Loving the leech (Guardians of Red Moon city #4)
41. So much for making progress

Kaylin’s POV

What the hell is this!? Why is nothing ever like it should be? I feel like I’m living in another dimension where everything is supposed to go to hell and be confusing. Brandon had to give his life to show that he was dedicated to protecting mine as my warrior guardian. Who the hell is it that sets the rules for this? How can anyone at all even think that it should be a fitting way to prepare a guardian? If I ever get the opportunity, I’ll change those terms because this is insane! I’ve been walking around with anxiety in my chest for weeks because I thought it was my fault that Brandon died, and it turns out that it indeed was my fault!

The only benefit of that knowledge is that he can come back, but it must be me who brings him back from the underworld. Will Nathan and William ever be able to agree to me going there? Doubtful. On the other hand, what choice do I have? If the goddesses predetermined me to have Brandon in my life, who am I to go against the goddesses’ arranged outcome? If there’s anything you should avoid, it’s to go against orders from those higher than you. As a vampire princess, there aren’t many who are above me, beyond the gods.

In fact, the only ones who can perhaps be of higher rank than I would’ve been the king and queen, one of whom never got crowned and the other died. Hence my word is the law. When it comes to other royalty for other races, like Aleida, to take an example, we’re on the same level even though she’s considered a God nowadays and not a hybrid. How can she not be higher than me even though she counts as a goddess? Because she’s considered as one since the moon goddess gave her enough power. She wasn’t born like that but got granted access.

I hope I don’t become something like that; I have neither the time nor the energy for more surprises. What I’ve got served this year is more than enough for at least fifty years to come. Speaking of something completely different, today I’ll meet William to tell him about the new changes about me. Even though our relationship is shaky, I think he has the right to know the truth. Not just because it affects him directly, but his daughter as well. According to Salazar, it doesn’t matter that it’s only a small part of Aurora that’s a dragon. In the future, it’ll affect her life as well as others in her vicinity.

However, I sincerely hope for her sake that she doesn’t have to experience as many oddities as I have. Oh, my God, that I haven’t broken down yet or lost my mind is a miracle in itself. Thankfully, she’s still completely unaware of what future she will be in. Take her mates, for example, Alexander and Elias are lovely with her. There are none I’d rather have as my sons-in-law, but there’s not much she’ll get to do on her own with such protective partners. If we ignore that, remember that she has a potentially guarding father and a guaranteed overshielding stepfather protecting her.

In addition to them, a grandfather who’s one of the strongest vampires “alive” and Aleida’s whole family who’s Aurora’s in-laws. Well, there’s not much my little girl will get to do on her own. The thought of all the loving men around her makes me giggle. Nevertheless, I can at least rejoice that she also has strong female role models in her life if anything should happen to me. I’ve been privileged to finally meet a very pregnant Holly, who’s Aleida’s beta and Jason’s mate. She has been bedridden most of the time because her energy is slipping out much faster now that she’s pregnant than what’s standard.

It worried me until Aleida explained that it’s more common than you think when it comes to puppies. Just like for humans, the symptoms can vary significantly. My pregnancy was as calm as it could be, while Holly gets tired of getting out of bed. However, my peaceful pregnancy may be due to Aleida’s help when she protected me. I don’t know and will probably never find out either. Regardless, Holly is a delightful person! She’s a few years younger than Aleida but is obviously more mature than others her age.

It’s probably due to her going through similar experiences as Aleida has with beatings, threats, and more. I can do no more than being happy that I at least grew up in a safe environment. Even though Carl had these feelings about it being my fault, which I understand better now after the explanation, he was always there. If I had boy problems, he was there, ready to shatter the skull of whoever hurt my feelings. When I was five, I fell on my bike and hurt my knee. Guess who rushed to the emergency room with me in his arms? Carl. I never had to doubt if he’d be there since he always was.

It also makes me think about Britney. Where does she fit into the picture? Was she Carl’s niece for real, or where did she come from? Salazar mentioned that Carl barely had a family. Does this mean that Britney was an unknown person even to him? Unfortunately, my grandfather had to go back to the council last night, so I can’t ask him until he comes back again, and it seems to be some time before he can do that. After we went through Joseph’s last sins, he had to travel away again. It feels weird not having him here. Even though he was only here for a few hours, I quickly got used to the fact that he was in my vicinity.

