Beautiful Sins: Leigha Lowery Read online

  It wept, and shook his head as it climbed onto its feet. Alex slipped back into a crouch, and snarled. The dogs began to back away, fearful of his wrath. As they disappeared into the forest, Alex rose to his feet and came to our aid. Maria broke apart from us, and dropped to her knees. Alex ignored her. My body shook roughly as I stood, frozen in place. I'm not sure if it was the cold, or the shock that spread through my entire body.

  Alex's eyes glowed a golden brown, his teeth long and sharp. My mind screamed for me to run from him yet, my body welcomed his ice-cold hands as he roughly gripped my face.

  "Why are you trying to leave me?" He growled. I felt my legs giving out on me, and I let myself fall into darkness.

  I'm not sure how long I was out. It could have been minutes, hours, or days. I felt a cool hand brush against my clammy forehead, causing my eyes to flutter open.

  "Thank god." He sighed, pressing his forehead to mine. I flinched, pushing away from him in fear.

  "It's okay love, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you." He promised. His eyes were calm, the beautiful chocolate that I adored so much. So many different emotions swept over me. I couldn't fathom what was happening to me.

  "What are you?" I asked.

  "Leigha relax, everything is alright." He assured me again. I ignored him, furious that he disregarded my question. I pushed his hand away, sitting up on the bed. I ignored the intense stinging pain from my leg.

  "Where is Maria?" I asked, sweeping my wild hair behind my shoulders. He smiled.

  "She's safe. I sent her home to her parents. What were you thinking, sneaking off like that?" He scolded. I rolled my eyes.

  "I know what I saw Alex, so there's no need to try and back out of this. I want answers. Please, I need to know what's going on." I begged.

  He turned away from me and sighed.

  "Leigha sweet heart… Please, just let this go. You're safe. There's no more danger." He vowed. I shook my head annoyingly and crossed my arms over my shoulders.

  "No. Something isn't right. What were those animals? What are you? I know what I saw; now are you going to tell me or do I have to find out for myself?" I asked angrily.

  "Leigha please…"

  "Leigha! Oh baby, you're finally awake!" My mother shouted as she burst through my bedroom door. She hurried over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. The Prince stood over us.

  "Yes, it's a good thing I got to her when I did. She could have gotten herself into a lot of trouble." The Prince murmured. I scowled at him as my mother continued to squeeze me tightly.

  "Mom, please I'm okay. You can loosen your hold on me. I can't breathe." I complained.

  "Oh." She said, pulling away. I could tell that she was slightly embarrassed by her suddenly rosy cheeks. That embarrassment quickly faded, and I prepared myself for the torrent as her lips began to curve into a frown.

  "Young lady, do you have any idea how much you frightened me? Why would you do something like this?" She scolded. My mother's disappointment was far worse than any other form of punishment.

  I held my head down in shame. I didn't want her angry with me.

  "Mom I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken off like that. I just really wanted to get out of the house to work on my project. I should have just asked you." I said. She didn't look up at me. I knew, this wasn't over by a long shot…

  * * * * *

  THE THANEADDUS CHRONICLES

  Thanks to Prince Alexander, I was confined to the house until my ankle was well enough for me to walk on it. He came to visit often, putting the entire neighborhood into a frenzy. One night during dinner, I overheard Randy explaining to my mother that we may have to move. I didn't want to move again.

  What confused me more than anything, was the silence Maria held over the horrific attack in the park a few days ago. It was as if it had never happened.

  "Here's the rough draft for the column. I figured you'd want to read it over before I submitted it to the editor." She murmured, passing me the vanilla folder. We were in the living room, watching The Prince and Randy play and intense game of chess.

  "Can I speak to you for a moment?" I asked, gesturing towards the kitchen. The Prince looked up at me, curious of my behavior.

  "Er… Sure." Maria answered. I could feel him scowling at me as I followed Maria into the kitchen.

  "Maria… What's…" But I didn't get to finish. She had her hands up, waving around furiously to silence me.

