19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Amelia
A idan’s hand clenched around the phone, his knuckles turning white. He hit the speaker button, and the voice filled the room, cold and calculating.
“Vera, my dear sister,” Aidan growled, his voice low and dangerous. I felt a chill run down my spine at the sound of her name. This was the sister Orson had accused of killing Alma, Aidan’s wife. The same sister, Aidan, had sworn to hunt down.
Finn and I exchanged a glance, sensing Aidan's shift from intimacy to tense anger, with something deeper beneath.
“Oh, Aidan,” Vera’s voice was almost singsong, but there was no warmth in it. Only malice. “Did you really think you could hide from me? Did you think I wouldn’t find out about your little… safe house?”
How did she know? I thought as Aidan’s eyes flicked to me, worry replaced by fury.
“What do you want, Vera?” Aidan snapped, his voice like ice. “If you’ve come to gloat, save it. I’m not in the mood for your games.”
Vera laughed, a cold, hollow sound that sent shivers down my spine.
“My dear brother, always so serious. But you should know by now, I love playing games because I always win them. Remember our childhood?”
Aidan’s jaw tightened, and I could see the muscles in his neck straining as he fought to keep his composure.
“You killed Alma,” he said, his voice trembling with barely contained rage. “Orson told me everything. You’re a murderer, Vera. And I swear, I will hunt you down and make you pay for what you’ve done.
“Well…” she said, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. “You always were so quick to blame me for everything. But tell me, brother, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? Why I did it? Why I hate you so much?”
Aidan’s eyes narrowed, and I could see the confusion flicker across his face, but it was quickly replaced by anger.
“I don’t care why, Vera. You killed the woman I loved. That’s all that matters.”
Vera laughed again, but this time it was darker, more menacing.
“You’re so blind. But don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough. And when you do, I hope it destroys you.”
My heart raced as Finn gripped my hand, sensing the storm brewing in Aidan's eyes.
“But let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Vera continued, her voice light now, almost playful. “I called to give you a little warning. You see, Aidan, I know all about your little human pet. Amelia, isn’t it?”
Hearing my name made my blood run cold. Aidan’s eyes locked on mine, full of fear and protectiveness, but Vera interrupted before he could speak.
“She’s quite the prize, isn’t she? So fragile, so… breakable. I wonder how long she’ll last once I get my hands on her. I wonder if she’s a fighter. Alma… Oh Alma… she was so strong, she really fought for her life but so sad she got weak, and I ripped her heart out just like what you did with Orson.”
“If you so much as touch her, Vera, I will tear you apart,” Aidan’s voice was a low growl now, filled with barely restrained fury.
Vera laughed again, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard.
“You always were so dramatic. But don’t worry, I’ll make it quick. Well, maybe not too quick. I do so enjoy watching things burn.”
I felt Finn’s grip on my hand tighten even more.
“You burned down my refinery, didn’t you?” Aidan said, his voice trembling with anger.
“Bravo! You finally figured it out, I can’t believe it took you this long to find out.”
“You think you can intimidate me? You think I’m afraid of you?”
“You should be brother. Because I’m not done yet. And when I’m finished, you’ll wish you’d never crossed me,” Vera’s voice turned cold again, and I could hear the venom in her words.
“When did you become so vile? Father didn’t raise us to be like this…” Aidan said with a softened voice.
“Don’t you dare mention my father like he’s yours, remember you were adopted and you came and ruined everything,” Vera growled.
“What the hell are you talking about? What did I ruin?” Aidan snapped.
“In due time, you’ll definitely find out don’t be in a hurry and take care of your little human, Amelia. You never know when I might decide to pay her a visit.”
The line went dead.
“I won’t spare her,” Aidan muttered as he gripped the phone, his chest rising with ragged breaths.
“Aidan,” Finn said, his voice low and steady. “We need to figure out what she’s planning. We can’t let her get to Amelia.”
Aidan nodded, but his eyes were distant, his mind clearly elsewhere.
“She’s always been one step ahead of me,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But this time… this time I won’t let her win.”
I placed a hand on his arm, and he turned to look at me, his eyes filled with emotions I couldn’t decipher.
“We’ll get through this,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “Together.”
Aidan nodded, but doubt lingered in his eyes. Vera’s words had shaken him, and I knew worse was coming.
