Fang War

12 ☽

Six months later.

Lila Marcetti, not remembering much of anything, remained in Seattle. Her father, Adonis, Morganna, all blurred into a false memory. Though she struggled at first to grasp it, there was one who helped her make sense of it all.

Never, in her life, had she been happier. 

She sits in the condo of her boyfriend, surrounded by those she came to love. Those, she trusted with her own life and spent these past six months with as she tried to find herself again.

Soon, she'd be one of them. Joining the only love she'd ever known in a world that she'd immersed herself in. Excited to be part of something so taboo, Lila still tried to learn the ropes of all Zachary Vasile and his family claimed to be. She'd seen them feed, taking in the blood of their donors they called "blood dolls". Witnessing their gifts, from strength to speed, to manipulations of the mind, Lila couldn't wait to be one of them.

To, for once, be powerful for herself. To define herself as a vampire, above all things.

Pleading with the family of immortals before her, her heart sinks with the shaking of heads her way. Yet, she places her hope with the Vasiles on her side.

As for Zachary, she knew where he stood on the issue. He wanted to keep her human for much longer. As his own personal "blood doll", but claiming that she was much more than that, she started to grow weary of his persistence to keep her weak, in keeping her mortal.

"I'm sorry, Lila." The patriarch Vasile, disagreed first to take Zachary's side.

The rest of his coven looks to the doctor, their father of the night who turned the majority of them.

Dr. Darius Vasile continues, "Amelie and Julien have had horrible visions that this will go badly for not just you, but all of us if we turn you before you have learned all that is necessary. Not just what it is to be a vampire, but to be in our world, specifically, as a Vasile. There's much to know and it will take time for you to fully understand it. I'm sorry, but we cannot risk it."

He shook his head and the others nod behind him, except for Julien. The newest addition to the Vasile family besides herself was a silent one, the only one she felt unease around. She waits at the moment, thinking that he was about to politely disagree with Darius, but nothing came from him, as usual. Nothing, except that harsh, judging stare.

"But Darius..." Lila pleads, releasing Zachary's cooled hand she held so tightly in the case for herself. "What else is there to know? I'm sure with all of you helping me that I'll be ready. I want to be ready!" Her eyes wide,  she decided to ignore the eye roll from Charlotte, the leggy blonde that hated her, who stood behind their coven's leader.

"This is at Zachary's pace. Since you are his chosen, it's by his will that you will become vampire. You are not mine to turn. We accept you now, as human, as his girlfriend, with the intent to join us one day. Until Zachary is ready to show you all, then that's where we all stand, Lila. It's too dangerous for even ourselves to do otherwise. It's against our code to turn another who has been claimed. You are his to turn it is by his terms that we all must obey." Darius ends the discussion and turned on one heel, taking his wife by the arm and up the stairs.

As he leaves, Lila simmers in the hatred that stews for his last words...

You are his...

She winces, averting her gaze from the remaining vampires as they too, left the room. She looked to her immortal love, whose face is turned to the rain trickling down the large window panes ahead.

"Zachary..." Lila whispers his name, hoping he'd look at her, yet he remained focused on anything but her. Lila takes a step toward his turned back, fidgeting with her manicured hands that cost more than she used to make in a week before she knew him.