CHAPTER XLV

Gabriel wakes up to a morning filled with shame and regret.

In Rachael's vulnerable state, he infiltrated her mind and sought to seduce her.

But he wasn't alone.

Samuel was there and his intentions were not pure.

Gabriel felt Samuel's presence leave but someone else came.

Gabriel stands up from his bed and goes to the bathroom.

He groans as his head twinges.

The 6'3ft being washes his face and stares at the bathroom mirror.

He recalls seeing Frank McQueen.

He didn't say anything but his presence was enough to sever his psychic link to Rachael.

Am I a monster?

He wonders.

Rachael wakes up in the room the twins gave her.

As for how she got here is a mystery to her.

"Ah," she groans as the hangover kicks in.

She hardly took alcohol until she started working in the club.

Now she finds herself struggling to stand up from her bed.

She feels an extra weight on her hip and uses her hand to search for the source of discomfort.

A dagger, the same dagger Rachael used to get her first kill, Nightmare.

If she is going to face the man who took her family away, she will need to be ready.

And in truth, killing Emily could have just been luck.

Luck has gotten her far enough in this supernatural world.

But how far can luck take her, she will have to try harder.

She remembers when Samuel fought the werewolves and wonders if she should go to him for lessons.

Samuel.

His name makes her recall a dream that felt so real and yet untrue.

She remembers Samuel's voice and Gabriel holding her.

Chills crawl down her spine like ice on naked skin.

An awkward dream, she concludes and goes to freshen up.

Yesterday was a strange day for Samuel.

He went to save John and his brother but instead ended up bringing back a potential enemy.

And now she lays in his bed.

The fight with Gabriel put him on edge and Elena was a stress relief to him.

A fantastic one.

But that is all she is to him; he assures himself as he looks into his bathroom mirror.

He frowns at the sight of his own reflection.

The monster he sees staring back at him.

Dracula's son, a curse that will never go away.

He looks nothing like the monster but he is still his son.

The son of the man that took his mother and any chance of a normal future he had.

A knock on the door draws Samuel out of a pessimistic thought.

He goes to answer but stops.

He knows her scent.

He opens the door and for some reason her oval shaped face makes the immortal smile.

Rachael is caught off guard by Samuel's shirtless body.

She admires his shoulders and his lean abs.

Different from Gabriel's thicker abdomen.

His smile is charming as always, "Hey, I was hoping you and I could train together.

You could show me some moves,".

"Sure," he says as he nudges his head.

"Is that Rachael?", Rachael hears Elena's voice.

Elena shows herself.

She is covered in the white sheets of the bed.

Rachael's eyes widen with shock.

She turns and walks away, she doesn't want them to see her anger.

She shouldn't be angry but she can't help it.

How can he be sleeping with her?

She almost killed me.

How can he be with her?

Samuel shuts the door and turns around to face Elena who smirks.

"Why did you do that?" he asks.

"What? I was trying to greet her but she just ignored me,".

"Don't ever do that again," Samuel says and the hunter raises a brow.

"What? You have feelings for her, don't you?", she asks.

"You must think you are funny.

Dress up and leave my room, Elena" he says.

He brought her here to make her miserable but she is the one gaining on him.

"You know what, you can stay for as long as you want.

It's your funeral," Samuel says before leaving to the bathroom.

Elena smiles to herself as she plans to drive a wedge between Samuel and Rachael.

Rachael enters the living room with piercing eyes, searching for any form of distraction.

She sees Gabriel discussing with an unfamiliar character.

Their conversation seems short as they shake hands and the unknown man leaves.

The sphinx turns and his eye catches Rachael.

He feels her anger.

Does she know what happened last night?

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks her and she nods her head.

"Hey, where is Elma and John?" she asks.

"They left but they will be back,".

"Gabriel, can you train me?" Rachael asks and he laughs.

She thinks he should laugh more but not right now.

"I am serious. I am tired of always being the damsel in distress," she says and Gabriel knows she is serious.

But is it for the best?

"What if Dracula comes and you are not here?

I can kill Dracula, you know.

I've already killed a vampire," she says.

Gabriel takes a step close to her, "What? When did this miracle happen?", Gabriel struggles to take her serious.

"Before I went for John, I killed one of those she-devils that came after us.

What was her name again?", she rubs her hand through her hair as she tries to remember.

"Emily, yeah Emily,".

"You killed Emily? You must be joking," he says.

"No, I'm not" she says.

"And where was Samuel when this happened?".

"He was busy.

It doesn't matter, I still need to be able to do something," she laments.

Gabriel sighs, "Sure, I will show you some moves,".

"Let's go to the basement, we have more room down there,".

* * *

Cassandra stands in the midst of her tribal chiefs as they lament on the calamity that has befallen the pack.

"We warned you about walking with vampires.

Now Look at what you have brought upon the pack," one of the chiefs say to the alpha.

She growls underneath her breath as she stands defenseless against heir words.

"Women and children, killed because of your selfishness," another chief says.

She is angry because she knows this isn't John's fault.

It's because of those twins that her pack was attacked, because she decided to help them.

Those twins have only brought her pain.

She clenches her fist as the elders pass their judgement on her.

Her heart experiences anguish as their judgement destroys all her hard work.

Dracula and his sons will pay for this, she swears with a hard and heavy heart.