

Clara turned back to me. Her eyes showed her genuineness. "I will never hurt Amelia. Amelia, wait for me? I know you're probably mad about our canceled girl's night, but I promise to make it up."

"I'm not mad about that anymore, but we both have some talking to do. I think." I buried myself against her chest. She felt slightly colder, but apart from that, she felt like my best friend. Even her scent was back to being normal. 

I felt Clara's hand against the back of my head. She then patted my back a couple of times gently so I could release her. I stepped back. With a nod from her, she turned and approached the vampire woman to complete whatever it was of this ceremony. 

Clara was a vampire now. It was something I had to accept, yet I couldn't help wondering how things had become this way. I was always a werewolf apparently, but it felt like I too had just become one. This was a lot and I wasn't sure how everything fitted. I wanted my close ones to be happy though. Looking back and up, I could see Lucian. He had his back to the rail and seemed to be talking to that other vampire woman. Had I not been his mate, would all of this happened? He seemed like the catalyst for everything that had happened to me. 

I guess the real question now is: would I change it?