Nikita
My eyes were all red – not only the color of my eyes but also the white area, since my eyes were completely bloodshot – and the tears on my skin was dry as I stared at Mark's unconscious body. "He's gone" I said monotone. My body, voice and soul was completely numb as I looked at the boy I've called my brother since I was four. "He's dead" I said as I tightened my grip around his hand, brought it towards my lips and kissed it softly before placing it down once again and squeezed it.
Blake kneeled down so that his face was at the same level as mine. "He's not dead Nikki" He sighed as he rested his hand on my thigh and looked into my eyes softly. "He's in a coma."
"He's not waking up..." I said with a sad voice as I closed my eyes. I can't stand seeing him lying here on the hospital bed so lifeless.
So dead.
"It's only been three days Nikki, he will"
"When?" I questioned as I opened my eyes.
"Nikki..." He sighed and took my head in his hands as he tore my gaze away from Mark and towards Blake's soft features. "He'll wake up, but it might take a while. You know what the doctor said" He reminded me.
What the doctor said...
Blake managed to jumpstart Mark's heart with his electric power, his hands was just like a pair of defibrillators and Mark's heart started to beat once again. We rushed him towards the doctor at Blake's pack – or maybe our since I'm going to become the Luna – and apparently he went into a coma due to the strong impact his head experienced when his body connected with the tree. The impact cause the brain to swell up and bleed which in turn caused him to fall into a coma.
Which he haven't woken up from.
"Maybe you should rest, you haven't slept for three days Nikki" Blake spoke softly as he caressed my cheek lovingly.
A small smile managed to form on my face by knowing how much I'm loved by this wolf-boy.
My wolf-boy.
I didn't want to leave Mark, I've not wanted to do that since the moment I went back to them after going my own way back at the forest.
But a shower wouldn't be so bad in this moment. Or a comfortable bed. Or just a change of clothes would be nice. Or just a few minutes in Blake's warm embrace, crying my heart out.
I used to thing that I needed to be tough all the time. If I cried, I was weak, but that's not the case. All I needed was to learn when the right time is to let go of all my emotions, let it out and cry if I needed to then become strong again when I needed to be. Learning to accept the feelings I have deep within and when to let them out.
But holding it in forever was never the answer. Bottled up emotions will never leave my body unless I let them out. For example as crying or just by telling Blake how I feel.
After meeting Blake, I guess I've learned how it is to be human.
"Okay... but you need to tell the doctor to contact you with your... mind-shit, immediately when Mark wakes up." I ordered and a smile formed on Blake's face before he placed his hands on my waist and helped me up from the chair I was sitting on besides Mark's bed. "I'm not that weak" I informed him, rolling my eyes.
Blake smiled boyishly. "I know, I just like to take care of you"
I shook my head in amusement before gazing back to the unconscious Mark with tubes connected to his body. My gaze then found the machine besides his bed, it was still beeping in-sync with his heartbeat and a small sigh of relief escaped my mouth before I fallowed Bake out of the room.
Blake's right.
He's not dead.
... Because his heart is still beating.
~*~
I ended up doing all those things I wanted; shower – check – change clothes – check – take a nap on a comfortable bed while snuggled up in Blake's warm embrace – check.
Lost track of time – hell no.
After I did all those things – which only took a little bit more than one hour – we started to walk back towards where Mark is. In the end, the things I wanted to do are all about comfort. I can honestly sleep up on a tree branch if I need to, so I didn't need much time to spend on my own.
The problem is that I've gotten used to the new life with Blake where I sleep soundly for hours in his arms.
You could say I've turned spoiled.
We walked into the small corridor that leads to his private room. One of Blake's hand's where interlaced in mine. My hand felt small in his, it was warm and I felt safe just by the mere contact of his hand in mine. So strange how something can feel so... complete just by his touch.
His other hand reached for the doorknob, twisted it and then looked into my eyes and smiled lovingly as he opened the door. We walked inside with smiles on our faces but they disappeared immediately as we took one step inside.
Standing beside the bed and hovering above Mark was none other than the bastard himself.
Alec.
Immediately, I pounced at him. My hands encircled his throat, pushed his taller body against the wall and pressed hard – both his body against the wall and my hands around his neck.
"You're a fucking traitor!" I spat at him in pure anger. "It's your fucking fault this happened to him!" I pressed harder as I poured out the anger within me.
Alec's head started to get purple as I pressed harder. "Nikki..." Blake's voice was heard from behind me and Alec took this opportunity to hit my gut with his large fist and I stumbled backwards slightly.
"Mine?! It's yours!" He spat back at me with just as much of anger in his voice as I had. "I warned him so that he could leave!" He yelled as he pushed me. "But no, he had to stay by your side like always!" He tried to push me again but Blake stepped in front of me, protecting me. "It was always you!" He screamed over Blake's shoulder.
