°Royal Mile, Edinburgh, 1925°

"The lycans have sent yet another message." One of the guards said to father. I was fortunate to be at his presence. Father was barely seen except he wanted to be.

He had summoned me and I knew the discussion was going to be about my weakness to draw blood.

A frown creased on father's face as he took the letter from his hand. He tore open the envelope and perused the letter. He tore the letter into tiny bits of pieces and looked away from the guard.

"Set up a defense and a barrier to prevent the lycans from getting into this town." He ordered with fire in his eyes.

"Yes my lord." The guard said and left.

"But father,why don't you just give in to their demands?" I asked him with quivering lips.

He turned sharp eyes at my direction. I knew interfering in the politics was a big turn off for my father but I could not help it.

"A vampire never bows down to anyone." He said."Would you rather allow the subjects that you have sworn to protect,die than bow down to a threat that can be easily curbed?" I dared again to speak.

"That's the word Ashlyn,'curbed'. It can simply be curbed. I do not need to bow down to some lowlife lycanthropes." He said in a determined and proud voice. But he did not know what was coming. Neither did any of us.

"But father," I began but he cut me short with a look of fury in his eyes. He was quick to anger.

"Enough," he bellowed. "This was not why you were summoned before me. The political affairs of the land is strictly none of your business." He said to me and I lowered my head.

"Yes father." I mouthed apologetically.

He waved it aside. "Your brother tells me that you have yet again failed another task given to you,is that true?" He asked authoritatively peering into my eyes despite knowing what the same answer would be. Did his sitting in the throne chambers everyday affect his memory?

He was beginning to get irritated by my inability to feed on humans and I've been suspicious of it since his lack of patience towards me grew immensely.

I sighed. "Believe me,it is not my fault father. I really tried," I started saying but he cut me off again.

"You're not trying enough!" He said raising his voice and I felt my heart break.

"But, father," I tried to defend myself.

"No buts, Ashlyn, no buts. Ambrosias do not give excuses." He said and I nodded.

Just then,mother appeared through the doorway. She was either here to do one thing. Cool things down or set them ablaze.

"Do not yell at the poor child." She said in that rich voice of hers. I stared at her with a look of surprise on my face. What's with the sudden change today? I wondered.

"She needs an iron fist. I have been too lenient with her on this issue. I breed fierce vampires with the fire to draw blood in their veins. I breed omega deities not weak vessels like this one." He said very harshly without any consideration that I was right before him and hearing it all. I tried to hold my tears in check but I was failing.

"Khalid, stop. You'll make her cry." She said noticing my trembling lips. I could not tell if she felt compassion for me or she was making mockery out of my weak state. This was my mother. Someone I should be close to and trust but I was not. I trusted no one in the family except Darius my oldest brother.

"What have I always said about vampires?" He asked me.

"Vampires," my lips quivered. "Vampires are not afraid to kill." I said and he nodded.

"Excellent. I want you to sit,meditate on those words and let them sink into that head of yours." He said and I nodded and felt a streak of tear betray me and slip down my cheek.

"And wipe that tear off your face. It makes you look more pathetic." He said looking away from me.

"Yes father." I said with a slight curtsey and left his presence. I quickly dabbed off the tear that slipped from my eyes with my index finger and many others threatened to surface as I walked out of the house.

Why was I the only one in my family who could not feed on humans? The question has always haunted me and yet I could get no answer. Sometimes I wondered if I was truly my mother's daughter or I was adopted. But my striking facial resemblance with my mother proved I was a part of the family. But then why?

Why wasn't it Joshua,Otis or even Darius that was this way? Why me? I kept asking myself and as usual I got no response to my many questions.

In a very rare situation,father joined us for dinner which surprised me and I hoped and prayed I would not be the subject of discussion. Before us was platters of venison,roast lamb and haggis. Also,a bottle of whiskey,vodka and a jug of blood to balance it all up. These were the perks of being an hybrid. We could eat what we want but sometimes the vampire side of us is more dominant than the werewolf side and we'd end up throwing up whatever we put in our mouth aside blood.

