Chapter 18 - Rayla
Rayla hung her head in shame as she listened to Ralph speak on and on about what sort of a monster she was. She was ashamed and angry; however, the feeling was directed more at herself than at the villagers.
After the time she had spent in their midst, she should have known how foolish it was to do this on her own, and yet, that had not stopped her from falling into the palm of a mentally unstable man whose words the villagers seemed to hang off.
I’m sorry, Abel. I’ve put you in danger when all I wanted was to keep you safe.
“Look at her. Let this video sink in if you ever think to feel any pity for her or her demon child. Be reminded of what she is and what she allowed in this town.”
Ralph’s voice burned in her head. She moved to see him and the people surrounding him but winced when pain shot through her head. She bit her lip to stay silent. The last thing she needed was for one of them to come up to her and hit her again.
Maybe things would have been better if she had allowed him to post it on the internet. There, she could have had a chance at pretending that this was fabricated just for views. Besides, there would have been many skeptics who would do that for her, rushing at the chance to prove to everyone that there was no way something like that could ever be real.
This was the problem with living in a small town. They were too much in everybody’s business and always so eager to band together for witch hunts without trying to think of how ridiculous their accusations were. She needed to fix things.
But what can I do? What do they even want to do to me? I can’t die here.
She forced herself to calm down as the panic began to set in and the tremors ran through her body. She needed to be able to take care of her son. She needed to warn them about what was happening before the people found ways to harm them, too.
Gosh… I’ve been such a fool.
A single tear rolled down her eyes, and she winced again when the salty liquid slid into the tiny cut at the top of her lip, a wound that had been inflicted by Martha’s heavy hand.
Every hurt seemed to have amplified, hurting more than it should have.
How could I have been so stupid to believe that his greed for money and his obsession with having me would keep him from showing everyone in town?
She snickered, unable to stop herself.
How could I have allowed myself one minute to think that anything in this town would happen positively for me?
She started laughing loudly as her body shook from her hysterics, halting Ralph’s speech. For a moment, everyone remained silent. However, it was clear that she had given him exactly what he needed to crucify her. Now, there would be nothing stopping him.
“Look how she laughs in our faces now. She does not fear because she knows what she is and what she’s done. Who knows what else she has done to us all since she returned to the village, and we innocently welcomed her back with open arms and understanding.”
Rayla scoffed. The last thing the people of the town could ever be describes as was understanding. Not even her parents had been willing to understand her situation. They had all cast her to the wolf, which was funny since that was how she got into this mess in the first place… not that she would change anything about what happened.
“She scoffs and laughs and plays games with us…” He got down from his makeshift podium and lifted her face harshly.
Rayla grimaced, although it was her only reaction. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing just how much pain she was in and how that single move sent her body screaming in agony.
It was the first time since she was beaten and tied up that she had looked at any of them. She looked around at the faces morphed in anger, with eyes staring at her with so much hate and disgust… not one look of pity in sight. Not even from the teenagers.
It was worse than she had thought. They would kill her without any guilt. She tried to close her eyes and shut the people out, but the hands on her chin tightened painfully, digging into her already bruised flesh.
“Now, what do you think you’re doing shutting those eyes?” Ralph asked with a disgusting grin.
She struggled for where to focus her gaze. He still had the wetness in his beard and she was beginning to think it was saliva. His eyes showed even more madness than she ever could have thought possible, and his sneer only served to mock. He was terrible to look at and yet impossible not to because of his tight grip on her chin.
“Maybe if you had accepted me, things would not have been like this for you,” he leaned in to whisper in her ear.
Rayla swallowed the bile in her throat and forced herself to remain calm as the stench from his breath and beard hit her all at once.
“We can still fix things. I can make them believe you had no idea what your son was and that he had you under a spell. They’ll pity you and let you live, and then we can be together. You only have to tell us where he is.”
Rayla glared up at him and ripped her hand from his hand, biting back the tears from his nails that were scratching a long line into her already bruised skin.