By hearing his words, I took a step backwards and took in his appearance. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles around them.
He looked broken.
Maybe he do care. Maybe their relationship was more complicated than I believed it to be. Maybe he did love Mark. Maybe he still do.
"It was always you" He repeated as a single tear rolled down his eyes and for some reason, I felt guilty. It was like a switch flicked inside my head. I could suddenly imagine how he could have felt over the years, maybe it's because I now know how it is to be in love.
Alec and Mark used to be friends but since Alec and his friends bullied me, hated me, Mark had enough and in a way ended their friendship.
He chose me instead of Alec.
Years later when I was busy on a mission that lasted for half a year, Mark and Alec reunited and soon their relationship changed. For the better. Mark opened up his heart but Alec soon broke it by being the jackass he is but if there's something I've learned over the past months – it's that relationships are always more complicated and there's always two sides to every story.
Maybe Alec had his reasons to end it.
"It was your fault too..." I spoke softly now. "You blew it, you broke his trust"
"I know..." He said with guilt evident in his voice. "And I'll always regret it" He looked down towards the floor and I knew he was telling the truth. Because he never looks broken or weak, just like me... well like I used to be. "I never should have broken up with him" He turned to look at Mark with soft eyes and without him telling me – I knew he still loved Mark.
I cleared my throat uncomfortably, suddenly feeling awkward. I never liked the jackass... But even I have to admit that they might – just might – have looked slightly – just slightly – good together when they were dating.
"Why are you here?" I questioned Alec and changed the subject.
He was now sitting on the chair besides Mark's bed and holding his hand lovingly into his own. "I want to help" He said with a low voice as he gazed at Mark's unmoving body.
"How?" Blake suddenly spoke up and took a step backwards so that he was standing beside me. He placed his hand on my lower back and pulled me in to his side.
"By cutting of the head of the snake" He answered bluntly.
Blake and I looked at each other in shock before facing Alec again. "You know what that means right?" I questioned.
"I do..." He confessed, still with a low voice and still gazing at Mark while caressing Mark's hand with his thumb. "We need to kill my father"
My eyes widened for a moment. I wasn't surprised that he knew what his father have done, I was surprised that he just agreed in killing him.
Alec tore his gaze away from Mark and looked at me and Blake. "I kind of expected you two to look slightly more surprised"
"We already know" Blake and I said in synchronization.
Their endgame...
The last time vampires worked with hunters was when my parents tried to take over the hunter's school. When Mark told us that Alec had warned him from the vampires who were going to attack, we put two and two together.
It's not that complicated really.
Vampires working with Alec and his father.
Alec's father being the vice headmaster.
Who would want to take over the hunter's school from the headmaster? Who also seem to have vampires on a leash? Hm... I don't know, the vice headmaster maybe?
Alec nodded in understanding before facing Mark once again. He kissed his hand lovingly, placed the hand carefully on the bed again then stood up and faced us.
"I have a plan"
~*~
Our bodies moved just as carefully as a tiger sneaking up on their pray except we weren't sneaking up towards an animal and being the hunter, instead we were trying to not be caught by the hunters.
At the hunter's school.
We moved through the pathways Alec had found when he were younger. Being the vice headmasters son, he often spent time at the school and apparently sneaked around, finding a secret pathway inside the outside walls of the school. It was dark, but our eyes was used at seeing without light.
Alec stopped walking and put his hand up, indicating us to stop as well. "What?" I whispered quietly.
He pointed towards a place on the wall, you could see outlines and I knew immediately it was a secret door to the inside of the school. He was about to open it but I stopped him by speaking. "Wait..." I said and Alec turned to look at me confused. "Max... Was he part of it?" I questioned. The images still existing in my head, and that include the one I saw of Max.
I needed to know.
But Alec didn't say anything. The only thing he did was looking down towards the floor because he knew how I would react.
Max is my only blood related family. He took care of me after my parents died. Was he a part of it when they were too? He just, didn't get caught like my parents did?
"You two, take care of your father. I need to see Max" I told them with a firm voice.
"Nikki..." Blake disagreed.
"I need to know the truth" I said in a pleading voice.
Blake sighed before pulling me in for a kiss. His lips was like always, soft and moving lovingly against mine.
But Alec had to ruin it by clearing his throat and we pulled away from our kiss that only lasted for a couple of seconds.
"You go with Alec" I ordered, my hands resting on his shoulders. "Make sure that the devil himself dies."
Blake nodded before giving me a quick kiss.