“Aidan,” I said softly, my voice breaking the silence. “Can you tell me about Vera? What was she like when you were younger? Maybe if we understand her better, we can figure out why she’s doing this.”
“Vera… she wasn’t always like this. When we were kids, she was my best friend. We were inseparable. She was fierce, loyal, and protective of me. Despite being over fifteen years older than me, we did everything together…explored the estate, got into trouble, laughed… she was my world.”
I could hear the pain in his voice, the longing for a time that was long gone.
“What happened?” I asked gently, not wanting to push him too hard but needing to understand. “When did she start to change?”
Aidan ran a hand through his hair, his expression pained.
“I don’t know exactly. There wasn’t one moment when everything shifted. But I remember… there was a time when my father told me Vera had gone on a trip. She was gone for a while, and when she came back, she was different. More distant. Cold, even. I didn’t understand it at the time. I thought maybe she was just growing up, but… there was a strain in our relationship after that. I tried to talk to her, to figure out what was wrong, but she shut me out. And then… everything just got worse.”
Finn, who had been quietly listening, leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought.
“Do you know where she went on that trip? If we can figure out where she was and what happened to her, it might help us understand why she’s acting this way now.”
Aidan shook his head, his frustration evident.
“I don’t know. My father never told me, and Vera refused to talk about it. Whenever I brought it up, she’d just shut down or change the subject. It was like she didn’t want me to know anything about it.
Aidan’s eyes revealed frustration, haunted by his sister’s transformation resurfacing.
“Do you think your father might know something?” I asked cautiously, not wanting to overstep but desperate for any clue that could help us. “Maybe he has information he didn’t share with you at the time.”
Aidan’s expression darkened at the mention of his father.
“Even if there was any information it’s impossible to get it...”
“Why?” Finn asked
“Because he’s dead,” Aidan answered.
“What about your mom? I mean Vera’s mom…” I asked.
“She died when a rogue of vampires attacked the estate, well that’s what I was told because I never met her.”
“Vampires don’t reproduce so how was Vera born?” Finn asked.
"So, my father met Vera's mom when she was human and already pregnant. Then, her village was attacked, similar to what happened to mine which I told you about Amelia, so to save her life and that of Vera’s, he converted her to a vampire while she was pregnant and that’s how Vera was born with vampire blood in her veins and then my father got married to Vera’s mom.”
Finn leaned back; his arms crossed as he processed everything.
“Yeah, that makes sense…”
“Aidan,” I began softly, hesitating for a moment before speaking, “Has Fergus given you the witch’s location yet? I really think going back in time might help us connect some dots.”
“You think going back will help?” he asked, his voice laced with doubt.
“I do,” I replied firmly, though my voice trembled slightly under the weight of everything we were facing.
“Sometimes, we can’t see the whole picture until we understand what happened before. Maybe the witch can help us trace back to that moment when everything changed for Vera. If we understand why she became this… this person, we might find a way to stop her.”
"I haven't heard from Fergus yet," he said, his tone grim. "But I’ll reach out. If there’s even a chance that the witch can help, I’ll take it. But in the meantime, Finn we need to go check if everything is okay with the security and tighten every loose ends."
Finn nodded in agreement, both he and Aidan kissed my forehead. Minutes later, Sienna entered my room.
“Hey girl, I saw Finn and Aidan leave your room and something tells me that something very passionate happened, I could hear some screams from my room so start spilling the beans…” Sienna chuckled as she sat beside me.
“Oh God …” I chuckled.
“Make sure not to miss any single detail,” Sienna demanded.
“Okay, okay,” I said, holding up my hands as if to shield myself from her relentless curiosity. But I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “It was… divine, Sienna. Like, I can’t even put it into words.”
Sienna’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
“Oh, come on, Amelia. You can’t just say it was ‘divine’ and leave it at that. Spill. The. Beans.”
I laughed, shaking my head, but I couldn’t deny her. Not when I was still buzzing from the experience.
“Alright, fine. But you have to promise not to judge me.”
“Judge you? Are you kidding? I’m living vicariously through you right now. Now, start talking!”
I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words.
“It was… unexpected, to say the least. I mean, I never imagined I’d be in a situation like that. With both of them. But it just… happened. And it was so natural, Sienna. Like, it wasn’t awkward or weird. It was just… perfect.”
