Chapter 26: Chapter 26

He just wouldn’t shut up. You moving in with him will make him very happy.”

“He was ecstatic?” Elena asked astoundedly. She remembered how repellent she had been on that day, and the memory sent a pang through her heart because Ryder hadn’t deserved her unkind treatment. “Did he tell you a lot about me?”

“Some things, other things no. There are holes in his story,” Helen said before she took a sip of her tea, still holding the cup in her hand. Her thoughtful gaze rested on Elena’s neck, where the bite mark was visible. “I’ve been wondering why it took you so long to accept him, but I understand now. You’re afraid.”

“Vampires make me uneasy,” Elena mumbled.

“I hope you will feel comfortable in this house nonetheless—I can assure you that nobody here would hurt you. We aren’t like that. Besides, if the others acted out of line, they would have to answer to Edgar and me,” she said, smiling icily for a moment before her expression warmed, showing something akin to affection. “I would love to be friends with you.”

Elena gazed at her half-empty teacup, watching her own reflection as she furrowed her brows. Maybe she could trust Helen—having a friend in this foreign place surely wouldn’t do any harm.

“Thank you, Helen.”

“How about we go out for lunch, or maybe shopping soon? You didn’t bring any of your clothes, did you?”

“That’s right, I left them… at Steph’s house,” she sighed.

“Who is that?”

“My ex,” Elena cringed. “And the person I used to live with.”

“Oh. Then it’s plausible you wanted to move out as fast as possible. I can lend you some of my clothes until you have time to shop. We might have a similar size,” Helen said, and looked her up and down. She was right, their figure was similar, but their height unfortunately weren’t. Helen was taller than Elena.

“Thank you, I really appreciate your help,” she smiled, finding it surprisingly easy to get along with the vampire.

By the time Helen excused herself and left, the sun was setting. Elena lingered at one of the large windows in Ryder’s bedroom and looked outside. The vampire had been successful in distracting her for a time, taking her thoughts away from their dark path, but now, Elena continued to ponder over the things that had happened today and yesterday.

Her heart ached for her dead flowers, her vandalized shop. She had built all that herself, and she had been proud of it—losing it in a single day without warning was a nightmare. She hated Steph for destroying her haven. It had been a mistake to move in with him, but her past self had been traumatized after her family’s death, so she had welcomed his help with open arms. If only she had known what it would lead to…

For the longest time, she had believed their relationship was completely normal. She had not seen the countless warning signs that had soon turned into deep-rooted issues. The constant insults, the way he put her down, told her she was ugly, and mocked her when she did something he didn’t approve of.

And that wasn’t even counting the physical abuse he had put her through. How many times did she have bruises after an argument with him? He had told her she wouldn’t survive without him, and her gullible past self had just believed it because she had been so insecure… But Elena wasn’t blind anymore, and she had no regrets about ending their relationship.

---

Ryder and Edgar left the car and walked down the street. They could have used their superior speed as vampires and reached their destination within a shorter time, but traveling in a car was more comfortable than running. Elena’s flower shop came into view, nestled in between a bakery and a small convenience store. Its windows were dark and the blinds shut, making the otherwise lively shop appear forlorn and empty. It was a strange sight for Ryder, and it roused his anger once more.

“How bad is it?” Edgar frowned.

“Very bad,” Ryder muttered. “Everything is broken. I think we need to throw away most of the things on the floor… I doubt much can be salvaged. That bastard was thorough.”

Edgar didn’t answer, but his expression darkened. Even though he had only visited this place once, he could tell that it looked wholly different without the colorful flower displays outside.

Unbeknownst to Edgar and Ryder, the perpetrator lingered close, hiding his presence with a strong magic spell that concealed his scent and true nature. Steph sat outside the bakery at a table, holding a paper cup with coffee in his hand as he stared at his smartphone, listening in on the conversation of the two vampires. He had kept an eye on Elena’s shop, believing she would run right into him, but instead, these two vampires had appeared, somehow having access to her shop.

Steph leaned over the table and watched them through the dark shop windows. They were meddling in his business. What he did to Elena and her worthless shop was none of their concern. Steph scowled and waited for them to leave; however, the vampires tested his patience. They spent an hour in her shop, cleaning everything up and collecting the glass shards on the floor. When they were done, they left and locked the door.

“I think she will like it,” the black-haired vampire said. “It will be a relief. Now we only need to buy flowers to decorate her room with.”

The other vampire nodded, suppressing a smile. “It’s endearing how worried you are about your soulmate, Ryder,” he said.

Steph reached his breaking point. He crushed the paper cup in his hand. Soulmate? That bloodsucking bastard was her soulmate?

“You’re no different with Helen,” Ryder grumbled.

“I was joking,” his friend laughed and got in his car.

Steph stared after them as they sped away, smoldering with resentment and disgust. The little slut had a soulmate, and she had never told him. He had always believed that he had her in the palm of his hand, but now he realized that he had been wrong—she had changed lately, become increasingly disobedient. And now Steph knew it was her soulmate’s fault. Ryder had ruined everything. And she was even staying with him. Steph hated it when other people stole his possessions, and he would take revenge in due time. Killing a vampire was hard, but it was not impossible. Especially when hunters were involved.