"Keep going straight, turn left and then you'll arrive at his office" Alec informed me. I nodded then left them behind as I continued on walking. I heard a door open behind me, then close and I knew they had left.
I know Blake will be okay, to be honest – and I swear, I will never ever repeat this to anyone and I swear to god that if you do, I'll find you and kill you myself – he's actually more powerful than me and would win against me in any fight.
Unless I use the only thing that can mess up his mind – as in my body.
I turned left just as Alec had told me and when I did, I saw another secret door. My hand reached towards the wall, pushed at it and it opened slowly.
Lightness filled the pathway as the door stood wide opened and I walked out from the dark hole. Just like Alec had said, I arrived in front of Max's office. I looked around the hallway and there was no one around so I walked towards the door to his room.
Carefully, I opened it and when I stepped inside, Max was seen sitting at his desk. When his eyes found mine, they widened and he immediately stood up from the chair. "Nikki" He breathed out in shock. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be..."
"What, dead?" I interrupted him.
His eyes widened even more, they were so wide that it looked like they were going to fall out from their sockets. "... Safe" He said instead and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Why did you send us to that collage Max?" I questioned. "Was it so that I could meet Blake and killed them? Another damn mission?" My voice got louder and louder as I spoke. He took a step towards me but it only caused me to take one back. "I saw you Max, I've broken that damn curse that you put on me!" I spat at him. "I know what you did your son of a bitch"
But he only sighed and then a wicked smirk formed on his face, taking me by surprise. I might have yell at him, but I expected him to deny my accusations.
"You want to know why I sent you there?" He questioned with a bored expression. "Fine... I sent you there to be safe from all this crap that's about to happen but it seems like you already know about them."
"I do" I said, my eyes narrowed as I stare at him.
Max smirked, almost like he's proud of me but I didn't let it take me off guard. I stood my ground. "I thought they would leave you alone if I sent you to them, the second largest pack with an Alpha who has powers. I just didn't expect you to be his mate" I laughed without humor. "But maybe this is for the best, this way you'll learn the truth."
"And what's the truth?" I questioned confused but my expression was still firm and threatening. "Were you in on it the whole time?"
Max smirked wickedly as he took another step forward. "You mean like your parents?" He laughed like I said something funny. "Oh, sweetie. You were so young and naïve."
My body froze because somewhere deep within, I knew that whatever he was going to say was going to change my entire life.
He tilted his head to the side. "I could have said they were eaten by a crocodile and you would have believed me." He laughed amused but I somehow thought it sounded evil instead. "I'll tell you a story Nikki... once upon a time, there was these two hunters, the best of the best, who also happened to be married and have a child that they loved more than anything in the world. One day, they were out on a mission and they somehow found out something they shouldn't.
"So when they got back, they left their five year old child at their trusted friend's house only to seek out the man's brother who they never liked because he was 'wicked' – just to keep this interesting, let's call him Maxwell – and they confronted him about what they had learned, about him and the vice headmaster who were planning on taking over the hunter's school with the help of the vampires." He started to explain but with every word he spoke, the blood in my body was drained. I was not going to like this story.
But I asked for it didn't I?
I wanted the truth and here it is... the truth.
"They confronted him in this very room, isn't that just funny?" He laughed like a maniac. "Because their daughter is doing the exact same thing in this very minute." His expression turned from telling a bedside story to serious as his eyes narrowed and expression turned hard. "Well... This Maxwell type, ended up killing them when they least expected. They were going to expose him, he didn't have a choice really and the only thing that made this annoying was that Maxwell and the vice headmaster had to postpone their plan."
My eyes widened.
"Let's make the story short, they were framed that day as Maxwell planted the evidence in their name instead of his own after he had killed them and well... everyone bought it. Even their little angel who loved them more than anything. But she might not have known about who it was that killed them, she never questioned it since she was too angry and shocked at finding out her parents were 'traitors'. Little did she know that they weren't and Maxwell was forced to take this little girl in since she didn't have any other family... So...What did you think about the story?"
I was shocked and I felt completely stupid. I never questioned it, just like he said because I was too angry and shocked at finding out my parents was traitors. I hated them immediately after finding out.
Why didn't I questioned it?
I'm supposed to be the best hunter, I should have known. Maybe not when I was a small child but I should have known now when I'm older. Why didn't I question it?
I should have fucking questioned it!
"Yeah... It was quite a shocking story wasn't it?" He shrugged nonchalant.
I want to rip his fucking head off.
And I used to love him... The man who killed my parents.
My innocent parents.
