It took me a week before I ventured out to knock on Stella’s front door. She greeted with a friendly smile and invited me into her home. She was dating a Sire how lived within the small community.

“It was difficult in the beginning,” Stella sighed. “I didn’t have it in me to be like the others. I was different. Every day was a struggle.”

I could sympathize with her, even though our situations were very different.

“But here. Here I’m not judged, I don’t have to be a certain way. I don’t have rules to follow and have to fear punishment if I step out of line.”

It made me remember when Silas had punished me with a whipping. I swallowed went it unearthed emotions I had believe were so deeply buried I would never have to experience them again.

“Here I’m free to be whoever I want to be.”

I nodded. I still hadn’t reached that stage.

While she talked, I listened intently. I wasn’t ready to share my experience so I was happy to hear hers.

I learned that vampires were immortal creatures who could live forever. Unless of course they got infected by Scavs which was on the increase with the number of Scavs.

She was fascinating to listen as she answered all the questions I had always been curious about.

Unlike old stories Vampires could walk unharmed in the sunlight. Holy water, crosses and garlic had no affect.

Then I asked her the most important question. “How can a vampire die?”

“They can only die if they are poisoned with a special flower. It congeals our blood making it impossible for the blood to pump through our bodies.”

I was transfixed as she talked about how Sires could also live as long as vampires but we were weaker than vampires and there were more ways for us to die.

She explained why Sire pregnancies with Vampires were so dangerous.

“The overload of Vampire DNA and the rate of the pregnancy often too quick to be sustained in a Sire who is not a genetic equal.”

It made sense.

There was knock on the door.

“Come in,” she yelled.

Jason walked in with a worried look that made me stand in apprehension.

“I need you to come with me,” he instructed before nodding in Stella’s direction.

“I’ll see you later,” I said to her as I followed Jason out and to his truck.

He never said a word until he drove me to the farm house.

I followed him inside, feeling more and more anxious with every moment that passed.

Once inside he turned to face me, arms crossed.

It wasn’t good. It never was.

“Jude called.”

I nodded, hoping it was nothing serious but fearing the worst.

“He needed to speak to you urgently.”

I nodded again. “Is that the reason why you seem so worked up?”

It was just a call. Surely it wasn’t something to worry about.

“We don’t usually communicated via telephone for fear of being discovered. If he is phoning then there is something very wrong.”

“How do you usually communicate?” I asked.

“Via letters.” He nodded in the direction of a pile of envelopes. “We ensure it goes through so many points that it’s almost impossible to track. Phone calls even with burner phones is far riskier.”

That’s the moment I began to pace. I had been prepared to do what I had to. All I could do was hope that all of this hadn’t been blown.

Every minutes dragged. It felt like forever before the phone began to ring.

Jason picked it up and listened. He never said a word.

Then he handed me the phone.

I put it to my ear.

“Avery?” It was Jude.

“Yes,” I said, feeling breathless as my heart raced. It was the tone of his voice that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

“He knows.”

I didn’t need him to explain. I knew who he was talking about.

“How?” I croaked as I found myself sinking into the nearest chair.

“He found Jason’s number in the drawer beside you bed.”

It felt like the world fell from under my feet. It hadn’t been Avery who had revealed my existence, it had been my mistake. No one else’s.

“He has traced the number to your location.”

But even with a telephone number and location he couldn’t know that I’m alive. Could he?

“Does he know I’m alive?” I asked, needing confirmation of that fact.

“He is chasing your ghost Avery. The problem is your ghost will lead him straight to you.”

There was no escape. What I had feared the most, was about to unfold.

“I can leave.” I had the urge to run as far away as I could so he wouldn’t find me. It was the only way to keep him and my sons safe. “I’ll get as far away as possible.”

Surely that was an option. There had to be another option.

“If you leave, he will search every inch of that property and he will discover all the vampires and Sires living secretly there.”

He paused. My mind couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. Maybe it was the erratic beating of my heart of the difficult I had in breathing caused by the fear in me.

“We can’t allow that to happen. The program to help Sires and Vampires escape the archaic rules of the vampires is too important to be discovered.”

He was right. I wouldn’t want to put all these people in danger.

“How long?” I whispered, feeling the repercussion like a physical weight on my shoulders.

“He’ll be there within the hour.”

I was silent as my mind reeled. I was hoping for a little longer to pull myself together but there was no more time.

“Avery.” Jude said.

“Yes.”

“He can’t know that I helped you.”

I swallowed. “Okay.”

I couldn’t destroy the trust Silas had in Jude. All of this would be my responsibility. No one else’s. I handed Jason the phone as I stood.

“You stay here,” I informed him. There was no way I was pulling more people into this mess. I was going to try my best to manage how it unfolded to ensure none of these people had to pay for the mistake I had made.

We had been so careful in the end but a careless mistake I had made before all this had happened was coming back to unravel everything.

“I’m going to leave. There is no reason for anyone enter this property and discover what is going on here. I’m sorry that it’s my mistake that has revealed this location but I can only promise I’ll keep the secret of what I’ve seen here.”

Jason nodded grimly. “What about you?”

“I have no choice but to face the repercussions.”

“Alone?”

I nodded. “Alone.”

There were many times I had left alone but in that moment I felt truly alone.

“You sure?” he asked softly.

“Yes.”

I had no idea what to expect but I was afraid. I feared Silas’ reaction for what was to come.

“Thank you for all your help,” I said to Jason as I looked back over my shoulder.

“I’m sorry you weren’t able to stay. Your return will give us the time to move this whole operation.”

I walked slowly down the long dirt road, a lone figure. It took me thirty minutes to get to the edge of the property and I stood to the side of the gates waiting for Silas.

We had all tried to avoid the inevitable. No amount of wishing could change what had happened and there was no point dwelling on a mistake, I couldn’t take back.

It wouldn’t be long before Silas discovered me and the fact that I hadn’t died. While I waited I tried to come up with a feasible story to hide the fact that June, Silas’ friend and confident, had helped me escape.

I shoved my hands into the jeans I wore as I waited trying to keep my panic at bay.

In the distance I saw the dust draw closer before I saw the three black, darkened windowed SUVS all in a row close in on my location.

There was no more running or hiding. I had to face Silas and hope our future didn’t unfold the way Jude had predicted.

I put my hand to block the sun from my eyes as the SUVs slowed down just before they stopped in front of me. The middle one in line with me.

The back passenger door opened.

“Avery?”

It was Silas.