Sienna’s grin widened, and she leaned in even closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Okay, but details, Amelia. I need details. How did it start? Who made the first move? And don’t you dare leave anything out.”
I felt my face heat up even more, but I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
“Well, it was when Finn came to my room and one thing led to another and we started making out and Aidan saw us, I actually thought he was going to make a fuss about it because I was scared when I saw him looking at us and then I realized that he was actually aroused and then he joined us and then it happened.”
Sienna let out a low whistle, her eyes wide with amazement.
“Wow. Just… wow. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. Two incredibly hot, incredibly powerful men, both completely focused on you. I mean, that’s like every woman’s fantasy.”
I laughed, shaking my head.
“It sounds crazy when you say it like that, but… yeah. It was amazing. They were so attentive, so in tune with each other and with me. It was like they were competing, but in the best way possible. Like they both wanted to make sure I was completely satisfied.”
Sienna sighed dramatically, leaning back against the bed.
“I’m so jealous right now. I mean, I’ve had my fair share of adventures, but nothing like that. You’re living the dream, Amelia.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the warmth that spread through me at her words.
“It’s not all sunshine and roses, Sienna. There’s still so much danger, so much uncertainty. But… in that moment, none of that mattered. It was just us. And it was perfect.”
Sienna’s expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze my hand.
“I’m glad you had that, Amelia. You deserve to feel loved and cherished, especially after everything you’ve been through. And if anyone deserves two ridiculously hot men fawning over them, it’s you.”
I smiled, feeling a lump form in my throat.
“Thanks, Sienna. That means a lot.”
She grinned, her playful demeanor returning in an instant.
“But don’t think this means I’m done interrogating you. I still need to know every single detail. Like, who was better? Aidan or Finn? And don’t you dare say they were both equally amazing. I need specifics.”
“You’re impossible, you know that?” I burst out laughing, shaking my head.
“And you love me for it,” she shot back, winking.
I sighed, leaning back against the pillows.
“Alright, fine. If you really want to know… Finn is intense. Like, completely overwhelming in the best way possible. He’s so focused, so passionate. And Aidan… he’s more tender, more patient. But they both… they both know exactly what they’re doing. And together? It was like… I don’t even know how to describe it. It was like they balanced each other out, and I was just caught in the middle of this incredible storm.”
“An incredible storm that made you scream,” Sienna teased.
“Unfortunately, I won’t get to scream for a while…”
“Why do you say so?”
“Aidan’s sister called, she’s the one behind everything, the refinery fire, and your kidnap that reminds me how were you kidnapped?”
“I came back from work and then when I got to the apartment door, I felt a sharp object … like a needle, I got dizzy, when I woke up, I found myself tied to a chair. When they realized I had regained consciousness, they forced me to drink something and then I became unconscious again until you came.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this because of me…” I said as I gave Sienna a tight hug.
“You don’t have to blame yourself for anything,” she said as she stroked my hair.
Sienna and I talked for hours before sleeping. The dream came, vivid, eerie, in a misty forest.
“Amelia…” a voice called, soft and haunting, echoing through the trees.
“Alma?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Is that… you?”
“Yes, Amelia. It’s me. I don’t have much time, so you must listen carefully.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Alma’s expression grew more serious, her voice urgent.
“You must prevent the prophecy from coming to pass. If it does, it will mean the end of everything, Aidan, Finn, you… everyone you love. Vera is only the beginning. There is something far worse coming, something that has been set in motion long before you were born.”
My breath caught in my throat, a cold dread settling in my chest.
“What prophecy? What are you talking about?”
Alma’s eyes filled with sorrow, and she reached out as if to touch me, though her hand passed through me like a ghost.
“You will find the answers in the past. The witch Fergus spoke of… she holds the knowledge you need. But beware, Amelia. The path ahead is dangerous, and not everyone is who they seem. Trust your instincts and remember… the choices you make will determine the fate of us all.”
“Wait!” I cried, reaching out to her as she disappeared into the mist. “Alma don’t go! I need more answers!”
I woke up, my heart racing and my body drenched in sweat. The room was dark, the only sound the soft breathing of Sienna beside me.
“Prevent the prophecy…” I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. “What does that even mean?”