After seeing the look in my eyes, he reached for one his trophy swords that's hanging on the wall. Immediately, I took a step backwards but was surprised when he threw the sword towards me and I caught it in my hand. "You're going to want this one after I'm done talking because I have another confession to make. Somehow I feel really talkative today." He told me before taking down another sword from the wall and held it in his hand as he swung it around in the air playfully. "Remember when you were six and got attacked by two rogue wolves?" He started as he watch the sword in his hand swing around as he moved it.
"Well... You don't know this, but I told them to do it. I saw you running away into the woods and I called an old friend of mine to find you... and kill you... I mean, who in their right mind would want to take care of a spoiled brat who weren't even theirs? No one, that's the answer... But of course, you had to live... So, the vice headmaster and I decided to use you to our advantage when we saw that you were just like your parents, as in a damn good hunter... We cursed you"
I screamed at the top of my lungs as I placed the sword in front of me and charged towards Max. He smirked triumphal as he stopped playing with the sword and blocked mine. Quickly, I moved towards my left and swung it towards his head but once again he blocked it as his body moved with mine in synchronization.
The sound of metal connecting with metal filled the room as we fought around the obstacles in the room. Max's sword came from above towards me but I blocked it with mine before gliding backwards with my feet away from him.
"Just like I thought... You're good" He smirked.
A scream once again left my lips as I moved forward, the blade of my sword targeting him as it moved from my left but the minute his own sword moved to block mine, I dropped towards the floor and onto my knees in a quick motion.
His sword swung just above my head and I took it as an opportunity to pierce mine straight into his stomach and through. A tear escaped my eye when I did, his hand dropped the sword in his hand and reached towards my cheek, holding it carefully for a moment as he looked down into my eyes.
Pain was evident in his eyes but there was also something else.
His hand moved away from my cheek and down towards my hands that was both holding the sword as it was still pierced through his stomach. He gripped my hands, then drew the sword further into his stomach.
A breath escaped his lips as he did so and before he could collapse onto the floor, I withdrew the sword and closed my eyes as they started to tear up. I heard a thud and I knew it was his body that connected with the floor.
My eyes opened and I saw him lying there, blood oozing out from his stomach, his eyes looking weak but still I saw the other emotion I saw earlier that wasn't pain.
It was relief.
I dropped my sword onto the ground and sat down beside his now unconscious body. His eyes were no longer alive but lifeless, just like he now was. My hand reached towards them and closed the eyelids with a careful action.
"Rest in peace" I said with a sad and soft voice as I hung my head low. "I hate you for what you did to my parents, but I won't forget that you loved me because I know you did. After what happened in the woods that day, you changed into a more loving person towards me. Don't think I forgot how you were before, I knew you didn't want me before but I know you wanted me after." I don't know why I wanted to explain it to him when he's dead but I somehow had to.
"I know you loved me. You had me questioning it in the beginning but I know why you threw me the sword, you wanted me to kill you. To release you from this life and for me to get my revenge.... I hate you, I really do... But I also love you back... In the end, you're still family."
Then I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. As I moved to a standing position, the door opened and both Alec and Blake walked inside.
Both of their eyes widened when they saw the scene in front of them and Blake moved towards me in a swift movement, embracing me in a bone crushing hug. "Blake" I breathed out weakly. "You're a black wolf, you're too strong"
"Sorry..." he said as he pulled away.
My hands gripped his cheeks and pulled his head down for a kiss. A sloppy kiss that caused and 'muah' sound to be heard at the end. "Uhe, messy" Blake complained but the amused smirk on his face told me he didn't hate it but thought it was funny.
I smiled before standing on my tiptoes so that my face went over Blake's shoulder and I could see Alec standing at the doorway looking both uncomfortable and sad. "You took care of the snake?" I asked in a bored tone.
Alec's green eyes met mine and he gave me a small nod. "We did what we had to do..." he said quietly as he gazed towards Max's unmoving body.
We did what we had to do.
~*~
That same night when Blake and I laid on our bed, he was sleeping peacefully while I was wide awake. His muscular arms was securely wrapped around my petite body and his head was resting at the crook of my neck. I felt his warm breath against my skin as he breathed.
I've broken everything I believed in; I broke my rules as I embraced my feelings towards Blake, I didn't protect the innocent since I was hexed to do the vice headmasters bidding and I ended up becoming just like my parents.
But it wasn't like I first believed, it wasn't long ago that I thought I was just like my parents – a traitor – but I was wrong.
Turns out, my parents weren't traitors like I always believed and I weren't a traitor's daughter. But even so, I ended up becoming just like my parents – used by the people close to me.
I realized something however as I laid here on the bed with the love of my life lying beside me...
In the end, nothing of it matters anymore.
Because as I lay here snuggled up against Blake's hard chest, his arms around my small waist and his legs tangled with mine – I know that the only thing that matters at the end of the day is love.
And I'm without a fucking doubt feeling it.