300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets
A BLOOD TOAST

Bella:

The next day, I woke up with many body aches as the bed I had been given to lie on was as hard as a rock. I couldn't even stay in bed to cozy up or anything. The moment my eyes were open, I plopped my body out of bed to preserve what was left of my bones, which the bed had nearly crushed the previous night. It felt as though I had been sleeping on a bed of thorns.

On getting to my feet, I walked to the bathroom in the room, turned on the faucet, and my hand was met with the coldest water I had ever felt in my entire life.

At first, I didn't want to complain because I believed I would be leaving today, but checking my breath against my palm made me think otherwise. I made my way out of the room, spotting the vampire girl with white hair coming out of the room next to mine.

"Excuse me," I said to her, and she turned with her head bent. "The water is a little cold, and I don't think I can take a shower with it." When I said this, she kept mute for a while before bursting into a short laugh.

Then she looked up at me.

"What? It was really cold and almost froze my heart," I added, and then she walked up to me.

"My name is Mabel, but you cannot call me by name ever," she said, and I nodded.

She walked past me, making her way into my room. I shut the door behind her, and she walked to the bathroom, adjusting some things in it.

"Come on, let me show you." My feet moved when she commanded, and I walked into the bathroom. "You have to turn this knob a little to the left, and this one a little to the right. Do not pass these markings, or else Sue and the rest will notice you aren't bathing with iced water every morning. They say it keeps us sound-like, dude, chill. I was just a high school student who got bitten by a vampire after I got into an accident," she said, and I stared at her, unsure if she had intended that as a joke.

"Oh, you can laugh at it. I've decided to embrace my life now." I feigned a smile as she walked out of the bathroom.

A knock came at my door, and she glanced at me, putting a hand over her lips. I walked to the door, opening it while she slipped into the bathroom.

"Here, I was asked to deliver your outfit," the person said, giving me a fresh fold of clothes, which I took.

I walked back into my room, shutting the door. This place gave me a feeling of déjà vu. It was like I had been here-of course; I had. It was like going to Howlstone all over again, but Howlstone for demons. Everything here seemed like the opposite of Howlstone.

Mabel walked out of my bathroom, and my phone beeped at once, causing her eyes to widen.

I rushed to my bag, taking out my phone to see Hazel's name on display.

"Hey, how is it going at vampire headquarters?" she asked, and I sighed.

"There's nothing much for now, and I'm just fitting in," I said as I glanced at Mabel, whose face was still frozen in shock. "I'll keep you posted if there's any update," I said to Hazel, then I turned off the phone.

"You were allowed to bring a cellphone?" The question fell from Mabel's lips the moment I slid the phone into my bag.

I gave a shrug.

"Were you searched?" she asked, and I shook my head. "That's how you could make it in with that. They aren't allowed here, or else you could get into big trouble, but don't worry, I won't tell on you. I'm just going to act like I didn't see that because that's what friends are for."

What friends are for. That phrase sounded too familiar to my liking-it sounded like what a villain in a movie would say before blackmailing you, but I decided to keep my fingers crossed.

"You should go take your bath. Breakfast will be ready in a bit," she said, and I nodded, then I rushed into the bathroom to take my bath.

When I got out, I saw Mabel on my bed with another vampire, both of them with my phone.

"Ma..." I didn't finish her name when she looked at me. "What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. My friend walked in on me using your phone, and I just couldn't put it away. She swears she won't tell anyone," she said in an innocent tone.

This was it. She was officially a villain, but I wasn't here to make vampire enemies, so I feigned a smile.

"It's okay," I replied, then I walked over to her, and she handed it over.

They both left the room while I hurriedly got dressed in the black shirt and trousers I had been given. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I realized how hard they were trying to uphold the dark aesthetic.

"Just like their hearts. Hollow and dark," I muttered, then I took a deep breath.

I made my way out of the room to see both vampires waiting for me.

"Let's go, Mabel. She's here," the other girl said, and I glared at Mabel with wide eyes.

"You said..." I gasped, not finishing my statement as I realized I had been played.

The girl with her let out a chuckle.

"They do it to every new vampire that joins here, so don't take it to heart. The name's Lyra," she said to me, then she walked away, and I frowned at Mabel, who mouthed an apology.

As we made our way out of the hall, the thought that I had just made two friends lightened my mood. It was enemy territory, but I was doing fine. They led me into a room with a long table that had an array of dishes all covered up, but the chairs were empty.

"Why are we early?" I asked, but before we could sit, I saw multiple flashes.

"No speaking at the table, Hybrid," Sue called out from the other end of the table.

The girls and I took the last three seats left on the left. In front of everyone were glasses filled with red wine. Sue got up, holding her glass.

"A toast to the greatest king to rule this kingdom!" She raised her glass, and everyone at the table did so except me. Mabel kicked my leg slightly, causing me to grab the glass.

"Cheers to Enzo Darkmoore," Sue continued, and the room chanted, "May he live again to reign forever." Something about their unison scared me. They were large, and I knew this wasn't all of them. What baffled me the most was the fact that the wolves were living as though there wasn't a war about to wipe out their entire existence. "Now we drink to victory because, in a few nights, our king will walk the surface of Moon fire and cleanse it of its iniquities!" she said, and they all roared, gulping down their wine.

I brought the liquid to my lips, and the moment I tasted it, realizing it wasn't wine, my eyes widened. "Thanks to the hybrid for providing us with fresh human corpses. Today we drink human blood and not animal blood!" Sue said, and I choked on the liquid, patting my chest slightly.

The vampires all turned to stare at me, and I swallowed hard, knowing I would have to drink the blood from exhumed corpses. I muttered a quick prayer to the Moon Goddess, then gulped the entire thing. The room remained silent, and I realized I was grimacing.

"I'm not used to drinking blood," I said, straightening my face. "But cheers to our vampire king!" I added, dropping the glass on the table with a clink, and they all roared in praise, allowing me to catch my breath on the surface while dying inside.

I waited until the meal was over, then I walked back to my room, grabbing a toothbrush and scraping it hard against my tongue. My phone beeped at that moment, and I grabbed it as soon as I saw Hazel's name.

"Help. I drank the blood of the exhumed corpses. I feel like I'm going to die," I whispered.

"What?"

"Everyone drank it. Sue made this toast, where she made everyone drink blood. I thought we only fed when we were weak, but apparently, they drink blood during every meal," I said, my heart thumping in my chest.

"Calm down, Bella. It isn't going to do anything to you. You feel weird because you know what it is. I told you my spell was foolproof," she said.

I tried to respond, but then I heard footsteps approaching, causing me to turn off the phone and slide it under my bed. My room door flew open, and Sue stood there.

"You've settled in fine. Good." These were her words before she turned to leave, but then I called out to her.

She turned, her face crumpled.

"I don't mean to bother you, but when do I get to go back home? I mean, I have school, and I've skipped classes for almost a week," I said.

"Well, congratulations, you have skipped it for your entire lifetime. Once you get in, the only way out is death. I hope you understand."