Between Rubies and Opals

The door of Erin’s dressing room opened and Donna entered the room. Alex was helping Erin into her dress, and Donna clasped her hands together.

“Erina, you look stunning,” Donna beamed as Alex zipped up Erin’s dress.

“Thank you, Governess,” Erin said softly.

“Please,” Donna shook her head and took Erin’s hand. “Call me Mom.”

Erin hesitated for a second, but nodded with a smile. The chance of Erin calling her Mom, was about the same chance of Nikolai being best friends with Sam. She knew that if the governess knew what she was thinking, and planning to do later tonight, she would certainly kill her right there on the spot. Luckily for Erin, the Governess was not a mind-reader.

“There. All done,” Alex said as she stood next to Erin, and smiled lightly.

“Thanks Lex.” Erin nodded gratefully and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw Donna standing behind her, with a happy look on her face, and turned to her. “Where’s my mother?”

“She’s still getting ready, dear.”

Erin nodded with a frown. “And my father?”

“He’s right outside.”

“Can I talk to him, please?”

“Of course, I’ll let him know you need him.” Donna left the room and Alex looked at Erin.

“Should I leave?”

“No, Lex.”

“Okay,” Alex frowned.

The door opened and Arjen entered, looking dashing in his charcoal colored suit. His face lit up when he saw Erin and walked over to her.

“You look beautiful, Erin-love,” he whispered.

“Thank you, Daddy. You look so handsome,” Erin smiled briefly and sat down on the white leather ottoman next to her. “I need to talk to you both.”

“Alright,” Arjen nodded and latched her dressing room door.

“I need the two of you to do something for me,” Erin said slowly. “I need you to promise me that whatever happens, you won’t get involved.”

“But Erin, you can’t do this by yourself,” Alex frowned.

“I don’t want you to risk your lives for me. I can’t ask that of you.”

“Erin-love, we’re your family. We’ll risk our lives for you without a moment’s hesitation.”

“Dad-”

“Your father is right, Erin. We want to help.”

“I know you do, Lex, but this is something that I have to do on my own. That’s why I need your rubies,” Erin said, firmly.

“You need my rubies? Why…” Alex’s voice trailed and she nodded suddenly. “Okay, I get it.”

“Won’t you only need them until after the wedding, Erin?” Arjen asked.

“Yes, but I want them on me, the whole time,” Erin frowned, looking at her father over her shoulder.

“But that’s like adding fuel to the fire of your anger,” Alex stuttered.

“Exactly.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Alex asked, as she took her ruby bracelet off and fastened it around Erin’s wrist.

“I’m sure,” Erin nodded and looked at Alex. “Thank you, Lex. For everything.”

“Anything for you,” Alex winked at her.

“We’re right here if you need us,” Arjen said softly.

“I know.”

There was a knock on the door, and Donna’s voice chimed. “It’s time!”

Erin looked at her father and Alex in slight panic and took a deep breath.

“Calm yourself, Erin,” Arjen whispered to her.

She let out a slow breath and nodded slowly. “I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Alex asked.

“Yes. Let’s do this.”

A few minutes later, Erin stood in front of the large wooden doors, with Alex next to her.

“Breathe, Erin.”

When the music started to play, and the doors opened, Erin felt as if she was going to pass out. Alex was already at the front of the ballroom and Erin took one last breath, before she made that perilous walk down the aisle.

The walk down the aisle was the longest distance Erin ever had to walk, as she scanned the crowd of vamps. Everyone she knew was there. Tempest and Anthony, Scarlet and her new boyfriend, Archibald-something. She saw her parents, Lukas’s parents. The whole Wasilewski family was there, quite a few she didn’t know at all. A few of the governor’s friends were there as well, politicians and advisers, that she had only seen on television.