“Fine then. Have it your way,” he growled out angrily, spitting close to where she sat.
She heard his footsteps retreat and turned away with her head pressed against the wall as she tried to tune them out, a feat which was surprisingly easy to accomplish with the ache in her head and the sound of blood pumping in her veins hitting her ears loudly. Everything inside her suddenly seemed more amplified.
She did not know how long had passed before hands grabbed at the ropes tying her arms behind her. She shook in fear and swiveled around as much as her body would allow, looking to see who it was.
Ralph grinned at her. “I’m sure you must be wondering what is happening right now.”
He pulled her back to him, and she grimaced as he rubbed his hard-on on her. She made to move away from him, utterly disgusted and horrified as her brain registered exactly where this was going.
Rayla struggled against him as he dragged her away to a stable.
I can’t let this happen. I would rather die than allow him to have his way.
Dying would mean she would never see her son again, but it was a better fate than letting Ralph have his way with her. How would she ever live with the idea that her stupidity was what led her into such a mess?
They were going to kill her anyway. Fighting him off would only get her there sooner rather than later.
She struggled against him, trying to pull the rope away from him, but he was too strong for her.
“There’s no point in fighting this, Rayla. Why don’t you give me what I want, and we can find a way to put this behind us?” He grinned a sadistic grin, looking like a cat that had finally trapped an elusive mouse.
“I would rather die than let you do this to me,” she screamed, fighting the dizziness that suddenly hit her from exerting herself in her weakened state.
His face reddened in anger. “Why can’t you just do as you’re told?”
A slap from him snapped her head backward as the nausea and dizziness worsened, washing over her.
Tears gathered in her eyes as the strength left her body. She was too weak to fight him off, especially since he was already so much bigger than she was, and now, she was even more at a disadvantage.
Xander…
It was the first time she had allowed herself to think of him since she found herself in this situation. Her shame had been too deep, blocking him out of her mind. But now, it seemed like she was heading toward the end of her life, and she would never get to see him again or tell him how sorry she was for not trusting him enough to handle this.
I’m so sorry, Xander. I only wish I could see you and Abel one more time.
Ralph tossed her on the stacked hay, knocking the breath out of her.
“Listen here, you bitch. I’m done playing your games. You are not the prize that you think you are, but that’s not a problem. I will take exactly what you gave to the devil that spawned your demon child, and then I will have your demon boy killed.”
He reached for his belt as he spoke, his eyes glinting with glee as she lay there, with not much strength to get up and fight back.
“Too bad you won’t be here to see what will happen to him… I promise you, it will not be as exciting as the fun we’re about to have together.”
Ralph laughed a jarring sound as he allowed his pants to drop down and pool at his feet. He stepped out of them and approached, his cock protruding from the black briefs he wore announcing his excitement.
He laughed again when she put up her hands as a last bit of resistance, but she was determined that she would not go down without a fight. Not even if it took the last bit of strength in her and left her defenseless against his attack.
She tensed as he advanced toward her, ready to swing at him, when movement caught her eye. Ralph who was facing away from the opening did not see as the person approached until it was too late.
A cry escaped her lips when the figure turned out to be Xander. Ralph turned with an angry look on his face, but before he could do or say anything, Xander reared back and swung at him. The force of the punch snapped Ralph’s head backward and she watched as his body turned to jelly and he collapsed beside her.
“Xander…” she whispered through a scratchy throat. Her hero. If only he didn’t look at her like he wanted to kill her too.
She turned to the man lying sprawled on the floor.
“Did you kill him?”
His eyes remained on the man as he answered. “No. I wish I did but there are vampires involved and they will be wiping their memories, so I controlled my strength so I wouldn’t kill him.”
Rayla swallowed and looked away. He had not looked at her since he arrived, not that she blamed him. She couldn’t stand herself either.
Xander walked toward her and without a word, carried her out of the stable. She winced as pain hit her where his hands were, but she did not say a word. She was only glad that she did not have to suffer the fate that awaited her only minutes ago.
