Chapter 44

"I think you two are overlooking one small thing…me," I said, realizing that not only was I the smallest person in this room at 5'2, but, as far as they were concerned, my 'death' was not the biggest issue.

"We are here to discuss the individual that attempted to kill someone that is clearly under the House Van Helsing protection and has her own House," said Viktor, taking away everyone's attention from me and placing it on him.

"You still have not told me what House she is claiming," said Lucas, glaring at Viktor.

"Oh, he hasn't told you? She is calming to be a descendant of the Tesalor Gypsies," interjected Vlad with a smirk on his face. He too looked at Viktor, the smile on his face belied the anger and hatred in his eyes.

"I see that the vow of protection given by a vampire means nothing," said Viktor as he returned Vlad's gaze.

"Tesalor?!?" Shouted Lucas standing up. "They died in 1810 on their journey to the West. She cannot be a Tesalor!"

"For once, I agree with you mutt," snarled Vlad as he turned his eyes to Nadezda. "Wrong eye color."

I sighed in complete disappointment. I would have given my life for this man when I was younger. I cried for two months when I was forced to leave him, and he looks at me a throws me to the wolves because I have brown eyes.

Yeah, I guess it's more than just a figure of speech, he threw me to the wolves. He was more upset that they went onto his lands than the fact that they tried to kill the little girl that was madly in love with him.

"You know what? I can't do this," I said as I stood up. Viktor looked at me with calm eyes, letting me take the lead and handle things how I wanted. "The one that tried to kill me will be dead by the end of the day. Whether they come back to life or not is out of my control."

Then I turned to Vlad. "Apparently living all these years has made you forget where you came from and what you used to stand for."

With those parting words, I walked through the two monsters that were staring me down with a bigger monster at my back. But I now considered that monster mine. Did I have to lick him?

While I was lost in thought about the technicalities of having to lick Van Helsing to declare him as mine, I missed Vlad racing to block my way.

I consoled myself with the fact that he was a vampire, so speed was one of his things.

"You know nothing of what you speak of, little human," he hissed at me, his eyes blood red in rage and his teeth elongated. I was too tired to be intimidated. Or maybe, I was just not intimidated. Maybe I could be a badass all on my own.

I liked that idea. From this moment on, I would be my own badass and live life how I wanted to. I would learn to protect myself from the hunters and the monsters.

"I know more than you do, vampire," I said as I stopped in front of him. Viktor put his arm around my waist. The pressure felt comforting, like as much as I was going to step forward and claim myself, he was still there to catch me when I fell.

"Eu, Natalia Nadeza Sokol Tesalor, șefa Casei Tesalor, al treilea copil al reginei cunoscut sub numele de Pandora vă condamn, Vladimir pentru încălcarea unui jurământ. May you experience the damnation of one that breaks their vow," I said, the words coming out of me like they were being pulled. 'I, Natalia Nadeza Sokol Tesalor, Head of the House Tesalor, third child of the Queen known as Pandora condemn you, Vladimir for breaking a vow.'

A gust of wind seemed to come out of nowhere and whipped through the parlor where the four of us stood. As if drawn by an unknown force, it circled around Vlad and me, creating a solid wall of air between us. Even Viktor was ripped away from me by the force.

I was pretty sure that only I saw the white treads that stretched between me and Vlad, wrapping him up like a cocoon before vanishing into him.

"What did you do!" He screamed above the wind, his eyes in wide panic as he looked at me, the signature smirk was no longer on his face.

As the last string vanished, the wind died and the room returned to normal. It took all four of us a few minutes to realize that there was someone banging on the closed door.

"Alpha! Are you okay?" Yelled one of the wolves outside.

"I am," replied Lucas, his eyes never leaving me. "Take everyone for a run. No one is to be in the house."

"Understood, Sir," came the reply. One good thing about the wolves was that they obeyed a command.

Viktor once again took his place behind me, but this time he didn't touch me. Where before he was supporting me as a … friend… this time he made sure that his posture screamed sentinel.

"What did you do?" Gasped Vlad as his eyes turned from red back to black and then back to red.

"Did you forget your Romanian when you forgot your past?" I sneered. Apparently, Viktor and Lucas understood what was going on.

If I was to be completely honest, I had no idea what I did either. I would have to ask Viktor when we got back to his place.

"Fuck off and tell me what you did!" Yelled Vlad again, this time his gaze jumped to the other people in the room.

"You have been punished as an oath breaker," said Viktor in his deadpan voice. The monotone in it caused me to shiver. I had never heard him speak that like before.

Normally his voice would cause me to melt, but this time, I froze.

"I made an oath to the Tesalors! She cannot be a Tesalor so my oath did not count! She has the wrong eyes."

"Did you not hear what she said just now?" Asked Viktor, still retaining his stillness. He refused to look at Vlad and instead stared over his head. "She is the third child of Queen Pandora, she is the last remaining true Gypsy."