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~ My silver is worth more than your gold.~

My dad vanished first, his quick speed overcame everyone present in the mansion. Alec took of second, faster than a human he too flashed out of the room. Whoever thought to pay us a visit clearly wanted to do so unnoticeably. Until a loud crash vibrated against the walls; coming from the far left just where my bedroom was. 

When I entered the room, a person with a black hood sat crouching on the floor. In front was my father whose eyes went darker than the whole darkness existing. Alec pulled at the dark grey hoodie exposing a brunette male.

"Jake?" I shivered wildly as pitch black eyes soared into mine. I stepped closer to the male expecting a valid response, he bared long lethal fangs before attempting to bite my neck. Hands shoved me away and then a powerful roar followed I opened my eyes slowly as Alec pulled me out of his protective stance. 

"Don't touch her." Alpha was out again, the red eyes were blinking rapidly as they started to take in the surroundings. He narrowed his gaze and uncurled his clawed fist ready to land a heavy punch into Jake's face. I caught his palm into my small one, pulling him to the side.

"Let me finish him!" He growled lowly, ripping his hand out of mine in one single motion. "We need to ask him questions, and that cannot exactly happen if you kill him." I pointed to Jake who was not saying a word but was rather smugly amused by the occurring scene. In fact, the smugness on his face was too brightly confident for someone in a situation like he has gotten himself into.

"She's right. We have to interrogate the culprit." Ethan nodded as he stepped into the room with a deadly serious expression – he was informed of the situation, you could tell that just by taking a look into his eyes.

"Culprit you say? What other funny words do Greek Gods possess?" Jake spat wickedly with a courageous smile as if he has won a lottery of a lifetime – but boy has he not.

"Where are the others?!" Ambrogoi demanded in a commanding tone of voice; dad was done playing games, he was ready to take serious action. Taking a stool, he sat directly in front of Jake not even battling an eyelash when that blew a chunk of his saliva in my father's eyes. 

"I will not tolerate disrespect." My dad began fishing for straight giveaways from Jake's angry expression.

"Or what? You will end my life? Just like you slaughtered Connor?!" That yelled back in fury but remained sitting on the floor. Jake's face was covered in deep cuts which weren't fresh or old, they were just strange.

"I may have not created you but I have turned your creator, therefore you answer to me and only to me." The great authority that was intoned wasn't not even close to being acknowledged by the person on the leash. 

"Would you look at that, the first Vampyr to exist is holding himself together simply because he doesn't want his dear daughter to see what monster her daddy really is. Alexia, sweetheart, your luck always runs so thin with all these creatures showing up in your life – I pity you, I really do." I just stared back not knowing how to reply. Initially, I thought Jake has moved to a different habitat.

"Why are you here Jake?" I paced forward, or tried, because as I did so Alpha tugged my arm pushing my body closer to his side. The young vampyr inspected the slight interaction with his black eyes and then smirked.

"I need your help." The boy spoke briefly seriousness suddenly taking over every part of him. 

"With what?" Ambrogoi questioned at the same time as Alec gloated, "What makes you think we will help you?" Jake peeked at me from the corner of his eyes, a frown masking his face.

"I want protection and food." He muttered now sounding a lot more vulnerable and scared. He sure could play the part to being a one bipolar man.

"Who are you running from?" 

"I don't know." Jake trembled for a moment, his eyes bowing to the ground in fear.

"Do you take us for fools-" Ambrogoi prevented Alpha from causing the scared guy pain. I noted how Jake clenched his left side as if someone fiercely delivered a blow into his ribs.

"What happened to you?" I sunk to the floor, my voice soft. The pitch black eyes faded to light blue ones, Jake was grabbing my palms shakily. 

"After Connor died, we never really left the house, I was with the rest of the group apart from one night that I felt I needed to finally step into the sunlight. When I came back at dawn, they were all dead. Every single one. Whatever it was, it will come after me too, and I have nowhere else to go. I need your help." He begged holding my hands tightly, his eyes were shining with hope although minutes ago he was acting all but nice. 

"Good story, now get out of my house." Alec was back to being himself again, the red has vanished and brown eyes were glowering back at our hands on the floor. 

"We can help him-" Alec was already frustrated groaning at my suggestion, his hand upwards as he waved my offer off without even considering it.

"Don't we all love a good thought through lie. Is this a distraction? Is your group planning an attack!?" Alec yelled rage-filled as Jake drew in a sharp breath and then slouched against the cold wall; all powerful Alpha successfully delivered a brutal punch into Jake's jaw. His appearance resembled a sickly pale ghost that taking rather irregularly sharp inhales.