  "What?" I muttered. She moved closer towards me. Her voice came out in a whisper as she spoke. I could barely hear her.

  "Not here Leigha, just hold off a little bit longer until we are alone." She murmured.

  She looked up at me with the most pleading eyes, and I knew she was serious. What in the world was going on? Why was everyone behaving as if nothing had happened?

  Maria walked over to the fruit basket and handed me a banana.

  "He's probably listening. Eat something; you'll want to annoy him as less as possible." Maria murmured. I rolled my eyes and tossed the banana roughly onto the table.

  "You know what? I know I haven't gone insane. If no one is going to fill me in on what's going on, I'll just have to find out for myself." I threatened.

  "Ahem." The Prince cleared his throat.

  "Is everything alright?" He asked. I forced myself not to meet his gaze. He had such a power over me; it was so unnatural and it made me feel uncomfortable.

  "No. Maria and I were just discussing the article." I lied. I knew he saw right through me; I wasn't sure how long he had been listening in on our conversation.

  "Leigha dear, why don't you come and join me while I finish off this game with your father? He suggested, holding his hand out to me.

  "Actually, I think I'll just go to my room. It's late and I'd like to get some rest. I'm going to school in the morning." I said eagerly, rudely declining his offer. This Prince had been getting on my last nerves.

  "Leigha." He sighed; his hands balling into tight fists.

  "You are not well. We will further discuss your education once you are feeling better." He said sternly. I sighed. I didn't feel like arguing and apparently, he wasn't going away.

  "Fine, but I still want to go to bed." I argued.

  "Very well then. Your mother will be up to tuck you in." He said, just before returning to the living room.

  "Why are you doing this Leigha?" Maria asked. There was a faint hint of annoyance in her tone.

  "Excuse me?" I asked. Had the entire house gone mad? She shook her head simply, and headed back into the living room without giving me a wayward glance. A loud huff escaped my voice, and as I folded my arms over my chest, I stomped off to my room, bewildered by everyone's strange behavior.

  I threw myself angrily onto the bed. Why was everyone being so cryptic? What the hell were those huge animals in the forest? Why wasn't anyone doing anything about it? Ugh! I had to do something to clear my mind; it was filled with thousands of thoughts and theories.

  I rolled over, knocking over a pile of books.

  "Great, just great." I grumbled, pulling myself into a sitting position to clean up the mess. I paused, staring at something that seemed to capture my attention. I picked up the thick encyclopedia like book, and I could almost hear the click in my head as the light bulb alerted my brain to what was going on.

  "The Chronicles." I murmured, quickly flipping the book open to the index section. I knew exactly what I was looking for. The creatures we encountered a few days ago were exactly the same as the creatures described in The Chronicles. How could I have missed something like this? I was always so attuned to my surroundings… I shook my head dubiously; this wasn't like me at all. Flipping the pages, the image of the Ilium, or best described as another term for Werewolf. The familiar images of the beasts that nearly killed me nearly put me into shock again. I slammed the book shut, trying to calm my breathing.

  "Oh my god, I cannot believe I overlooked this." I murmured in a heavy sigh. I'm not sure if it was fear, or pure amazement
. This alternate universe; the place I would drift away to in my dreams was real. The cold touches, the perfect pale skin, the irresistible, unnatural beauty, and The Prince's indescribable inhuman strength… I was putting it all together.

  "Vampire." I whispered. I slapped my hand quickly over my mouth. If Randy and The Prince were as I assumed, then they heard my verbal reverie. As I continued to think further on this, I wondered just how much of The Chronicles was real.

  The Ilium legends were real; Vampires were real… King Royce? I shook my head dubiously. No way, there was no way I was going to believe that. He couldn't possibly be King Thaneaddus, the first evil of mankind.

  Alexander, the son of the first evil was causally sitting in my living room; playing a game of chess with my stepfather. I felt like I was going insane. A light tapping on my bedroom door startled me and I nearly fell face first off my bed.

  "Leigha honey, it's your mother. Can I come in?" She begged in that pleading voice; she knew that worked wonders on my resolve.

