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Acacia/Ciarán - Age 9

I didn't want to come out of my room, even as the council meeting had been carried over. Maybe mama will finally be happy that she has another baby that isn't weak like I am. She wants to talk to me, but I don't want to listen.

Tears linger in my eyes as I've gotten ready to go outside. I can see from my room that a few of the council members are arriving, hiccuping a sob when I also see that Delaney is visiting as well along with Mercury and friends from his mama's coven.

I open the door to my room, glancing out into the hallway and seeing no one. Once I know there is no one there; I quickly run out into the hall before shutting the door behind me. Taking the steps two at a time down the staircase, I turn the corner of the hallway and run into someone very hard. I land on my butt from the impact, staring up at who it is.

"Watch it..." his voice is angry at first until his eyes land on me, and he rolls them, "oh it's just you."

Mercury hardly cares for another glance at me, a couple of his friends talking about what they are going to do. Ciarán comes from the living room and quickly sees me getting to my feet before he asks, "What did you do to my sister?"

"Chill out; she ran into me," Mercury glowers at Ciarán before shaking his head and walking in the direction of the ballroom.

As I stand to my feet, Ciarán asks me, "Are you okay?"

Nodding my head, he sees my eyes are puffy, and he doesn't think that my words are reassuring enough before he asks, "Did he make you cry?"

"No..." my voice trails off as my heart goes back to mama's news last night. I hold myself with my arms, wrapping them around me before I glance toward the side door to the castle.

"Mama loves you; you know that Acacia," Ciarán tilts his head to the side and I slowly bring my gaze back to him. It doesn't matter whether or not she loves me, I know that wasn't in question...but I know now she'd rather I wasn't human like it's some horrible thing to be.

She was human once...

"I know," I respond quietly.

Ciarán stares off toward the open ballroom doors as it looks like Mercury and his friends are running across the marble floor before diving and sliding across the ground. He glances back and me and asks, "Do you want to draw in the tree house?"

Holding his gaze, I nod, and we both head out onto the grounds. After we reach the tree house, we climb up the ladder before getting out crayons and colored pencils.

Ciarán begins to draw, and when he shows me what he's drawn, I giggle. He asks, "What's so funny?"

"It looks like a two-headed pig," I laugh while holding my stomach.

Ciarán makes a face at me which makes me laugh even harder. He then looks at what I've been drawing, and he asks, "What are those?"

"They are what was drawn on Kev's skin," I finish one of the symbols and look at the four I've drawn. There are more, but I stop when Ciarán looks at me strangely before I ask, "What?"

"Nothing, weirdo," he teases and sticks his tongue out at me. I playfully push his shoulder before giggling when he lightly pushes me back.

"Ciarán!" Both of us hear Mercury, watching through the windows as he and his friends laugh about something while they jog closer. Once he's standing near us, he calls up, "We're going to play tag, you wanna join?"

Ciarán hesitates for a moment, and I glance at him, seeing the look in his eyes before he says, "Only if Acacia can play also."

"You can't be serious," one of the boys groans with irritation as he slaps his hands against his face and drags them down his cheeks.

Another says, "She'll be it the entire time..."

Mercury releases a sigh and says, "Ciarán, you know she's just an easy target, and she's going to cry because she'll be it the entire time unable to tag anyone else."

"You can just let up your strength and speed a little bit," Ciarán offers them while I see the looks on the boys' faces tell an entirely different story.

"I don't want to play with her," one of the boys grumbles beneath his breath.

Ciarán sighs with frustration, and before he can say anything, I saw quietly, "Go."

"What?" He turns to me, and I nod when his eyes meet with mine.

"Go play with your friends," a smile makes its way to my lips when I finish, "you spent time with me, and I know you want to go play."

With a slight nod of his head he asks, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I giggle while Ciarán starts climbing down the ladder. When he reaches the ground I see Mercury glance up at me, something hidden behind his eyes while Ciarán talks with the boys about who's going to be it.

One of them laughs, "Need your sister's permission now?" They joke and punch him in the shoulder before he punches them back, sending them staggering a foot or so back.

They begin to walk away while another says, "Awe, looks like he's on babysitting duty now."