She laid her head on his chest, feeling at peace despite the anger that was coming off of him in droves. She would deal with that later. But for now, she was safe, and that was all that mattered.
Rayla looked around in shock at the sleeping bodies that were littered all over the barn. She saw Martha’s son looking at them as Xander carried her past.
“We cannot harm a child. He will erase all of this from his memory and he can go back to how things were before today happened.”
Xander pointed at the weird pale figure who was doing something strange to their heads one after the other. He got to Martha’s child and did the same thing, eyes concentrated on the boy as he worked. Mere seconds later, the boy slumped, falling unconscious much like everyone else.
The vampire looked up at her and smiled. His eyes were like black pools and his lips were parted in the widest smile that did not reach those eyes. There was an eerie calm about him that scared her so much, she turned away and once again placed her head on Xander’s shoulder.
He carried her out into the open and gently placed her in the passenger seat of the car before going around to get in his side. his eyes were focused on the road as he drove with a calm that might have appeared normal to others, but she could tell he was seething.
If he was here, that meant he knew about what had happened, knew how foolish she had been, and knew that she had kept things from him. He was clearly betrayed and annoyed. His glanced at her and his hands tightened around the steering wheel, confirming what she was thinking.
“How could you be so foolish?”
His words were calm, and yet, she jumped in her seat when he spoke.
Her eyes filled with shame as she looked up at him, but he was back to staring at the road.
“I’m sorry, Xander. I thought I could handle things myself.”
He scoffed. “How did that turn out for you? Well?”
She couldn’t find it in her to be angry at his sarcastic tone, not when she was berating herself even worse.
“You left and put yourself in harm’s way when I could have taken care of it. Did you consider how Abel would feel if something had happened to you?”
His calm tone hurt her more than anything she had endured from the villagers. He was right, of course. Abel would have been beside himself if something had happened to her. How could she have been so stupid?
“Did you consider how I would have felt? Did you even think about me at all? Did you think about coming to me for help or how heartbroken we would have been if I hadn’t found you on time? Or were you just thinking about yourself?”
She sighed as she looked away. Her eyes held sadness, guilt, shame, and fear as she watched herself in the side mirror. She had hurt him. She had been selfish.
Years of having no one to depend on but herself couldn’t just be let go of so easily but they were a team now, and she’d chosen instead to act like no one mattered, not even her son, even though she’d been doing this for him.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so, sorry,” she said as tears settled in her eyes. Her voice shook as she spoke. All she wanted was for him to see she had realized her mistake and she would never let something like that happen again.
“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I had hoped to sort it out before anyone would be the wiser. I was doing this for Abel and for us. But I’m so sorry. I should have come to you.”
The tears slid down her cheeks now, blurring her vision. Xander sighed but said nothing in response to her apology. The rest of the car ride was in silence.
He parked the car at home and carried her upstairs where Abel was waiting.
“M-mom?” his voice broke as he uttered the word and Rayla sighed guiltily, closing her eyes.
“What happened? Mom, are you alright? Who hurt you?” He barraged her with questions as he ran up to them, staying close as Xander lowered her onto the bed.
She reached out to Abel. “Come.”
Abel took her outstretched hand and sat beside her carefully, taking care to not touch his body to her bruised one.
“I’m okay, Abel. I’m sorry for worrying you. Dad has taken care of everything, alright?”
“Are you sure?” he asked, his words carrying the weight of his pain at seeing her like that and filling Rayla with even more guilt and shame.
She had caused so much pain only by being hurt. What would have happened to her baby if she hadn’t made it out alive?
She hugged him to herself, ignoring her own pain and looked up at Xander who was staring at her with blank eyes that showed no emotion. He was hiding from her. He had only ever done that once before on the day he broke her heart and it hurt her because she was responsible for his pain this time.
He sighed. “Stay with your mother, Abel. Watch over her, okay?”
Abel nodded.
“Where are you going?” she asked in a panic.
“I’m going to take my vampire friend home.”
He closed the door behind him and spoke not another word to her as he left the house.