Chapter 25:

After Lazarus left, it was quiet as you and the others glanced around at each other, not sure how to break the silence. You looked back down at the packet and sighed, flipping it closed. Jungkook held out his hand and you looked up at him, confused. You gave him the packet and he exchanged it for Dracula's journal, which you'd momentarily forgotten about. You weighed the book in your hand and thought back to the hole in the wall.

Now that you thought about it, it didn't make sense that Lazarus had put it in there. If he thought the book was dangerous, he would have just destroyed it. So, someone else must have put the journal in the hole in the wall. Someone who wanted to protect a secret, not destroy it. You looked at the packet the Jungkook let fall limp at his side, clutched in his hand. There was something about this that didn't sit well with you. Something... that you couldn't put your finger on.

"So, that was good, right?" Jimin said, lifting his hands up on the side. "Progress, I think? I mean I didn't get a chance to look at the packet, but those places look nice, don't they?"

You gave him a weird look as he gave you a wide grin, like this was really something to celebrate. This didn't seem like something to celebrate to you. You'd basically just been told everything you'd feared. You really didn't have a future. Sure, you could geta degree online, like Lazarus had suggested, but you wouldn't be able to have a family to share it with, let alone let anyone else into your life besides these three vampires. If you tried to make friends, or find a significant other, they would always be in danger because they associated with you. And children...

You'd never given much thought to children before. It seemed like some far off future that you didn't even want to think about right away. You could barely see yourself through college, how could you see yourself with children and a family? But now, now that you realized the possibility might never get to happen, might never even be an option... It stung. It stung more than you thought.

"You know, I figured you might not know how to react when Lazarus came here so I thought I'd pick something up to help out." Jimin's statement drew your attention back to him. He grinned and gestured behind him and you frowned when you saw a grocery bag filled with bottles. Jimin pulled one out and you recognized it as a bottle of tequila. Your eyes widened.

"So, are we celebrating or what?" Jimin asked, a grin on his face. You pressed your lips together and stared at the bottle. You looked down at Dracula's journal, then over at Jungkook, who was giving you a wary look. You turned back to Jimin, a stone settling in your chest.

"Yeah, let's do it. Give me the bottle."

~~

The next day, you woke up late, very late. The sun was already shining through the window in your room on the west side, which told you that it was already early afternoon when you finally sat up. Your head was pounding between your eyes in the familiar hangover. You rubbed between your eyes and groaned, definitely regretting the events of last night. You swung your legs over the side of the bed, and looked at the side table. You smiled wryly when you saw a tall glass of water sitting there. Drunk-you was sensible at least to leave yourself water. You drank the entire glass and almost instantly felt better.

You got out of bed, took a long warm shower and changed into some comfy leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. After the shower, you were feeling much better and you wondered what the others were up to. Last night had been surprisingly fun. After popping the bottle of tequila, the three of you had retired to the kitchen to start taking shots and playing drinking games you'd learned from Selena and Katie. It turns out that vampires can get drunk, it just takes a lot more alcohol than it does a regular human.

You thought about the events of the previous day, thinking about Lazarus' visit and the options he'd given you. Options was a loose term, there really wasn't much to choose from and honestly, he hadn't done much to soothe your worries. If anything, he'd made them worse. You were rubbing a towel through your wet hair when you noticed Dracula's journal on the floor next to your bed. You pursed your lips, remembering the hole in the wall and how this had been hidden there. It was still confusing as to why it had been in the hole. What secrets were inside that someone had wanted to hide it?

You tossed the towel back in the bathroom and walked back into your room, scooping it off the ground. You sat down on the bed and flipped through it. You were surprised to see that there were only around ten entries total in this book. It was almost all blank aside from the ten at the beginning. That told you that this was definitely the last journal that Dracula had been using before his demise. You flipped through the entries, skipping over the ones that looked like they were just about boredom.

You found one towards the end that made you pause. The handwriting didn't seem as consistent as before. It was like he'd been writing with shaking hands. You smoothed out the page and began to read:

The time has finally arrived. The moment I have dreaded is here on my doorstep and I am at a loss of what to do. Lazarus has come to me with a diabolical scheme, one that he believes will save himself and me from a terrible fate at the hands of the Elders. I cannot go through with his plan, not when it involves the humans that share my blood.

