Chapter Forty-Seven

"Good luck. And please don't kill any council members." I said, kissing Reece for the last time that morning. He snickered.
"But that's half the fun!"
"Reece! That's not funny!" I swiped his arm gently. He kissed me on the cheek, resting both hands on my shoulders. His gold eyes seemed to gaze past mine.
"I'll be back by dinner, you'll be okay with just the kiddos?" Reece asked.
"Of course." I nodded. The Council had called Reece out to the middle of no where between Moonlight Falls and the next town over. Something to do with troublesome vampires.

"Call me if you need anything." Reece said, his lips brushing past my cheek once more before he trotted down the front steps. I watched him slip into the car, and pause a moment before twisting the keys into place. He glanced back and waved as he pulled out of the driveway. I blew him a kiss as the black car disappeared down the road. I probably stood staring after him for almost ten minutes, until a voice jarred me out of my fog.

"Vinnie!"

The source of the call was Alexa, who had been in the neighborhood with Tony on their way to their own Council business. I hadn't seen them, or really anyone, since Reece and I first moved in. A joy filled my heart and I hurried down the stairs up to the couple.

"Alexa! Oh it's so good to see you!" I cried, embracing the older girl. "You too Tony."

"Long time no see." He grinned, flashing his fangs. Tony stood at a safe distance from me, I supposed that he was still nervous about being near someone close to the Hawkwood family. Or I guess I was part of it now, my children bore the last name.

"God just look at you," Alexa gushed, pulling out the hug. "Such a skinny little thing, I would've never guessed that you had twins six months ago!"

"Oh please." I laughed.

"Look at me; I'm almost certain it's quads, do you see how big I am?!" She moaned. I could see Tony rolling his eyes from where he side.

"We've been over this, wolf. You look fine!" He said.

"Sometime I wish I had your prince charming of a vampire, not this loser over here." She jerked a thumb in her boyfriends direction.

"You love me and you know it." Tony huffed.

"Speaking of babies, where are yours?!" Alexa squealed girlishly.

"Come around back, we can sit and talk too." I waved for the pair to follow me into the house.

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"So you're in town to meet with the Council, right?" I asked. The two had been introduced to the twins and after much cuddling and baby-talking, we headed out into the backyard to talk. I held Percy in my lap while Quinn sat in the grass with Tony.

"Yeah, ever since the...er...incident with Tony's mom all those years ago, he has to report back his family's activity to one of the Council members once a year." Alexa sighed.

"Which one?"

"One of the Artis brothers, I think the older one." Tony piped up. "The ginger."

"You're so lucky, I have to deal with the red head. Cedrick." I grumbled.

"What?! He's crazy! And a creep." Alexa gasped. "What the hell do you have to do with him?!"

"Well..." I hesitated, I wasn't sure if anyone was allowed to know about our situation. But I trusted Alexa and Tony, so it couldn't really hurt to tell them. "To put it simply, Quinn's been betrothed to his oldest son as a form of blackmail for Reece."

"Oh my God. That's horrible, I'm so sorry." 

"Anyway, let's please change the subject." I sighed.

"You two been thinking about names? Or do you even know the gender yet?" I asked, redirecting our conversation back to them.

"Much to her dislike, we've agreed to keeping it a surprise." Tony said. Quinn giggled as he bounced her hands up and down. Watching them I could hardly believe that I would have to watch this same tiny girl marry someone she didn't even know.

"But we have been discussing names, regardless of the gender." Alexa shrugged, pulling me back to the present. "We're also thinking of going on vacation back to our home town before this one is born."

"Where are you two from?"

"Hidden Springs, it about two hours from Los Aniegos." Tony answered.

"Hm, I don't think I've ever been."

"You're from Bridgeport right?" He asked. I nodded. "Have you and Reece been back since you first left?"

"No, we weren't really planning on it either." I shook my head. It had been a little over a year since I ran from Bridgeport, and once my feet hit the road I never looked back. Not even until now.

"Oh! Tony, look at the time! We gotta go, Vinnie." Alexa jumped up, as fast as she could in her top-heavy state.

I scooped Quinn into my arms and followed them out to the front of the house. For the second time that day, I watched someone get into their car, wave, and take off down the street. My mind was stuck on what Tony had said to me, about Bridgeport. I'd left so many doors wide open back in Bridgeport, and maybe it was time to go back and shut them. Kaya was the biggest; my best friend in the whole world, probably thought I dead. I wondered if graduation had gone well, if she was still with Axel, if she had gone off to college. 

My heart sunk when I remembered what else I had left behind. Lauri. I just left her body there, did Blu do something for her? Did she get a burial. Or was she somehow still here? I saw what I could've sworn was her, back when I was living in Pounawea. I hadn't visited my parents graves in years, or ever. After the police declared them dead I never bother to visit the empty holes that sat in the cemetery.

"You look a little blue." A familiar voice said. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up.

"Hey little sister." Blu grinned.

Chapter Forty-Six

Before I start the chapter can I just say thanks? WITW has already hit 8000 views!!

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"Hey there beautiful." Cedrick grinned. The same black eyes and red hair greeted me, a sight I had hoped to not see for a long long while.

"My, you get prettier every time we meet." Cedrick said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. Chills went down my spine, he reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I..." I felt like I had left my words back with the kids.

"Sorry. I tend to not use a filter. Go on sit, I won't bite." He said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Refusing to meet his dark eyes I sat down stiffly in the chair. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end. I didn't trust him or like him.

"So why don't you like me Vivienne?" He asked, leaning forwards in his seat.

"It's just Vinnie." I replied shortly.

