Chapter 50

“Are you ok?” Eero asked and sat next to Ami on the bed.
“We killed people,” Ami choked, holding back her tears.
“We killed vampires. They were already dead,” Eero said and took her hand.
“It was awful,” Ami said and cried.
Eero wrapped his arms around her, and soon their lips found each other in a passionate kiss.
“Sorry,” Ami said after pushing him away.
“Sorry for what?” Eero asked.
“You and Stella are together,” Ami said, wiping her tears away.
“No, we are not. And even if I was interested in her, which I am absolutely not, we are not allowed to be together,” Eero said, stroking Ami's face.
“But you said she makes you happy,” Ami said, looking at him.
“When did I say that?” Eero chuckled in disbelief.
Ami reach out to the bedside table and opened the messages from him.
“Stella must have sent these, pretending to be me,” Eero said and handed her phone back to her.
“So you two are not together?” Ami asked.
“No, of course not. Besides, does it matter? Don’t you have like a mate or something? Your mom said you joined a flock and found a mate?” Eero questioned, hoping that his thoughts on her mother lying were right.
“You know my mom never approved of us. She probably just said those things to get you to leave me alone,” Ami chuckled.
“You think it is funny? Them keeping us apart?” Eero asked, seriously.
“No, of course not.” Ami swallowed her laughter. ‘Us? There is a us?’ She thought, looking at him.
“There is something I want to ask you. Actually, apologize for,” Eero started.
“What?” Ami questioned, looking at him lovingly.
“I think I took advantaged of you,” Eero said slowly, studying her face, hoping that he didn’t.
“I think you drank too much and might not remember it, but we had sex,” Eero said.
“Sex, huh? I thought it was more lovemaking.” Ami smiled.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Eero said and pulled her in and showered her with kisses.
“I thought you didn’t remember,” Ami said in between kisses as they rid each other of their clothes.
“No amount of alcohol can make me forget the time spent with you,” Eero said as he pressed her to the bed, their clothes tossed around them.
“I love you,” Ami moaned when he entered her.
“I love you, Ami, always and forever,” Eero said as he made love to her.
***
“We should start dinner without them,” Ann said when she joined her parents at the dining table, making her father chuckle.
“It is about time those two hit it off,” her father chuckled.
“Under our roof?” her mother disagreed. “Don’t you get any ideas,” she pointed her finger at Ann.
“Of course not,” Ann laughed.
Halfway through dinner, her father inquired about Jessica. “How is Jessica doing?”
“I saw her this morning. She is fine. However, the fated mate bond is driving her crazy. Apparently, Deacon is hooking up with his former mate, who is now a vampire,” Ann said.
“Former?” her mother questioned, still not sure how the supernatural world worked.
“Emily was a human that turned vampire because Deacon’s parents kept on trying to kill her,” Ann started.
“Emily?” her father choked.
“Yes, I think. That is what Jessica told me, but we don’t know the whole story yet. Wynn has just given her the short version,” Ann explained.
“I thought she was dead,” Eljo said with a frown.
“Alive and well. She saved Jessica and left the rest of us for dead,” Ann said before filling her fork with food and mouthing it.
“Why did she save Jessica only to steal her fated mate?” Ann’s mom wanted to know, filled with curiosity.
“What I don’t understand is how is he even able to make love with another if he claimed Jessica as his forever mate?” Ann wanted to know.
“Well, the story goes like this. After Emily became a vampire, he had an enchantress put a spell over him, preventing him from having a fated mate again unless he breaks the spell himself and claims someone with the help of shaman magic,” her father started. “Because Deacon claimed Jessica, for whatever reason, all his feelings for his lost fated and claimed mate, Emily, came back and it can only go away if Jessica claims him back. My guess is, since she refuses to do so, he will seek the love from Emily to make the pain of losing her in the first place go away.”
“That still does not answer my question. Why would this Emily save Jessica if she plans to keep Deacon?” Mrs. Willow questioned.
“Maybe it wasn’t her plan to be with Deacon again. Maybe she saved Jessica so that Deacon won't die of heartache if she should have died,” Eljo explained.
“And maybe she thought she would be able to resist him, but when she saw him again was not able to,” Ann added.
“It sounds messy to me,” Mrs. Willow said and continued eating with a frown on her face, trying to make sense of it all.
“Love is messy,” Ann said, holding back her own tears. It finally sets in that she has lost both Paris and Michael to Soraya.
***
With everyone back in Alaska, Mr. Ondrink visited the compound with Jovita and Juno, leaving Jessica and Ann out of the meeting.