Now it feels empty, even though the whole house is full of others. Isn’t it strange how a person can fill a role in the most perfect way for you only to feel total loneliness when the same one leaves? I know he’s coming back, but I have difficulty leaving my last living relative after all the information I’ve got. Yes, Aurora counts, of course. But when it comes to her, I know she won’t disappear from me in the first place. Ugh, I’m so nervous. All the new information that William will get today can change everything, and not for the better. Nathan comes into the room and kisses my forehead.

We haven’t gotten the opportunity to be together in an intimate way since there’s always something else in the way. I hope we can be soon and become one for real. Nathan has shown me repeatedly that he’s here for me, no matter what happens. He’s mine forever. It remains only to see if William feels the same.

“Baby, he’s here,” Nathan says, and I nod.

I inhale a couple of times before letting my mate lead me to Aleida’s office. My heart is pounding like it’s about to explode inside me. How will he react? Will he hate what we are? Can he accept the sudden changes? What will the future carry with it? All the others are present, and I smile weakly at William when I see him. He holds Aurora in his arms, hugging her affectionately.

“Kaylin,” he says, nodding at me with a big smile.

“William,” I answer and do the same back.

“Given how many people are here, I guess I’m going to hear much new information I haven’t known before?”

My heart is pounding even more, and this time it’s due to fear. William’s smile falls when he hears my heartbeat and furrows his eyebrows. I sit down in a vacant chair and nod at Nathan, who tells my beloved about what we found out. It might have been better if I was the one who told him, but for some reason, I know I couldn’t have done it. Nathan goes through all the details; my mother, birth father, Carl, bloodline, Aurora’s blood, Salazar’s involvement, and Brandon’s role. When he finishes his talk, William just looks at me, no emotions showing on his face.

He looks down at his daughter, closes his eyes, and sighs noisily. When he opens his eyes again, I already know what he decided. William walks up to me and puts Aurora in my arms before walking out the door without turning around. I stare into the wall and feel the tears fall over my cheeks. It isn’t the grief that’s the worst, but the anger that he chooses to give up his daughter solely because of her bloodline. My fangs come forward, and I give Aurora to Aleida before flying out the door, after William. He just walks out the door, and I tackle him, resulting in him landing on the ground.

The anger I feel can’t be described to anything else; he chooses to abandon his child, his fucking daughter, because he is too arrogant to accept differences between beings! William gets up and growls at me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he growls in a low tone, and I growl back.

“Are you kidding me!? How can you turn your back against your daughter that way!? That you don’t want anything to do with me is one thing, but she’s a child!”

“She’s an abomination!” he roars, and I slap him.

We both stand in attack position, ready to jump one another. The warrior training that was going on has now stopped, and everyone is staring anxiously in our direction. That two high-ranked vampires fight is nothing anyone should interfere with, at least not if they don’t long to die.

“Do you really want to do this, little girl?” he laughs mockingly. “Are you sure you know who your opponent is?”

By now, the others have come out of the packhouse, and I’m so angry that the ground vibrates by my roar.

“Excuse me, but are you sure you know whom your opponent?” I growl low.

I’m honestly surprised when he attacks me. What he forgets, though, is that I’m trained by the best, and my so-called beloved is no match for me. He tries to put his arm around my neck, but I’m quick enough to grab it, twist his arm behind his back and toss him down with his face in the dirt. My knee pushes into his spine, and there’s no way for him to move without me breaking his arm, possibly also his neck, if done correctly.

“I’m your superior, and you’re no more than a boy if you behave this way. If you seriously think you’re worthy of your place as a clan leader after this kind of behavior, you’re sadly mistaken. I can take your spot away from you and watch your clan burn down with a simple snap of my fingers. My order can kill you in a second, and no one can do anything about it. The only reason you’re not in a bloody pile at my feet right now is because of our daughter because she deserves to have her dad alive, even though you don’t deserve her,” I growl and let go of him.

When he gets up and looks at me, much anger runs out of me. Instead, now comes the grief and pain. This man, the goddess destined to love and protect me no matter what, instead turns out to be the one who hurts me, despite all the chances he gets. No, William doesn’t deserve me and least of all his daughter. However, he won’t get close to her as long as he’s a threat, and right now, that’s all he is.

“William Everton, I forbid you now as your superior to somehow contact your daughter until you realize what it is you’re throwing away if you choose not to have her in your life. If you break the ban, your death sentence awaits,” I say, staring into his eyes until he can no longer hold my gaze.