I saw Joshua walking towards us with bloodstained lips and shirt. He had gone out for the day and was just returning. He was a ruthless vampire. His victims never survives his onslaught. Sometimes he gets reprimanded by father but I knew beneath his cautions he was very proud of him. Josh was the exact replica of him. His deity he bred.

"Hey family," He said casually,pulling a chair to sit.

"How many times do I have to tell you Joshua? Always put on a clean shirt before coming to the table." She scolded him.

He smirked and shrugged her off. "What's the need? I'm still going to get it stained again." He said and he was right. He was still going to get all messy again. That was how he was.

"He's right Lucienne. Cut the young man some slack." Father intervened. Darius walked down the stairs in his usual gentleman style. He was the noble stag of the family and always had my back. He was reserved yet deadly.

Then Otis walked behind him too. The baby vampire of the house just as reckless as Josh but with a slight twist. He was a total womanizer and only two years younger than I.

Only father was a thousand years old vampire in the house and probably the oldest in town.

"Why are we gathered so early?" Darius asked in that luscious voice of his. I admired him a lot . Sometimes I wished he was not my brother. I wished we did not share a siblings relationship but something steamier. But then that was all we were. Just a brother and a sister and looking at it from this angle,maybe I was blessed having him this way. A brother. A brother protecting his little sister.

Mother's clearing of her throat jolted me out of my reverie.

"Your father and I have come up with something." She began.

"On how to stop the impending war?" I interrupted looking bright eyed at both of them.

Father and Josh furrowed their brows and shot daggered glares at me.

"Father will never bow down to the lycans. We are vampires and we do not pay sublimation to anyone." Joshua said. Did I forget to add he took over father's egocentric attitude too?

"That's not why we have gathered Ashlyn. We're here for your sake." Mother said and I paused in my moment of reaching out for a glass of vodka. I had a feeling I was about to hear bad news.

"Oh," I exclaimed softly having a guess where this was heading. "If this is about my inability to feed on humans then," I began but mother waved it off.

"This is not about that," she said rather impatiently. Sometimes I wished father never turned her. She was the perfect, gentle and understanding mother. We were very close until her dark side broke us and drifted us apart. She was no longer understanding about my weakness. She wanted me untamed. Untamed to be a cruel vampire. That is what we vampires were all about. We were something beyond the extraordinary.

"Let's get to why this assemblage is for Ashlyn." Otis said getting impatient too. I knew he could not wait to get upstairs to continue his feasting and fornication with the touring ladies he had got hold of and that were in his room. Feasting and fornication. To Otis,that was life.

"We have decided to get Ashlyn married." Mother dropped the bombshell keeping us out of the suspense that had grown.

"What?!" We all exclaimed.

"Who am I going to pick on when she leaves?" Joshua asked and I stared in dismay at father and mother trying to force back the tears that had sprung up and wanted to drop.

I was too emotional. Even I hated that about myself.

"You cannot do this." I said to her.

"Who is she getting married to?"Darius asked calmly.

"Your father's second in command son." Mother said indignantly.

"Oh." Otis huffed making jests of me.

"You cannot do this to me mother. How could you plan such a ridiculous thing with father?" I asked her in anger and fear. I hated Eli Manning with everything that was in me. He walked in the air with his feet never touching the ground.

His ego was the biggest I have never seen in young men. His pride was like that of a thousand peacocks and indeed more!

"It has been settled. Eli has even displayed a likeness for you." She tried to justify her outrageous decision.

"She cannot marry Eli Manning." Darius said in the same authoritative voice as father that strikes fear in the heart of anyone before him.

"Why?" Mother and Otis questioned at the same time.

"Ash is no longer a child to be told what to do. If she does not want an intimate relationship with Eli,no one shall force her." He said and I breath a sigh of relief that at least someone in this house had my back.

"Ashlyn needs an iron fist to mould her into her real self." Mother said. Now I understood what this was about. They were shipping me off to Eli so I would no longer be their problem to handle. I felt like a cartel about to be sold off.

"Mother is right. When was the last time Ashlyn drank blood? It's been almost a year." Joshua said dangling a cup of blood in front of me. "Look how pale you are sister. You're getting weaker by the day. Have a taste of blood hmm?" He said smirking. He was right. I was trying my hardest to stay away from blood to see if I'll get hungered and then drain every source of life out of a human but I was failing in that too.