  "Mom please; I think I just need to be alone right now." I grumbled.

  "Honey please. There's something I need to discuss with you." She begged again.

  If this discussion wasn't going to be about the attack, Alexander, and his connection to The Chronicles, I had nothing further to discuss. I needed to get out of this house, and away from them. I looked up out the open shades of my balcony, into the clear night sky. It was so perfect, so beautiful. The oversized moon glowed overhead, giving true light into the night.

  "Honey?" My mother crooned as she entered, closing the door behind her.

  "Mom!" I complained. She didn't understand. I truly wanted to be alone. I needed time to think, to figure out what was going on with this place.

  "Leigha sweetheart, I wanted to speak with you for a moment. You've been so distant lately."

  I almost started laughing in her face.

  "Hmmn, I was recently attacked by a pack of wild animals, no one is checking in further on the matter, and oh… I almost forgot this one, everyone has been behaving as if nothing happened." I complained. My mother sighed, flopping down on the bed. She didn't look up at me; she just stared down on the satin blue sheets, fiddling with the corners of The Chronicles. She seemed perturbed about something.

  "Mom, is something wrong?" I asked, trying to comfort her. It was ridiculous that I was doing this for her, but I felt compelled to do so. She drew in a deep breath, and began to speak.

  "Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice by coming here. I mean, bringing you here to the Coast with me." I stared at her blankly, bewildered by her confession.

  "Mom, I don't understand…" I said, tucking her dark brown hair behind her ear. She looked up at me; her eyes slightly glossy as if she were about to cry. She looked away from me.

  "I just want you to be happy. It seems like since I've pulled you away from Detroit, you've been distant."

  No, actually I've been trying to figure out what kind of world you've pulled us into. However, I was worrying my mother and that wasn't a good thing.

  "Mom, please stop worrying. I'm fine, really. I'm just trying to settle. I promise, I'll put more effort into getting to know the Prince." I tried to make my words come out sincere. I think she bought it. She looked up at me with a wide smile and pulled me into a tight hug.

  "Thank you baby." She murmured into my hair. I sighed. I wasn't in the mood for Prince Alexander. However, this might just work in my favor. I could speak with him; con him into letting me go back to school. I pulled quickly away from my mother's embrace, startling her.

  "Leigha honey?" She asked.

  "Not now mom. I have to shower and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is a new day. A day for new beginnings." She smiled at my statement.

  "Do you want some help getting into the shower?" She asked, staring at my wrapped ankle. I scowled at my fragility.

  "No mom, I've got it covered. I'll see you in the morning." I grumbled. She chuckled and got up from the bed.

  "Okay then, I'll see you in the morning. Love you…" She murmured, closing the door behind her.

  I walked over to my black vanity, flopping down in the chair. I grabbed a comb, and began to comb my long wild hair up into a bun. I started at my reflection for a long moment, trying to figure out just what The Prince had been noticing in me.

  My face was so average, tan and heart-shaped. My light brown eyes were just a normal as the girl around the block, and my smile was off. I had a slight overbite; I frowned at that.

  After my shower, I climbed into bed, thinking of different scenarios of how I would approach The Prince about the situation. It made me wonder; did my mother know what was going on? Lately, she had been more cryptic about this, more than anyone else had.

  My dreams turned into nightmares. I groaned as the dull grey light of the "new day" crept into my room.

  "Good morning!" An annoying voice chanted as the blinds were suddenly pulled open.

  "Ugh! Go away!" I groaned, pulling the quilt over my head.

  "That's not very lady-like Leigha." I kicked the quilt off my body, shocked to see the "perfect" Mina standing over my bed.

  "Mina… What are you doing here?" She flashed her perfect bright teeth.

  "It's day one of your training, and the Pr—Alexander thought it would be a good idea for you to return to school. The locals are worried about you." She chanted.

  "School? I can go back?" I asked, unable to hide the excitement in my voice. Mina rolled her beautiful amber eyes.

