"I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."
-Jack Kerouac
All the anger and disgust I had harbored faded, replaced by stunned silence. I was at a loss for words. Could it be possible that what he claimed was true? The man waited for a response, but he continued when it became clear I wouldn't speak.
"I never imagined I would meet you, especially not like this." He stepped closer, running his hand down my cheek without hesitation. I wanted to flinch away, to escape his gaze and touch, but the magic held me firmly in place.
"Release her! I want to speak with her in private." The invasive sorcery dissipated as soon as he spoke, leaving a tingling sensation throughout my body, like pins and needles. The man touched me again with his rough, calloused fingers, grabbing my arm and hoisting me to my feet.
"Come," he demanded, the group's cheers beginning to swell again. Panic surged in my chest. I couldn't leave Jaxon alone with these people.
"He comes with us! I won't follow you unless he's with us too." My voice cracked, betraying my fear. I doubted I had any real choice, but I had to try.
The man paused, considering. "He stays bound. I want to have this conversation with you alone."
That was the best I could hope for, at least knowing I could keep my eyes on the Prince. I nodded at the stranger, who effortlessly hoisted Jaxon against his body and quickly carried him.
We crossed the small clearing to a tent shrouded in shadows, where the firelight couldn't reach. Stepping inside did nothing to combat the winter chill. A lantern flickered, casting an uneven glow that revealed the rough patches and holes in the thin fabric surrounding us. A narrow cot lay against the wall in one corner, while a table supported the lantern and two rickety chairs in the opposite corner.
The man unceremoniously tossed Jaxon onto the cot, showing no concern for his comfort. I shot him a glare, but he ignored me, turning his back as he approached one of the questionable chairs. I doubted it would support the weight of a well-fed squirrel, let alone that of a full-grown man. To my surprise, the chair groaned but held steady as he settled into it.
He gestured for me to sit. "I apologize for the lack of comfort; this is all I have to offer."
"I won't call you dad," I said, my voice sharp. It was impossible to believe him—he was clearly the leader of this feral group, and I wasn't about to let him play games with me. I sat in the chair, careful not to put too much weight on it, unsure if it would hold.
"I wouldn't expect you to," he replied calmly. "My name is Warren."
The dim glow from the lantern threw his features into sharp relief, and for the first time, I could see his face. It was unmistakably inhuman—skin too smooth, eyes too sharp and knowing, like they'd seen more than any human should. Yet beneath the strangeness, something familiar tugged at me. The shape of his nose, the angle of his chin. These were features I'd seen before—reflected back at me in the mirror.
"What are you going to do with us?" My voice held steady though panic roiled inside. Was discovering I was his daughter enough to change his plans?
Warren's eyes flickered to Jaxon, then back to me, his fingers tapping his chin as if weighing his options. "The plan was to demand a ransom for the Prince. We've been running low on supplies, and when we heard through one of our listeners that he was meeting with the nearby pack, the timing seemed perfect."
He paused, his gaze steady and cold. "I didn't expect him to bring anyone with him, especially not you." He studied me, the tension thick in the air. "Why would he travel with a human servile?"
The whispers clawed at the edges of my mind, a single word echoing over and over—Lie.
"He knew he was getting close to needing to feed. He brought me, just in case." I kept my eyes down, nervously twisting my hands together. I was never good at lying, but telling the truth about my new supernatural status didn't seem wise.
"He's fed from you!?" Warren's sudden outburst rattled me, his voice sharp and angry. My heart raced, and my eyes widened in shock. He must have noticed because his tone softened immediately. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I have no right to be upset. In fact, I'm relieved the Royal family took you in. They treat their humans well."
I didn't know how to respond. My thoughts were still tangled, and I struggled to make sense of everything.
"I can't get over how much you look like Marie. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her." His voice was tinged with genuine sadness, sparking an unexpected ache within me—a longing for the mother I never knew. "She was remarkable—strength and beauty all in one. I never understood why she chose me."
"What happened? Can you tell me?" I seized the opportunity, hoping for answers. He could give me something if he wanted a conversation with his long-lost daughter. My eyes pleaded with him, silently begging for any scrap of information about where I came from.
"I met your mother at the Academy." Warren's voice softened, the weight of his memories pulling him away from the present. "It was a dark time for both of us, I imagine. They separated the males and females, but we found ways to sneak around. We didn't care about the punishment if we got caught. Marie... she meant everything to me." His eyes drifted, seeing a past that was distant but still vivid.
"One night, while I was holding her, she begged me to make love to her," he continued, his voice cracking with emotion. "After everything the Academy put her through, she just wanted to feel human again, to remember what real connection felt like. I hesitated. I didn't want to take advantage of her vulnerability, but her tears... they broke me. I agreed."
His gaze fell, lost in the weight of his confession.