Everyone looked so happy, except for her, and her father. Even Alex had the fakest smile plastered on her face, but when she caught Erin’s gaze, she winked at her. Erin turned her attention back to the front of the ballroom, where the marriage official was standing, with Lukas, who surprisingly looked incredible in a dark suit, and Nikolai, who was standing perfectly in line with Alex. Erin smiled at the incredible irony and shook her head slightly. She raised her chin slightly and stopped a few feet away from Lukas.

His eyes were bright and he had a slight pout on his lips. She looked up at him and he smiled in return. Then the music stopped and everyone sat down.

Erin took a deep breath and looked up at the marriage official, opening a large brown book on the podium in front of him. There was a bright red sash over his shoulder and she frowned. The official cleared his throat and Erin took another deep breath.

Here goes, she thought.

Gowan paced around the living area and Vikki looked up from her book with a frown.

“You’re agitated.”

“Agitated, no. Stressed and worried, yes.”

Vikki slammed the book shut and sat up. “Why are you stressed and worried? Erin’s handling it very well.”

“She is?” Gowan looked at her with a helpless expression.

“Of course. She’s awesome. She hasn’t even cried, or ripped him to pieces, yet.”

“Well, the latter would definitely suffice,” Gowan grumbled.

“Give her time. It wouldn’t be a smart move if she ripped him up in front of his whole family, would it?”

“It would certainly make one hell of a statement,” Gowan said. “Shouldn’t Sam be here?”

“Gowan, oh my god!” Vikki exclaimed.

“What?”

“Can you just relax? There is plenty of time. The rich vamps are first going to have one hell of a party, then the married couple-”

“Don’t call them that!”

“Gow, cool it. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I hate this, Vikki! This is not how things are supposed to be! Can’t we just go kill every last one of them?”

“Are you listening to yourself right now?” Vikki exclaimed and stood up. “I know you’re upset about this, but everything will be fine, okay?”

“I hope so.”

“I didn’t know you cared so much, about her.”

“Vikki, Sam is my best friend and he is completely in love with this girl. A girl that’s half-vamp, but there’s nothing vampy about her. She’s pretty, she’s kind, and happy, most of all, she loves Sam. She’s good to him, and would do anything for him without a moment’s hesitation. Right now she is willing to marry some other vamp just so that her family won’t kill Sam. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is!”

“Whoa. I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“What Erin and Sam have, that kind of love, I have been craving that my whole life,” Gowan frowned suddenly. “To see that kind of love being ripped apart like this, it kills me. Worst of all is that I can’t do anything about it, which makes it even worse.”

“Gow, everything will work out. Erin’s got the plan in her head and…” Vikki suddenly froze.

“Vikki?”

“Oh no.”

“What?”

Vikki looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head. “Oh no.”

Gowan’s eyes also widened and he stared at Vikki, also frozen with fear. “She just changed her mind.”

“Shit!”

“We have to get over there!”

Before Gowan could even move from where he was standing, Vikki was already in front of him, blocking his exit. “No, you know you can’t do that.”

“But she-”

“Trust her, Gowan,” Vikki whispered.

Gowan nodded slowly, but his face was bathed in concern. For both Erin, and Sam.

The official took a breath and looked out at the crowd of people behind Erin and Lukas.

“If there is anyone here, that has reason to believe that these two should not be married on this day, let them speak now, or forever bite their tongue,” he announced and she noticed Lukas look over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, looking intently at everyone. Erin frowned as she looked at him and when their eyes met, she could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

“I have an objection,” Erin’s voice was barely a whisper.

The official’s head turned towards her and Lukas frowned.

“What?” Lukas breathed.

“I have an objection, sir,” Erin said more clearly.

“What is your objection, Erina?” the official asked.

Erin turned to Lukas with an apologetic look on her face. “This is not legal.”

“What do you mean?” Lukas asked.

“According to the Mixed Marriages Act, Lukas and I can’t be married,” she answered, ignoring Lukas’ question.

“And why is that, Erina?”

“Because I’m not a vamp, sir.”