Lazarus has been planning this for a long time, I can see it in the way he explained it to me. There was something overzealous in him, something almost maniacal. I know he never wanted this immortal life and that he fought and clawed his way into the Elders in order to make the most of his predicament, but this? Turning humans into lab rats? Experimenting on them? Even I would never be so emboldened. I must put a stop to his plot, but I know in doing so I will be making an enemy of him.

Your blood ran cold and your breathing picked up. Experimenting on humans? Lazarus was experimenting on them? But why? And how? From this entry, it seemed that Dracula must have confronted Lazarus shortly after he'd written this. Had he figured out what Lazarus was doing? He must have. You flipped to the next entry and kept reading, your heart racing and sweat popping on your forehead.

I have considered what it would be like to be human again. I have considered what happens if Lazarus' plan works, if he truly finds a way to reverse the effects of this vampire curse. If he does, it could mean the end of the species as a whole, which is the reason he has not told anyone of his plan other than me. On top of this, I am well aware that the only reason he told me was because of my direct involvement. The fact that it is my blood that would allow this to be possible is truly the only reason I believe he came to this.

Only the blood of the humans who are descendant of me have the ability to reverse the effects of the vampire. It was already known that they could resist vampire powers, mostly due to the fact that they shared the same blood. However, if the blood is extracted and reengineered, Lazarus believes he may be able to develop a cure. I am intrigued, as anyone would be, but unfortunately, his plan comes at a cost. In order to extract the strands of DNA necessary in the blood of the human, an overwhelming amount is needed. Through this process, the human will die.

You shut the book with a loud clap as your chest constricted and your throat closed up. You gasped for air and clutched your hand to your chest, feeling your pounding heart under your palm. You gulped in bursts of air, trying to calm yourself down, even though you knew it was useless. The remnants of the hangover were gone and you suddenly felt wide awake as adrenaline began to course through your veins.

You knew there was more to this, and this entry, this journal had proven it to you. There was more to this situation, more to your role in Lazarus' plans, more to your bloodline. The blood that ran through your veins had the ability to turn vampires back human. How? How was that possible? You'd never heard of a way for vampires to be turned back human even in books and movies, there was never anything like that.

Maybe Dracula had been mistaken. But then... why was Lazarus so hellbent on keeping you within his clutches, keeping you with him at all times? And then, if this was true, then why hadn't he already tried to use your blood to reverse the vampire curse on himself?

There were too many loose variables, too many uncertainties and you would drive yourself crazy if you tried to sort through it all right now. You had to focus on what you were going to do now. You couldn't let Lazarus use you, especially not if doing so was going to kill you anyway. Your fight of flight instinct had kicked in and all you wanted to do was get away, run away and far, so far that they'd never be able to find you. You were more scared than you'd ever been, even when you'd first found out about vampires. You were terrified.

Run.

You leapt up from the bed and pulled your shoes on, your hands trembling with each movement. Your mind was racing. How could you run? Where would you go? How could you get away without any of the three vampires knowing? Perhaps could you steal one of the cars before they noticed? Did they even know about Lazarus' true intentions for you?

You grabbed Dracula's journal and tucked it under your arm. You looked around the room, your mind going too fast for you to think properly. Did you need to bring something? Your phone? No, the phone might give them a way to trace you. You shook your head, feeling your heart leap into your throat. You needed to get out of there. Right the hell now.

You peeked outside your room and peered out into the hallway. The other doors were shut and you couldn't hear anything coming from any of the rooms. Perhaps they were downstairs? Or maybe they were still asleep.

Wait... vampires don't sleep.

You gritted your teeth and shook your head again. Your heart was pounding so loudly it was messing with your thoughts. You slipped out of your room and started down the stairs. You knew that they could probably hear you, so you needed to be fast and smart about how you were going to escape. You felt a wave of unease and doubt flood your brain. What if they caught you? What if they found out that you knew Lazarus' plan? What would they do?

You shook your head again and tried to calm your racing heart. Getting worked up would do no good. You needed to be smart, you needed to be calm.

Easier said than done.

You reached the bottom of the stairs and paused, listening for any sign of movement. You couldn't hear anything, so you moved toward the front door. Just before you could reach out for the handle, you heard footsteps appear in the kitchen doorway. You whirled around to see Jimin standing just outside the kitchen. Your heart sank.

"Y/N, you're awake. I thought I heard someone come down the stairs." He smiled and you realized he was holding a couple of the shot glasses from last night.

"Um... yeah, I got hungry." You pulled away from the front door, feeling your throat tighten and your teeth shake. You clenched your jaw, to keep your jaw from trembling and forced a smile on your face.

