ARIELLA'S POV

THROUGHOUT these past two weeks, I had been visiting different places in Mount Evie. To my surprise, they had a museum full of different artistic items. Fortunately, Sylaq got me new clothes, shoes, bags, a phone, and best of all, a camera. I was glad that he let me move around without being too clingy. I wasn't a fan of guys who followed girls everywhere. Still, I couldn't continue to stay here. This wasn't what I planned for my life. Hell, it didn't even come close. I needed to leave and I needed to be smart and fast about it.

But how can humans outsmart and outrun vampires? It might be impossible to do that but I wasn't just gonna give up and accept my fate like a helpless chicken. I figured if I learned about these creatures, I could run far from them or at least protect myself from their evil clutches and that's why I've read Evie's Diaries five times and I barely understood it. Ugh, this sucked.

Though they hadn't tried to attack me, I was still doubtful. I couldn't trust monsters, could I? I was sure of one thing though, Bella loathed her brother and she was disgusted by me. Well, I was disgusted by her and the rest of them  too.

Taking a walk in the royal garden was sensational and relaxing. It was wide,  very beautiful, and naturally pleasing with all the different flowers like Roses, lilies, and a few others. Seeing as Daisies weren't planted, Sylaq Steel took it upon himself to plant them, it was very affectionate but still doubtful. I just couldn't trust him. Most times, I felt like I'd known him from before but I wasn't sure.

I was dressed in a floral pink gown cause I missed my sister. Ellie loved dressing in pink. I missed my family so much. I hadn't seen them in a month. Even though I ran away from Mount Evie, I couldn't go back to Dobana. Why? Cause I loved my freedom way too much for me to go to jail.

As I took pictures of the lovely plants, I heard Nathan's wailing voice. So, I traced the voice to the very end of the garden.

My heart stopped in my chest when I saw the horrific sight before me.  When it started beating again, I yelled with clenched fists. "Are you mad? You're gonna kill him."

Bela, Sylaq's sister was smothering Nathan's neck with her claws. The little boy was screaming so loud that I could burst into tears out of pity for him.

"It's none of your dam business you dumbass," she grimaced.

Ouch! I don't think I've done anything dumb for her to call me a dumbass. Well, it was dumb for me to have married her brother but I don't give a fuck about that right now.

"You're hurting him. Let him go!"

"I'm training him," she faced me.

"He's losing so much blood. How can you be so cruel to your flesh and blood!" I was exasperated.

"What I do or don't do with my brother is not your business so stay the hell out of it," she warned me but I couldn't just watch her kill him.

"Well, this is not how to train him I mean you're practically smothering his neck?" I explained hoping that she would stop. Unfortunately, I was no match for Bella. She was a vampire and I was a human.

"Oh really? What do you know about training?" she let go of Nathan.

"Ahh!" Nathan groaned.

Now, she came closer to me, I wouldn't let myself be intimidated by her.

"Just don't hurt him again," I confidently barked even though I knew that she was gonna attack me.

And yeah, I was right, she grabbed me by my neck, tightening her grip on me. Trying to fight back wasn't an option but still, I tried though.

"Let me go!" I screeched, pushing her but her body felt like a mountain.

"Let's see what your blood tastes like," her grace fangs pierced deeply into my right shoulder, the pain felt like hell itself only that it was hell on earth.

"Bella, leave her alone," Nathan who was on the floor still tried to save me.

I never imagined that I'd be killed by a vampire or that the vampire would be my sister-in-law. Then again, I expected the worst from these creatures. The more I tried to break free from her clutches, the more I groaned in pain and I watched how blood, my blood rained down my whole body,  I felt myself weakening with every bite but accepting death wasn't an option so I tried scratching her hands but that was such a shallow move. I mean she had claws and I had nails.

Yeah, this is it, I'm gonna die at the hands of a fucking vampire. At this very point, I wished I was in jail. Nothing could be worse than death. But maybe I deserved it. for taking someone's life even though I didn't mean to.

Suddenly, Bella is thrown away by Sylaq, "how dare you touch her"

He tightened her neck and threw her to the far corner of the wall making her hit her head badly but she was unaffected by it. I could tell that she was very strong. All of them were. All of them except Nathan and I.

"Don't cross me, you piece of nothing," she screamed, her distant gaze was life-threatening itself.

My body couldn't stand still, I couldn't make myself stand still. with no energy left, I let myself slip only to be caught by strong muscled arms.

As his cold hands brushed my wounds softly, I felt as though I was re-energized. As though I was healed. He healed me, he saved me again.

Promptly, he dashed to Nathan and healed him. "This will never happen again. I won't lose you just like I lost Lexie," Sylaq promised, lifting him.

Until now, I didn't know who Lexie was to him or the entire family. I hadn't directly asked Sylaq about her but he gave signs that he didn't want to talk about her.

Both brothers were engulfed in a tight hug that displayed nothing short of affection. They reminded me of my siblings, I really was missing them. Nathan broke the hug and squealed at me thanking me for defending him. He had nothing to thank me for, I didn't save him but I still, hugged him. Nathan wasn't part of these bad guys. He was just an eleven-year-old guilty human that was born into the wrong world.

At that moment, I realized something that I never noticed before. Sylaq must have been human like Nathan. Perhaps he too was just birthed into the wrong world. He couldn't choose his family after all. Nathan broke the hug and sprinted out leaving just Sylaq and me. I stared into those green eyes with one question in my mind. Sylaq Steel, who are you really?