The Awakening - (Evian) - Chapter Sixteen
by lala02
Chapter XVI
Upon hearing her named being spoken, Eve sat up straight then snapped
her head in the direction of Julian’s face. She blinked a few times then
noticed that he was staring at her with…with…
Light blue eyes…
“Julian…” she whispered.
“Eve…” he said her name again then narrowed his eyes, “Why are you looking
at me like that?”
Silence-
“Well…”
“Your eyes…how are you feeling?” she asked.
“I feel like me, but not like me. My head hurts and I feel woozy.” Julian
whispered then ran his hand over his face.
“You’re gonna feel like this for about three days.”
“Then…” his eyes grew huge, “it worked?”
She nodded slowly. “It looks that way. Open your mouth.”
Julian did as Eve asked and when she saw his fangs, she knew. She placed
her hand on his forehead then drew back.
“I’ll be right back.” she said then left the room. She returned a few
seconds later with a bucket of water and a garbage can. Julian looked at
her like she was crazy.
“What’s all of that for?”
Eve didn’t say anything but counted silently from five.
‘Five, four, three, two, one…’ The second she got to the number one, Julian
covered his mouth with his hand and she gave him the garbage can. Once he
was finish emptying the contents of his stomach, he laid back down and Eve
place a cool cloth on his forehead.
“So this was what you went through all of those years ago huh?” he mumbled
weakly.
“Yeah. You’re lucky though, at least you have someone to help you with
this, I didn’t.” Eve sighed then changed the subject. “Right now, you still
have a heartbeat and that’s a good sign but I don’t know what other side
effects you’re gonna have.”
“At least it’s good to hear I’m not clinically dead.” Julian chuckled
weakly. “This is gonna be a challenge.”
“I know.”
“So now I know how you feel…technically the walking dead, but not the
walking dead. And you’ve been like this how long?”
“A hundred and thirty-six years.” Eve said then removed the cloth. “You
lie back down. You still need more rest.”
“Whatever you say…doc.” He joked as Eve rolled her eyes before smiling.
The next few days went by before Julian even knew it. Eve checked on him
every once in a while to make sure he still had a heartbeat. Gabriel and
Joseph were also feeling better too…well physically. Eve had decided that
it would be best for them to wait a few weeks before going through with their
plan because she still didn’t think that they were ready and because she knew
Julian that needed some practice.
From the moment he was fully recovered Julian complained about everything!
His newly enhanced senses were driving him mad. From the faintest noise to
the loudest noise yards away…he could hear them. From the cedar pine trees
deep in the woods to the smell of the grass and dirt outside of the cabin…he
could smell them. This was all too much to for him take in…but then again,
maybe it wasn’t ...
The two of them already shared a strong bond together and now with him
being this way, their strong bond was even stronger. At first, the only things
that he and Eve related to the best were their painful childhoods and their
issues with abandonment, but that was all taken care of now. She needed him
like he needed her and that was all that mattered. He then realized that
Eve went through the same things that he was going through now, and never
once did she complain to him about it. But then again, she had a hundred and
thirty-six years of practice to master the art of focusing…
Leaning against the side of the cabin, Julian stared up into the darkened
sky. He had to sneak out of the cabin because Eve refused to let him outside
during the day. She explained to him that she didn’t know if he could walk
in the light. The whole time there, Eve made sure to have all of the windows
in his area boarded up. But what Eve didn’t know was that every time she
stepped out, Julian would walk over to the window in his room and pull back
one of the boards just to look outside.
“So this is where you snuck off to huh?” the person behind him said.
Julian looked down from the sky and found Eve heading his way.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“That’s to be expected. Look, I’m sorry I kept you lock up inside. I thought
I was doing the right thing.” She whispered then shook her head. This whole
apologizing thing still wasn’t her forte.
Julian chuckled as Eve shook her head. “I understand. So when do you think
we’ll be ready?”
“I’m not sure. I’m ready and I know that you’re sort of ready, but Gabriel
and Joseph…” she trailed off.
Julian nodded. “It’s not easy moving on so soon after losing someone you
love.”
“Yeah. I know they want revenge for Arianna, but I just don’t want their
emotions to get in the way of things.”
Suddenly without warning, Julian pulled Eve into his arms.
Eve gasped, “What are you doing?”
“This is the first time since my awakening that I’ve held you in my arms.
Many things have changed Eve, many things. I’m just glad that I have you
here with me.” He whispered then kissed her softly on the lips.
Gabriel was resting comfortably on his bed when he heard noises coming
from across the hall. He knew it was Joseph but didn’t get up to check on
him. He knew the sight of him disgusted Joseph to no end, so he made sure
to keep away from him out of honor and respect.
