Blood Behind Him

Blood Behind Him
“JUDAS is your son!”

The words hit the room like an explosion.

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

Then Pearly’s vision went black.

Strong arms caught her before she hit the floor.

“What the fuck are you saying?!” Criss roared.

The next thing Pearly heard was Lucille slamming hard against the wall.

Criss had her by the jaw, his entire body shaking with rage.

Lucille convulsed violently.

Then suddenly,

Criss froze.

Lander’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A second later, Criss was thrown backward like an invisible force ripped him away.

His body lifted into the air before crashing hard onto the floor.

“Really, Lander?!” his brother snapped furiously.

But Lander ignored him completely.

He walked calmly toward Lucille, lifted her unconscious body into his arms,

And vanished.

Just like that.

Gone.

The living room fell into a terrifying silence afterward.

Too quiet.

Too tense.

Pearly slowly lifted her eyes toward Jaden Gabe.

And realized,

He was already staring at her.

“Judas is your son?”

His voice sounded rough.

Almost unrecognizable.

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Too sharp.

But Pearly noticed it immediately,

The fear in his green eyes.

He gripped the back of the sofa tightly enough to crack the wood.

Pearly’s chest tightened painfully.

Because Jaden Gabe looked terrified too.

And somehow…

That made everything worse.

“Goddamn it…”

He stepped toward her instinctively.

But Pearly immediately stepped back.

“H-hold on…”

Jaden Gabe raised one trembling hand.

Like he was afraid she would disappear if he moved too fast.

“Answer my question first…”

His breathing sounded uneven now.

“Did something happen between you and Lucille back then?”

The full moon was approaching.

Their second full moon together.

The one that was supposed to make everything better.

The one they had been waiting for.

So why did it suddenly feel like her entire world was collapsing instead?

Why couldn’t happiness stay?

Why did something always ruin it first?

“Did something happen?” Jaden Gabe pressed softly.

There was desperation in his voice now.

Raw.

Painfully raw.

“Please… just tell me the truth.”

Pearly opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because the truth was,

“I… I don’t know…”

Jaden Gabe stared at her like the answer physically hurt him.

“You don’t know?”

His voice cracked slightly.

“I’m sorry…”

The words slipped out weakly.

Wrong choice.

Immediately.

“Sorry?”

Jaden Gabe laughed once under his breath.

Broken.

Dangerous.

Then he dragged a hand down his face roughly.

“That word again…”

The pain in his voice nearly destroyed her.

“That’s enough.”

Helios quietly disappeared upstairs.

Criss walked outside.

Neither of them interrupted.

As if they understood this was no longer something anyone else could fix.

Pearly’s chest hurt so badly she could barely breathe.

“I’m going upstairs,” she whispered.

“Pearly, ”

“Don’t worry,” she cut in quickly. “I’ll stay in our room.”

She forced a weak smile that didn’t fool either of them.

“But please…”

Her voice trembled.

“Please give me time to think.”

“I’m sorry.”

Again.

Another apology.

And this time, Jaden Gabe visibly clenched his fist hard enough for the sound of cracking bones to echo through the room.

“That’s enough of your sorry,” he muttered hoarsely.

Then he turned away from her.

“Just… give me this time too.”

Pearly rushed upstairs before she completely broke down in front of him.

The moment she entered the room, she locked the door behind her.

Even though deep down…

She knew locks meant nothing to a vampire like Jaden Gabe.

The second she reached the bed, she collapsed onto it and cried.

Hard.

Silent.

Shaking.

Everything hurt.

Her chest.

Her thoughts.

Her heart.

Then suddenly,

Her phone rang.

Pearly quickly grabbed it.

Unknown number.

Her stomach twisted immediately.

Judas?

“Hello?” she answered shakily.

“Pearly. This is Don. Donovan Pedrigal.”

Her entire body stiffened.

“Don?”

How did he get her number?

“I already know where my sister is,” Don said casually.

Then his voice shifted.

Smooth.

Playful.

Dangerous.

“But I guess I still owe you something.”

Pearly’s grip tightened around the phone.

“I’ll tell you a secret you should know.”

A pause followed.

“Interested?”

A cold feeling crawled slowly down her spine.

What secret could possibly be worse than what Lucille already revealed tonight?

“You are interested,” Don chuckled softly.

“I can hear your heartbeat from here.”

Pearly froze instantly.

“So fast,” he continued lazily. “Your breathing too. Your blood flow…”

His voice lowered.

