I walked up my driveway with my car keys in my back pocket and my car about three blocks away. After I keyed up Vic's car he got kind of mad… okay maybe mad isn’t the right term he was pissed really and well… he slashed my tires while I was driving. So with a broken window, two slashed tires, and after running into a telephone pole my car was pretty much trashed. I really liked that car too. Of course I could just go and get it repaired but that was a hassle and besides I already had another car. The other car was in the garage behind my house so there was really no need to get the other one repaired. I only drove that rust bucket so that I could blend in with the other teenagers better. I mean I felt kind of bad flaunting how much old money my family had. However, now I could roll around in my other better vehicle, my Jaguar. My Jag was my baby, she had a sliver paint job that was polished to perfection. I had my seats personalized with a black interior with a red stripe down the middle. Not to mention the fact that I had just installed a surround sound system that could blow your undead socks off and finally, I had a sliver skull in the center of the stirring wheel.

I hopped up the steps to the front door and heard my keys jiggled slightly against one another and I smiled lightly. I remembered going through the hassle of hiring a locksmith to modify my car locks to match one single key but now I was happy that I had.

My smiled slipped away as I noticed the living room lights on and with a quick glance at my cell phone my face quickly formed into a frown. As soon as I stepped into the house the sweet smell of peppermint swirled in my nose as I took of Danyelle's 'borrowed' tennis shoes off and tossed them randomly on the floor. A warm calming feeling settled in as I took my first steps into the mud room.

I love my home

It always seemed to have this soothing atmosphere to it and I smiled as I walked my way into the living room.

Did I say that I loved home? I HATE home! HATE, HATE, HATE IT!

I had stopped in mid step and my whole body seemed to shake in fear as his smell hit me light a powerful blow to the face. I staggered back as my heart raced coldly in my chest seeming to freeze the blood flowing through my veins. There on the couch was Pri-…Winden.

AHH! He's on my favorite couch…. Now we have to burn it.

Time just seemed to flow in slow motion as he turned carefully in his seat to face me. His sharp facial features were a sickly white color which made his green eyes as sharp as clear cut glass. When his eyes focused onto my face the corners of his pale thin lips twitched up in to a cruel smile. It took every ounce of restraint I had in me to hold back a shudder. A man with short salt and pepper hair gave me a wary smile. His eyes were littered with held back tears that made his brilliant green eyes look murky. Something was defiantly wrong here.

"Dad, is everything all rig-

"Your father is fine, he and I hit a few small bumps in our conversation but we've come to an agreement on it now. Haven't we Edmund?" Winden turned towards my father and gave him a simple stare.

"Yes my Lord, we have.” My father said sternly.

I snuck a glare at Winden while his head was turned, what was he up to?

It's an ambush run for the hills!

I walked over to my father and placed a hand on his shoulder before I sat down next to him. A knot formed in my stomach, as I whispered ever so softly in his ear.

"Where's mom?"

Before he could utter a word the kitchen doors burst open. My mother strolled out of the kitchen with a black and green Vivien Vatlie Italian dress on and her long goldish brown hair loose across her small bare pale shoulders. She sashay her tiny little waist into the living room with a gentle smile on her flawless face and carried a mug in each of her delicate hands. The one on her left said "#1 dad' which I had given him on father's day about a year ago, and the one in her right hand had a picture of a pig behind a purple curtain with the words ' this isn't what you think it is' across the side. She handed #1 Dad to father and the other to Winden. I looked over to my mother. She had a small glint in her eyes as she stared at Winden’s mug. She was scheming something. As Winden tilted the mug to his mouth I saw the corners of moms lips tug up.

What did she do?

Her smile brightened as she sat down next to my deathly pale father and patted his leg. He looked up at her smiling face and grabbed her hand on his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze as he set down his mug. I could tell my dad was really worried by the amount of liquid left in his mug. Winden took another small sip of his… I think it was tea before he let out a sigh. He then set his drink down on the coffee table with a little bit of a clatter, he than glanced at my mother with a sickening smile. "This tea is absolutely delicious." She politely thanked him than with a nod he looked across the table to my father then to me.

