Chapter 88

**Mae pov**

I woke up alone in the bedroom, and after a quick yawn and a stretch I decide to get my ass up for one reason, and one reason only; I’m fucking starving. I need food like yesterday. Maybe some blood too, considering I haven’t had any of that either.
I climb out of bed and decide to jump in the shower, a quick pre dinner wash never hurt anyone, and God knows I need it. I stink of woodland.
I don’t wash my hair, because I really do not have the energy to stand there for twenty minutes rubbing it all dry.
Some joggers and a jumper and I am all set to go, I grab my phone off the bed and head down the stairs, the mansion oddly quite for 10pm. Normally it’s bursting with life around this time. Something doesn’t feel right.
I walk to Mihai’s office, but it’s empty, he must be somewhere else. I try and ring him a few times, but he doesn’t answer. I guess I’m eating alone tonight.
I turn the corner and head into the kitchen, surprised to find Dren sat in there alone, sipping on a glass of blood.
I stop in my tracks, wondering if I can sneak back out before he notices me.
“I already know you are there.” He says with a sigh, “come and join me.”
I look behind me, but no one is there, no one is anywhere. The mansion is empty. Strange. Because it is never empty.
“Where is everyone?” I ask, walking over to the fridge and grabbing out the jug of fresh blood.
You have to keep blood refrigerated otherwise it goes funky, something I leant the hard way.
“They are outside.” He says, pointing to the back window.
I walk over and sure enough, everyone is outside, including Mihai and Luthor. “What are they doing?” I ask, pouring my self a glass of the blood. “I didn’t think there was anything planned.”
“They are going over the new security measures with the guards.” Dren says, watching me as I start pulling random food out of the fridge. “Now that we know what you are, extra precautions must be taken.”
I nod, not really paying attention, “yeah, right, of course.”
Dren watches as I skirt around him, keeping my distance, “You don’t have to be nervous around me, Mae, we are family, hurting each other would only anger our father.” He says, “I’m not like the other family you knew, I will not betray you as easily as they did.”
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” I say, nervously looking outside, “but I did have to kill a brother that I knew my entire life because of what I am. I don’t want to make the same mistake again, not so soon.”
“Killing Sean wasn’t a mistake.” He growls. “That fool would have torn you apart for what you are.”
He’s got a point. He would have.
But a part of me likes to think he would have regretted it.
“Sean was only doing what he was taught to do.” I murmur, distracting myself with the glass of blood, “I don’t think he really wanted to hurt me.”
“Of course he wanted to hurt you!” Dren snaps, “he was a single minded fool who would rather see his sister dead than thrive as what she is.”
“You don’t know that.” I snap back, the glass in front of me shaking, “you don’t know anything about Sean, or about me.”
He scoffs, “I know enough.”
“No you don’t!” I shout, the glass flying at the wall. “You don’t know anything!”
Mihai bursts through the door as Dren steps back, his eyes wide, the entire room was shaking now, it felt as though the walls were going to collapse, and take me with them.
Was I doing this?
“Mae.” Mihai says, his voice soft as he slowly approaches me, his hands by his sides, “can you take a deep breath for me? You need to try and calm down.”
I’m panting for breath, my skin is hot and I feel like I might pass out at any second, and yet, I have never felt as powerful as I do right now. They’re scared of me. The others won’t even come inside, and Dren looks like he is about to shit himself.
“Tell him to apologise.” I growl, my eyes on the brother I never wanted.
I was happy with not knowing, there was no pressure on me to be perfect when I was my old self.
I didn’t have to pretend I was something I can’t be.
I can’t be a good daughter, or a good sister, that ship sailed when I killed my brother.
Dren rolls his eyes, and the room begins to shake harder, I will bring it down on his head if I must. But he will apologise.
Sean did what he was told, he never hated me. He loved me. And I loved him.
“Dren.” Mihai growls, “get out, before she hurts you.”
That’s the thing with men, none of them can admit when they are wrong.
Dren looks at me, his eyes softening, “just because they want you dead, doesn’t mean that we do, you should think about that.”
He turns and leaves the mansion through the back door, my heart beating like a drum in my ears, but I was also calming down, the feeling that I have to fight slowly disappearing.
Maybe I am the problem.
Mihai steps forward, offering me a safe space in his arms, and I take it, I let him hold me as the room slowly stops shaking.
“What were you doing Mae?” He asks me, “you could have hurt him.”
I sigh, moving back out of his reach and pouring myself another glass of blood. “I know.” I whisper, “but his words were hurting me.”
“Mae.” Mihai sighs, “you have to be careful, you don’t know how strong you are, or what you are capable of. The last thing you want is to add another brother to your body count.”
He’s right. I know he is. But the fact that he has to say it makes me angry.
Why can’t everyone just leave me alone?
I’m sick of being told I need to calm down, that time passed me by a long time ago, now is the time for emotion. I need to fight for myself.
I just want to be happy.
“I’ll do better.” I tell him, drinking the blood I poured, “but that means that others need to do better, because it isn’t just me that needs to learn a few things around here.”
I walk out of the room, leaving Mihai to think about what I said.
I need some time to myself.