There were gasps of horror coming from the seats, but Erin knew not to look over her shoulder. She could hear her mother ranting in her mind and she sighed.

“Erina, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not a vamp, I’m a hybrid, and this is illegal.”

“If you’re making this up-”

“Why would I do something like that?”

“To use it as an excuse to not go through with this marriage.”

“Whether I am a vamp, or not, I still wouldn’t marry you. I don’t love you. I don’t even like you,” Erin said as she noticed his eyes darkening.

“It’s that wolf, isn’t it?”

“Like I said, I don’t need an excuse,” Erin answered.

She turned around and looked at the horrified faces of her mother and Nikolai, as well as all the other people in the crowd.

“Erina! Are you possessed?” her mother shrieked dramatically, her eyes flashing viciously.

“Not possessed. I just don’t want to end up like you, stuck in a loveless marriage,” Erin said, and she thought, or secretly hoped, that her mother was going to pass out and die right there on the spot. No such luck though.

Nikolai grabbed hold of her arm and she hissed at him. “Let go of me.”

“You are disgracing our family!”

“You’re disgracing yourselves perfectly well without my help!” Erin pulled her arm free and ran down the long aisle towards the heavy wooden doors.

As Nikolai watched Erin disappear, her white dress floating behind her, he turned to Alex as chaos erupted inside the ballroom. Grabbing Alex’s arm, he pulled her towards him in his usual forceful way.

“What did you do?” he hissed.

“I didn’t do anything. Why do you always assume it was me?”

“Because I saw you at the wolf’s house.” Nikolai narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “What were you doing there?”

“Sam is my friend too, you know.”

“Friend, with a wolf? I expected much more from you.”

“I don’t care what the fuck you think of me! Whatever arrangement you think we had, where you expected me to be like you, is over. I have no obligation towards you. We’re done.” Alex pulled free from his grasp and ran the same way as Erin did a few minutes before.

Erin felt like she was running forever as she stopped on the sidewalk to catch a breath. She placed her hand on her stomach and stroked it gently. “Are you okay in there, because I am dying in these damn heels?”

She took a few deep breaths and crossed the street, taking a shortcut through the park, towards the city square. A few minutes later, she spotted Sam sitting on the edge of the town square memorial statue and slowed her pace. Running in heels wasn’t the best idea, especially for her, but she had to admit, she was doing quite well. She hadn’t fallen once. She stopped by the iron gate, and removed her shoes. Sam was staring into the distance, a tense and angry expression on his face, and Erin walked closer to him. All of a sudden he looked over at her and jumped up from surprise.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were-” Sam frowned.

“I couldn’t do it, Sam. I couldn’t marry him.”

“But what about the plan-”

“Screw the plan.” She walked straight up to him, her dress dragging over the concrete and he opened his arms, letting her fall into his embrace. “You’re the only one that I want to be married to, Sam Morton. I love you, and no-one else could ever take that away. Ever.

Sam smiled down at her and cradled her face with both his hands. “You’re beautiful.”

“So are you.”

“I like your dress.”

“This old thing?” Erin said nonchalantly with a weak smile, running her fingers down the bodice of her dress.

Sam pulled her close, and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Their kiss was however interrupted by the roaring of the Lewandowksi limousine. They watched with wide eyes as Cassandra, Nikolai, and Lukas climbed out of the limo and walked up to them.

“Get back.” Sam moved in front of her, shielding her from the group.

“No, Sam.” She shook her head and stood next to him. “I want to be next to you.”

“Erina! Come here at once,” her mother snarled at her.

Erin took Sam’s hand in hers and looked at her mother. “I’m no longer obligated to listen to you, Mother.”

“You bring shame to your family, Erina,” Nikolai snarled at her.

“Why, because I fell in love with a wolf, or that I turned out to be one as well?” Erin asked.

“You are not a hybrid, Erina!” Cassandra exclaimed.

