CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DISCOVERING NEW THINGS

In the year: 1950

THREE days. Thea had been rotting in her room for three days. She hadn't spoken to any of her family and she made sure she stayed out of the clear of Mary Alice Brandon.

Some people would think Thea was being dramatic.

Thea felt it...well—she felt something when she looked at that angelic pixie-haired vampire.

And whatever she felt...it scared her shitless.

Thea heard a knock at her door. She doesn't look up, continuing to read in silence.

A knock happens again.

Thea rolls her eyes, "Don't come in."

"Well, too bad because I'm coming in." Carmilla Harrison walks in with a hand on her hip. She closes the door behind her, "Get up."

Thea think for a moment, "No."

"Thea, you haven't fed nor have we had a session, in three days. We need to talk. Now." Carmilla noted, "Get. Up."

Thea shakes her head, not even responding verbally.

There was no way in hell she could talk about it...not this.

Suddenly, repeated harsh tiny kicks into her side. Carmilla was now standing over her and pushing her out of the bed with her foot. "Get up!" She grins.

Thea scoots away, forgetting that her bed only extends so far. She eventually hit the wooden floors with a thud. "Ugh." She groans.

Carmilla stands in the middle of the bed, looking down at Thea who was now glaring at her from the floor. "I hate you."

"I love you too. Now come on."

✸

     Thea was beginning to realize how stubborn she truly was. She crosses her arms as if she were a grumpy child, glaring at Carmilla, who waited patiently for Thea to grow so angry that she would just start babbling.

Carmilla grins, In 3...2...

"This is stupid." Thea comments, "This is so stupid."

"You're right." Carmilla looks Thea up and down, "This is stupid."

"What I'm doing, is not stupid." Thea defends, "I'm fine...I'm completely fine."

"Thea, I was not born yesterday. Do not treat me as if I am a fool." Carmilla raises her brows. "Let's talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about."

The therapist chuckles. "I beg to differ. You're scared."

Thea's jaw flexed, her sharp jawline showing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alice."

Thea's eyes snap up to Carmilla. Even the mention of her name left her on edge. "What about her?"

Carmilla was basically cheesing, this was hilarious to watch. "We never finished talking about that mate bond."

"I already told you I don't need a mate or some other man in my life, okay." Thea rolls her eyes, becoming frustrated.

"What about a woman?" Carmilla questions.

Thea shakes her head, "Stop...I'm not...I don't—"

"We've never talked about sexuality...not yours anyway." Carmilla looked softly at Thea, trying to show that she had no reason to be scared, "It's normal to not know where you stand when it comes to sexuality..."

"Carmilla!" Thea snaps, "I don't like women. Simple."

Thea runs her hands across her face. Memories filled her mind.

"Desiring someone of the same sex goes against god, Thea Quarts!" Ethel Quart's hand smacks across fifteen-year-old Thea's face. Thea had just been caught kissing her female "friend" behind the church. "You don't tell this to anyone, do you understand? You will not disgrace god nor me!"

"Thea?" Carmilla grew worried by seeing Thea's hand tighten, "are you alright?"

Although Thea couldn't shed tears, she suddenly wanted to cry. "Please—just stop." Her voice cracks as she flees the room.

✸

     This lake was beginning to become Thea's best friend. Her feet were crossed as she watched a ladybug crawl on her knee. Thea made sure to be extra careful when picking up the ladybug due to her strength, a tiny smile lingered on the end of her lips.

The ladybug reveals its tiny wings and flies off.

Thea tries looking for another one but she becomes distracted when she hears a shuffling of leaves behind her.

The only person she'd told about this place was Rosalie and Emmett, so it could only be one of them.

But when Thea turns her head, she sees a familiar pixie instead.

Thea's eyes widen slightly, "what are you doing?"

Alice was taken aback by Thea's aggressive tone. "Hunting...I think I went a little further than I was supposed to."

Thea turned back around, she couldn't look her in the eyes. Those beautiful golden eyes. "Find your way back, there's no animals here."

Alice was about to turn but she stopped, she couldn't just walk away. "Thea."

Thea slightly turns her head to the side, "what?"

Don't let her scare you away. Alice thought to herself. "You've been hiding from me, haven't you?" She takes slow and steady steps towards the river, inching closer and closer to her.

Thea clenched her jaw. "This river is meant to be my place of peace, don't ruin it."

"Are you scared?" Alice questions, now standing right next to her mate. "It's okay to be scared."

Thea didn't realize how close she was until she spoke, she stood up to her feet immediately. "Stay away from me." She whispers.

Thea's threatening eyes then turned to eyes of confusion. Alice was still looking at her with the softest gaze she'd ever seen.

Alice's eyes examine her face before they move down, catching eyes with her locket and the flower design engraved into the silver. "That's a beautiful necklace." Alice's hand goes out to touch it but Thea is quick to stop it.

"Don't ever do that again, do you understand me?" Thea hissed, her hand still tightening around Alice's wrist.

Alice nods, "I'm sorry—I didn't—"

Thea scoffs, walking away and not turning back.

✸

"She tried grabbing my necklace." Thea paces back and forth in Rosalie's room while she combed out her hair. "She said that I was hiding from her, what kind of crazy assumption is that?"

Rosalie raises her brows, "Well weren't you?"

Thea automatically frowns, "No?!"

"You sure?" Rosalie smirks, "Because I'm thinking that Alice is a little more than just a friend."

Thea glares, "First Carmilla, now you?"

Rosalie shrugs, "She's your mate. Admit it."

Thea felt uncomfortable by just hearing the word. "She's not my mate. She's a woman." She whispers the last sentence.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Rosalie asks.

"No, but, I don't like women." Thea huffs. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rosalie grins, "like what?"

"Like that." Thea points at the blonde's mischievous eyes.

"Thea," Rosalie sits down her hairbrush, "you've told me that you grew up in a very religious home, so I'm sure the thought of you being with a woman has always freaked you out."

"But Thea, do you know how many new things you've learned about yourself ever since turning into a vampire? Maybe this is just a new thing that you're discovering and that's okay."

"I like men, Rose," Thea claims.

"Nobody is saying that you don't," Rosalie smirks, "it's possible to like both genders, you know?"

Thea bit her lip. "Dammit." She groans.

Rosalie chuckles, "Yeah, I know." She nods in understanding.

Later that night, Thea finally went hunting when she saw her eyes were a void black. When she returned home, she showered to remove all the dirt and animal odor.

Her hands grazed over her collarbone only to realize a familiar silver chain was not hooked around her neck.

All hell broke loose.

     ragerwrites,           Uh oh.

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