Did Jimin know? It was only logical to assume he did. It would explain why he was so hellbent on keeping you in his sights at all times. Why he got angry when something didn't go according to plan. Why he was always avoiding your questions. Why he seemed so eager to please Lazarus and keep to his orders no matter what... your face paled and a chill rolled down your spine.

"Y/N, are you alright? Feeling a little hungover, I assume?" He chuckled and you forced yourself to return it.

"Um, yeah..." You racked your brain. You needed to get him out of the house. He was the most dangerous of the three and the one who most likely was in on Lazarus' plan. If you were going to try to escape, it had to be when Jimin was gone.

"Actually, Jimin, I had a favor to ask you." You swallowed and looked up into his eyes, wringing your hands together to hide how they were trembling uncontrollably. "My... my period started."

Jimin blinked and looked you up and down, before taking in a long inhale. He furrowed his brow.

"Has it? I can't smell anything." He deadpanned, tilting his head.

Your eyes bugged out, and then you remembered... he could smell your blood. Which meant... he could smell period blood, of course he could. You wanted to kick yourself. You coughed quickly and tried to cover it up.

"I-I mean, it hasn't started just yet. But I have... this app that tells me when my cycle is going to start and it says today or tomorrow so..." You cleared your throat and looked away. You really hoped that he would take your stuttering and pausing for awkwardness about the subject matter and not the overwhelming fear coursing through you. "Plus, I've been feeling moody and annoyed like I do when my cycle is about to start." Jimin raised an eyebrow. "And I've been cramping." You added quickly.

"Are you sure it's not just a leftover hangover pains?" Jimin said slowly, giving you a cynical look. You frowned, letting a bit of fire enter your belly.

"Are you trying to tell me how my body feels? You think I don't know my own body?" you snapped, planting your hands on your waist. You could at least mask the unease with a spark of defiance. Jimin laughed and raised a palm in surrender.

"Sorry, you're right, I shouldn't have said anything." He said, giving you a broad smile. You pursed your lips.

"It's going to start soon and I get really nasty when I'm on my period." You said, feeling a bit more emboldened. "There's usually only one thing that can improve my mood." You added, wringing your hands together.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Um... lots of pizza and ice cream."

Jimin laughed and you let out a swift exhale. So far, so good.

"Well, I'm sure we can order some, so don't worry about—"

"Actually there's a specific brand of ice cream that I like." You cut in quickly. "I don't think it can be delivered. Plus, the DiGiorno pizza at the grocery store is so much better and healthier." You added with a nervous smile. Jimin chuckled.

"You've got a lot of requests." He said with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, well... you haven't had to deal with a human on her period before, have you? We know exactly how to make ourselves feel better." You said firmly, moving to hug yourself. Dracula's journal was still clutched under your bicep. It reminded you of how badly you needed him out of the house and needed to hide what you'd discovered from him.

"Okay fine, we'll do it your way. I was just thinking we needed some more blood bags so I was going to take a trip to the hospital. You can come along and we'll grab some stuff for you on the way home." You felt a surge of panic at his words. You didn't want to go with him, you wanted him to leave by himself.

"Um... well, actually..." You began again. Jimin sighed and crossed his arms. You swallowed, but kept going. "I'm still feeling really sick from the hangover and my cramps have started. I think I just need to make myself some tea and lie down for a bit. Could you maybe go and pick the stuff up for me?"

"Really, Y/N?" Jimin let out an exasperated sigh. You steepled your hands in front of you.

"The others are here, aren't they?" You asked, looking around. Jimin shook his head.

"Taehyung went out already."

You tried not to, but you couldn't help but let out a small exhale of relief. That was one less vampire to worry about. "He did? Where?"

"Well, turns out the best hangover cure for vampires is blood." Jimin chuckled dryly. "So he's gone hunting. He left a while ago though, so he should be back soon." You pressed your lips together, feeling your heartbeat pick up a bit.

"Well, Jungkook is here, right?" You asked hopefully. Jimin sighed and you quickly turned your nervous expression into a pleading one. You drew your eyebrows together and puckered your lips. Jimin sighed in defeat.

"Alright, fine. I'll get you your pizza and ice cream." He conceded. You smiled wide, feeling a bubble of relief flood through you.

"Thank you so much, Jimin." You breathed, hugging yourself tight.

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it." He smiled and shook his hand and held out the shot glasses in his other hand. "Take these to the kitchen, I'll get going now so you can have something for dinner."