"Shut up, no I'm not," Ciarán growls before they take off, the game of tag in full swing. Mercury continues to eye me before he shakes his head and takes off toward the other end of the grounds while he joins in on their game.

Sitting on the edge of the tree house with my legs over the side of the small deck area, I watch as some of the council members leave. It looks like their meeting is over, noticing the way Grandpa Keir gets into his car and drives away. I can hear the boys laughing and messing around in the distance, the one who's it isn't just tagging others, he tackles them to the ground.

I withdraw from one of my jean pockets the fluorescent purple rock, twirling in my fingertips as I turn it over. My heart skips a beat, and I don't know why I feel this way...

...I already miss them all.

"Hello," my gaze lifts from the rock, and I hold it tightly in my hand, my eyes meeting with Lars' as he stands in front of me, about a foot below where I'm sitting on the deck.

"Hi," I hold the rock a little tighter as he stares at me, his eyes searching my features. When there's silence that passes between us, I finally ask, "Why are you following me?"

A light chuckle passes his lips before he replies, "Sweet Acacia...I didn't want you to feel lonely."

"I'm not," I cross my arms in front of my chest while staring back at him. I don't want to, but I turn away a moment later and stare off at the boys.

"Have I upset you, sweetheart?" Lars asks, and I try not to look at him.

I shake my head but continue to look away. With my attention elsewhere I then answer him, "Daddy says you're dangerous and I'm not going to talk to you."

"Your daddy is a clever man, however," I feel slight energy pulsate from in front of me, drawing my attention before I gasp. Lars holds a spherical crystal in his hand, one that has a purplish tint to it before he chuckles, "You're very special sweet Acacia..."

At his words, I shake my head and reply, "No I'm not..."

"You're not a dormant werewolf," he tosses the crystal between his hands and my eyes follow the movements, "nor are you a dormant vampire..." when he tosses it up and then falls back down he catches it with both hands and states, "...neither are you a dormant hybrid."

It just hurts more, and I whisper, "I'm human...I knew it whatever Grandpa Keir thought...I knew it was speculation."

Lars takes a step toward me, his eyes dancing with a spark as he states, "Yes...you are human, though you are special sweetheart," he pauses a moment before he quickly tosses the crystal to me while exclaiming, "catch."

I gasp when I fumble my hands, catching it right before it's about to hit the deck. My eyes widen though because I'm not holding it, the energy it emits is very warm and welcoming, the slight space between my hands and the crystal shows it's barely floating in my hold.

I stare down at it, and my voice trails off as I say, "Whoa..." stars swirl around in the void, watching as some shoot off out of sight while others dance before my eyes.

Lars stands there with a small smirk on his face as he says, "I can show you more if you'd like-"

A split second later and what cuts Lars off is daddy yelling, "Acacia!"

I freeze, the crystal igniting with a brief hue of red before it suddenly vanishes as if it hadn't even been here. While daddy has his eyes set on me, I quickly pick up the fluorescent rock that I'd dropped on my thighs when I caught the crystal, holding it tightly.

Lars has his hands in his pockets as daddy stops beside of him stating, "What are you doing?"

"Keeping your daughter company..." Lars' voice trails off while his eyes quickly flicker from me and then lock with daddy's.

"She has others to play with," he nods in the direction of Ciarán playing with Mercury and their friends. He quickly throws in, "She doesn't need to keep company with a silver tongue."

Lars chuckles and states, "What a compliment coming from the master of lies and deceit..." daddy's eyes shift to a bloody red, and I bring my knees to my chest as I watch Lars finish, "...better to admit what we are than to pretend we aren't."

Lars nods at me and waves, "Until next time...sweet Acacia."

My daddy's nostrils flare as Lars walks away, seeing him go out of sight and away. When daddy brings his gaze back to meet with mine, he says, "Don't talk to him again-"

"But daddy-"

"Don't listen to him because he can't speak anything but lies," daddy interrupts me as his temper flares. I see the way he tenses, my eyes fearful at the anger that comes from him.

"But-"

"No buts Acacia!" When daddy raises his voice, he also draws the attention of the boys, feeling their gaze land on me from afar. Their chattering and laughter dies down as I can feel the stares.

I nod quietly and shift my grip on the rock and climb down from the tree house. Daddy notices this, and when I'm on the ground he says, "What's in your hand?"