“You have humiliated your family, and Lukas’ family. You’ve made them the laughing stock of Algharakh. Can you not see what you have done? Are you that selfish?”

“Selfish?” Alex exclaimed, appearing out of thin air and Nikolai turned to her.

“Oh, look what the cat dragged in,” Lukas snarled.

“Alex, stay out of this!” Nikolai growled.

“You will not tell me what to do!” Alex shrieked.

Erin let go of Sam’s hand and walked towards Nikolai, glaring at him. “How can you call me selfish? I’ve done everything you expected of me. I did everything that pleased you, never thinking of myself. How does that make me selfish?”

“Look what you are doing to this family. You are ripping it apart.”

“It was ripped apart long before I came along.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Cassandra narrowed her eyes and took a few steps closer to her daughter.

“You know exactly what I mean, mother.”

“How dare you…” Cassandra snarled and grabbed Erin by the throat, holding her about three feet from the ground.

“Let go of her!” Sam exclaimed.

Cassandra glared at Sam and tilted her head, as Erin struggled to breath from her tight grasp. “So, you’re the famous Sam.”

“Yes, and I will be forever known as the one that killed Count Lewandowski’s wife, if you don’t let go of her right now.”

“He’s brave, I can give you that,” Cassandra said to Erin.

Erin grabbed hold of Cassandra’s wrists and let out a deep throaty growl. Cassandra’s eyes widened and Lukas and Nikolai took a step back.

“For the last time, let go of her!” Sam demanded.

“As you wish,” Cassandra said, with a smirk and dropped Erin onto the ground, landing in a crouched position.

Nikolai and Cassandra looked at one another in disbelief and turned back to Erin as she slowly stood up. “How did you do that?”

“What? Have you never seen a hybrid before?” Erin asked as her eyes flashed a brilliant green.

Cassandra let out a hiss and her fangs protruded through her lips. As she jumped forward at Erin, Sam let out a ferocious growl and pounced on Cassandra, ripping a chunk of flesh from her shoulder. She screamed in agony and within an instant Nikolai and Lukas were at her side, trying to get Sam away from her. Sam struck Nikolai against the head, which sent him flying across the center, before plummeting into the concrete. Sam turned his attention back to Cassandra, who was desperately trying to get away from him, scrambling to her feet.

“Not so graceful now, are you Countess Lewandowksi?”

“You have no place speaking to me about grace, you filthy animal,” Cassandra hissed, but Sam soon silenced her as he wrapped his hands around both sides of her torso, shattering her ribcage with ease. Cassandra let out one final hiss as the blood seeped from her shoulder wound, and Sam shoved her bloody body away from him, letting her fall onto the concrete with a gargling groan.

At the same time of Cassandra’s fatal blow, Erin grabbed Lukas by the arm and flung him straight into the memorial statue. He groaned and stood up from the rubble, baring his fangs at Erin.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” she asked him, in a semi crouched position.

“You don’t want to do this, Erina,” Lukas warned her.

“And why not?”

“Because I don’t want to rip you apart the way your mother just was.”

Erin turned her head and looked at her mother, covered in blood. A few feet away, Sam was crouched down on the ground, covered in blood.

“You see what they are. They’re savages.”

“No, he was protecting me,” she panted and shook her head, turning back to Lukas.

“You’re a fool, Erina.”

“No, you’re the fool, Lukas. To think that you can force me to marry you, by threatening me.” Erin grabbed the front of his shirt and threw him against the solid wrought iron gate. His body fell down onto the ground and he lay there, not moving. “It’s pathetic!”

Never taking her eyes off him, Erin walked over to him and grabbed him by the neck with one hand. She glared at him, her eyes dangerously dark. “I honestly thought you had more fight in you, Lukas. You leave me disappointed, as usual.”

“I’m not a monster, Erina. I didn’t just kill your mother in front of you! That mutt did.”

“You will never talk about Sam like that again,” Erin hissed, pressing him against the gate with force.

