Disclaimer: You know the drill everybody and everything belongs to someone else, except me of course. No money is being made of the story. It's just for your enjoyment only.
Warning: Bad language, violence, and sexual content.
Chapter 11
I woke up to an empty bed. Jean-Claude must have left right after he fed off me. I got up shakily and went into the bathroom. It was done in white and black marble. I cut on the sink's faucet and started splashing water on my face. I gazed up and came face to face with my reflection. The face that looked back at me didn't look to good. It had lost a lot of color and the eyes were bulging out of their sockets. The fang marks left on my neck were slowly healing, but weren't completely gone. I turned from the mirror and walked over to the tub, sitting down on the edge and putting my back up against the mirrored wall. I pulled my knees to my chest wrapping my arms around them. After laying my head on my knees, the tears began to fall. At that moment I heard a door slam open somewhere. There were voices coming this way and they were all yelling. As the voices got within reach of my werewolf hearing, I realized who they were. It was Anita, Jean-Claude, and my father. Anita came through the bathroom door. She stopped in her tracks when she saw me sitting on the edge of the tub crying. My father edged his way into the bathroom and I hit the roof. Picking up the candlestick....I threw it at my father. He ducked and the candle hit Jean-Claude who had just entered the room. Anita pushed him out the door while I was yelling at my father, using my voice as a weapon, "Stay the hell away from me you traitor. How could you just leave me with him? I trusted you and you betrayed me. I never want to see or speak to you again. Get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret." My words cut him like a piece of glass across the face. Blood streamed from the cuts on his forehead and cheeks.
I kept throwing things at him, trying to make him leave the room. Anita finally got Jean-Claude to leave and was working on my father, but he started to protest. "Anita, I want to speak with my daughter alone."
"Well I don't want to speak to you, so get out," I snarled?
"I can explain what happened if you would just calm down," He said.
"What's there to explain? You left me with Jean-Claude over some deal! He forced himself on me and you did nothing to stop it. You just walked away like nothing was happening," I bellowed, causing another cut to appear on his already abused features.
"Dammit Alexandra, will you stop acting like a child and listen to me," he retorted while wiping the blood from his face.
"Child. You think I'm acting like a child. I'll show you who's acting like a child," I screamed hysterically, picking up the last candle and throwing it at him. It caught him square in the face. Something went crunch and his nose started to bleed. I think I might have broken his nose. He gave me an evil look and stormed out the door. I resumed my seat on the tub, bursting into tears. Then I slid down to the floor in a blubbering heap. Anita shut the door, locking it before coming over to sit beside me.
I was sobbing so hard that my chest began to hurt. Anita touched me on the shoulder and I jumped. I moved away from her to sit in between the tub and toilet. I didn't want to be touched by anyone right now. I looked over at Anita who was watching me with intense concern. I was shaking badly and I felt like I was going to be sick, so by putting my head against the coolness of the ceramic tile helped me stave off a nauseous attack. We sat in silence for a while before Anita asked quietly, "What happened to you after I left."
I gave her a hard look before answering, "My father handed me over to your boyfriend as an Entree. He said it was part of some deal that they made. Jean-Claude doesn't know how to take no for an answer and forced himself on me."
"He what?" She boomed, staring at me in shock.
"You heard me," I replied.
I could tell by the power she was exuding that she was pissed. Anita wasn't happy. "Did he hurt you?" She interrogated.
"Yes and No," I replied.
"What do you mean?" She questioned me.
"What I mean is that physically, he only left two fang marks on my neck. Mentally he forced me to relive a nightmare by forcing himself on me," I said trying not to look at her.
Anita had moved and was now sitting cross-legged in front of me. I was sitting there trying to calm down before I wound up going into an asthma attack. I started my normal breathing exercises and was finally able to get it under control. Anita was being patient with me while I sat there learning how to breathe again. She was the first to break the silence again by asking, "What nightmare?"
I glared at her wondering if her brain just shut down. I was getting aggravated, but answered, "Remember I told you that Dorkson and Company tried to kill me and they were involved with the last case I was on." She nodded.
"Yes, but what's that got to do with Jean-Claude forcing himself on you,?" She was showing a little frustration herself. I rubbed the side of my head due to the pounding in my head. I took my time in answering her because I didn't know were to start. Finally I glanced over at her and confessed, "Dorkson and Company raped me before they tried to kill me."
