"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

"What did you say about me Eli? What did you say?" Darius asked him in anger.

"Nothing Darius. I swear nothing." He said like the coward he was. His panicked voice almost made me laugh.

"He tried to kill me Darius,I swear he did and I promise I was good." I cried out to him.

Darius dealt him a hefty blow and his face fell sideways and when he angled his head back in position,blood had formulated round his teeth and he had blood coming out from his nostrils.

"It would take me nothing to drive a stake into this poor wretched heart of yours." Darius said to him.

"You would not dare." Eli finally said, finding his voice. He had the nerves to speak back at Darius.

In flashes, Darius dealt him several blows and he fell to the ground.

I held Darius. "Desist from disfiguring his face Darius. Remember the groom must look very charming for the wedding." I said to him.

He stared at me with a confused look and then he understood my sarcasm. He let go of Eli.

"I promise you Eli,I shall cut off any relationship you intend forming with my sister. As long as I am alive, you'd never get the opportunity to wed my sister and not to imagine bedding her. This is a vow a brother is making to his sister." He said in anger.

Heat crept my cheeks at his words 'bedding' and disgust crept my skin at the thought of Eli touching me. Never.

Darius held my hand. "Come now dear sister. We must prepare for tonight's feast." He said sweetly and I nodded walking alongside with him. Oh how I love this man! Not in the sense of romance but in the sense that he was my brother who had my back while others did not.

•

How did your date go my child?" Mother asked as we got closer to her. She had seen us walk in together and was full of smiles. Did she perhaps thought Darius came to pick up from Eli's?

I immediately forced a smile. "It was indeed a delightful afternoon." I said to her.

Her eyes brightened. "I'm so glad to hear that. You must have seen the qualities.." She stopped,her eyes narrowing. "What happened to your neck?" She asked with a frown.

I touched my neck. Eli's fingers must have been imprinted on my skin. "Like I said mother,it was a delightful afternoon." I said still using a sarcastic tone. I did not care that she noticed the scar. What was the point of noticing my physical scar and not my emotional one.

"Indeed it quite was and not only did Ash see the great qualities of a husband in Eli,I also did mother. I saw it all." Darius said to her also being sarcastic. She frowned at him. He had my hand again and brushed past her.

I turned back to look at her and she had a worried expression on her face. Getting into my bedroom, Darius closed the door.

"I believe you have a plan so I do not have to go through with this wedding." I said to him and he nodded.

"Do not worry your head little sister. It is my promise to you that you shall not marry Eli and I'll ensure it." He assured me and I went closer to him and hugged him. If it were not for him,my voice would never be heard in this family.

"I know you'd always protect me no matter what." I said, holding back my tears of joy.

He stroked me in a brotherly way. "Now you must prepare for father's feast and watch the drama unfold." He said as we pulled apart and I nodded and watched him leave.

I removed the pins in my hair wondering what my brother had in mind. I had no idea that tonight would change my life forever. Tonight, I'd take a new course in another direction.

At the struck of Nine,I walked down the stairs. The house was indeed beautified in various ways and explicitly exquisite. Such decorations that have not I seen for many years and it was all happening due to mother's watchful eyes.

The house was packed with people. Vampires,travelers,tourists but mostly vampires. The humans were desert for the occasion.

Some were seated while others stood and engaged in small talks. I still wondered what tonight's occasion was all about.

Soon,I saw father standing before everyone and as soon as he did,the whole gathering became as silent as a cemetery. That was the impacts father made around people and I believe he thought he could command such submission from the lycans.

He cleared his throat as he began to speak. "Tonight is a special night," he said and I paid no attention to him as I sought for my brother.

I found Otis beside a blonde. He looked bored of the occasion and I knew he could not wait to compel this lady,feast on her and commit fornication with her. He's my brother and I knew what most of his thoughts were.

At the other side was Josh sipping whiskey. I did not see Darius. I turned to go in search of him when father's voice stopped me.

"The official engagement of my daughter Ashlyn Ambrosia and Eli Manning." He said and I stopped moving. I was frozen on the spot.

I was terrified and horrified. They did not tell me about this. They knew if they did,I would have escaped. I would have been anywhere but here. I turned around and father's eyes met mine.

He smiled. "There she is." He said and the gathering turned to look at me and applauded.

Joshua had a smirk on his face as he raised his glass at me in form of a toast. A toast?! I almost shrieked. How could he be raising a toast to me at this crucial end point of my life?

"Come up here daughter." Father said,more of a command that I dared not disobey. Meekly like a lamb for sacrifice,I walked to where father was

"And you Eli,my son. Come up here." Father gestured to Eli who smiled radiantly. The wounds Darius inflicted on him was healing. Perks of being an hybrid. He walked towards us. His father had huge smiles plastered on his face. Now he'd be rubbing shoulders with the masters. How pathetic. Father smiled. I was sure he was glad. Not glad that I was getting married but glad he was getting rid of me in a flimsy excuse of a marriage.

He would need not bother about my well-being any longer. My inability to act like a vampire will be less of a problem to him. He was handing me out. Practically I was being sold to this pretentious pervert of a vampire

"Tonight I am glad to announce to y'all of this engagement that I am well pleased with. I'm sure with all the fatherly love in my heart that Eli will be a good husband to my Ashlyn." He said and the gathering applauded agai

Fatherly love? I scoffed. Fatherly love indeed He could not even see my pain or feel it. Worse,he was ignoring it

Where was Darius when I needed him the most?

I forced a smile as father held my hand. "Tonight,I give my blessings and join my daughter and Eli inna.

"Stop!" Darius voice echoed loudly as he interrupted father. Sweet relief washed over me. I've never felt this much glad to see my brother.