“You are truly picking him over me?” Lukas exclaimed.

“I will always choose him, no matter what.”

“He’s not right for you…” Lukas gritted his teeth.

“Neither are you.” Erin glared at him, leaning in a bit closer to him.

Lukas, moving his head to the side, pressed his fangs into the flesh of her shoulder and she screamed out in pain.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Erina, but you left me no choice!”

“Everyone always has a choice, Lukas,” Erin growled, her eyes flashing. A deep, wolfish growl escaped her throat and he looked at her in complete fear.

“You really are a wolf,” he breathed.

“I told you,” she gritted her teeth.

“Erina, stop, please. You don’t want to do this,” Lukas sounded panicked.

“So you are afraid of the big bad wolf, aren’t you?” she asked with a frown.

“I am afraid of nothing.”

Lukas pushed himself forward again, aiming his razor sharp fangs at Erin’s neck and went in for the kill. Erin knew exactly what he was planning to do, and grabbed the front of his shirt. She pressed her hand tightly against his chest, intertwined her fingers in his brown hair and turned her head slightly, breaking eye contact with him. In one fluid and savage motion, she ripped his head from his body, right before his fangs could penetrate her skin.

His blood gushed from the open wound, and Erin dropped Lukas’s head next to his body. She took a breath and stepped away from the quick-forming pool of blood that surrounded his corpse. Unhooking Alex’s ruby bracelet from her wrist, Erin threw it into the pool of blood and shook her head. “They’re as much use to me now as you are.”

“Erina…” she heard a shriek behind her and looked over her shoulder. She saw her mother lying on the gravel a few feet away, in a pool of blood. She walked over to Cassandra and knelt down next to her, looking into her eyes as she was slowly drowning in her own blood.

“Erina…“Cassandra gargled and Erin frowned at her.

“Does that hurt, mother?”

“Like Hell.”

Erin leaned in closer and whispered, “Good.”

Cassandra held out her hand at Erin and breathed, “Help me, please.”

“I can’t help you any more than you can help yourself,” Erin scowled, and stepped away from her.

“Erin!” Sam yelled out behind her and she turned around. Sam was kneeling on the ground, with a bandage made from the sleeve of his shirt wrapped around his thigh.

“Sam!” she exclaimed, and ran over to him.

“Are you okay, baby?” He put his arms around her and held her tight.

“I’m fine. I just killed him,” Erin stuttered as Sam looked her over for any signs of injuries.

“You did, and you did it beautifully,” Sam said, smiling proudly at her.

“Thank you.” She let out a laugh and looked at his torn shirt. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Your mother was stronger than she looked,” Sam shrugged, apologetically.

“I watched her die, and the weirdest thing was I felt nothing.”

“You’re still too close to those rubies.”

Erin looked briefly over her shoulder at the ruby bracelet and looked back at him. “Damned things.”

“I’m sorry, about your mom,” Sam whispered, kissing the top of her head.

“Don’t be. I’m not.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the center, Alex put her hands on her hips, looking at Nikolai impatiently. She was expecting Nikolai to attack her, but he didn’t. He was defensively crouched, his eyes burning like molten lava.

“Any time now, asshole,” Alex muttered with a frown.

“This is a fight you’re going to lose, Alex,” Nikolai hissed at her, circling her like a shark.

“Shut up and fight me, you pussy,” Alex snarled, baring her teeth.

“It’s not fair of me to fight you, you’re a girl.”

“Is that so?” Alex lunged forward, grabbing him by the hair and threw him onto the ground. As he hit the concrete by her feet, he grabbed her hair in the process and Alex tumbled down onto the concrete with him.

“You asshole,” she growled as she stood up. “Second dress that you’ve torn.”

“And you know how that ended up last time,” Nikolai winked at her.

“Like last time, it’s definitely going to end in a climax, but not the good kind.”