"Alec out for a quick word." Alpha scooted his egoistical ass out of the room and positioned himself casually against the brick wall, leaning on it with a broad shoulder, a gesture to indicate he wants this conversation done quickly.

"I know we share a few indifferences but past in the past. He has no one else to turn to. Jake doesn't even have a family, always been an orphanage kid." I state but notice no major changes to Alec's indifferent expression – he seems full of boredom; that prick.

"He is a vampyr, Alexia, we can't trust him." I arch an eyebrow wondering if this is the Alec I once I thought I knew, because the current Alec fits the perfect description of Aphrodite – the selfish arrogant bastard that held no interest in helping others. I was greatly reminded of the past deeds that Jake has caused, like the time when he signalled for Felix that the coast was clear, or the times when he actually spoke rudely of me to others when we actually dated. But mum taught me to always see the good in people, no matter how tainted or bad they appear to be. 

"But you trust me?" 

"What?" He deadpanned in absolute bewilderment.

"Do you trust me?" The softness of my voice had hiched a slight gleam in Alec's eyes. He scanned my face for something before looking deeply into my eyes as if his answer held the world – and in a way it did.

"I do trust you, yes."

"But I'm half a vampyr. Is that what makes you so hatred filled towards me?" Maybe I was playing with fire, but I had to test these dangerous flames either way. Because in the end, what if Aphrodite was right and the urge to kill someone like me will soon take over everything Alec has ever known? The Goddess of beauty was alive far longer than have I, the possibility of truth in her words were a high likelihood. 

"I don't hate you-"

"But that's the thing, you do! Ever since I have met you, you could never stand my presence. Gabriella was your source of happiness, and what was I? Just a pin the skin...I..heard enough about your blood line to understand that it's not me that causes the problem. It's who I am." There was a significant pause one that triggered Alec to switch his mood. I was allowed one deep breath before Alec had me plastered against the wall he originally resided at. He was too close to my face and I wasn't sure whether the feeling I experienced was one of dislike; it was too far hidden behind the reflection of mental pain in the brown eyes directly in front of me.

"I am nothing like that Alpha. The only reason I have for killing vampyrs is when those reasons overlap the concerns of my pack. Unfortunately for you, I have strong dislike of your kind because of their simplistic careless nature. I do not trust them because they have no idea what it's like to live in a pack. Where the role of a pack doctor matters just as much as my role of an Alpha. Everyone is important to me in the Dark Pack, they are my family - But you wouldn't know that because vampyrs nor gods will ever become a family to you."

"And if they do, only for an ugly advantage." It was hard not react when such piercing words just tore my walls down. I could only glance into his eyes in silence.

"Hey! Where's Megan?!" Christian came rushing through the double doors. I glanced at him confused still in daze after Alec's blur of comments. "I thought she was with you?" I mumbled and took a trip upstairs, calling her name a few times resulted in silence as a response.

"I can't find Gabbie either." Alec muttered in a panicked tone which made my heart convulse, but I wasn't letting my emotions get the best of me. Wasn't I the one who literally rejected the Alpha King, by admitting how fake our bond was? I spotted Caleb racing to us in the freaking-out-mode that practically flew out of the room to our right, slamming the door loudly on his way downstairs.

"Neither is Sophie." We all exchanged worried gazes when Jake stumbled through the door clenching Ethan for support. Ambrogoi was holding our concerned expression in deep thought.

"You still think my story is a lie?" Jake smiled vaguely, it wasn't a mocking grin but rather a sad one.

"Who even are you?" Ethan wondered peering at the brunette on the couch who replied by raising one of his eyebrows upwards.

"I'm Jake, a vampyr, Alexia's here ex."

"Shut up and let us think." Alec was pacing back and forth around the room, his eyes constantly switching up from brown to red, then back to brown. He was struggling to keeping himself calm, I couldn't blame him either, my heart was picking up speed as the realisation that two of my best friends got kidnapped just under my nose.

"Sure." Jake prompted himself more comfortably on the couch, still clenching his ribs which I wanted to know about but decided to ask later on.

"Who would take them and why?" They all looked at me as if I could provide them with answers and solutions but indeed my luck was running thin. I was yet to fail again.

