Page 15 of Deceived

I keep my mask on, not letting out the turmoil inside.

“Fine.”

“If you wanted to talk, I would listen,” she offers.

I wish I could, but these thoughts are buried behind a wall of ice and if I let more than the small amount that just escaped out, I might never be able to bury them again.

“Thanks.”

I try to give her a reassuring smile, but I’m not sure I manage it, before leaving. I head upstairs to pretend my demons don’t exist, until they greet me in my nightmares.

Five

Anna

I sneak downstairs in the middle of the night. Everyone is asleep, giving me the perfect opportunity. I shouldn’t have to sneak around, but I don’t think they would let me do what I want.

I need to talk to him alone. Hear the things he won’t say in front of others and decide for myself how I feel. Felix gave me the insight I needed, that it’s okay to still be upset, but I’m not sure I want to be. If Ryan was also a victim of his brother, then I don’t want to hold that against him.

He should have told me the truth. If anything, I could have been alert and in a better position to protect myself.

The door creaks as I open it and head downstairs. The basement is dark, but my enhanced vision allows me to see Ryan’s form. He’s sitting up, back against the wall.

“Anna?” His voice croaks.

I flip the switch, flooding the room with light.

“Is something wrong?” He asks, immediately alert.

“No, I just wanted to talk.”

His smile is soft and familiar. Reminding me of our time together, before everything went so wrong. There’s an overwhelming tinge of sadness too that wasn’t there before.

“Sure, come on in. I won’t bite,” he says.

I flinch. I can’t help it.

“Shit, sorry Anna. I wasn’t thinking.”

I move closer, sitting on the weight bench. Ryan is sitting on the workout mat he’s using as a bed. He’s still chained to the wall.

“It’s fine. So listen, I need to know your story and more about what happened. I… can’t move past it until I do.”

“I’ll tell you anything I can. I can speak of our time together.”

At least I can get answers about that if not the time he was taken.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Any of it. About your evil twin or being a vampire?” I ask.

He sighs, leaning his head back on the wall.

“I didn’t think I could. It sounds stupid but I was raised in a different time.”

Right, he’s over three thousand years old. Is that weird?

“Supernaturals were deep in hiding. Telling humans was a death sentence. Not necessarily from humans either, other supernaturals could persecute you. More often than not, they were the danger. They would usually kill the humans too. By the time I knew I could trust you, you were surrounded by other supernaturals.”

“Aly and her mates?” I ask.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com