Alex grabbed his ankle and threw him through the air. His body flew straight into the metal gate and he mumbled something incoherent as he fell onto the ground.

“Yeah, that’s right, you’re getting your ass kicked by a girl,” Alex spat at him.

“Alex, are you okay?” Erin asked her, running up to her.

Alex dusted herself off and put her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah, no sweat.”

Erin nodded and heard Sam let out an angry growl. She spun around and saw that he dashed over to Nikolai, ready to attack.

“Sam…” Erin breathed, and as she wanted to go closer, Alex pulled her back.

“No, they’ve been wanting to do this for a long time now.”

“But he-”

“Sam will be fine, Erin,” Alex nodded, trying to give Erin some reassurance.

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked down at her dress. It was covered in blood, mostly Lukas’s and she shivered. “Lex, please help me with this.”

“Sure,” Alex nodded and tore the front part of Erin’s dress so that it was hanging just above her knees. The back part was a bit longer still and Alex bundled the torn off material and threw it onto the ground. “Better?”

“Much, thank you.” Erin flashed a grateful smile, but when Nikolai let out an angry hiss, she whirled around and looked over at them.

By some miracle, Sam had Nikolai pinned against the wall of the memorial building. There was blood running down his face and Sam had his fist raised, ready to give Nikolai one final punch that would surely finish him off.

The world started spinning around Erin and she felt nauseous. Too many family members and friends had lost their lives with this racial disputes and it had to stop.

“Sam! Stop!” she called out to him, her hands shaking.

Sam froze at her sudden outcry and he looked over at her for a brief second, before glaring back at Nikolai.

“Sam, please. Just stop.”

“Erin, what are you doing? He’s about to kill him,” Alex exclaimed.

Erin looked at her friend and shook her head. “This is insane. Why are we fighting like this?”

“Because those filthy-” Nikolai muttered, spitting up blood.

“It was a rhetorical question, you asshole!” Alex exclaimed.

“Just because our parents and their parents had race issues, doesn’t mean we have to have it too. This is getting ridiculous, really. Can’t we all just accept one another?” Erin asked them.

“Acceptance is for the weak,” Nikolai muttered and spat blood in Sam’s face.

Sam let out a growl, glaring at Nikolai. “You know, as much as I absolutely despise you, and as much as it would please me to rip your fucking head off right now, I’m not going to. I refuse to sink down to your level and degrade myself like that. I’m better than that, and I’m much better than you.”

“You’re a fool,” Nikolai frowned at him.

“And why is that?”

“You think you can change my sister, but she is what she is. ”

“She’s nothing like you.”

“Oh really? Why don’t you ask her why your dead mother’s fur is laying in their apartment?”

“What?” Alex and Erin both exclaimed.

“You’re lying,” Sam growled.

“Ask Alex.”

“Hold on one second, you knew about this?” Erin asked Alex.

“No, of course not. I didn’t know it was his mother’s. If I did, I never would have kept it. I swear, Erin.”

“I gave your father that rug,” Nikolai looked over at Alex.

“You bastard,” Sam muttered.

“Your compassion makes you weak, Morton. Just like my sister.”

“That’s my wife that you’re talking about,” Sam gritted his teeth.

“Your wife?”

“Yes. Sam and I got married.”

“You can’t, it’s not legal.” Nikolai shook his head.

“I’m not a vamp. I’m a hybrid. So is my dad.”

“No!” Nikolai hissed. “You’re lying!”

“Does that make you angry, Nikolai? The thought of you being raised by a hybrid?” Erin taunted him.

“Shut up, Erina!” Nikolai hissed.

“Does the thought of you growing up in a house with two hybrids eat away at your soul?” Erin spat at him.

“Shut up!” Nikolai gave an angry growl and pushed Sam away from him. Sam landed on his back, and rolled a few feet along the concrete.

“Sam!” Erin exclaimed, and turned towards him.

“Your mutt boyfriend should have killed me when he had the chance, Erina,” Nikolai said, suddenly standing behind her.