"Fine then, same question Vinnie. Are you afraid of me?" Cedrick asked again, his haunting eyes were locked onto my face. I folded my hands into my lap.

"No. I'm not afraid of you." I lied, finding my voice. "I don't like you because you blackmailed Reece into the council through my daughter."

"May I remind you that it was Rohan that set that up? Like I wanted to sell my son off to Hawkwood. Speaking of which, where are the little rugrats, I'd love to meet them." Cedrick said, glancing around me.

"They're with Reece. Meeting their great-grandfather." I tucked a lock of white hair behind my ear, his eyes followed.

"Some other time then." He said. Cedrick was a mystery, I couldn't read him at all. I didn't know whether to think he was some scumbag vampire who wanted nothing more than to sleep with me or someone who actually gave a damn about anything that was going on in the council. 

But something definitely struck me as off about him. If he felt the same for his son as I felt for Quinn, why not speak up and object to the engagement? Was he also afraid of the upper council members?

"Look Vinnie, I'm gonna cut straight to the point here." Cedrick said suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up at him.

"Y-Yes?" I stuttered.

"I'm trying to be on your side here. We're going to be family soon, and I have no intention of letting any of my children get killed because of your mates idiocy. Got it?" He said calmly. 

"I...what?" I narrowed my eyes. "Eighteen years is not soon. And like I'm letting my daughter anywhere near you before then."
"You treat me like the enemy, I'm trying not to be."
"Don't be my enemy, but don't try to be my friend either. Just stay away from my family until we're forced to marry off our children." I snapped, standing up from the chair.

I turned away from him, ready to leave the room. But my feet just wouldn't move.
"Vinnie." He said. "This is not the way to go about this...this situation. Maybe if we introduce your daughter to my son, then they can grow up as friends. Maybe even develop into a relationship on their own."
"No. Not yet at least. I just want them to grow up normally." I pleaded, turning back to face him. My previous fear of him had dissolved.
"You seem to forget that they is no possible way for that to happen. Both of them are half vampire and half whatever the hell you are. Not to mention they're your children. Supernaturals of all kinds have been after the Hawkwoods, and plenty of Pro-Pure vamps won't be happy with you being the mate of who's basically the prince." Cedrick's black eyes bored into mine, he was right. "If anything your daughter would be much safer if she stayed with me. Hawkwood girls are things few and far between. Besides, how could a teenager like you really protect her?"
I felt my anger spike. What he was saying was right, but like hell I'd give one of my children up to the likes of him. She belonged with me and Reece and she'd stay there until she was grown up.
"My age has nothing to do with my ability to protect my children. Now kindly piss off until I actually have reason to see you again." I hissed.

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"You could show even a minimal amount of respect for me boy." Daminier hissed.
"Hello to you too Grandfather." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Look, I did what you asked. I brought the twins, what more do you want?"
"That girl, she isn't a vampire."
"How observant."
"That is not what I mean Reece!" His temper was rising, as was mine.
"Then what do you mean?"
"Why is she alive?! Why are you with her?"
"I'm with her because I love her. And I'd like to go back to your first question. Why did you try to kill her all those years ago? And why did you have her kidnapped when we were first dating?" I demanded. Now I was glad that Vinnie was out of the room, I knew she wouldn't want to talk about this with him. Or me maybe. She didn't like confrontation, especially with vampires.

"Kidnapped? I did no such thing. Years ago when you had just left the manor, I did send your father and uncle after her to prevent the prophecy. It was necessary for the Hawkwood line to continue, you know that! You are his only son. And even though he's tainted by that girl's human blood, Percy will be heir after you." Daminier explained angrily.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. First of all, heirship is passed down through firstborn. And I have no intention of forcing either of them into this family but it would be Quinn, she's the eldest." I held up my hands to stop him.
"First born sons." He narrowed his eyes.
"Oh and now your sexist too? Fantastic." I rolled my eyes.
"Reece!" He scolded.
"Look, I get that this family has been stuck in the purity bullshit for a long long time, but that doesn't explain the prophecy you keep mentioning. Where the hell did it come from, and why do you care so much that you'd be driven to murder her?" I asked, cutting him off from saying anything else.
"You have to understand boy, I was simply looking out for this family. And I know what hers has done in the past and I didn't want that mixing with us. Too late for that however." Daminier said icily, casting a glance at the twins.

"Her family?" I scoffed. "She doesn't even know them, she was adopted by some humans when she was a baby." I remembered the day Vinnie had found out the truth. Kaya had found her crying among all her parents old things and called me over immediately. That felt like such a long time ago.

"I'm talking about both parents you imbecile. The birth ones are dead, from a long line of dangerous criminals-" He started.

"Did you kill her parents? Or did Koran?" I demanded.

"Her parents? They were already dead by the time I first heard of the prophecy."

"No. The humans who raised her. They went missing the night you sent my dad and Koran to kill Vinnie. Did he kill them?" I asked. Long before the twins were born and before Vinnie and I had fully started dating, I remembered them attacking her. It was the first dream we'd shared.

"I don't know what your uncle did, he's an idiot."

"As for you," Daminier pointed an accusing finger at me. "Stop sticking for nose in my past business and keep it in your own families. Raise your little halflings, marry that damn girl for all I care. But let me tell you: if you slip up or if she does, don't think they'll be spared because they share my blood."
"Well let me tell you." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I don't trust you or anyone on the council. So don't think I'll come to any of your sides."
"Reece-"
"I've done what you asked of me Grandfather. You met my children," I sighed. I heard a door outside shut. "So I'm going to collect them and my girlfriend, and be on my merry way. Have a nice day."