Her mouth dropped and her face turned white. She didn't know what to say. As I sat there, I watched as her face turned red with anger. Her eyes dilated and her nose flared.
"The bastards that are murdering people in this town and framing the local wolves for it, raped you before trying to end your life," she asked trying not to yell.
"Yes," I said.
Anita slowly rose and left the bathroom. I didn't know what she was up to, but I got the feeling someone's in big trouble. I got up and followed her out. We went out into the hall and started walking toward the living room. I could hear voices coming from there and they were speaking in French. Jean-Claude and my father were arguing with each other about me.
My father was upset with Jean-Claude for manhandling me and Jean-Claude said it was my fault. I had assaulted him first. It took all my strength from going through those curtains and kicking his scrawny little butt. However, Anita wasn't going to let it slide and stormed the castle walls. I hid behind the curtain and peeked into the room. They were sitting in the chairs in front of the fireplace. Jean-Claude was in the chair facing me and my father was in the other one facing the fireplace. I could feel the power vibrating in the air. Everyone's emotions were flying high tonight. Even though the room was only lit by the light of the fire. I could tell that Anita had pulled her gun and was pointing it at Jean-Claude's head.
"Ma petite, what is wrong?," He asked, giving her his most seductive voice. He was trying to use mind tricks on her and I wanted to barf.
"You know damn well what's wrong, so don't act all innocent," She snarled.
"But ma petite, I profess I don't. Won't you enlighten me," He replied feigning innocence. I stuck my finger in my mouth forming a gagging motion.
My father hissed at Jean-Claude, "Quit the theatrics before she shoots you!." I was thinking to myself, "hope she shoots you too. It will serve you right you traitor."
Anita stalked over to where my father was sitting, while still holding her gun on Jean-Claude and asked very sharply, "What kind of deal did you make with Jean-Claude concerning Alexandra?"
My father mumbled under his breath, "This is all Belle's fault."
Anita heard him and asked "What does Belle have to do with this?"
"Belle is the one who ran and told him about Alexandra. Now she'll never trust me again, thanks to him," My father accused, pointing at Jean-Claude.
Jean-Claude snorted and replied, "Thanks to moi?. You're the one who didn't tell me about her. We have an agreement remember Monsieur that when we allow vampires into our territory, we will make sure the other master knows about them. You never mentioned to me once about your belle la fille. I had to find out from Belle."
The hatred between Jean-Claude and my father was so thick you couldn't cut it with a knife. Their anger and power were filling the room like thick slime. It was hard to breathe because the power was so overwhelming.
"My daughter is not a full-blooded vampire. She's a day walker. There's a difference. I don't remember us including day walkers in our agreement," My father crocked. He got up and stormed around the room, the heel of his boots making angry claps against the hardwood floor. Anita leaned back against the chair and sighed heavily, but did not put her gun away. She was watching the two very carefully to make sure the argument didn't go any further. She was also pondering what my father just said. She seemed confused by the term my father used in reference to me. My father sat back down on one of the couches glaring at Jean-Claude with hatred. Anita held her aggrivation over these two in check to ask a more pertinent question.
She gazed at my father and said, "What's a day walker?"
My father glanced over at Anita and said, "A child that's born between a vampire and a human. They are the one's that survive and don't have the Vlad Syndrome."
Anita gasped in shock and Jean-Claude had a curious look on his face. Anita finally found her voice again and asked, "Is there anything else that makes them different from normal vampires?"
"Yes there are other differences," he answered.
"Like what?" Anita asked.
"They are just as vulnerable as any humans are to diseases, illnesses, and death. They don't have to feed any more than once or twice a week. You could even be considered as a day walker Anita."
Anita raised her eyebrows at that. "What do you mean by that?"
My father smiled and snorted, "Come now Anita. All the power you possess is similar to Alexandra's. The only thing that differentiates you from her is that neither one of your parents was a vampire. Everything else makes you two practically the same."
She stood there in silence before answering, "Is that why Belle was so interested in me? She thinks I'm another day walker?"
My father turned sideways to look at her and replied, "I would be lying if I said no. The truth is that's exactly why she was interested in you."
