Chapter 29: Marco is Missing

“Are you sure?” Isaac asked.

“Well I don’t exactly want you feeding on anyone else, now do I?”

He smiled, rolling his eyes. Isaac lowered his mouth back to Lavinia’s neck. This was the gentlest he had ever been with her. There was almost no pain as he bit down. The feeling of static was muted and it spread slowly. As the two of them knelt on the ground Isaac began to hold more of his own weight. He raised his hands to Lavinia’s waist, pulling her closer. She put her own hands through his hair, holding him close.

When he pulled away his face was clean and the circles under his eyes had faded. He looked much more present, his eyes bright.

“This was incredibly dangerous,” Isaac said. “What if I had hurt you? What if you couldn’t break my mother’s control?”

“I wasn’t worried, Lavinia said. “At the ball, I could see you peering through. I knew you were still in there. I knew you didn’t want to be doing it but you had no choice.”

“This was still foolish. I could have killed you.”

“If you had done anything Arabella would have come in to save me. I know she can take you.”

“Arabella is here?”

“She came with you, didn’t she? She said she was going to get you.”

Isaac raised his eyebrows. “Arabella did not come get me. She told me yesterday that she would, but never showed. I came here on my own. “

“She probably just came here after you.” She moved to lean her head back against Isaac, but he felt stiff. “What’s wrong?”

“I want to make sure of where she is.” He stood up, moving to open the door. “Arabella!” He called. No answer.

“She probably just is somewhere else in the manor. I wouldn’t worry.” She too got to her feet, resting her hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Isaac hesitated. “This house is still filled with guests. I am worried for her safety.”

“She can handle herself.”

“I’m sure she can.”

“Although- no.” Lavinia cut herself off. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“Well, before you showed up someone else knocked.”

Isaac looked down at her, his face filling with worry. “Who?”

“It was the boy who had danced with her. Marco I think his name was?”

Isaac groaned, slamming his fist against the door frame.

“What’s wrong?” Lavinia felt panic start to rise in her chest.

“We need to find her. Quickly.”

“But why? I just got you back! Can’t we-”

“He danced with her because he thinks she’s his mate.”

Lavinia stepped back. “What are you talking about.”

“Werewolves mate for life. They don’t court, they just get a feeling-”

“Wait what?”

“Which part?”

“Werewolves?”

Isaac’s focus cracked for just a second into a faint smile. “Me being a vampire didn’t phase you. You’ve met ghosts and sirens and an incu- an all sorts of monsters. It’s werewolves that give you pause?”

“I didn’t think they were actually real.”

“You met Marco. I think I even joked about it.”

“I thought it was just a joke. Monster humor that I didn’t understand.”

Isaac shook his head. “No. He is quite literally a werewolf. He’s had Arabella in his sights for a while now. We need to find her.”

He took Lavinia’s hand as he went into the hall. The entire manor felt different. Isaac, so newly back in control, had dropped his pretension and with it his air of power. Before, Lavinia had felt protected walking through the manor with Isaac. Though she knew she was in danger, she always felt that Isaac had control over their surroundings. Now she could feel exactly how small the pair of them were in the enormous manor.

They walked in darkness, only the unshaded windows illuminating their path. Lavinia stayed close to Isaac, her hand a vice in his. They descended the stairs, making their way to the floor where Lavinia’s room had been, the door to which was ajar.

Isaac put his finger to his lips and stepped towards it quietly. Lavinia trailed a few paces behind him. When he entered there was the faint shuffle of footsteps. He held out his hand, pushing Lavinia back.

“Arabella?” he whispered. “Is that you?”

There was no reply. He took the lamp on the bedside table and turned the oil up, throwing a faint light over the room. A pair of hands disappeared under the opposite of the bed. Isaac picked up the lamp and walked to the other side, illuminating the small girl that was crouching there.

“Rosie,” Lavinia rushed towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her hands came away wet with blood. “Rosie?”

She looked down at the girl. Her chest had four parallel lines across it. A claw mark.

“What happened?”

“I-” Rosie looked at Isaac, her eyes wide.

“It’s ok. He’s fine. He won’t hurt you.”

Isaac took several steps back and sat on the opposite side of the bed. He kept his hands on his lap where she could see them and smiled sheepishly.

“Please, Rosie. What happened?” Lavinia asked.

“I was with Arabella. Waiting for her here. She said she had something to do. There was a knock at the door and I thought she was back. But I opened it an-” she took a breath. “It was a man I didn’t know. His eyes were yellow and it looked like he had sharp teeth. He tried to grab me and I felt his nails, but he stopped when I screamed. He held me there ans asked where Arabella was. I told him I didn’t know and he threw me down.”

“Marco,” Lavinia said.

“Do you know where he went, Rosie?” Isaac asked carefully.

“He said he was going to collect his mate.”