As she turned to face him, he shoved her into the remaining half of the statue with full force. The marble cracked into pieces as her body crashed against it and she let out a scream.

“Erin! No!” Sam exclaimed, as he jumped up from the ground and sprinted over to her.

“Sam…” Erin gasped and frowned up at him.

“Are you okay? Can you stand up?”

“I can’t move my legs,” she said frantically.

Sam looked down at her and ran his hand along her spine. His hand stopped where a large piece of marble, from the statue, was wedged into her spine. He moved his hand and it was full of blood.

Her blood.

“What is it?” Erin panted. “How bad is it?”

Sam wiped the majority of blood onto his pants and ran his fingers through her hair. “Baby, you’re going to be okay.”

“By the look on your face, I highly doubt that,” she said slowly, shaking her head.

“Just hold on, okay?” Sam looked up at the other and took a deep breath. “Alex, call Emergency Service!”

Alex nodded and took her phone from a hidden pocket of her dress, frantically dialing their number, still keeping her attention focused on Nikolai, who was standing against the wall, looking tortured.

After a few seconds, she looked over at Sam and nodded. “They’re on their way.”

Alex looked over at Nikolai again, who had blood running down the corners of his mouth and his shirt was stained red from his own blood. “Your sister is dying in front of your eyes! Are you happy now?”

Nikolai frowned at her, not saying a word.

“Don’t look at me, you fuck! Look at her!” Alex shrieked and motioned to Erin.

Sam was kneeling beside Erin, not saying a word, only holding her hand, keeping his attention focused on her. Slight relief showed on his face as the sirens filled the air.

“Sam!” Sam looked up and saw Vikki and Gowan running towards them. He let out a sigh of relief and looked as the two of them rushed to their side and knelt next to Erin on the floor.

“Looking pretty good there, Erin,” Gowan grinned.

“Thanks, you too,” Erin cringed.

The Emergency Services arrived within a few minutes, and Erin was loaded into the back, with Sam, never leaving her side.

As the ambulance pulled off, Erin tightly clenched Sam’s hand and looked at him, her eyes dull.

“Sam, I’m not going to make it.”

“Don’t talk like that. You’ll be fine.”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Let me go first.”

“Okay.”

“Before you, my life was empty and I was on a one way street to hell. You saved me from that.”

“I didn’t do anything. You saved yourself.”

“Because of you,” Sam said with a smile.

“That night that you sat down next to me on the carousel, and kissed me, I forgot how to breathe.”

“You’re so cute, you know that?” Sam smiled at her, but his eyes were thick with tears.

“Even with a piece of marble in my back.”

“Always,” Sam nodded. “I love you so much, Erin.”

“I love you, Sam. More than you will ever know.”

Pain shot through Erin and she let out a scream. “Would you do one thing for me?”

“What’s that?

“Make sure she survives, please.”

“Erin, you’ll be okay.”

“Sam, please. Promise me, you won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I won’t, I promise, baby.”

Erin let out another agonizing scream and Sam ran his fingers through her hair.

“Easy, baby.”

“Sam,” Erin gritted her teeth. “You’ll stay with me, right?”

“Until the very end.”

Once Erin and Sam were safely inside the ambulance, Alex wiped the tears from her face. She was pretty sure her heart had finally broken beyond all repair. The impenetrable walls that she had built around her inner self came crumbling down as she saw her best friend slowly dying in front of her eyes. She had kept her distance from Nikolai when the ambulance showed up, and when the Emergency Services staff put Erin into the ambulance, she avoided him completely, trying to at least look civil. She looked over at him, standing by the broken statue a couple of yards away from her, glancing down at the pool of Erin’s blood, not saying a word.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Alex marched up to Nikolai and stopped a few feet away from him.

“You piece of shit!” She grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him down against the last remains of the statue.

“Alex! What are you doing?” Vikki suddenly exclaimed behind her, but her stare was locked on Nikolai.