Honor and Respect…
A bitter scowl appeared on his face. Some kind of honor and respect he
showed. Joseph had been nothing but kind to him since they first met and
this was how he repaid him. What kind of friend would sleep with his best
friend’s wife?! And father a child with her too?! Joseph didn’t deserved
to be disrespected like that…not at all.
Deciding to go and check in on him, Gabriel got up, walked over to his
bedroom door and exited out. He walked across the hall and knocked on Joseph’s
door. When he received no answer, he took the liberty to just walk in. He
gasped silently. The room was totaled. Broken items were all over the place,
along with clothes and the blankets from the bed. Glancing to the upper left
hand corner of the room, he found Joseph leaning against the wall.
Silence-
“What the hell are you doing in here?! Get out!” Joseph shouted, breaking
the quietness.
“I’m not going anywhere Joseph. We need to talk.” Gabriel said. “Just
hear me please…”
Silence-
When Joseph didn’t say anything, Gabriel began.
“You have every right to hate me. I hurt you deeply. It was never my intention
to hurt you Joe. I don’t know how it happened, but it did and no matter how
many times I tell I’m sorry, it’s never going to be enough.” He whispered
then lowered his head.
Joseph scoffed. “Is that all?”
“I want you to know that we really did try to end it. We knew that we
couldn’t keep hurting you like this. Arianna and I felt so guilty. She truly
loved you Joe.”
“I loved her too, not that you cared.” Joseph sneered. “How could you
do this to me? I was the first person to take you in like family. Everyone
in the brotherhood refused to even give you a chance, but not me. You were
like a brother to me.” He whispered painfully before walking over to Gabriel
and punching him in the jaw.
The impact of Joseph’s fist sent Gabriel to the floor in an instant. Next,
Joseph mounted him and unleashed hit, after hit after hit. Blood was everywhere
but Joseph didn’t care. He was going to make Gabriel pay for all of the pain
that he was suffering because of him. So he continued to attack him, and
not once did Gabriel try to defend himself. Standing back up, Joseph stared
down at Gabriel’s battered body.
“Get up!” he shouted, “Get up and fight me!”
Slowly, Gabriel struggled to sit up. Once he was rested against the side
of the wall, he tried to speak.
“N-no.” he grimaced.
“Fight me dang it!” Joseph shouted again as tears slid down his face.
“Why won’t you fight me?”
Tears started sliding down Gabriel’s face too. “Be…because…I-I…deserve
this. I’m sorry…Joe. I’m…sorry…”
“You’re wrong, you didn’t deserve any of this just like I didn’t.” Joseph
sobbed out before dropping to his knees.
It was taking longer then he thought for most of his wounds to heal. This
had never happened before. Dante still couldn’t get over the fact that Eve’s
eyes had turned red. In all of his years living, never once had he seen anything
like it. She attacked him mercilessly, never even giving him a chance to
defend himself. She was a lot faster and stronger then the vampire he’d ever
fought before. It was as if she were possessed! Before she even attacked
him, she made sure to get her point across.
{Flashback}
“What is the meaning of this?!” he shouted, fear laced in
his scent, but Eve didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re gonna pay for what you did.” Eve snarled viciously, flashing her
fangs in the process.
Straightening out his appearance he said, “Is this the kind of mate you
want…always having to save his worthless mortal life?! You deserve better
than that!” Dante spat then pointed at the Julian’s limp body.
“You don’t know what I deserve!” Eve snapped. “No one touches my mate
and gets away with it.”
“You will be mine, rather you like it or not.” Dante said completely ignoring
his fear of her as he charged Julian’s defenseless body with the intent to
finish him off.
Just as Dante neared Julian’s body, Eve suddenly appeared before him,
to shield his body from impact as she slammed both of her fists into Dante’s
chest, causing him to jerk backward and fall to the ground hard.
After that, the next series of events were a complete blur…
{Flashback ends}
“Are you still moping about that fact that Eve kicked your a$$ brother?”
Amon chuckled as he closed the Book of Legends on his desk.
“Shut up!” Dante sneered. He’d been staying with Amon at the brotherhood
headquarters since that day, all those weeks ago.
“Forget about her now. She’s made her choice, so now it’s time for us
to move on.” Amon said in a serious voice.
Uh-uh, Dante wasn’t having that…
“No…I will not rest until she’s mine.”
Amon looked his brother up and down before speaking again.
“I will not have you jeopardize all that we have worked for over a woman
who rejected you and chose another! I am the eldest and you will obey me
little brother. That is final.” He spat.