Anita glanced over at Jean-Claude who was fiddling with his clothes. She turned back toward my father once again and demanded, "I want you to tell me about the deal you and Jean-Claude have and why you didn't tell us about her when she first arrived in St. Louis."
"Of course," he said. My father paused before he started to tell Anita about what happened here tonight. "My father called me about two weeks ago. He told me that he was sending Alexandra here to St. Louis to live with me. He said she was sick and needed constant twenty-four hour supervision. He didn't say anything about her working on a case and nearly having her heart ripped out. When I asked what the queen had to say about this, my father said that Alexandra was no longer her pet, that she'd won her freedom among the court. I was so happy to hear that. I didn't tell Jean-Claude about Alexandra because she was weak and I didn't want him to try and take advantage of her while she was sick. Jean-Claude found out anyway by Belle, who was getting back at me for agreeing with the queen that Alexandra should learn the ways of the court from her and not Belle. I know it sounds strange that Alexandra has her own ardeur, but I guess that's what happens when you are of mixed blood.
Anita arched an eyebrow and said, "She's got the ardeur too?"
"Yes she does. My father's from the queen's line and I should be to, but I was also a day walker at one time. I became a full vampire the same way my father did. I almost died of pneumonia. My father was going to finish the process, but Belle beat him to it, making me from her line and not the queen's. That's how Alexandra got the ardeur. She inherited from me. Well anyway getting back to the subject, Jean-Claude approached me about her and I had no choice but to tell him the truth. We made a deal that when she got better that Alexandra would work for Jean-Claude in return for her safety. That was the only way Jean-Claude would allow her to stay in the city." There was sadness in his voice. He really didn't want to leave me with Jean-Claude. He had no choice.
I was standing in the shadows in shock. I could not believe what I was hearing. My father has been treating me like a child because he never told Jean-Claude about me. Now that Jean-Claude knew thanks to Belle, my freedom had been sucked down the toilet. It was either that or I had to go away. This was so not fair. I wasn't the only one pissed about it. Anita yelled at my father, "You gave you own flesh and blood away just to keep the peace between you two. I would never give my own blood away for peace, not even to Jean-Claude."
"It was more than just to save the peace treaty between us ma petite," Jean-Claude answered.
Anita rounded on Jean-Claude and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Remember Anita that when we went to Paris too meet with the council what happened? The council judged me for yours and Richard's behavior and for not taking the council seat. They punished me by taking half my lands away from me here in St. Louis and giving them to Monsieur Maximus. They also made it clear that we were to uphold the council law or we would be forced to hand over all territory rights to them. Part of the council law states that every master has the right to demand retribution in cases where their might be some premeditated deciet. If Monsieur Maximus wants to keep the peace with me and not have a blown out war then he gives me what I want and when I want it. By council law I have that right. We also agreed to keep tabs on all vampires and let each other know when a new one comes into town. Unfortunately Maximus made the mistake of not telling me about Alexandra, and according to the law I have the right to ask for a gift in retribution for, how do you say, his fuck up. I wanted Alexandra as that gift and I got her. She's mine to do with however I please," Jean-Claude replied with smug satisfaction to his voice.
Anita was hot and she let it show. She dropped her shields and Jean-Claude received a backlash of her power. She cut him like I had cut my father earlier. He had a cut across his cheek and a gun stuck under his chin. She glared at him and asked, "How can you sit here and quote council law when you've tried so hard to break free off it. After being a slave of the court yourself you should understand what it feels like to be forced upon. No you've gone and done something that a council member is capable of by taking someone against their will." The way she was hissing at him made me glad I was not on the receiving end of her temper.
"Ma petite if she would have stopped playing hard to get and calmed down a little she would have enjoyed it, but she fought like an alley cat beating the crap out of me, not the other way around," He spoke as if he had relished out previous encounter.
Anita went off the deep end, "You idiot! What makes you think she was playing hard to get. Have you ever thought that maybe she was fighting you out of pure terror and not because she wanted to play your stupid games?"
"Why would she be fighting me out of terror? A normal woman couldn't resist my advances or turn down the opportunity to play with me," He replied with a smug expression that made me want to throw up all over the hall. Anita hauled off and slapped him hard across the face. I couldn't see but I think my father was affected by that slap as well.
"You egotistical son-of-a-bitch. You think everything evolves around you. I'm going to let you in on a secret. It doesn't," she screamed into his ear.