"If it was a vampyr or a werewolf I would have sensed them." Ethan declared taking a calculating look at the room we were currently occupied in. His eyes glowed in an alluring green shade as he used his sight to scan the open space. Whoever, was testing my patience better stop now because with three days left to the start of the Moon Goddess contests I really had no intentions of getting into even more complicated trouble, I doubt the devil will even help me now.

"We all would have sensed them believe me." Alec gloated with a lost expression, he was staring at nothing but then his puppy brown eyes darted to me.

"We don't even have a lead or a hint to hold onto. We. Have. Nothing." Caleb blew out annoyingly and slumped into the seat next to Jake who beginning to fall asleep, the purple eye bags below his eyelashes worsened his condition further.

"Wait. What about the whispers?" I lifted my eyes locking with Alec who was deadly staring at me still. I arched an eyebrow, "That was Jake. Right?" I switched my gaze towards Jake whose eyes widened.

"Violets are blue. Your blood is red. Your window was open. I'm under your bed." I swallowed harshly when Jake seemed unfamiliar of the words spoken by me – or he was very good at pretending like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"Sounds like some creepy nightmare tale children would listen to before their bedtime." Jake admitted solemnly without once breaking the eye contact. Paying attention closely to the boy's body language made me come to a conclusion that he is in fact telling truth.

"Can any of you sense a hybrid?" My dad broke the quiet illusion, as we all turned our heads in his direction. He had his arms crossed over his body – a very protective pose.

"You have reasons to believe that Connor might still be alive?" Ambrogoi didn't deny or agree to the question, he just continued to stare into nothingness like it would make everything clear for us. 

"Did you or did you not kill Connor on that day?" Jake's voice held a high note of demand, my father averted his eyes towards the ceiling. 

"My first priority was to get Selene and my daughter into safety. I wounded him terribly, the injury should have not left him alive for long, but he could have found a way, like transformed into a wolf to heal, caught a rabbit to supply himself with blood."

"Why did you turn Connor into a vampyr in the first place? How can you even become both a vampyr and a werewolf?" Ethan's voice rang loud and strong gaining my father's attention. Ambrogoi shrugged his shoulders in a very indecisive manner. 

"I saw something in that kid. He lost everything in just one night, his mate, his family, his friends, even his title if that counts for something. The fire brought on by Henry Dark was supposed to burn him to ash. I don't know the details of his story, I just know at all Connor wanted was a second chance to prove everyone wrong."

"I do not know how the transformation worked, honestly."

"What's all the fuss about?" A feminine voice entered the room belonging to Megan. Christian instantly went to torture her with serious lecture, one was also directed at Sophie and Gabriella that followed after their friend. 

"Where in the goddamn world the three of you have been?!" Ambrogoi was close to bursting his peaceful bubble so he swallowed sharp breaths before sitting down on the couch. Gabriella marched forwards with a crossed look; she better have a good explanation we did think the three of them have been successfully kidnapped by someone who we thought have died.

"We went Christmas shopping." She pursed her plump pink lips and tapped her foot against the floor whilst the boys and I just glared in anger.

"And you couldn't tell anyone of it?" Caleb's ears were blurring non-existent smoke; he was pretty pissed about the situation, we all have been. Sophie clenched her jaw slightly pushing her way from Christian who was still giving Megan a peace of his mind.

"Listen, we went because none of you would have let us go out on our own. We wanted to do a nice deed for once. Besides there is a phone which you have used to contact any of us." She flipped her black smart phone into the air to prove her point. Caleb just rubbed his forehead thoughtfully and then left the room with another loud slam of the door. 

"Okay it's Christmas in two days I suggest we all go to bed and forget this minor misunderstanding." Megan pushed herself into the centre of the room, addressing our little angry group. Then she noticed Jake who was sitting with a furry blanket on the crème couch and popped a questioning eyebrow. Ethan sighed and filled in the three girls on what has happened.

***

I was twisting and turning in my bed, although it has been hours since everyone has decided Megan's offer was the right one, I couldn't force sleep on myself. Maybe it was the idea that the girls could have been in a very demonising danger. Or the fact that Alec thought I would never find my true home. Or maybe it was the constant reminder that Connor could still be out there; hunting for his revenge, because what if I heard his thoughts, what if it was his words that he somehow has shoved into my brain. 

A slight shuffling under my bed made stop breathing for a second. When the noise occurred again I convinced myself that I wasn't paranoid – there was truly something under my bed. 

