Chapter Eight

For once, I was relieved to be alone. Classic and Punch pranced around me in a circle, neighing at me and nuzzling my face. I laughed.

"Alright you two, lets get you into the barn so I can feed you." I grabbed both their halters and started walking towards the main gate of the arena. The feeling of someone still watching me was evident. I looked over my shoulder, but no one was there. We reached the main gate to the arena, showing that it had been thrown open, and not by the wind.

"I know that gate was closed, because I climbed over it." I mumbled to myself. I mean, I can't say it was *incovenient* that it was open, but the feeling of being watched was more evident and the chills got worse. I led both Classic and Punch to their stalls, listening to all the other horses neigh impatiently for their food.

"Alright, alright!" I hollered loudly, echoing throughout the barn. "Your food is coming!" I walked over to the grain bin and started scooping the grain into all the buckets set down in front of it. I had already fixed the stalls up with hay after mucking them out. While I was scooping the grain, I couldn't help think about what that she-wolf had said.

*"Maybe you should worry about your Council more than about us. Terrible things are coming."* I heard her voice playing over and over in my head. *Should I tell the Council about this?* I shook my head at the thought. "Fuck the Council." I mumbled under my breath. Anger started coursing through me as I continued scooping grain out of the bin, forcefully dumping the scooper into the buckets. My mind drifted back to that horrible, horrible day. The day my father and Celestial were taken away from me, *by the Council.*

*A year ago*

My father's face was pure white as he stared at the letterhead. I tried my best to get a peak at it before he shoved it under the locked master bedroom door. After my dad's and Celestial's wedding, we ended up moving into her "Mansion", as I liked to call it. The place was huge! Celestial told me that it had housed hundreds of Vampire's at one time. The history behind the house was absolutely incredible!

"What was that?" My interest was peaked quite a bit, leaning down to see if I could manage to slip the letter back out from under the door. I was resting on my knees, laying my head closest to the ground, squiting to see if I could see the piece of mail my dad so rudely shoved under.

"It was nothing." He shook his hand dismissively, forcing me to look up at him.

"Dad, you're as white as a ghost. Obviously, it's something." I straightened up back on my knees looking up at my dad. I was 17 now, why couldn't my dad trust me?

"I'm fine." He forced himself to cough, straightening what little hair he had with his hand. I loved making fun of his massive bald spot, but not this time. Concern was written all over my face. "Drop it, Morgan." He stared at me with hard eyes. I recoiled back against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest like a toddler throwing a tempertantrum.

"Fine. I bet Celest would tell me." I stuck my tongue out at him, slowly bringing myself up to a standing position still facing him.

"She will not breathe a word of this to you. At all. It is her and my responsibility, no one elses. So keep your nose out of it." He pointed his finger at me, his eyes hard. He wasn't giving any indication that I would win this. I huffed my frustration as I turned on my heel and headed to the main staircase. "You better listen to your father Morgan. It's for your own good!" I heard him yell from behind me. Dad has been super stressed lately, and I don't know why.

Ever since the night of the engagement, Mark and I have become extremely close. He was invited to the wedding well before I could ask him to be my date. There was just something about him that I couldn't put my finger on. I pulled out my phone and shot him a text.

Morgan: Hey you busy?

Mark: No, what's up?

Morgan: Dad's going crazy and he's acting weird. Wanna help me with a little B&E?!

Mark: LMFAO! Morgan. Haven't you learned your lesson from the last one you did?

Morgan: Uuuummmm, no. Obiously not

Mark: *sigh* What's it about this time?

Morgan: Can you meet me?

Mark: Name time and place

Morgan: The woods behind the house in 20 minutes

Mark: Ok see you soon. ;)

I was really starting to like Mark. Maybe even fall for him. But I had other things on my mind; like what my dad could possibly be hiding from me that has him scared to death. I sent Sabrina a quick SOS text, knowing she would see it and respond quickly, I headed to the kitchen. Celestial was sitting at the counter, her head in her hands. She looked like she had spent hours crying. I was really starting to worry.

"Celest?" I walked quietly up to her, setting my hand on her back. Concern dripping from my voice. My heart was physically breaking from seeing her like that.

"Hmmm?" Celestial looked up at me, her face whiter than my dads. "Oh, Morgan honey, what're you doing?" A soft smile forming on her face.

"About to get a snack before heading to the secret base. Mark and Sabrina are going to stop by." I shrugged. A secret base may seem childish to some, but the place was immaculate. It was a safe hiding place for Vampires when humans were hunting them down. I know that Vampire's are way stronger than us humans, but from what Celestial told me, the Vampires that would hide in fear, were good ones. They didn't want to do anything but peacefully coexist with humans. A very long, ongoing battle that never seemed to have stopped.

"Oh, okay sweetie. Be careful going through the woods." Celestial turned back to place her head on her hands.

"Are you and dad getting a divorce or something?!" I blurted out unexpectedly. It definitely caught Celestial by surprise when she shot up and looked at me dead in the face.

"W-w-what makes you s-s-s-say that?" Celestials voice was extremely shakey.

"Well both of you are acting weirder than normal. You're down here, looking like you're feeling sorry for something, and dad isn't dad." I frowned looking at her. She just patted my hands with hers and gave me my bag of scacks.

"Go have fun with your friends, and I'll see you at dinner." *Ugh!* That bitch totally shifted the conversation from herself. I guess she didn't want to answer my questions, like she normally does.

"Yeah, sure, okay.." I whispered under my breath.

*I have a feeling, I'm in for a very long, long night.*