Roses Wither: Into the Darkness
Forty-one

Rose

They were gone. All of the voices of the vampires I controlled, all of their sins, but also their beauty, light and love.

The Moon Goddess had hated the things I had done. I had killed her vampires and she had turned against me because of it. She had taken my bound from me, I felt cold and empty for the first time in my life. Even when Aiden had broken our bond, I hadn't felt this empty and alone.

With no connection to the shifters I had grown up to love, beings that I had considered my family, my entire life had been stripped from me in one instant. All because I had wanted vengeance.

I looked over the clothes. I could have sworn he said he’d brought me clothes, but it looked like he had literally gone out and bought them. They all still had the tags and he hadn’t spared the cost, that much was evident. He even thought to buy me bras and underwear. The right sizes. How did he even know what size to get? That week we spent together, I hadn’t been wearing one.

I was amused by the shirts, and they fit my personality perfectly. There were shirts of some of my favorite bands and others had sarcastic sayings, lots of jeans and yoga pants too, along with nicer things. This was far from the wardrobe my father had tried to get me to wear, but these were all my style. It was obvious that Chase was much more into moderneity than my father and his ways of the old.

When I made my way down to the kitchen I could smell the grilled cheese and sadly smiled to myself. How did he know that I liked grilled cheese?

My mother had made them for me, since I could remember, it was the one food that always soothed me.

“I hope grilled cheese is okay.” Chase said over his shoulder, not turning to look at me, “I sent someone to the market yesterday to get some groceries and had them get all sorts of food, but I thought you might prefer to start with something I saw in your memories.”

“How did you know it was me?” I sat down at the island, across from the stove.

“Aside from the fact that I sent everyone else out except my men?” He turned and pointed to his nose, “Your scent is really powerful. Roses and lillies. I could smell you as soon as you entered the dining hall.”

“No one has ever told me that before.” My brow furrowed.

“I guess we don’t talk about how people smell often.” He shrugged, “I suppose it’s why they called you Rose though.”

“Rosamond was my original grandmother’s name.” I teared up, but tried to hold it back, knowing I had let her down and she had taken my bound, “The Moon Goddess, but if everyone went by the scent of a person, you would be named Patchouli and Marcus would be named Sage.”

I smiled sadly, hoping my brother was okay. My loss of connection to him was killing me.

Chase’s eyes raked me before falling to the floor, then he turned back to the stove as if he’d been ashamed to be looking at me. He had to be mad at me for hurting him. I could have sworn that I had-.

“I like that shirt. It suits you.” He cleared his throat, “I’m glad that I got the sizing right.”

“Tati would hate it.” I blushed. I had never been one to blush, but Chase had always had this effect on me. At least my eyes weren’t full silver around him anymore.

“Exactly why I bought it for you.” He chuckled softly plopping a perfectly browned grilled cheese onto a plate, “You aren’t the only one who likes to test your father’s boundaries.”

“I’ll pay you back for the clothes.” I grimaced, “When we get back to my dad’s.”

“No need.” He shook his head, “I don’t mind. You are my bound and I wanted you to be comfortable.”

“Does my father know I’m here?” I asked.

“Sit.” He motioned to the stool at the pristine white kitchen island that had probably never been used.

I did as he ordered, although, it didn’t seem like an order, it seemed softer, like a strong request. Like, he was the type that was used to giving orders, not asking.

“Yes,” He sat the plate in front of me with a glass of orange juice, “He has received your gift and called me after impaling him.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“Nothing really important, just a bunch of threats, if I did not return you in one piece.” He sat across from me and smiled sadly.

“What did you say to that?” I scoffed.

“I told him that I follow my Queen’s orders, not his.” Chase shrugged, but when I winced he went on, more serious than I had ever seen him.

“I brought you here, because I saw the evidence of what you went through, my love. Not all of it, but I saw enough and I thought that you may need a quiet place and some time away from the Dracule bullshit, to clear your mind. The instant you say that you would like to return to your father, I will bring you. You are not my captive and I will not keep you here against your will, I just want you to know that.”

“Are you in a hurry to be done with me?” I looked away from him. My eyes strayed to the walkout, overlooking the lake and mountains. His home was so peaceful and calm. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to go back that castle and all of those vampires. I wanted to be here in this serenity.

He shook his head, “You will replace that you will not get rid of me that easily, Beautiful. You are mine and I am your’s. If you go back to the castle, I will go with you.”

“Can we go for a walk?” I asked before thinking.

I highly doubted that he’d allow it, but the question came out, nonetheless. When my eyes met his deep brown depths, I could tell he was thinking it over.

“Yes.” He gave a slow nod, “I can even show you around little town here, if you are up for it, but I want to see that whole sandwich gone before we go.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” My eyes didn’t leave his and for once he didn’t look away.

“Because,” He shrugged, “I love you.”

“But I killed you.”

“No, I fell, but I am very hard to kill.” He was firm with his words, “I do not die, my dear Rosa. I never can.”

“How?” It looked like I had killed him, “Does it have to do with Azazel?”

“I believe so. It is hard to explain, but trust me, you canNOT hurt me, my Rosa.” His lips quirked into that all knowing lopsided smirk.

The name... Rosa... It hurt... It burned a hole through my heart. Rosa is what I was called when I was innocent, before I killed all of those beings. Rosa was who I had been when I lived in the states. I couldn’t be Rosa, I didn’t feel like that child anymore.

“Just Rose.” I said thoughtfully.

“Okay, Rose.” A slow smile spread across his face again. He was so beautiful that I had to look away.

I had killed him. I know I had. He had been decapitated, how had this happened? How was he here, talking to me now?