"I..." my voice is so quiet as I slowly show him the fluorescent rock, the purple hue very pretty...but daddy doesn't think so.

"He gave you that!" He exclaims, and I furrow my brows with confusion, taking a step back as I curl my fingers around the rock.

"N-No d-daddy," I shake my head while daddy kneels down in front of me with his palm open. His stare makes me scared, and I feel terrified.

Daddy orders, "Hand it over, you won't keep gifts from him."

"It's wasn't from Lars!" I yell, my eyes going wide when I raise my voice at daddy. Daddy's hand snatches my wrist, and I cry while he brings my hand closer to him. His fingers easily pry mine open while I continue to cry and say over and over again, "No! It's mine! Stop!"

Tears stain my cheeks before daddy takes the rock and releases my wrist. I get, and I hit daddy a few times...once on the shoulder and the other on the face.

I'm crying for a different reason now as the air leaves my lungs before I'm brought across daddy's knee. My butt stings as fresh tears come to my eyes, feeling embarrassed, sad and upset.

When daddy places me on my feet, my eyes are on the ground, a sob echoing from my throat as he gently touches my shoulders and says, "You know better than that," he brings my eyes to meet with his as he says, "we don't hit when we're angry, we use our words."

"D-d-daddy," I choke out and say, "a-a b-boy g-gave it t-to me."

"What?!" He furrows his brows with confusion. He glances at the rock and brings his eyes back to meet with mine.

I nod and reply, "T-T-Ta-Taron R-Regan, he ga-gave it to m-me," I still feel tears trailing down my cheeks as I finish, "th-they were a-at the la-lake b-b-bottom."

My daddy doesn't say anything else, eyeing me before he releases a heavy sigh asking, "A werewolf boy gave this to you...Chris Regan's son?"

I nod again and lower my gaze.

"I'm going to call your grandpa before I give this back to you," daddy shows me the rock, and there's not anything else I can do. I remain silent as I nod my head in response, my lip still trembling before daddy calls louder, "Ciarán!"

"Yeah, dad?" Ciarán is only a few yards away as the boys had seen everything...

Daddy asks, "You have room for Acacia to play with you all?"

Ciarán fumbles with his words for a minute before he says, "Yeah."

Daddy nods at me and says, "Go play, okay?"

"O-Okay," I get out before I run around the side of him. I glance back once to see daddy rise to his feet, looking at the rock once more before he shakes his head.

I hear him mutter, "-a boy," before he goes inside, watching as everyone else leaves and knowing dinner will probably be ready in an hour or two.

When I come to a stop next to Ciarán, I can see the mixed looks on the other boys' faces before he says, "Mercury just suggested hide and seek before dad..." his voice trails off, and I'm red with embarrassment. I don't like getting spanked in front of him especially now all his friends saw it too, but he's quick to say, "Mercury is going to be it."

"Okay, I played tag with my friends over the summer," I smile at Ciarán.

One of the boys rolls his eyes and scoffs, "Werewolf pups...bet they can't move as fast as us."

"No..." I turn on him and narrow my eyes, "...but they'll even the playing field when they get the wolves. Then you'll be running like a scared little girl while the big bad wolf comes chasing after you."

Funny enough, the other boys almost in unison go, "Ooooooohhhhh," at their friend that I've insulted. Good, he shouldn't have tried to make fun of my friends, to begin with.

"Bitch," he mutters before Ciarán steps forward and punches him in the abdomen. He gasps, knocking backward and off onto his butt as he stares wide-eyed. Mercury watches the entire thing, though he says nothing as the boy gasps, trying to catch his breath.

"Don't call her that because she's quicker than you mentally...you lack that apparently," Ciarán makes my heart skip a beat, my breathing coming quick at the way he's defending me.

Another boy stands up for his friend noting, "If she's a dormant werewolf like you said..." his voice trails off as he jokes, "...then the terminology is accurate." A round of laughs echoes at his words.

Before those words get a chance to hurt me, Ciarán moves extremely fast, landing punches on each of the boys who laugh before they groan and cry out in pain. Their demeanor is quick to change while Mercury has yet to say a word, his eyes never leaving Ciarán.

"Settle down boys," Mercury finally releases a chuckle, "let's all just play a nice friendly game of hide and seek," he then turns to me and says, "I'll give you thirty seconds."

