CHAPTER 8: A FAMILY

Knock, knock, knock!

Bryan knocks on the black door and within a few minutes it flings open with Elma at its hinges.

She wears a semi-sheer black corset with straps and matching stockings and a pair of devil horns on the top of her head with a dildo in her hand.

Bryan furrows his brow at the unexpected sight of the blond vampire, "We don't even want to know," Bryan says.

Rachael embraces Elma and lets her tears fall out of her eyes as she cries, Elma is surprised at Rachael's reaction and glances at Bryan over the crying woman's shoulder.

"Gabriel is dead," Bryan says.

Elma lets them in and removes the horns on her head as the news changes her mood to a sad one.

A man with black curly hair comes from the bedroom wearing a jockstrap, stubble beards cover his jaw and he has a muscular build with thick brown eyes, "Are we still role playing?" he asks before he notices the depressed atmosphere.

"Go home Charlie, not today" Elma says and he goes back in to get his clothes before he leaves.

Rachael buries her face in her hands as she cries, Elma turns to Bryan who looks pale and weak, "What happened?".

Bryan sits on the couch opposite Rachael. The room is walls are black to match the chairs and the white rug under the glass table in the middle of the room. There is a small shelf with a few books at one end of the room and the windows are covered in this silver looking curtains.

"It started from last night. Some guy dressed like Aragon came into Matt's bar and killed everyone except me.

He compelled me to meet Gabriel before I knew it, I was staring at he man stabbing a sword into the boss's chest. Something felt off about the guy. He felt like the boss. He had blue eyes just like the boss," Bryan says.

Elma sits beside Rachael as she thinks; who is this person that killed Gabriel?

From Bryan's description, the killer was a sphinx just like Gabriel, "Gabriel isn't someone that can easily be killed," Elma says.

"It's my fault," Rachael mumbles.

Elma looks at Rachael's teary face, "No, love. There is no way you could have done anything against a sphinx. Don't be hard on yourself," "No. That's not what I mean. Gabriel lost his powers because of me," Rachael says, "What are you talking about?".

"The club. You know the club is under investigation. It's a crime scene. Dracula attacked us and he killed me. Gabriel sacrificed his powers to bring me back to life," Rachael says under a sob.

The two vampires look at Rachael in awe, "So that's why the club closed down and Samuel is gone," Bryan says as he scratches his jaw.

"What about Samuel? Where is he?" Elma asks, "I don't know. He just left," Rachael sobs.

"Samuel is not going to like this, where the fuck is that idiot when you need him?".

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Cassandra's gray SUV comes to a stop in front of an apartment building. Several feet high. She finds a spot to park her car before she kills the engine.

"Get down, we are here," she says to her passengers.

Zhen eyes the tall building through the window, "You live here?", she rolls her eyes and opens the door.

Joseph and their new comrade step out of the car and follow Cassandra as she leads them in. The two werewolves share a blanket they use in covering themselves.

The building colors are gray with a few patches of missing paint on it, there are about four window on the front side of the building on different falls.

They walk up the stairs till they reach the third floor where Cassandra's apartment is.

She opens the door and they enter, assessing the room with their eyes.

It is a one bedroom apartment with a sitting room and kitchen; the sitting rooms is scattered with boxes sitting at one edge of the room and a blanket on the couch.

There is an old looking tv on a stool and a longer wooden table in the middle of the room.

"We will rest here for a while. I need to regain my strength," Cassandra says.

They see a little toppled pile of clothes lay on the floor where Cassandra walks to and begins to pack them up and goes into the bedroom.

"I have to go," Zhen suddenly says, "We are not done," Cassandra throws her boots to the side as she returns from the room. The newest member of her newly formed pack sits on the couch with a blanket around her body.

"I need to see Ororo but I will be back before the sun goes down," Zhen says with a cheeky smile, "You better be," she growls. Cassandra's eyes move from Joseph to the new beta, "Will you two like something to eat?" she asks.

"Why?" the brown skin woman suddenly asks; her skin crawls with pain from her battle with Cassandra and her breath is heavy with anger for bowing to another werewolf.

She feels her unruly nature hide underneath Cassandra's glare, her dark eyes watch the werewolf that dominated her.

"Because I lost everything and I want revenge. But I can't do it alone. You may not like me but you will eventually," Cassandra says.

She stands up.

"What makes you think I will ever like you? You took me away from my solitude," the woman says.

Cassandra looks at her, "That is why you will like me.

I will give you a family,".

**********************************************

"Aahh," Samuel screams as he sweats profusely. He gasps for air as he pants like a tired cheetah. He sits up on the bed and runs his hands through his black hair.

Amanda runs in, "What the fuck, are you alright?" she asks, "Gabriel, Gabriel, something is wrong with Gabriel. I can't feel him, I can't feel his presence," Samuel's hands are shaky and sweaty.

His hands trembles and he feels tears threatening to burst out of his eyes.

"What is wrong? Why do I feel sad? What is wrong with my brother?".

Amanda can see the tears behind his eyes like a wall of glass. She has never seen him this distraught before.

"I have to go. Gabriel needs me," he stands up and wears his shoes.

The round mini chandelier shines above his head and his sweat falls onto the Hugo striped duvet. The view of the city from the eight foot glass doors do nothing to calm him as the absence of his brother comes as a huge shock.

"Samuel, wait. We can just call him," Amanda suggests; Amanda pulls a cell phone from her black jeans and begins to dial a number as Samuel dresses up.

He has bed hair and wet eyes.

Someone picks the call.

"Hello, Gabriel," "Gabriel is dead," the voice behind the phone says, "Who is this?" "You don't sound like a Samuel Stone,".

Amanda puts the phone on speaker, "It's for you," she says to Samuel, "Who is this?" Samuel asks, "Ah, you must be Samuel," "Who are you?" "I'm the man that killed your brother, Erwin Tremblay. If you want revenge, you can find me in Pennsylvania," the voice says.

Samuel's eyes light up with anger and anguish, his voice is heavy and uncontrolled; "I will kill you and everyone in your family," he says and cuts the call.

Amanda could hear the pain in his voice and it hurts her to see him like this. Whoever this man is, he claims to have killed Gabriel but that shouldn't be a big deal.

A sphinx can't cross the threshold between the living and the dead, so reviving Gabriel shouldn't be a problem.

"I will go with you. Don't worry, after we kill them we can revive Gabriel in no time," the blond says.

"No. You don't get it." Samuel stands up and looks at Amanda with teary eyes.

"Gabriel is no longer an immortal. He sacrificed his immortality for love. His soul can cross the threshold, he can die for good".