"I came to your father with a very important question," He started then stared at my dad as if he wanted him to finish the rest. Silence consumed us as my father sat in his seat perfectly still and perfectly silent refusing to continue Winden's unfinished sentence.

"What was the question?" My mother broke the silence. She had directed the question to Winden who answered her with a glare. She only sat there and smiled as if he were no threat to her. After another eerie silence she turned to dad and asked again. "What was the question, Edmund?" She asked but this time her voice shook. As if he had sensed her fear he grabbed her hand now with both of his in a comforting way then turned to look at me. His eyes were foggy again as if tears were about to roll down his face.

"Lord Winden has asked for your hand in marriage. The wedding will be held sometime in May." He announced.

My body was frozen. I could feel my eyes widen in shock as every ounce of blood in my body froze over. My head seemed too creak as I turned it towards Winden. He was smiling.

How could he be smiling at a time like this!

Ewww I'm going to be his wife! That is so gross!

I'm only seventeen! Damn it isn’t it illegal?

I looked from Winden to my father, then back, then back again.

"The wedding will be held May 24 and in honor of the new…" Winden stopped and looked down to his stomach. He picked up his tea and took a large gulp before continuing. "Excuse me, engagement. I will be in Italy in preparations for our ceremony. I will have to leave immediately and sadly I won’t be back until March but I’m sure I’ll be able to sneak back here from time to time to visit-…" There was a loud growling sound, and Winden looked down at his stomach with a small blush across his nose. He asked my mother where the bathroom was.

"Second floor to you left." She instructed. He nodded than dropped the mug onto the table and ran up the stairs. I turned to my father with tears overflowing from my eyes.

"Why is this happening?" My voice shook as I spoke. He wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me into his embrace. I could feel hot tears hit my shoulder. He was crying,

Why was he crying? I was the one getting married to that…that… THING!

I tried to push him away but the more I struggled the harder he held.

"Please forgive me." He whispered it so softly into my hair that I had barely caught the words. "If I refused his proposal he would have killed you. I couldn't bear to lose my only daughter. I do want to see you happy, but you know as well as I do that the Prince wouldn't allow that."

"I’d rather die than marry him!" I yelled. I was finally able to pull away from him, I shot up from my seat and was about to yell my head off when...

"How about you don't marry the prince and still live a happy life?" My mother interrupted. My father and I looked at her in confusion.

"H-How do you plan to do that?" I asked.

"Well, since you asked… I had a feeling that that sneaky little bat was planning on doing something devastating like this so I put a large amount of ex-lax in his tea. He should have read what the cup said… oh well, since he'll be away for a while you could just run away…. Oh wait that's not good. You have school and he said that he would drop by." She thought for a moment. "Ah! I got it! After school is out, in May you can go and live in the summer house! You may be away from us but at least you'll have a high school education and will be safe. You'll be and adult too, so it will be legal anyway."

Dad shot up from the couch, pulling mom into a tight embrace.

What will Winden do when he comes back to get you and you’re gone?

I looked back at my parents who were caught up in each other eyes. I couldn’t run away, Winden would murder them if I did. I dung my nails into the palm of my hand and tried to find another way.

Duh! You’re not a vampire for nothing! Fight the guy off!

Shut up you know that Winden is a lot stronger than I am.

So, then get someone else to fight him.

YOU KNOW… that may just be the best idea you have ever had.

Well thank you I do- … HEY THAT WASN'T FUNNY!

***Later that night***

About a half hour later I walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the door, waited then knocked again. The sound of SOMBODY falling down stairs echoed thought the house. The door creaked open as the pale moonlight seeped in through the sides. Before the person even had the chance to speak I cut in.

"You have a deal," I said.