Chapter 10 A New Life
ten
A New Life
*MARCELLUS*
Irub my tired eyes before raising my head and staring at the moon above us.
Sleep didn’t come easily to me tonight, as stupid memories of my past were haunting me.
All those painful memories of what led me to Silas and us building this place here.
A joint pack and coven, for vampires who want to break free from their beliefs and wolves who need a second chance or who were cast out for unfair reasons.
We have a lot of victims of abuse and assault here in Sunset Hills and have started working together with bigger packs.
My call to Beta Floyd’s friend turned out to be life-changing.
Floyd did mention that his friend was beta of one of the most influential packs in the world, but I was still young and a little na?ve at that time, and wasn’t quite aware of what it truly meant.
With the help of his alpha, I managed to build this safe haven, whilst able to keep my identity a secret.
We are branching out more and becoming bigger, though, so I’m not sure how much longer I can stay hidden from the outside world.
“What are you doing here?” Silas asks, quietly closing the door behind him while he steps out onto the terrace.
“Nothing,” I mutter, taking another sip from my beer.
“It is not nothing,” Silas says, approaching me and wrapping his arms around me. Despite his slender frame, he is surprisingly strong. Everything about him is so alluring, from his scent, the way his long fingers touch my chest, to how his silky hair is touching my shoulder now.
“I’ve been remembering things I left behind,” I admit.
“Your brother?”
I shrug.
“I don’t know Eugene,” he says. “But I wish I could meet him.“ He dramatically puts a hand on his chest, trying to look innocent, while there is a sinister look in his eyes. “Just to kick his ass.”
I chuckle. “Who knows, maybe I should have forgiven him by now. Maybe I have just become a bitter old man.”
“Excuse me,” Silas exclaims. “You are twenty-three! Who are you calling an old man?”
I love how easily annoyed he gets when faced with one of my silly comments.
Silas and I have stuck together for the last few years.
We found this empty piece of land with the help of Beta Floyd’s contact.
We built this pack and coven together, while I made sure to nurse Silas back to strength.
There were just a couple of cottages at first, so the two of us shared a house, and then when there were more homes built, and the others started to spread out, Silas and I just stayed together.
It’s always been comforting to have him around, and I know it’s the same for him.
We never put a title on what we are; we rule this pack-coven hybrid together, we are friends and lovers, but I haven’t marked him yet, and he hasn’t claimed me as his beloved.
“I don’t know, Silas,” I answer honestly.
“I try to see it from his perspective sometimes, and I guess he was really terrified and hurt. He was eighteen and probably acted out of ignorance and panic. I doubt he truly knew what he was doing. But that’s not an excuse; he broke my heart, more than she ever could. ”
“I understand. They both sucked.”
I grin. “That’s not what I said.”
“I know, but it’s my interpretation of what happened,” he says dryly. “You are too much of a goody-two-shoes to remain angry, so I will be your brother’s hater instead.” He pauses. “Do you miss your home sometimes?”
“I did at first,” I admit. “But Sunset Hills has become my home now, it’s part of me. I sometimes feel nostalgic when I think about my old pack, but I can’t see myself returning. This is my place.” I look at him. “What about you?” I ask.
“My old home is connected to my brother, who is a psychopath and serial killer, and our last interaction ended with him trying to strip me of my freedom, and my back of its skin.”
“Yeah, that was a stupid question. Forget I ever asked.”
Silas touches my face gently, his long fingers brushing over my cheek. “How about we go back inside and you can fuck me. Would that make you feel better?”
I look at Silas and nod. “Yeah, that works.”
“Under one condition: I want to be carried inside,” Silas says.
“Man, you are so high maintenance,” I grumble. “It’s unbelievable.”
I feel Amos stir in my mind. Don’t worry, I shoot him down before he can say anything. I’m a simple man. Obviously, I will carry him inside. If he wants me to, I will even carry him like a princess.
“Well, then.” I get up, waiting for Silas to jump me and wrap his legs around my middle and his arms around my neck.
I grab his back for balance and walk back inside silently, so as not to wake Benjamin, one of our newer members - a lost young guy of nineteen years, who was abused by his cruel father since he was born. He was an alpha’s heir just like me.
And he lost everything just like me.
His story is different, though. He wasn’t just a victim.