  "Well, not if you plan on spending the day in bed again. I've picked out some clothing for you. However, you must hurry. We have class in an hour." She said, holding out the odd outfit. I climbed out of bed, examining the pair of brown boot-cut jeans, and tightly fitted white blouse. It was totally something I wouldn't be caught dead wearing to school.

  "Umm, I'm not wearing that." I grumbled, walking over to my dresser drawer, and pulling out a pair of black yoga pants, and tightly fitted shirt.

  "Leigha, you must dress like a lady in waiting. You are above your peers. You should behave as such." She said, holding the outfit out towards me. I scowled at the clothing.

  "No, that's snob-wear. I'm not dressing like the girls I hang with. Besides, that clothing isn't even comfortable. Secondly, I have no one that I need to impress. Thirdly, I'm not wearing that." I chided, walking into my bathroom and slamming the door shut.

  I heard a loud huff, escape her lips as I left. I chuckled at Mina's frustration. I was no "lady in waiting". I quickly brushed my teeth, and pulled on my comfortable clothing. I rolled my eyes when I opened the door, and noticed Mina holding out a designer jacket, a purse, and some jewelry.

  "Compromise Leigha." She crooned.

  "Ugh!" I groaned. She smiled in victory, and demanded to do something to my hair. Her styling expertise wasn't half bad. She was able to straighten my wavy locks better than I could. From out of nowhere, she found a pair of heels, but I laughed at the scowl on her face as she watched me pull on a pair of socks and my white sneakers.

  As we hurried downstairs into the kitchen, my mother placed a veggie omelet at my place setting.

  "What's wrong Mina? Not hungry?" I asked suspiciously, staring down at her perfect pale face, and perfect white teeth. She shrugged nonchalantly, and pulled out a magazine from her bag. Damn, this girl was good.

  "No thank you, I've already eaten this morning."

  "Oh, I bet you have." I said under my breath. I saw Mina scowling up at me, out from the corner of my eye.

  "Where is the Prince?" I asked.

  "He's with his real estate agent, looking for some local property. Apparently, he has developed a certain liking to the area.” Mina murmured between the flipping of pages.

  My mother choked on her orange juice; trying to stifle a laugh. She wasn't successful in the least. I frowned at her, pushing my plate away.

  "Well, we shouldn't be late." I said, reaching for my bag. Mina's swift hands caught it before me, pulling it
away.

  "You haven't eaten enough." She said, pushing the plate back towards me. I glared at her.

  "Actually, I'm not big on breakfast these days." I countered.

  "Well, the sooner you get your proper nutrition, the sooner we can leave." She argued. Her tone seemed final. I looked at my mother; my eyes begging her to protectively intercede. However, to my surprise, my mother reluctantly turned away, and began to clean up the morning dishes. I gaped at her in heavy surprise to what I was seeing. I groaned, pulled the plate closer to me, and began to finish off what was left of the fruit salad.

  "Happy now?" I grumbled, pushing the empty plate of food away from me.

  "Nicely done, and we still have twenty minutes to kill." She said, flashing her wickedly bright teeth, and tossing her catalog into her purse.

  "I'd like to get to school now." I complained. I hopped from my bar stool, and ran over to my mother to give her a quick kiss.

  "Have a good day sweetheart." She murmured into my hair.

  As I grabbed my coat and bag, I realized that I hadn't seen Randy all morning.

  "Mom? I haven't seen Randy this morning. Did he leave early for work?" I asked curiously.

  "Actually, he's on the Islands for the week." My mother answered. But he didn't even say goodbye. For a moment, I was confused. Why did I even care that he had gone?

  "Come on Leigha. We don't want to be late." Mina chanted.

  * * * * *

  Secrets And Lies

  I was elated to be returning to school. As we walked out of the kitchen into the adjacent garage, I frowned at the burgundy Phantom parked inside.

  "I'm not riding in that." I grumbled.

  "Leigha, please be reasonable. Besides, how else will you get to school?" Mina asked. But I couldn't respond. Caleb, her handsome companion was exiting the vehicle. He walked over to us, his eyes locked purely on Mina.