46 - Family

The tavern was packed with humans, their laughter filling the space whilst they shared stories and relaxed after a hard day's work. Warmth and the scent of spilt beer wafted through the tables as the night pressed on, falling deeper into darkness.

The atmosphere was joyous and intoxicating as a man jumped up onto the table, thrusting a fist into the air as he proclaimed that his wife was pregnant. Pride glistened in his eyes and the town's people cheered, sharing their happiness with cries and toasts.

The town of Elsrond was a thriving place, a market town that many travellers moved through on their journeys to the larger cities of Iann, so although many locals were in the tavern a fair amount of visitors sat in the bustling tavern. They came in all shapes and sizes, but all were welcome with an edge of caution; vampires were rarely seen in Iann anymore, but it didn't mean that the humans weren't wary about their presence.

But even wariness didn't mean they would recognise one.

One was sat at the bar, her head ducked as she stared into the drink before her. Her elegant form and pale skin were hidden beneath travelling clothes, a deep, blue scarf around her head to hide the light blonde of her hair. Her beauty wasn't matched by another in Iann, but she didn't look to draw attention to herself as she sipped at her drink, feeling the alcohol sink into her.

Although vampires didn't have to eat in order to survive, they still enjoyed the affects and tastes of food. The blood of humans fuelled their vampiric abilities, giving them power and also kept their heart beating. But Alena wasn't there to prey on the humans that night; she was there to forget.

She lifted the tankard to her lips, taking a gulp of the harsh liquid with a wince but only welcomed the feeling. Alcohol was good; it meant that she could distract herself from her memories…her crystal eyes flashed as a scream pushed through her mind and she stiffened, letting out a shaky breath.

"Hold it together," she placed the drink down and closed her eyes. Instead of letting her mind wander, she focused on the laughter around her and the humans enjoying themselves. Their voices and happiness was distracting and she felt herself beginning to relax.

"Can I get you anything else?" The barmaid asked but Alena didn't look up from her drink as she responded.

"No," her reply was more to get the human to leave her alone than anything else. She had come to a social place in order to let herself get lost in the atmosphere, not to talk to humans or receive interest from them. Her mind went to a time when she was the life and soul of the party, where she would dance, laugh and sing whilst pulling pranks on unsuspecting victims.

Alena closed her eyes. 'Those days are gone. Stop torturing yourself with memories.'

She raised the tankard to her lips, finishing the bitter drink before pushing it aside. The vampire opened her mouth to order another when a voice spoke up from behind her that made her freeze, "I believe the lady needs another drink."

The world narrowed to only his voice as the vampire's heart began to race. Her hands rested on the bar but before the human had registered that they had been spoken to, she began to push away…

Alena gasped as her back met another's chest, the solid form blocking her way whilst his hands slid down her arms only to grip her wrists. The grasp was gentle, but she knew that one wrong move would earn her a broken bone, "going somewhere, sweetheart?"

Hearing the voice again almost made her want to risk the injury. She swallowed, wondering how he'd found her there and feeling hate and fear fight for dominance inside of her, "anywhere that is away from you." A chuckle came from behind her and he moved to press his mouth against her ear, an intimate touch that almost made her whimper.

"Why do you run from me, Ali?" The nickname caused pain to strike through her, reminding her of happier times…but times that had been all lies, she knew now, "I am the only family you have left."

"You are nothing to me," Alena hissed. She could feel the attention of the humans begin to focus on them, but she didn't care about causing a scene…and she doubted that the man holding her would either.

"I am your father, Ali," he breathed, his mouth still pressed to her ear as his fingers stroked over her skin. She closed her eyes, hating the reminder but knowing that the only way that he was her father was by his blood in her veins, "I am everything to you. You have no one else."

Alena hated that his words were true.

"You will regret ever betraying us," she breathed, not voicing the other person but she didn't need to for him to know who she was talking about.

"I find I don't regret anything I do, Ali – I only adapt to enjoy the situation even more."

"Is this man bothering you?" Alena's eyes flashed right to see that one of the men from the larger group in the tavern had approached them, but it was clear that if there was any trouble that his friends would back him up without a word.

'He has since the day I was born,' but Alena didn't voice her thoughts. "Yes but there's nothing you can do about it," her reply caused the human to blink but a light chuckle sounded against her ear at her words. "I suggest all of you leave this tavern immediately."

The human looked confused and tension began to build in his features, but Alena sneered as the voice sounded in her ear again, "trying to save human lives, Ali? What would Kryan say about that?" Pain flooded through her at the mention of the other vampire and a hiss came from her lips as he continued, "he's most distraught about your absence – I comforted him the other day." Alena stiffened, her eyes flickering at the thought of him talking to Kryan…and the poison he would have planted. "The things I said seemed to make him feel better."

"Miss?" the human man asked again in concern, sensing the tension to her but she wasn't paying attention, emotions and fear pushing through her.

"If you dare do anything to him, Frost…" his laugh cut her off and he held her tightly against his chest, his teeth grating at the skin of her ear.

"Oh it's not what I'm doing, Ali – it's what he's going to do…to you," he breathed before suddenly releasing her. The whole tavern was watching the pair now, everything quiet but Frost didn't take his eyes from his daughter as she turned to get him in her sights…but she couldn't deny the fear that was building within her at the thought of Kryan at Frost's hands.

"He really misses you," a small smirk spread across his lips, his pale eyes glinting at her as the words seemed to conceal a hidden warning…something that made her tremble.

But Alena didn't move, nor did anyone else as they let the powerful man move towards the door. Silence followed him, but one filled with tension. No one in the tavern had felt his power, but they hadn't needed to to know that he wasn't a being that they wanted to even consider messing with…

One that would leave their daughter in fear of their life…in fear of pain…and in a growing sense of dread and fear over the man she loved.