Anita went into psycho mode and shoved her gun into Jean-Claude's groin. That move took him by surprise and he didn't know what to do. She stuck her face into his and she said, "Now think really hard about the question I'm going to ask you Jean-Claude. I want you to think before you answer or you can kiss you balls' good-bye."
Jean-Claude just sat there glancing at Anita, than over at my father. My father shrugged, "Don't look at me. You got yourself into this mess you can get it out. I'm so not helping you on this one."
"You're a smart man Maximus. I wish Jean-Claude was as smart as you," Anita replied with an evil gleam to her eyes.
"Now Jean-Claude, sweetheart. What it the worst torture a woman can endure? What is worse than death itself? What would cause someone to fight for their lives and has the strength to tear a person's soul apart,?" she asked almost touching his lips with her own.
"I do not have a clue ma petite," he answered her with a shake of his head.
"You don't know? All the years you've been forced upon by the council and you don't know?," anger seeped back into her voice.
Something registered in Jean-Claude's eyes and he finally realized what Anita had being trying to tell him. I was on the verge of tears and had to close my eyes to keep them from falling.
I looked back out into the room to see Jean-Claude hang his head. Anita straddled him with her gun still pointing at Jean-Claude's groin. She grabbed his chin with her free hand, making him look up at her while she said, "Yes Jean-Claude she was raped." There was an enormous cracking sound. I glanced over to see that my father had ripped the arm of the chair.
Anita glared between the two and replied, "She's survived being assaulted and raped and you made her relive the whole thing over again by forcing yourself on her. Do you think she'll trust either one of you again?" when they didn't answer, she continued, " I don't think so." " I think she would rather die than to bend to your will. You've both have become bigger bastards than the one's who raped her. Who are by the way, the ones who framed Richard for the multiple murders."
Silence filled the room with its notorious odor. I could have heard a pin drop if I listened close enough. Instead I heard the creaking of the chairs as my father and Jean-Claude shifted under Anita's gaze. Anita rose from Jean-Claude's lap and lifted his chin as she moved. She looked him square in the eyes and continued to talk to him like he was on trial, "There is no more deal. She is also, from my understanding of her heritage a werewolf also, which technically means she belongs to me and the pack. I'm her Lupa and Richard's her Ulfric. We say what is to be done with her and since I didn't agree with any type of "deal" it means diddley squat to me. If you come near her without mine or Richard's permission, I will kill you. Do I make myself perfectly clear Jean-Claude?" He nodded his head to let Anita know he understood.
She turned her focus on my father next. She was just as hostile toward him as she was with the Master of the City. I could hear her footsteps as she walked over to my father's chair. She leaned over the chair with both hands on the arms. "I hope you've learned something Maximus from this little chat, because it serves you right if she has nothing more to do with you. I would never have left my child to the vultures. I would have protected her even if it cost me my life. I hope you've learned not to put business before family from now on," She replied staring my father up and down without a blink of an eye. My father tried to shrink back into his chair as far as he could go. He was trying to get away from Anita's stare. I could feel his uneasiness in the room. "You don't know what your asking me to do. If I go against council orders, Alexandra will lose her freedom. They will come here and drag her back to the court. God only knows what will happen to her then," He returned, trying to keep his emotions under control.
"See that's where I'm different from you. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe, even if it means going up against the council again," she hissed in front of my father.
With that Anita replaced the safety of her gun and returned it to her holster. She was about to walk away when Jean-Claude asked, "By the way who is Dakota."
My father shifted in his chair before responding, "Dakota is Alexandra's dead husband. He died six months ago in the same car accident she was in. Why do you care?"
"Because she screamed his name out when I fed off of her, that's why," Jean-Claude reflected.
Anita glared between the two and I couldn't stand to hear any more of the conversation. As I turned to walk away I faintly overheard Anita say, "You two better hope she pulls herself together soon. She's the only one with leads on the killers and I'm going to need her help. She needs to be in a right frame of mind before we catch them." I walked back down the hall and collided with Jason. He stood there staring at me like he heard every last word. I smiled weakly and walked past him. He touched my shoulder lightly as if afraid his touch would scare me. I glanced back at him and he held his arms open. I collapsed into his arms and started to cry. He tried his best to comfort me but all the love in the world couldn't get rid of the sense of betrayal.