For a while, he worked as his father’s pawn, but still, he deserves a proper second chance at life.
Somehow, I immediately got brotherly feelings for him, which is why Silas and I not only accepted him into the pack but also took him in to live with us.
Our place is too big, anyway. We hope, with a more stable life and a new perspective on life, he will find the will to live and heal.
*BENJAMIN*
My goal here is to be as little a burden as possible and to make sure I don’t cross Alpha Marcellus.
I know more than anyone else how it feels to upset an alpha.
There is proof of that all over my body.
The first way to achieve that is to always listen to what he says and to obey without question.
No asking questions. Period. Be as obedient and invisible as possible.
The less he notices me, the better. Plus, I always make sure to be up early, so I won’t cross his path more than necessary.
Today, I’m woken up by the chirping of birds outside my window. It’s so rare for me to feel well-rested, but today I do. Sitting up, I stretch a little. I did some training yesterday, and my muscles are still tense, but it did feel good to work out.
Maybe… maybe he finally will respond to me.
Are you there? I try to reach out to my wolf.
As usual, I’m greeted by silence. There is something in my mind, I feel it, but I can’t seem able to reach it.
He has never talked to me; I don’t even know his name.
From the moment he was there, I was able to shift and heal, and have my enhanced senses, but not as much as an alpha’s heir should have.
He doesn’t talk to me, even now. He probably hates me, like everyone else.
I climb out of bed, my gaze falling out of the window, making me notice that the sun is high in the sky. It’s broad daylight.
Wait a moment… It’s late in the morning!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I broke the rules. I’m so getting in trouble. Please let him be in a good mood today, so he won’t beat me bloody again. I go through the motions as quickly as possible, throwing on some clothes and dashing downstairs. My heart beats so fast, I’m scared it might send me into cardiac arrest.
Hurrying towards the kitchen, I realize, too late, that someone left their shoes in the corridor. I stumble over them and through the door, bumping headfirst into the warm chest of a person before knocking them over with my momentum.
“I am so sorry,” I blurt out, while trying to scramble to my feet and save the situation, as much as I can.
I am doomed!
My father’s dark eyes rest on me, and he approaches in slow strides. I hope he will only use his belt on me, and not chain or whip me. Either way, I am lucky if I am able to move once he is done. A hand comes forward, making me close my eyes and just waiting to be tugged up and tossed around.
But someone just pulls me up and pats my shoulder.
“This time it was your shoes, Silas,” I hear a low, husky voice say. “Which is kind of funny because when it was mine, you complained about it for an hour or so.”
Opening my eyes, I notice that Marcellus is sitting over a plate of ham & eggs, with a book in his hands, while Silas is helping me up.
“I did not complain for an hour,” Silas argues, wiping the dust off his pants.
The tension in my body doesn’t seem to subside, although neither of the two men seems to want to beat me. “I… I am sorry,” I whisper towards Silas.
“Don’t worry,” he says with a smile. “Marcellus is right. It’s my own fault for leaving my shoes lying around.”
“It’s your fault?” Marcellus grins. “Did you just admit being at fault? That’s a first! May I mark that day in my calendar?”
Silas’s eyebrow starts ticking and he turns around to glare at Marcellus.
I don’t really listen to their bickering, relieved that neither of them is mad at me.
Silas is a vampire lord, but looks a lot less threatening than Marcellus who, like me, was an alpha’s heir.
But we don’t resemble each other at all.
He is tall and broad, and packed with muscles, much more like Dad was, and I am just a normal guy.
If he whipped me, he would probably send me to the infirmary for weeks.
“There are still eggs left,” Marcellus says. “Though I have eaten almost all of the bacon.” He points at his plate, where I spot some slices of bacon.
“There is really none left?” Silas blinks.
Marcellus shrugs. “You know, there is only one thing better than bacon.”
“And what’s that?” Silas asks.
Marcellus wiggles his eyebrows, making Silas groan. I’m not sure if I get what they are talking about, but I don’t dare to ask either. “I… I am fine with just eggs,” I say.
Marcellus pushes the remainder of his bacon onto my plate. “You can’t fool me. I saw you ogling my plate.”
“Wolves and their appetite,” Silas mutters. “I am done with breakfast. I can make more bacon. Just sit down and eat, Benjamin, you look pale.”