Just as he covers his eyes to count, I see a bloodlust tint in his irises, and I'm quick to take a step back. Ciarán runs off in the direction of the forest while the rest of the boys disperse also. I run toward the tree house, knowing that will be the safest place to hide as I'll be able to peek over the edge of the window to see if anyone is coming.

Climbing up into the tree house quickly, I stumble once before scrambling inside. I can still hear Mercury counting while everyone else hides...though from what I can see, they all opt to go into the forest. Taron's wrong...I'm not protected here, and I won't go in the woods...

My heart is beating fast, steadying it and my breathing as I lay down on the wooden floorboards quietly. I can hear Mercury call, "Ready or not, here I come!"

It's around perhaps a minute or two, the silent so deadly surrounding me until I hear a very low, "Boo."

I almost scream when I turn over on my side and see Mercury's head poke through the hole where the ladder sets at the bottom of the tree house. A giggle leaves my lips before I say, "Got me!"

"Mmhmm..." he climbs into the tree house and kneels down next to the opening. His eyes are on me, and I can't quite understand when he says, "You're the easiest target after all."

Furrowing my brows, I ask, "Wh-What?"

"For how smart you are..." his voice trails off as he places his hand on the ladder and rests it there, "...you're not that bright." He pauses a moment before he knocks the ladder away, my eyes widening as I back up toward the wall of the tree house.

Mercury remains where he is as he states, "You're the odd one out, Acacia...you smell like a human, your heartbeat shows an innate fear you hold...and I knew for a fact you'd remain on the castle grounds as you're too scared to find a real hiding spot."

"What did I ever do to you?" My lower lip trembles as his irises remain red.

"You did nothing..." his voice trails off, almost as if he's searching his thoughts. A few moments later he tilts his head to the side and asks, "Do you know how easy it would be to kill you?"

"Stop it!" I scoot back into the corner as he moves a little closer. Though I do feel some sense of relief when I glower back, "You wouldn't, because then mama and daddies would hurt you."

Mercury chuckles and says, "You do have me there...though I think I have a way that'll keep you very quiet..." when he moves closer I close my eyelids tight for a second as he states, "your mother is having another child...how defenseless it will be."

"Don't you dare," my eyelids snap open, and I glower angrily, my hands clenching into fists.

"You let your brother spend as much time with us as he likes," Mercury narrows his eyes at me, "and nothing will happen."

I glare at him and say, "I'm going to tell on you."

"No...you won't," he snatches my arm and pulls me to him, "or I'll make you disappear...you want to see how easy it would be to die?"

I struggle against him, his grip changing as both of my wrists are almost crushing beneath the hold of his hand. Before I can even scream, his other hand claps over my mouth, pressing hard as I cry against it. Fear rises as I feel a coldness take root in my body, the way his nose touches my neck makes me squirm harder against him, feeling his lips brush over my neck.

He's very quick, releasing my wrists as his hand grabs the side hem of my shirt, lifting it before I feel the tips of his fangs against my side under my ribs. My hands first fly up to try and pry his hand away from my mouth, but I can't get him to loosen his hold. Next, I try to grab his head, managing to grasp his hair before he growls lowly, knocking my hands away. The second time I try to break free, he catches one of my wrists and twists it hard, another cry silenced behind his hand.

My eyes widen, and pain radiates through me the second I feel his sharp fangs pierce through my skin. Tears blur my vision as he continues to sink them in further, the tears finally falling when I realize I can't break free...

...I cry, but my sobs are muffled into silence.

My skin crawls when his tongue licks over my skin and I try to wriggle against him again, but it does absolutely nothing. It's only a minute or two when I start to hear the other boys calling from the forest, "Yo, where you at Mercury? Give up that easily?"

I'm feeling lightheaded, feeling some relief when his fangs dislodge from my skin, lifting his face away from my flesh as his eyes meet with my teary ones. He narrows his eyes and says, "One word...and the next time I'll drain you dry."

I nod my head quickly, pain coursing through where he'd bitten me. His hand lifts away from my mouth, releasing my wrist before he scoots back a few steps. I pull my shirt down and lay on my side, cradling myself in my arms as tears continue to stream down my cheeks. It's very silent

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