"Months passed, and we realized she was pregnant. That's when the lockdowns started. They knew, somehow, that we had been sneaking around. I couldn't see her after that. One of the kinder handlers told me she'd been sold before giving birth." He paused, the pain of that moment lingering in the silence. A sudden sympathizing ache spread through my chest.
"Next thing I knew, I was sold to the highest bidder. I was prepared for the worst—I almost welcomed it. But when I met my new master, I saw Marie past her. Her smile... it saved me." His eyes sparkled for a moment, touched by that memory. "The Queen had bought us both after hearing what we'd gone through. She planned to send you through a portal to the human world, where you'd be safe. The Queen promised she'd do everything to protect you from this life."
Warren's gaze finally returned to mine, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "I guess she kept that promise as best she could."
I managed a half-smile in return, hoping to reassure him. The Queen protected me, and now, my life was changing in ways I never imagined. But lingering questions gnawed at the back of my mind.
"Why are you here? What is this place?" I asked, the urgency of those unanswered questions rising to the surface.
"We call ourselves the Unclanned," Warren began, his smile darkening as his eyes shifted to a deep red—the unmistakable mark of a vampire. "A group of supernatural beings who've lost their homes but refuse to live in solitude." His voice lowered. "I was turned against my will and banished."
"Who—" I tried to ask, but he raised his hand sharply, cutting me off.
"That's enough questions for now." His gaze shifted to Jaxon, still unconscious on the cot. "It seems my original plans have failed."
His eyes bore into mine with a sudden intensity. "I will release you both, but you must swear to never speak of me to the royal family. You can tell them you were taken by rogues and that the Prince escaped. But you will not mention me, not as your father. Not until we meet again."
Without waiting for a response, Warren strode to Jaxon and yanked the gag from his mouth. I nodded quickly, the weight of the situation pressing on me.
"I won't," I whispered. "I swear."
"Then it will be," he said, his voice deepening. The magic swirled around me again, weaving itself into my very being. The sorcery bound me to my promise, sealing my words with an unbreakable force. It was like the grip of invisible hands, locking my throat in the same way the magic had held me before, though I still had the power to speak.
"My people will escort you back to your car. My mage will implant false memories in your Prince's mind. He will believe he saved you from a small group of rogues but was knocked out. The rest is up to you to sell."
I shivered at the realization of the power Warren and his group held. The laws that governed supernatural beings were clear—manipulating memories was strictly forbidden. These wickeds didn't care about rules. The only option was to play along and get out of there as quickly as possible.
But now, Warren knew I existed. He knew where to find me.
Two figures appeared at the entryway of the tent. Warren gave them a curt nod. "Take our guests back to where you found them. Farhill, you know what to do with his memory. Make sure it's as I instructed."
The figures grunted in acknowledgment. The larger one grabbed Jaxon, hauling him roughly out of the tent, while the smaller one took hold of my arm. I didn't resist. I just wanted this to be over.
We walked in silence, and I had no desire to break it. My mind was spinning, trying to process everything that had happened. The shadows of the trees around us felt oppressive, closing in with every step. When the car finally came into view, the figure holding Jaxon tightened his grip. For a second, I thought he might crush Jaxon's skull, but instead, he leaned in close and muttered something too low for me to catch.
Then, without warning, they dropped us both to the ground and disappeared into the woods without a trace. I had no idea where they went, but I couldn't focus on that. All I cared about was Jaxon.
I scrambled to his side, my heart pounding as he began to stir, making more movements than he had since our capture. Then, instantly, he shot up, nearly pulling me with him. His eyes darted around, frantic, searching for anything that made sense.
Finally, his gaze landed on mine.
"Madelyn! We have to hurry. Get in the car before they come back." Jaxon's voice was urgent, and despite knowing he believed he had fought off our attackers, it still shocked me that he didn't question anything.
Without hesitation, I climbed into the car.
Within moments, we were speeding down the main roads, the snow-covered ground slick beneath the tires. His voice, gruffer than usual, cut through the silence. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Other than the whirlpool of lies in my head? "No, I'm fine. You scared them off before they could touch me."
More lies. Guilt twisted in my gut, but it had to be done. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell him the truth.
Jaxon visibly relaxed in his seat, though his grip on the steering wheel remained tight, urging the vehicle forward faster than was safe in the slick conditions. "I don't know what all that was about, but I'm sorry you were put in danger again. Honestly... I think it's best not to tell my mother what happened. Let's keep this between us."
I nodded quietly, agreeing to the unspoken pact. We drove the rest of the way in silence, both lost in thought. I wondered if he had any idea his mind had been tampered with, and I prayed he didn't.
Her father is still alive and a vampire, no less. Plus a leader of a group that had obeyed no rules. Will this come back to bite her in the butt? Will Jaxon ever find out what actually happened? Does Maddie feel any sense of closure now that she knows a little more about her mother's past? Find out next time!
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