You gulped, and reached your hands out. He put the glasses in them and paused, looking down. He stared at your hands and up your arms, his brow furrowing.

"Are you okay? Your hands are shaking."

You snatched your hands back and shook your head quickly. "Yep, fine. Just a headache." You tapped your forehead and scooted around him, walking into the kitchen. You heard Jimin sigh, then footsteps before the front door opened and closed.

You set the glasses on the counter and let out a long exhale, planting your palms on the cool marble. You ducked your head down and took long deep breaths, trying to relax your tense muscles and your racing heart. There was a lump in your throat and your breaths were shaky and uneven. You were still terrified out of your mind, but at least there was one less thing to worry about. Jimin and Taehyung were both out of the house now, but that didn't mean you were in the clear. Taehyung could be back any minute and there was still the issue of Jungkook to deal with.

"Y/N? Are you down there?" Jungkook's voice rang out, making you jump in surprise. Speak of the devil...

You took a breath and grabbed Dracula's journal, steeling your nerves. You walked back into the foyer and saw Jungkook at the top of the stairs, looking down on you. You tried to force a smile.

"Hey, good morning. Or... afternoon." You chuckled awkwardly, hoping to disguise your fear for nervousness. You could see Jungkook frown, even from as far away from him as you were. Perhaps you weren't as convincing as you hoped you were.

"Did Jimin leave?" He asked, his voice gruff. He sounded... nervous.

"Yeah, he went to get pizza." You nodded and crossed your arms, holding the journal close.

"Okay... well, can you come up here for a minute, I need to show you something." He coughed and then disappeared into his room. You sighed and cast a longing look toward the front door before making your way back up the stairs.

Should you tell Jungkook? Was it possible that he already knew? Perhaps this was what Lazarus had promised him. If he gained your trust, and kept you in one place, then when Lazarus decided to actually start experimenting on you, he'd get the chance to be human again. You shook your head, trying to banish the thoughts. You just needed to see what he wanted and you could work from there. The priority now, was escape.

You walked into his room and looked around, trying to keep your face impassive. You noticed that the lines of canvases that used to be along all the walls were stacked up against one wall in the corner and you noticed several of them stacked under the bed. The room was so much cleaner than the last time you'd been here.

Jungkook was standing in front of the bed, facing you, and you joined him, standing with your back facing the bed. Jungkook took a deep breath and then walked over to the working canvas that had a tarp covering it. He grabbed the tarp and pulled it away, revealing the painting. Your heart leapt into your throat when you saw what it was.

The paint strokes were wild and untamed, just like the angry self-portrait, only this time instead of black and reds, there were yellows and pinks. You swallowed hard and blinked a few times, but there was no mistaking it: it was a portrait of you. Your hair fell in wisps around your face and your eyes were sharp and pronounced. You looked defiant, like you were standing up to someone. You sucked in a sharp breath and Jungkook started to babble.

"I know, it's not finished yet, but I've been working on it for a couple of days and I wanted to show you my progress." Your knees buckled and you sank down onto the bed, still staring at the painting in awe. "And look, I know this might seem out of the blue, but I've been restless lately, like I told you, so I thought this could be a way to take my mind off things..." He trailed off when you still hadn't said anything. "You hate it, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have—"

"Jungkook, stop." You cut him off, your voice hoarse. Jungkook stopped talking and waited for you to speak. You felt tears well up in your eyes as you stared at the painting.

He didn't know. There was no way he knew. Not when he did something like this. Not when he told you he cared about. Not when he told you how much you reminded him of Clara.

"Jungkook, you care about me, right?" You asked abruptly. Jungkook blinked in surprise and sat down on the bed next to you.

"Yes, of course." You saw his hand twitch like he wanted to touch you, but he held himself back.

"Okay... well then, I need you to be honest with me." You took a deep breath. This was going to a huge leap. If you were really going to trust him, if you were going to go all in.

"Y/N, what are you getting at?" Jungkook asked, narrowing his eyes. You took another deep breath and turned to look him in the eyes.

"I need you to tell me what Lazarus has on you." You said firmly. Jungkook's face immediately fell.

"Y/N... that's not—"

"Please, Jungkook!" You exclaimed, squeezing your fists. Jungkook exhaled, surveying your face closely. He furrowed his brow and you were sure he could see the desperation on your face.

"Okay. Okay, I'll tell you." Jungkook conceded finally. You let out a long exhale as he continued. "But just so you know, this won't make me look very good."