Eero and Ejlo were standing to the side, the vampires keeping a wide circle distanced from them, knowing if anyone was to accidentally touch them that it will mean a bloodbath. Even though Eljo was trained to touch vampires without killing them and losing it completely, touching more than one at the same time will send him into overdrive, making him lose control.
Ann’s mother, and Ami were also present.
“Now that everyone is here, I would like to make a suggestion,” Mr. Ondrink started.
“Not everyone. King Deacon is not here,” Michael pointed out.
“He is present through me,” Juno informed them that Deacon was connected to his mind.
“Ok then,” Mr. Ondrink said. “It is clear that Jessica is not ready for the supernatural world and therefor I would like to make her forget.”
“Are you nuts? I am not giving up my daughter again,” Jovita protested.
“Deacon agrees,” Juno said.
“With me or with Ondrink?” Jovita questioned.
“With Ondrink,” Juno said.
“What?” Jovita exclaimed in disbelief.
“What about Ann? I would like this world to be wiped from her memory as well,” Ann’s mother required.
“I second that,” Michael said.
“I agree,” her father, Eljo added.
Paris mind trailed off with the possibilities and what could be if Ann’s mind was wiped. ‘I can have another chance with her,’ Paris thought.
Michael’s eyes were on Paris and he also wondered about the possibilities and what could be. ‘Will she choose me the second time? What if she never meets Paris again?’ Micheal thought.
Paris caught both Michael's and Soroya’s eyes on him. ‘I should have never gone after her,’ Paris thought and looked away.
“So it is then agreed? I will wipe their memories?” Mr. Ondrink brought the focus back to him.
“What about us? What about all of us? Are we just to leave here?” Jovita asked.
“Let them have their prom. I know both girls had plans to study someplace either than here,” Ann’s mom spoke up.
“How are we going to explain all the strangers in their prom photos when they look back on it?” Mr. Ondrink questioned.
“None of you will go to their prom,” Juno said. “That is Deacon’s orders,” Juno said. “King Deacon,” Juno added after Deacon mind linked him to say, ‘King.’
“What if we just don’t take photos with them or filter the photos afterward?” Shysie suggested.
“That sounds like a better idea to me,” Ami said, speaking up for the first time all the prehistoric that had no say in the matter agreed with her, worshipping the ground she walked on because she was royal.
“You have a fan club,” Eero whispered and lifted his hand that was holding hers so that they all can see that she was taken.
“The day after prom, after school, I will wipe their memories then,” Mr. Ondrink said.
“That is three months from now,” Ann’s mother said.
“What about Jessica’s parents?” Jovita wanted to know.
“You will stay the cousin and Ami will stay the friend. They just won't know that you are supernatural.
“Does that mean I get to stay the brother?” Eero questioned.
Ann’s parents looked at each other. “We will think of something,” her mother said, making her father smile, as he really liked having Eero around.
“What about my brothers?” Eero questioned, missing his brothers.
“You can help choose their forever families,” his father said.
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Willow said when she saw the longing in Eero’s eyes.
“Geuss, we are getting a bigger house,” Eljo chuckled.
“We can't have a bunch of hunters growing up in a town filled with vampires,” Michael said.
“Who said we are staying?” Mrs. Willow questioned.
“Geuss, we are moving,” Eljo said and took his wife's hand and walked out of the house, bringing the meeting to an end.

The next three months were torture for Ann, watching Michael with Soroya, but she was not going to admit her pain to anyone as it didn’t hurt nearly as much watching Paris with Shysie again. What made things more difficult for Ann was that her best friend, Jessica, was never around as she was sick most of the time, staying off school as she could not cope with Deacon and Emily being together yet refusing to claim him.
“We should stop this. You are only hurting her. We can be friends,” Emily said one day after they made love.
“Promise? I can't imagine not having you in my life,” Deacon asked, stroking the side of her face.
“I promise,” Emily said. “I want this room, though,” she added.
“Are you kicking me out of my room?” Deacon chuckled.
“I am kicking you out of my room,” Emily laughed and got up to take a shower. “By the way, you are late for school again.”
“Crap,” Deacon said, looking over at the clock.
He rushed to take a shower, pushing Emily aside. After showering, he rushed to get dressed, and halfway out of the door, he heard Emily call after him. “Your graduation robe and hat,” she sped down the stairs, still naked.
“You better start wearing clothes around me, friend,” Deacon chuckled.
“Sure thing,” Emily said, and took a slow walk up the stairs, teasing him with her rear end.