I blinked slowly, gathering courage and strength to ambush the monster or whatever was hiding under there. I leaped from the bed and grabbed the thing forcing it banging against the wall. Turning the light on, I spotted Jake who glared at me with agar opened eyes. 

"I guess your father did teach you how to fight." He muttered as I helped him gently of the floor. 

"Why the frick are you under my bed, let alone in my room?" The annoyance was clear, and hey, I had a very good reason to defending myself.

"I need to share something with you. Something that I know." Jake grew serious of for a moment, prompting himself onto my bed all within one second. I sat slowly next to him with a heavy sigh, I couldn't fall asleep anyway, might as well hear him out.

"You know how I said that I don't know who's after me?" He whispered so quietly I barely heard it. I nodded my head, preparing for the worst.

"Well, I do know who's after me." I took in the information slowly, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"You did lie to us." Jake annoyingly rolled his eyes before popping his cheek.

"Lying and missing out a small detail are two completely different things." He defended with a solemn expression on his ghostly pale face.

"Small detail? Really, and why wouldn't you tell us of this small detail ?" Jake pointed his gaze to my fluffy white carpet before finding the location of my eyes again.

"Because you're the only one I can trust here." He held my gaze as his lips started to tremble slightly.

"When I got to the house, I found this on every single dead body." He lifted a phone from his pocket demonstrating the evidence through the pictures he has taken. The images flashed on the screen were horrific. A heap of mangled bodies covered in red liquid all had two aspects in common. They all had their hearts ripped out of their chests, and they all had a stamp on their foreheads. By the looks of it, it wasn't just a regular stamp because the neat curving and bold black symbol appeared fairly extraordinary.

"Who does the symbol belong to?" I breathed as Jake flickered through photos from the crime scene.

"The black colour symbolises Dark, the moon symbolises Luna." He answered quietly back whilst stuffing the phone into the side pocket of his jeans.

"It belongs to Alec's mother." Jake finished glancing up at me meanwhile I furrowed my brows feeling perplexed.

"If Mrs Dark is behind the murders, are you not concerned she will find you quicker here?" The brunette boy just smirked proudly before rising from the bed.

"Where's more safer than right under your enemies nose?" He deadpanned back, blissful smirk still present in one peace.

"I put my trust in you Alexia, that you wouldn't reveal the truth, or at least not just yet. I am so sorry for what I have done in the past; I was newly made vampryr who was blinded by the thirst and a need for belonging." Jake begged his eyes quizzically searching for mine as I released a steady exhale.

"I forgave you, Jake, a lot time ago." I reassured him, because I have. It was hard to keep a grudge on things that were now less relevant; I had bigger problems to worry about than what almost happened in the past.

"Good to know." Then he left my room, silently closing the dark wooden door on his way.

Yawning I strolled back to my bed grasping the soft bed covers I felt my eyes water, but it wasn't because I was crying, in fact there was nothing emotionally wrong with me other than being extremely exhausted. I swiftly switched the light on and made my way towards the tall silver mirror positioned just at the corner of my bed. 

First of all, my previously light hazel eyes were now filled with pitch black, like the whole eyeball turned the darkest shade of grey existing. The wet liquid pouring down my face were not tears, but crimson blood which I quickly began to wipe from my cheeks leaving light red stains on my pale skin.

The fangs extending from my teeth made my gums ache and I had to keep my mouth open not to accidently cut myself. But what was the scariest part of this experience – definitely not my appearance – but my reflection. Let me explain.

The girl in the mirrored image was not me, although she looked exactly like me. She smiled crazily licking her pale lips.

"Don't worry, I promised to stay in the dark. Where I belong." And then she was gone leaving light hazel eyes staring back at me.

Now how do I explain to others, that the whispers were coming from her  all this time?

A/N : I hope this met some of yours expectations I am starting to have a bigger feel of this story and the plot line. The chapter is EXTRA long also and HEY I posted a DAY early because I have this written up and I can't wait for you guys to read it! Which is why please leave feedback and comments on what you thought of this chapter! Your opinions matter so much to me! :D

Do you think Connor is still alive?

What did you think of Jake's return? Some of you are probably are like who tf even is this Jake dude..

Yes, so Alexia has now discovered who has been whispering things into her ear. While not much might make sense now, just bear in mind that she is a half vampyr who will need blood eventually :D

And whoooaaaaaa remember Mrs Dark from book 1? Yep that nasty woman is coming back and she is coming back HARD!

Word count: 3707

Merry Christmas & Happy New YEAR !!!! 

~ Reen

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