“Oh, how tempting.”

Fear slammed into her chest.

Then suddenly,

Don laughed.

“Kidding.”

“What do you want from me?” Pearly snapped weakly. “And what secret are you talking about?”

“Trust me,” Don murmured. “You really want to hear this.”

“Then say it already!”

Pearly’s voice cracked.

Because honestly,

She already felt like she knew too much.

What else could possibly hurt more than tonight?

“I know who killed your cousin.”

Everything inside Pearly stopped.

Her heart slammed violently against her ribs.

Once.

Twice.

Too fast.

“Did you hear me, Peri?” Don asked softly.

“I know who killed your Ate Ana.”

A pause.

Then,

“It wasn’t an addict. Not a thief either.”

His voice dropped lower.

“You know what killed her?”

Pearly’s fingers turned numb around the phone.

“A vampire.”

“W-why are you telling me this?”

“Because we’re friends.”

“I’m not your friend.”

This time her voice came out stronger.

Sharper.

Don laughed softly again.

“Well, I’m yours.”

Then quieter,

“And friends don’t let friends get fooled.”

Pearly’s stomach twisted.

“What are you talking about?”

“If there’s a liar here,” Don whispered, “it’s not me.”

Fear slowly tightened around her throat.

“Who?”

Her breathing became uneven again.

“Who’s the vampire you’re talking about?!”

Don chuckled softly from the other end of the line.

“Who else?”

“W-who?” Pearly whispered.

Her grip tightened painfully around the phone.

“Tell me who.”

Donovan chuckled softly on the other line.

“Relax.”

A pause.

Then casually,

“It was Jaden Gabe who killed your cousin.”

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet.

“No…”

The denial escaped instantly.

Weak.

Broken.

She shook her head even though Donovan couldn’t see her.

“L-liar…”

Her breathing became uneven.

“I told you there’s no point talking to you, ”

“I don’t lie to my friends,” Donovan interrupted smoothly.

“They’re the ones lying to you.”

His voice lowered.

“They’re covering for him. Fooling you.”

“What you’re saying isn’t true…”

But even as Pearly said it,

Fear was already crawling through her chest.

Because deep down…

She knew Donovan wouldn’t say something this dangerous without confidence.

And that terrified her.

“Oh, come on,” Donovan murmured softly. “You already know I’m right.”

Silence filled the line for a second.

Then,

“If you really don’t believe me, go ask them.”

His voice turned colder.

“You won’t even need an answer.”

A pause.

“The truth will already be written all over their faces.”

Pearly started shaking harder.

“They’re all guilty,” Donovan continued quietly.

“Every single one of them.”

His next words hit like knives.

“Guilty of deceiving you.”

Pearly covered her mouth with one trembling hand.

Her heartbeat was so loud now she could barely think.

“Oh…” Donovan suddenly murmured.

His tone shifted again.

Darker.

“I can hear your blood rushing.”

A bitter laugh escaped him.

“I know the feeling.”

Then his voice sharpened dangerously.

“I hate the Vaughns too.”

Pearly froze.

“Especially Helios.”

Pure venom filled Donovan’s voice now.

“He killed my brother Nemesis.”

His breathing roughened.

“And he stole Euria from me.”

The hatred pouring from him sounded terrifyingly real.

“He left me with nothing.”

Then quieter,

“Even Liana… the woman I love… he wants to take her too.”

Pearly shook her head hard and threw the phone onto the bed like it burned her.

She couldn’t do this anymore.

Couldn’t listen anymore.

Couldn’t breathe properly anymore.

Then suddenly,

The bedroom door exploded open.

The doorknob hit the floor with a loud metallic crack.

Pearly gasped and looked up instantly.

Jaden Gabe stood there.

Breathing hard.

Desperate.

“Let’s talk,” he said softly.

Then more broken,

“Please.”

Pearly stared at him with tears flooding her eyes.

For a second,

Just one second,

She almost wanted to run into his arms.

Because this was still Jaden Gabe.

The man she loved.

The man who made her feel safe.

Then Donovan’s words slammed back into her mind.

It was Jaden Gabe who killed your cousin.

“L-let’s talk?” Pearly repeated shakily.

A small smile appeared on Jaden Gabe’s lips immediately.

Relieved.

Hopeful.

And somehow,

That made everything hurt worse.

That face.

Those green eyes.

The same eyes she once trusted so completely.

The same smile that ruined her over and over again.

And now,

All she could see was blood hiding behind it.