“Get going,” Emily chuckled.
“Oh, right,” Deacon said and rushed out of the house. It was only when he was in his car away from Emily to distract him from his feeling for Jessica that he felt her pain. Deacon wrapped his hands over the steering wheel, hating the pain that swept over him, ripping his soul apart. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to rush back into the house, into Emily’s arms, anything to make the heartache stop.
‘Jessica will be at school today. She has to be there. She won't miss her own graduation, will she?’ Deacon questioned as he put his car into drive.
He arrived at school and heard the school bell. The moment he stepped out of his car, he caught Jessica’s scent. He made his way over to the building and fast-stepped to class, glad that school was over and that Jessica’s memory will be wiped tomorrow. ‘It will give me an opportunity to meet her under normal circumstances and she will naturally be in love with me because of the bond,’ Deacon thought, smiling, happy. He arrived at class and paused as he walked in, his eyes meeting hers. He felt the sharp pain in his chest. He grabbed his chest. He snarled at her, knowing it was her making him feel her pain.
Deacon nodded as he greeted everyone. Both Jovita and Juno giving him a disapproved look.
‘I am not to blame for her pain. What about my fucking pain?’ Deacon mind linked them.
‘You can make it easier on her by not sleeping with Emily,’ Jovita mind linked him, pleading with him.
‘I hope you are not going to sleep with Emily after tomorrow. How will Jessica understand the heartache she feels every time?’ Juno mind linked.
‘Emily and I will be friends, moving forward,’ Deacon mind linked as he took a seat next to Wynn.
Both Jovita and Juno turned around to look at him.
“Ok, now that everyone is present, shall we raise and make our way over to the hall so that you can graduate and I never have to see your ugly faces again?’ Mrs. Wangberg said, standing up from her chair, making the class chuckled.
While everyone was leaving the class, Mrs. Wangeberg called Jessica back. “Jessica, a word, please.”
Jessica waited behind and sat on a table.
“Are you ok?” Mrs. Wangberg questioned.
“Yes. It is just this stupid mate bond taking its toll on me,” Jessica said, holding back her tears.
“I am going to miss you,” Mrs. Wangberg said.
“I know you are fucking Wynn,” Jessica said, not angry about it.
“I mean, in general,” Mrs. Wangberg chuckled. “How did you find out about me and Wynn?”
“Once I felt a tingle of pain while Deacon was around. So, I knew it was not because of Deacon. So I took a walk and overheard a heated session in the hallways. I picked up your scent and Wynn’s,” Jessica said, hopping off the table.
Mrs. Wangberg blushed.
“You will always be my favorite teacher and surely we will run into each other again. After all, I am your queen. Or, supposed to be.” Jessica chuckled and left the classroom. When she got out of the class, she just rolled her eyes at Wynn. “Go on then. I know you are not waiting for me.”
Wynn chuckled and walked into the classroom, shutting the door behind him.
“There is no time. I have to help with graduation,” Mrs. Wangberg protested against his kisses on her neck.
“Come away with me for the summer,” Wynn said in between kisses, pulling her skirts up and her thick stockings down.
“I am serious, there is no time,” she chuckled.
“Your wet folds disagree, Lilly,” Wynn said before dropping his face between her legs.
***
As expected, Jessica was top of her class with Ann second. Anyone of the supernaturals could have taken the spot but Mr. Ondrink refused to give them good marks, deeming it unfair to the rest of the actual kids.
“See you at my house to get ready for prom?” Jessica asked Ann as they made their way out of the school building.
“You know it,” Ann said, wrapping her arm around Jessica’s.
“I always thought we will have a date each for prom,” Jessica chuckled.
“Well, you can still have a date,” Ann said, nodding her head towards Deacon, that was standing at the exit.
“Over my dead body,” Jessica hizzed.
“Be careful with those words. I heard he can set himself free from your bond by killing you,” Ann whispered as they walked past him.
“Jessica, a word,” Deacon said.
Jessica took a deep breath and turned to face Deacon.
“See you later,” Ann chuckled and walked off to the bus.
“Need a ride?” she heard Paris ask.
“Um,” Ann thought about it for a moment. Even though she was deeply hurt still, she did have a few friendship moments with Paris.
“Sure,” Ann said and walked with him to his car.
From afar, Michael watched. ‘Just one more day,’ he told himself. ‘Tomorrow Ann and her family will move away to a sunny place,’ Michael thought. He had already enrolled at the same university as Ann, and planned to run into her and make her fall in love with him.