Blood Legacy Chapter 40: 40. You

"You wanna know what I am afraid of? You, Nathan. It's you who scares me,"

*Fine. There I said it.*

I watched his face contort with shock and confusion. But that didn't stop me.

"I would've gladly accepted giving you my body only. But you're trying to steal my heart too. Why are you trying to steal my heart, Nathan?" I complained with a hint of annoyance.

"I gave you my body and with no remorse whatsoever, but you're trying to steal my heart too. And that is exactly what I am scared of. It terrifies the crap out of me. I'm scared that you will take it just so that you can crap all over it,"

He opened his mouth as if to try and say something, immediately closing it back as I countered,

"You've hurt me in the past, what's stopping you from doing it again?"

"Who's to say that this is not just some elaborate scheme of yours, some clever trick by making me fall in love with you, just so that you could mock me or break my heart later?"

"I..." He tried to open his mouth again, words failing him as he continued to watch me with that wild and utterly despondent look on his face, my throat hurting from those tears I so struggled to keep at bay.

I thickly swallowed, forcing myself to regain some composure right before I coldly spewed out,

"I'm sorry, Nathan, but I don't believe this. Any of this. I don't trust this sudden *kind* behavior of yours. I don't believe that you actually love me, or that we have anything special going on between us. I don't even understand any of this! I don't know how you got inside my head, or if this bond thingy or whatever is even real! I'm not a wolf! I don't even have any idea of how any of this works! I'm just a human, I don't belong in your weird fantasy world!"

"I am only human. I am small, and puny, just like you said," I said with a much quieter voice.

"And I bruise easily," I hoarsely whispered, gingerly touching that mark on my neck with my fingers for emphasis.

"So please, please stop trying to take it. I'm not giving it to you. It's not yours to take. You can try and make your beast tell me any lies you want, I will not believe it. I will never trust you, Nathan,"

Silence fell around us, the sounds of my trembling breaths being the only ones reaching my ears as I protectively held that hand over my chest, over my rapidly beating heart.

Pain. I was feeling so much pain I could barely even breathe, my hand shooting up to wipe a stray tear as I looked into those beautiful, deceiving eyes, so shocked to notice them glimmer with what looked like grief and longing.

But I didn't let myself trust them. I couldn't. So I cast my gaze aside, masking myself with a look of indifference as I quietly said,

"You can take me back now, Nathan. I want to go home,"

No words of reply came from him, continuing to peer at me with that burning gaze of his as I looked back at him, raising a brow.

"You said that if I have sex with you this shit you did to me will go away,"

"Well, we obviously did it, more than once so I guess I should be okay from now on, right?" I tilted my head to the side as I waited for his answer, watching him blink with astonishment, as if he couldn't believe what was happening right now.

He eventually let out a small nod, lips still parted open as if he wanted to say something. But I quickly beat him to it,

"Perfect,"

"Now take me home,"

**

Silence continued to coil around us like a thick blanket, stifling the air as we rode in his car. It was suffocating. I could barely even breathe as I patiently waited, absently peering at the world outside the car's windows, whizzing past us. I refused to look at him. I didn't want to. I didn't want to have to see that look on his face, those faint traces of redness rimming his eyes as if he wanted to cry, every time our gazes met.

*Not real.*

That's what I kept repeating to myself. None of this was real. His gentleness, those sweet words he said to me. It couldn't be. This was all just an act. He didn't love me! Hell, just three weeks ago he couldn't even stand the sight of me!

He was just messing with my mind. That's what he was trying to do. He was using his superpowers or whatever the hell was that mind-link thingy just so that he could brain-wash me and then turn me into his plaything.

*"My betrothed, MY plaything,"* Those words he said to Estefany that day after stopping her from hitting me echoed loud and clear in my head, making me feel even more convinced by my own theory.

*Plaything, my ass.*

I jumped out of the car as soon as he pulled up in our driveway, carelessly slamming the car door behind me then trudged my way towards my front door, not even bothering to look once over my shoulder.

I was tired. I was tired and sore and angry, and I just wanted to take a bath and then go to sleep. I wanted to forget about everything, even just for a few moments.

Noticing that it was already unlocked, I flung open the door and made my way inside, discarding my canvas shoes as I casually shouted out,

"Mom?"

"Mom are you home?"

No answer.

*Huh.*

My brows furrowed as I went to the kitchen to get myself a glass of fresh juice, thinking that maybe Dre didn't go to school today and maybe that's why the front door was unlocked.

"Dre? Is your lazy ass home?"

I closely listened in for an answer, trying to be as silent as possible as I went for the fridge and poured myself a glass of cold orange juice, just waiting for another few moments before gulping it down.

*Huh. That's strange.*

I placed the glass in the sink and exited the kitchen area, going for the living room first as I decided to just look around and see if anyone was at home after all, or maybe they just forgot to lock the door on their way out.

*What the f-*

Thoroughly startled, my lips escaped a loud gasp as I found myself staring at a stranger casually standing in my living room, his hands shoved into his jeans' pockets as he stared back at me.

I gulped, instinctually taking a step back as I warily looked at him, careful for any signs that he might try to lunge for me.

He didn't look any older than forty, maybe, his brown hair a lighter shade than mine, neatly combed back with a perfect amount of gel, his handsome face barely sporting any lines of elderness, covered by a light dust of beard.

However, his warm and light-colored eyes regarded me with a strangely-disarming gentleness, making me feel so unnerved.

"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my house?"

His brows shot up, seemingly a little bit surprised as he continued to stare at me, not uttering a single fucking word.

"You better get the fuck out before I call the fucking-"

"Hey! Hey! Whoah! Watch your language, young lady!" His warm yet masculine voice suddenly took me by surprise as it went right through me, eyes widening and knocking the breath out of my chest as I found myself quickly blurting out in reply,

"You're..."

"You're my dad...You're dad, aren't you?"