Page 35 of Cinderella and Her Vampires (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 5)

Xavier had left me where he had found me… on the third floor of the mansion, pacing the halls aimlessly… keeping as much distance between me and everyone else as possible while I tried to think through every way out of what he wanted me to do and coming up with nothing. He expected me to kill Collin before it was too late. Before my mistake became permanent.

Xavier was often paranoid. Anything that was different in any way shape or form, he held prejudice against. Hell, he still holds suspicions over me, especially when it came to Silas. I won’t ever understand him or his methods or reasons for doing what he does. So, hearing that Silas might be forced to punish me was nothing new and something he often said to me.

So maybe he dealt with only one idle threat. And that was punishment by my vampire father who just so happened to be the prince of all vampires.

But that didn’t mean I was going to just stand by and watch Xavier tattle on me to Silas for the umpteenth thousandth time. Not again. I was done being repressed by those two. It was high time they listened to me, or I was going to leave. Forever.

Just not before shoving in their faces just how much I could do without their help.

I groaned, clenching my fists at my sides, wanting nothing more than to punch a sizeable hole into the stone of the walls. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t going to be forced to kill Collin. That wasn’t fair. I could take care of him.

With that thought, I headed for the basement. To where Collin was, while in the middle of a change that he didn’t want in the first place. I was angry the other night. Angry with Silas and his constantly taking things from me.

I went to the basement to give Collin exactly what he wanted, even if he didn’t know it yet. Even though he claimed he didn’t want to become a monster. Only humans would look at vampires as monsters. They were almost more prejudice than Xavier. Regardless, I didn’t listen to Collin, or anyone else for that matter. I stormed into the cell, dropped to my knees in front of him, and smirked.

“I’m going to give you exactly what you want, and get exactly what I want in return,” I said. “Two birds with one stone.”

He didn’t have a chance to respond before I was on him.

A few hours later, I had gone to check on him, to see the progression he was making. When I stepped into the cell, I made it about halfway before he let out a shuddering, wheezing breath.

“Please… Kill me…” he mumbled through the agony coursing through his veins.

I smirked at him. “What good will it do to kill you when you are so close to the end… to your new beginning?”

“I don’t want to be a monster,” he said, pleadingly. He almost sounded like a child crying for his mother.

I frowned at him. “We were good enough for you when you wanted us to put our lives on the line for your cause.”

“It was a… means to an end,” he said, panting through his words.

I nodded. “Well, too late for going back, I’m afraid. You told me anything.”

I turned around and left him in the cell, chained to the wall, writhing in agony.

He didn’t want the change. But I forced it onto him. He would see once he came through on the other side—on my side—what he was missing and why this was a better option.

That was hours ago. I made my way back through the basement and to his cell only to find it empty. I stared into the darkness, unable to believe my eyes. As much as I hated to think Xavier would stoop to this level, it was hard to ignore the evidence staring me in the face.

He didn’t even give me a chance to stand up for myself, much less explain. How the fuck was I supposed to stop him now? Was this what he meant by his show of force? Or was this all some sort of sick joke to him?

Xavier lured me down here to shove in my face he took Collin. He wanted me to know it was him. But I had news for Xavier, it was going to take much more than him to keep me from Collin. I was his sire and would be able to find him anywhere in the world.

Xavier messed with me for the last time.

I sniffed the air, searching for signs of how long ago Collin had left. What I didn’t expect was to discover a scent of someone else involved in this fiasco. I sucked in the shocking scent, unable to believe my own nose. It was a scent that didn’t make sense.

I sniffed the air again, having once more caught the whiff of something familiar and still couldn’t believe what my nose was telling me. It was a scent that belonged to HER.

She was here, and that didn’t bode well.

Though I really shouldn’t have been surprised. She was forthcoming with her intentions from the beginning. She was after Collin. She claimed to not know his name, but that didn’t make sense. Humans didn’t put themselves in danger for strangers… even ones like Collin.

I should have known.

My body felt like it was on fire. Anger boiled my blood and my sight turned red. I turned toward the wall closest to me and rammed my fist through it. Bits and pieces of cement and stone fell to the floor. Dust particles filled the air.

I turned and continued to search for a sign of where Collin had gone. And now, where Cindy and Xavier were.

---