I’m more dominant than he is, and besides, higher rank, he can’t win. He sighs and nods sadly before jumping into his car to drive away. My lower lip trembles as I stare after him. With tears on my cheeks, I pick up Aurora from Aleida’s arms and head back into the house up to my temporary bedroom. I put my daughter on the bed and cry quietly for both of us while caressing her cheek.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whisper in a broken voice. “You deserve something better. I should’ve picked a better father for you. He can’t hurt you; I’ll never allow it. You’re my world, and I love you so much. But I’m sorry, I can’t be strong anymore. There’s no strength left. Forgive me.”

“You don’t have to be strong anymore, baby,” a voice says from the doorway, and I turn my head to see Nathan look at me with sadness before sitting down on the bed next to me. “I’ll carry you as long as it takes, both of you. You’re my family, and I’ll never allow anything to happen to you. He never deserved either of you anyway.”

The love of his words makes my quiet tears become loud cries that don’t stop. No matter how hard I try, tears keep falling, and I don’t know how to stop. I’ve forced myself to be strong for so long that I no longer know when I need help and how to accept it. Nathan and all the others have been there for me all along. Even so, it’s not until now that I realize that I need to receive their help if I’m going to keep moving forward. Especially now. Not just for Aurora or Nathan, but myself. I owe it to me. It takes a while, but after some time, the tears calm down and run out. I sniff and notice that Nathan’s shirt is thoroughly wet.

“Sorry about your shirt,” I whisper, and Nathan’s chest vibrates while he laughs.

“Only you think of such a thing under dark circumstances like this,” he chuckles, and I start doing the same shortly after that.

Aurora sleeps deeply next to us, and I sigh soundly while gently caressing her belly with my hand.

“How am I supposed to get through this?” I ask.

“By taking one step at a time,” a voice responds from the doorway, and when I turn my head, the entire Everton family stands there, Elijah being the one talking. “Even though my friend is an idiot, that doesn’t mean we’re not keeping your back safe. You aren’t only our royalty but a family member, Aurora included. We stand behind William as our clan leader and family member, but not behind his actions.”

“How can you opt-out of a family member and close friend for a person you’ve got no blood ties to beyond our daughter?” I ask and suddenly feel suspicious of their willingness to be there for us.

That suspicion isn’t justified, and I don’t know why I feel the way I do. It could be because of my temperament that relates to my race, events that shaped me, or part of my personality. Whatever it is, the Everton family doesn’t seem to think my reaction is weird, which pleases me. It’s not my intention if it’s any consolation, but rather an instinct I’ve gotten since becoming a mother.

“It may seem strange. Believe it or not, but we care about you very much, Kaylin, and I’m sorry my son didn’t listen better when I tried to raise him as a gentleman,” Ozzandra replies low. “You came in like a whirlwind in our lives, and none of us knew how to treat such a seemingly fragile girl. However, it turned out very quickly that you were anything but fragile, and I can do nothing but feel pride that I got you as my daughter-in-law. Too bad my son doesn’t treat you the way you deserve.”

“I agree with my mother,” Benjamin says, who’s used to being very quiet and observing instead of actively participating in conversations. “You became important to us very quickly. Especially when we realized that you challenged William to become a better man, tragically, it wasn’t enough for him to realize what a beautiful and strong woman he got blessed with to have as his beloved. If you worry about how we feel about what has happened, you don’t have to. We all agree that he’s crossed the line, and we’re not sure what’s going on in his head right now. None of us will support that he treats the mother of his child and daughter the way he does. I can’t speak for the others, but I personally don’t want to belong to a clan that doesn’t accept mixed blood.”

I gasp when I hear Benjamin’s words. He practically says that he’ll go against the will of his big brother and stop being loyal to him for our sake. However, I don’t have time to think much about it before Nathan pulls me close and growls low. I look confused at my mate and don’t understand what he’s doing.

“Nate, what’s wrong?” I ask, surprised by his sudden overprotective behavior.

“Kaylin, he’s in love with you. His loyalty is due solely to the fact that he wishes he had you for himself.”

A/N:

Hello everyone!

Poor Kaylin... It’s cruel to play with someone’s heart the way William has repeatedly done and continues to do. Thankfully, she has begun to realize that he’s not worth the trouble.

❀ What do you think of William right now?

✿ Do you think Benjamin is loyal only because of his feelings for Kaylin?

❀ Are the reactions realistic or exaggerated?

Please, help me get better by leaving a few words about your thoughts. I constantly strive to improve my skills, and it is not possible without you. Hugs and kisses<3

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