"If she could not develop vampire characteristics under father's iron fist,what is the guarantee that she'd bend over Eli's will?" Darius asked getting upset. An heated argument ensued.

"Enough!" Father's voice thundered in our ears and we kept quiet. He has been quiet since mother brought up the discussion and now he demanded to be heard.

"This marriage shall take place and that's final." He said. He stood to his feet and walked away and mother followed.

"We always have to gather for stupid things." Otis said rising to his feet too. How could my younger be this cruel to me too? In a flash,he was out of the room.

"Goodnight Mrs Manning." Joshua said with a smirk and a mocking bow and he too was gone.

I burst into tears and went up to Darius. "Please don't let them get me married off. Please Darius,please." I pleaded and he held me amidst my tears without saying a word.

•

The thoughts of wedding Eli Manning still rang in my head the next morning and the tears that had dried off Three AM this morning started afresh. The hate I had for Eli ran deep in my blood. An hatred that a young woman should not possess but I could not help it. He disgusted me. Why? Eli was very rude,proud, egocentric like I've said before and worse than Joshua. If I cannot possibly tolerate Joshua,how can I tolerate a man like Eli? He was also very disciplined. Too strict to the core. I believe he can beat up woman. He was such a brute.

One of the maidens assigned to me walked in and I quickly wiped of my tears. My tears of blood. One rule I followed was never let the commoners see you cry.

"What brings you here?" I asked her.

"The Lady asked me to get you ready." She said looking down.

There was no friend in this house. Mother did not want any one of us close to the helpers and so different helpers were assigned to attend to us everyday.

I once liked one particular vampire who attended to me everyday and when mother found out,she fired her. Her penalty was death but with my constant pleading and cries,she was let go. Never to return.

I believe mother thought I was in the act of lesbianism. That I had suddenly joined the ladies that were sexually attracted to only ladies but I was not. Mother's thinking was tinted. I would not blame her either for that.

"For what?" I asked her.

"Lunch with the noble commander's son." She said. I frowned. Eli Manning. I took a long look at the clock. It was only Ten AM. What was the need to go out and have lunch with Eli? Was mother having human thoughts again? What would we be doing when we cannot eat like normal people? My vampire side was suppressing due to my restraint from blood and I could hold food in my stomach for a long time unlike Eli who was very active in blood sucking. He'd throw up the moment the food gets in his stomach.

"Mi'lady?" She called and I turned to her.

"Take your time." I said to her. That was me agreeing to get prepared. I knew better than to go against mother's orders.

I was dressed in a while flowing satin dress with long sleeves that were out curved at my wrist.

I stood in front of the mirror. I was looking like a lamb dressed up for sacrifice.

Mother walked into the room with a smiling face. "You look beautiful my princess. Eli would marry you once he sets his eyes upon this beauty." She said. I shrieked in horror. I did not try to mask my anger and sadness towards this engagement.

"Why are you doing this to me mother?" I asked her and she immediately dismissed my help who walked away without fuss.

She turned to me.

"What exactly do you mean Ashlyn?" She asked. She was being pretentious and I knew it.

"This mother. You cannot claim to be oblivious to what's happening. This forced marriage." I said to her in despair.

She walked closer to me. "Eli has confessed his feelings for you Ashlyn my darling. He'd love you and care for you." She said holding my face so sweetly and unable to see my pain or rather pretending no to.

"What about me mother? It takes two to tango. I do not love him and I never will." I said to her.

"You'd learn to. Love comes after marriage." She said. I took away her hands from my face.

"What happened to you mother?" I asked her with sadness in my voice. "I'm your only daughter yet you do not treat me like a prized possession. I'm your only replica and yet you throw me into the arms of a man not worthy of me." I said to her,anger etched in my tone.

"He is worthy of you. You should not be saying otherwise." She said staring at me. What was she trying to say? That I was lucky getting married to Eli and I was not worthy to be with him?

"You married father out of love mother. Why cannot I do the same?" I questioned her with pain in my heart and in my eyes.

She straightened her back and her expression was replaced with her stony look she always had on as the Lady of the Clutch. That's us vampires.

