“You mean when you both abandoned me?” Lily corrected then added, “Yeah. How could I forget the parties filed with booze, drugs, and sex and if it’s really good a few eager pedophiles.” The older man winced then made a slow nod before he took a drink from his bottle.
“It wasn’t long before that I knew your mother wasn’t the woman I thought she was, but she was a good mother so I stayed married to her. When I realized that she wasn’t even that anymore and discovered what she was doing while I was gone, I gave her an ultimatum and a choice. If she didn’t want to do this anymore then she could leave, if not then she had to get herself clean, the parties had to stop, and she had to treat you right or I would take you and make sure she’d have nothing to her name,” he explained.
“That day Mary swore she loved us and promised to get better. I actually believed her too and didn’t see the trick for what it was until I came home a day early and found the house completely empty except a note. She was leaving us, yes, the note said us and that wasn’t all of it. She had sold everything, even the house, as an act of revenge, leaving us as the ones with nothing. I was furious that I couldn’t even think straight Lily,” he explained, taking a drink from his bottle.
“I followed her all the way to Miami and saw who she really went into rehab for. Somewhere Mary picked up herself high-class boyfriend that her racist snob of a family would approve of. Again, I lost it and it didn’t end well,” he continued and looked down at the bottle in his hands with shame tainting his weathered face.
“There was restraining orders issued, the boyfriend’s medical bills to pay, and I was incarcerated for nearly three months before my contacts got it all sorted and got me out,” Bill sighed and glanced up at Lily. “I’m not proud of how I handled your mother and when Andy told me you were happy with him I thought it might be best if I just stayed away. Give you a chance at being a part of a real family,” he told her, looking at her earnestly.
“I stayed away for you, but it’s not like I didn’t care Lily. I called Andy all the time to see how you were. I did what I could to help you. Schools, money, a car, recommendations….” Bill went on as if that was justification as if that would excuse everything and she realized the money Andrew had always insisted she take was probably from him. He had tainted everything she had built her life on. A strange mix of gratitude and bitterness swirled around inside her.
“Well what can I say, Bill but you took a fucked up situation and fucked it up even more. I was never a part of anything so screw your good intentions. The hard truth is, you abandoned me and that’s something I don’t think I can forgive easily, if ever. Now let’s talk about what you’ve been up to all these years,” she demanded. Bill seemed to shrink a little, but Lily refused to give him pity.
“Alright. If that’s how you want it, Lily. When I was, fifteen white men were trying to force my people off of our lands. They claimed there were devils that could eat our very souls and we should leave for our safety. We refused, we weren’t afraid of white man devils. We were strong men with strong souls, not like white men that got sick with nothing,” he began but stopped when she tried to get clarification. He wasn’t making any sense to her. Why was he talking like he came from the seventeen hundreds.
“You will see all in a moment Lily, patience. As I was saying, we were unafraid but white men didn’t take no for an answer. They killed many of our warriors with their guns that day. It wasn’t enough to defeat us. They stayed and humiliated us. I got into a fight with a white man who was tried to rape my sister. I vowed I’d die before he touched her. When I bested him, like the coward he was, he shot me with his pistol.”
“Two… how is that even possible?” Lily asked, her shock very apparent on her face.
“Vampire Blood Lily, I have vampire blood almost every day and I give my Lord my blood when he needs it,” he replied. Disgust filled her and she didn’t hold back her shudder.
“You’re blood bonded and are basically his pet then,” she said, feeling some pity and disappointment now.
“No. A blood bond is not the same as a blood servant. Silvano had no rights to force a bond on you like that. He wasn’t your sire or were you a member of his people. My bond with my Lord is mutually beneficial. I’ve lived a very long, healthy life. I’m stronger and faster than any normal human while my Lord can see into my mind. My thoughts and emotions are open to him,” he finished.
“And I wouldn’t be so quick to scowl young woman. That blood exchange is probably the reason you’re still breathing,” he told her.
“What do you mean?” Lily snapped, setting down her beer and crossing her arms over her chest.
“I suspect that my blood passed something on to you which is why out of all of those hybrid experiments that crazy lycan did, you’re the only survivor,” he told her. Dread filled her stomach. That would make sense. She never had fully understood why Xavier hadn’t been able to make any more hybrids but her. He had tried, but they were all insane and dying when she had seen them in his lab in Montana.
“Yeah? How about no,” she said bitterly. Lily felt her stomach turn and she felt like she was going to get sick. She had about all she could take for one day.
“You can’t judge all vampires by Silvano and Bianca alone,” he said and she laughed a quick dry laugh that had no humor what so ever in it.
“Watch me,” she said and walked out of the kitchen and into James bedroom. A. J. shouted when he saw her and all of the anger and bitterness she felt fade into the darkest pits of her soul. “A. J., my little bug!” she said, picking him up. She smothered him with kisses and hugs till he was sick of them.
“Ugh, no more mommy,” he demanded and she laughed, setting him back down on the bed.
“Okay, okay, sorry,” she said with a laugh.
“How did it go,” James asked, smiling at her. His emotions mirroring clearly in his face so much that she felt a little uncomfortable with it
“I’ll tell you about it later James,” she said with a sigh. He looked at her as if she suddenly grew a second head. “What?”