Chapter 32-The Aftermath

I watched her toss and turn all night.  She was trying to escape what she believe was a nightmare as she replayed the nights events in her dreams.  I couldn't sleep, every time I closed my eyes I saw the look of terror in her eyes.  It's a look I will never forget.  I knew she would have to find out eventually but I didn't want it to be like that, so violent and without proper explanation.  Plus with Aric's attack of that boy, it was too much too fast for her.  I glanced back at the be, she was waking it was time to deal with the aftermath.

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My head was pounding.  The morning sun that I enjoyed waking up to made my eyes hurt.  I was groggy and disoriented, I felt like I had one hell of a hangover.
"Good morning Amari."
His voice made me jump.
"Mulo, what are you doing here?"

He walked over to me, his touch was cool against my skin.  I looked at him and he smiled, I saw the teeth.  All at once the events of last night came flooding back, I needed air I pulled away and headed for the deck my mind started racing.   I must still be dreaming, this can't be real, they don't exist.
"No you aren't dreaming, I am, we are very real."
I looked at him.
"I can hear your thoughts, I always have." he answered approaching me.  I backed away.

"What are you?"
"I think you already know the answer to that question."
I couldn't believe how calm he was.  He acted as if this were an everyday thing. 
"For me it is an everyday thing."
I glared at him.
"Stop doing that!"
"Do you not want your questions answered?"
The most obvious question came to mind as I thought to my daughter.  The sound of her scream played back in my head.
"Why did you kill her?"

I started crying as I a recalled seeing her lifeless body in his arms.  He turned away from me.  I guess I wouldn't want to look the mother of his victim in the eye either but as he spoke I could hear a sadness in his voice.

"I didn't kill her Amari, I turned her."

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I stepped forward to try and comfort her but she backed away.  I knew this was going to be hard and as much as it pained me to know what the outcome of this encounter was going to be, it was the only way she was going to be able to survive.  Her face showed the same fear that she had the night I came back from France.  I lost control that night letting jealousy take over and I never wanted to see that look again but there it was coupled with repulsion.
"What do you mean you turned her?"
"It means I turned her, she is now in transition to become a vampire as well as TK although he was unplanned."
"Unplanned...you mean you have been planning to do this, to make my child a...a monster!"
Her words stung but the ones running through her mind were much worse.
"Do you think Aric to be a monster?"  I knew that was uncalled for considering everything she was dealing with, but I needed to finish this.
"Oh God, Aric."

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As if on cue, Aric was there.  I looked at my son and started to cry again.  I was his mother how could I have not known there was something wrong with him, that he was different, not human.
"You did know, or at least suspected something when he was a toddler."
I remembered then going to Mulo trying to talk to him.  I remembered how angry he got when I said I thought there was a problem and how me made me feel as if I was going crazy.

"Mom, I know this is a lot and I'm sorry.  I wanted to tell you sooner but I couldn't."
He looked at me with those eyes.  The ones I always felt could burn a hole in my soul if he stared at me long enough.  Then I flashed back to the look on his face after he attacked TK.

I stepped away from him.  I could see he was hurt by my slight rejection at that moment.

"I didn't mean to attack him.  I just acted on instinct.""Aric go check on Ceula."
"NO!" it came out before I could stop myself, the panic the thought of him being near her. 
"She's his sister, he won't hurt her."

Aric didn't say anything but he was hurt by the knowledge I thought he would harm her.  He looked at his father before exiting the room.

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"Are you going to tell her everything"
"Yes."
"She's going to hate us."
"You're her son, she could never hate you.  Right now she just needs time, she's scared and confused."

"Don't worry Amari, she didn't hear anything last night."
"Will you please stay out of my head."
"No, now sit we have a lot we need to discuss."
'I don't want to sit, I only want two things from you.  One tell me where my child is , and two for you to get the hell out of my house."
She was getting tired and although she was trying to be strong she was quivering on the inside.  Ignoring what she said I continued.  The next words out of my mouth were the hardest ones I ever spoke.
"You asked me if I loved you or if you were a possession, I answered you but was unclear.  You have a purpose to serve and I am here to make sure you complete that purpose.  You have been fated to have 100 children."

She just stared at me for a moment then began to laugh hysterically.
"That is absurd!  And I thought you being a vampire would be the craziest thing out of your mouth today."  She continued to laugh and I knew she was at her breaking point.
"I am very serious Amari."
My tone and look made her stop laughing.  She started processing what I had said to her there were so many things going through her head at once.

"But...but I know you love me.  I could see it in your face when you looked at me." her voice was very soft and it was as if she were speaking more to herself than to me.
"You saw what I wanted you to see.  That's how you didn't see me for what I really was."  I had to do it this way.  I had to put some separation between us as much as it killed me to do so.
"You have done nothing but brought misery into my life!  All I have ever done was love you and you punish me for that.  Why damn it, why are you so intent on destroying me?"
"Marisol.  She wishes this and as my maker I am getting her what she wants."
"You bastard!" she said slapping me "I don't give a damn what she wants, you can't make me do this.  I won't do this!"

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I couldn't process what I was hearing.  This was crazy I don't know how he expected me to willingly have 100 kids.  Before I knew what happened he grabbed me and held me close to him.

I struggled to get free but it was useless.  I didn't want him to touch me and I didn't want my body to respond the way it did to his touch.  It was betraying me at that moment and he and I both knew it.
"Remember." he whispered and I was flooded with the memories of that nigh with Drake.  I remembered how I felt out of control of my actions.  Screaming inside my head that I shouldn't be doing it but I couldn't stop.  He released me.
"You...you...made me..."
"Marisol but as you can see you really don't have a choice.  With or without your cooperation, the babies will come."
He sounded so cold and heartless.
"Why?"
"For that answer you will have to ask your father."  He started to leave.
"Wait, you never told me where Bynni is."
"With Marisol"
He was gone without another word.  My head was reeling with all the information I had been given today.  He didn't love me, he never had I was just a pawn in some game they were playing.  I couldn't take it anymore.  I crumbled to my knees feeling totally defeated.