"Eli awaits you." She said and I knew that stated end of discussion as she walked away. I sighed and wiped a tear from my eyes. It was time to get this over with.

I walked out of my room and down the stairs and there was Eli standing by the foot of the stairs. He took my hand in his and placed a kiss on it.

"You still look as beautiful as the horizon in the sky." He said with smiles that did not reach his eyes. What a pretentious swine!

"Shall we get this melodramatic day over with?" I asked, speaking rudely to him.

His hand immediately squeezed my fragile one hard and I gasped. I felt my bones breaking. "Learn not to speak to me in such manner ever again." He said and I squirmed at the impact of his hand,tears stinging my eyes..

Just then,I heard a clearing of a voice. I turned to see Darius leaning on the wall. Eli followed the direction of my eyes and the moment he saw him,he let go of my hand. Darius installed fear in him. He turned on a fake smile.

He knew how much my brother cared for me. He knew it best not to anger him for my sake.

"Darius," he said charmingly. "I was just complementing your sister on her beautiful looks." He said,all full of smiles.

How much more of a chameleon could he be? I wondered rolling my eyes.

Darius raised a finger to stop him from going further. "Spare me the details," he said crudely as he walked closer to us.

Eli moved away to give us space or perhaps in fear of what Darius could do to him.

I shook my head at Darius. "I do not want to go." I muttered to him trying to hold back my tears.

He held my face lovingly. "Go Ash. But I promise you this will be your last outing with him. I'll ensure that." He promised.

"He tried to hurt me." I said objecting to what he wanted.

"Do not go against my wish Ash or do you not trust your brother anymore? Do you not believe in the brother and sister bond we share? Do you have a doubt that I cannot protect my own little sister?" He questioned with a little hurt on his eyes.

I placed a kiss on his forehead as I held his hand that held my face. I knew he'd do anything to protect me. This was now the time I was loving the fact that he was my brother. He was not like the rest of my brothers. He wanted to protect his little one and I was sure if there was two of us, he'd do the same thing for us.

He closed his eyes. "Go." He ordered and I obeyed.

Eli was standing at the door when I walked up to him. He offered his hand to act like the perfect gentleman in front of Darius but I walked right past him. I might be a weak vampire but my self respect mattered a lot to me. I walked towards the carriage and was helped into the carriage by one of the guard.

Yet again,I had become rude to him and only the good Lord knows if he would spare me.

"What did your brother say to you?" He asked me the moment he got into the carriage.

"You're a vampire Eli. It would not be a shock to me that you heard the conversation between my brother and I. You must know what he said." I said curtly to him. I met his dangerous glare.

"I asked a question Ashlyn and I am not fond of repeating them. Tell me or I force it out of you." He threatened.

I cowered a little bit but straightened up,chin lifted,face up ahead. I was not about to let this lowlife ridicule me.

"If you must know Eli,he promised to wipe off your existence from the face of the earth completely if you do anything to hurt me more." I said to him.

From the corners of my eyes,I did not miss the shudder that went through him as he looked out the window. I curved a smile. My brother was not one to be toiled with. Once he makes an utterance,he made them happen. He was a mean and silent killer.

It was not a lunch date but a scenario of disaster. He literally mocked me for being a spineless vampire. All he did was wanting to enhance his ego telling me what a favour he was doing for me. No one would want to be with a weak vampire. He made me understand that he was just getting married to me because of my father. I held myself strong and determined not to let this man see me cry.

"To hell with you." I spat at him and he grew angry. With one hand on my throat,he drove me to the wall.

I gasped as his hand tightened around my neck choking me.

He smiled cynically. "Need I ask where that your brother who thinks highly of himself and threatening to wipe off my existence is if I touch you?" He asked sneering at me. Tears gathered round my eyes. I was suffocating.

"Right here Eli." I heard the unmistakable voice of Darius.

"Turn around." Darius said again and I believed he was really there and I was not hearing things.

I saw a look of fear flash through Eli's eyes as he let go of me and I dropped to the floor.

He turned around to see Darius blazing eyes and in a speed like that of a lightning,Darius had him pinned on the wall.Never doubt a brother's love for his sister. I smirked