Real Reason

Back on the second floor, Stella was still talking with Austin, but this time, in another room.

“This room is gorgeous.” She trailed her eyes over everything. It seemed like it has been an office once upon.

“This is the Carrington library. A while back was Archibald’s office.” Stella nodded and walked deeper into the room. She went over the desk and looked at the small and old picture of a small child and an older version of him. Austin walked behind the girl and looked at it too. “That’s me…and my father.” Stella looked at Austin’s father’s face. Same green eyes, same brown hair, same happy face.

“What happened with him?” Austin’s eyes fell to the ground. Stella looked closer to his face, though. Something about his eyes changed. He looked at the moon and that’s when the change was clear. Stella’s eyes widened. Her eyes changed colors fast from instinct.

“He was killed one year ago.” Stella walked closer to Austin and put a reassuring hand on his back. Green eyes met another pair of green eyes. “The worst part is that I know who did it.” Stella quirked an eyebrow and waited. “Cameron. Cameron Arche.” Stella gasped.

“But…that’s…”

“Impossible? I know he’s Eric’s father, James’s brother.” Stella turned her back to the young teenager. Her eyes were red like fire and blood was pumping through her veins.

“Eric’s father is dead.” Austin looked at the vampire female intently.

“I know.” Stella’s eyes went back to normal, and walked to the door. “Take care of you, Stella Blanche.” Stella stopped and glanced over her shoulder at Austin. He was smirking. “I may be silent but this doesn’t mean I’m stupid” Stella nodded and walked out the door and back to the party.

Back down Nate was back to water and both he and Eric were talking at the bar. The bachelors were on a break so women could decide which one they wanted the most. Stella just entered the room when a smirking Alex went to her.

“Where have you been?” He didn’t seem too occupied with the fact that a big part of the females were glancing at them. He narrowed his eyes, expecting the answer. Stella didn’t look at him, though.

“Around.” She left the proud vampire behind with a bewildered expression while she went to Eric. She first glanced at Nate’s glass and saw it was water, making Nate raise his eyebrow, amused. She chuckled lightly and turned to Eric, with a much serious expression. She took him by the sleeve and signed for Nate to tag along. From another part of the room, Alex narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Outside, Stella stopped the two older vampires in a secluded part.

Stella's POV

“Austin knows.” Both men raised eyebrows and looked at each other. I rolled my eyes and mentally slapped myself. They can be slow sometimes. “Austin knows we are vampires.” Eric looked rather worried but Nate didn’t look bothered.

“Does he know anything else?” I glanced at the moon and sighed.

“It’s something weird about him. I don’t know what but…” Nate raised his eyebrow and looked up, where my eyes wondered slowly. There he was, watching us. “His father was killed by yours.” I said, looking back at Eric. He looked surprised.

“What?!” I sighed. “But that’s…well…I…”

“What’s with this party without me?” We all glanced back to the front door to see Alex. He was still smirking but had also a half bothered expression.

“We were talking important matters. You would just make everything worse.” He raised an eyebrow and went closer to the other vampire. Their noses were almost touching and they both had expressionless faces.

“From what I know, I haven’t done anything since I came here.” Alex’s words had such an evil tone. Nate rolled his eyes at both of them.

“Down boys. You two should stop bickering about who’s the best and powerful vampire for my sister and come back to reality. If Austin knows about vampires then it’s obvious his father was killed by one. He hates us but this doesn’t mean he’ll run around yelling that vampires are real.” Stella narrowed her eyebrows together in concentration.

“Actually, before I left he said ‘Take care of you, Stella Blanche.’” Six pairs of eyes watched Stella intently. She looked right back at them. “What?”

“Take care of you? What does that mean?” Nate mumbled.

“I told you they’re coming!” Alex said turning to Eric. The older male glared at him.

“I already knew that! And I told you we’re going to get rid of them!” Alex and Eric started fighting again while Nate and Stella simply took a step back, practically.

“Wait, wait. Who’s coming?” Stella asked the two vampires. They stopped in an instant and bend their heads down.

“Vampires from other parts of the world. You’re Stella Blanche, powerful, dangerous, etc, etc. They either want to kill you or mate with you. I guess it depends on each of their level of knowledge.” Nate raised an eyebrow at Alex.

“No.” The three vampires stared at her. “They’re not coming after me.” she trailed her eyes to Alex, remembering the phone call. “They’re coming after you.” Nate and Eric turned their curious and surprised faces to a shocked Alex.

“What?! Wait…how do you know?” Their faces turned to me.

“I got a phone call earlier this day. I don’t know for sure who it was but it said to take care of you because they’re coming after you. It also told me they don’t even know I’m alive.”

“That’s because they don’t.” everyone turned their heads behind to see James and dad. They walked closer to us, James much relaxed than dad.

“Now that I look better at you, you kinda look alike.” James chuckled at Nate’s words.

“Anyway, Stella is right. No one knows she’s alive except us…and well Austin.” James continued. The ‘teenagers’ stared profoundly at the older males. “Austin is from the Carrington family. “ They nodded again. James rolled his eyes. “Carrington…doesn’t it sound familiar? Like, I don’t know, Archibald Carrington?” I chose not to comment. James huffed and looked bewildered at the younger vampires. “God dammit, you killed him!” He finally said, his eyes back on me. My eyes widened and I gasped. “Oh, now you get my drift.” Alex looked between me and James.

“Wait. What’s that supposed to do with vampires coming after me?” Alex raised an eyebrow waiting for the answers to pour. James and dad looked at him like he said the most stupid thing in the world.

“You killed their human lovers, you slept with their lovers, you changed their lovers, you killed their supposed to be human families, you killed some of their friends, you slept with some of their female friends, you…” James was cut short by an annoyed Alex.

“Ok, ok I got it. I’m bad, I’m pathetic, I don’t care about anything and anyone, I don’t have feelings, I’m shit but why now? I bet they could’ve done it before.” James glanced at dad and he glanced at me. Nate and Eric were slightly amused by what Alex said but not me. I knew how it is, I guess. It’s just, it keeps going on and on that little movie of me killing and persuading people on doing what I want and flirting and killing again, in my head.

“You weren’t like that, Stella.” Every vampire there looked stupidly at my father. “Ok. Fine, you were but you’re brain was going overdrive and…” I stopped dad by chuckling.

“I get it dad. I was everything Alex has been but is ok.” Again the vampires looked weirdly at me.

“You were much worse. Alex could never do what you’ve done.” Alex nodded at James’s words. Nate looked amused at the vampires.

“When I said you were devil on Earth, I wasn’t joking.” Alex continued, Eric and James approving. My eye started twitching.

“Ok, fine. Don’t you have something else to do? Like go inside and have a drink…” I stopped and looked at Nate and Eric, making them glance at each other. “…or turn a filthy human woman on by just smirking over your shoulder or glance at her.” The men in front of the young female vampire were staring at her with either WTF faces or amused. “Go!” I shooed them away and they actually started laughing but nonetheless walked inside. I stomped my foot on the ground like a child and humph-ed. “Bastards.” I sighed again and trailed my eyes back to the moon, wondering what’s going to happen next.