Trembling With the Strings

“Darius, you have no right to come into my home without my consent,” my mother told him, slamming the door behind her.

“Gracie invited me, and I will soon be her husband. I have all the consent I need,” Darius argued, his face twisting up in anger. “I could have you killed for going against our agreement—and for kidnapping my fiancée.”

“She’s my daughter! I have more rights than you!”

“You handed all of your rights over to my father. She is no longer any of your concern, Dianna. I’m sure the law will agree with us, especially if we tell them about the dangers your children face while being in your home. Child abuse isn’t so quickly ignored.” He had a sadistic smirk on his face as if he enjoyed seeing the way my mother was squirming. “And Gracie loves me, so she will surely side with me.”

“She loves me!” she told him, stepping up and pulling me to her side. “I’m her mother!”

“And a fine job you did!” he muttered sarcastically.

“She needs to finish high school,” she told him, her grip tightening on my wrist. “Gracie, don’t you miss being home?”

“I do,” I told her, receiving a glare from Darius. “But I—What am I supposed to say? I do love Darius. I can’t just leave him.”

“Even if she didn’t love me she couldn’t leave me! She is mine, need I remind you. You’ve already buried yourself by stealing the ring I gave you! We don’t need you at the wedding, lest you forget that small detail. You certainly will not be missed.” Darius held out a hand and, despite my mother’s objections, I took it. He pulled me into his arms protectively.

“Please!” Well, aren’t you fickle? “Just let her finish her junior year! She has enough credits, she can finish early!”

She was practically on her knees begging him. Darius sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Fine, but I’m not leaving her. Either she will live with me and Marcy, or Marcy and I will live here.”

“There’s no room!”

“You have a futon. Gracie and I can share it, and Marcy can bunk with Katelynn.”

“You can’t sleep with my daughter!”

“I already have plenty of times! Don’t forget that I got her pregnant.”

My mother’s face went white, but I didn’t get why. She already knew that I was having his kid.

“Please tell me it’s not...” Her voice trailed off as she fell onto the chair.

“It is. You’ve already talked to my father, I see. Relax, it’s still half human.” He laughed at my mother’s misery.

So I suppose she’d found out about Darius being a vampire...

“You’re not going to make my daughter... Are you?” She couldn’t even bring herself to say it. I looked away.

“Of course I am! She is going to be mine forever, Dianna. Forever is just more defined this way.” He pressed his lips to my neck, drawing blood just to make my mother angry.

I don’t think he expected her to pass out, but I guess that’s where I get it from.

“Darius, you made her mother faint,” Marcy sighed, pulling my mother up and practically dragging her to her bedroom.

“You’re going to school with me?”

“Yeah, I guess I am,” he told me, falling onto the couch and pulling me onto his lap. “And I heard that Bryce goes there, too. Can you believe that?”

He was so happy about that little detail, but I had to hold back a groan. That punk got away with everything.

“Yeah, he and Robbie are going to date,” I decided to say, trying not to laugh.

“He’s gay?” he asked, sounding shocked. “Huh. I didn’t see that coming.”

I kept my grin to myself.