“Something I should have done a very long time ago,” Alex answered, wrapped her hands around his neck.

“Go ahead. Do it. Put me out of my misery!” Nikolai said flatly, showing no restraint whatsoever.

“Don’t fuck with me, you piece of shit,” Alex hissed.

“Alex, don’t. If you kill him, you’ll be just like him,” Vikki said. “You’re so much better than that.”

“She is just like me. She’s a vamp. We kill, with no remorse,” Nikolai answered, again as calm as can be.

“I’m nothing like you, you arrogant bastard!” Alex exclaimed. “Unlike Sam, I don’t mind ripping your head off. Do you know why?”

“Because you’re a psychotic little vamp that is ruled by blood and violence?”

Alex grabbed his neck and pressed her thumbs into his throat. “If there is one thing that makes me see red, is when you fuck with my best friend!”

“Do it. I am not afraid of you, or death.” Nikolai glared at her, his dark amber eyes glowing.

“Don’t you even care about anyone but yourself?” Alex exclaimed, the frustration pulsating through her veins. “Were you really born with no feelings whatsoever?”

“The world made me the way I am, Alex. You of all people should know that. Your parents were also killed by the wolves, and that is why you hate them the way that you do.”

“I used to, but people change. Erin was right all along. We have no right to judge them. They’re not all bad people. There are some good ones. They just did what they had to survive. Just like we did,” Alex frowned down at him.

“That’s bullshit, and you know it, Alex!” Nikolai hissed.

“No, it’s not! They’re not at all like we were made to believe. They are good. Better than us, actually.”

“If you don’t stop talking, I might just have to kill myself,” Nikolai retorted sarcastically.

“We would be so lucky,” Vikki crossed her arms and looked around her. “Just do it, Alex.”

“You may want to stand back. You don’t want his shit all over you. It’s nasty.”

Vikki took a few steps back and had a small smile on her face.

“Alex, one more thing,” Nikolai muttered. “I never felt anything for you, you were just my little plaything, and you played your part so very well.”

Alex felt the anger boil up inside her and she hissed angrily. She thrust her hand right through Nikolai’s chest, and yanked his heart right from his chest. He let out an agonizing scream as he glared at his heart in Alex’s hand.

“You won’t need this anymore, because you’ve never used it,” Alex hissed at him.

“You bitch…” Nikolai gritted his teeth, with blood spewing from his mouth.

Alex threw his heart down onto the concrete and tightened her grasp on his neck. She felt the bones crack under her grasp and watched the life drain from his body. She stared at his lifeless eyes for a few more seconds, before letting go of his neck and watched his lifeless body fall to the floor.

“Alex…” Vikki breathed behind her, placing her hand on Alex’s shoulder.

Alex turned slowly and looked at Vikki.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so, yeah,” Alex whispered and looked down at Nikolai’s body.

“You loved him, didn’t you?” Vikki asked.

“Against my better judgment, yes.” Alex turned back to her and nodded. “But I love Erin more.”

Vikki smiled and put her arm around Alex. “I know exactly what you mean. Now, let’s get to the hospital before the guards get here and find three murdered vamps.”

The two girls turned around and heard Gowan’s car roar to life in the parking lot. They walked towards the car, away from Nikolai, and the two other dead vamps and left the city square.

“Did you have fun, Alex?” Gowan asked when she and Vikki climbed into the car.

“Killing a son of a vamp-whore like him, always,” Alex nodded and winked at Gowan. “And don’t look at me like that, I’m still a vamp.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Gowan grinned, but his smile faded suddenly, and his dark eyes flashed. “Oh no.”

“What is it?”

“It’s Erin. Her heart just stopped.”

“Shit!” Vikki gasped.

“We have to get to the hospital, now!”

“Drive Gowan!”

Gowan slammed his foot down onto the gas pedal and the car sped off, tires screeching and engine roaring.