Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 217: Her home

"You do concede that he isn’t dangerous then," she half asked.

"I do," he said simply.

"You almost killed him...," her eyes blinked uncontrollably as she whispered.

"Better safe than sorry,"

Silas hadn’t the ability to read minds but one thing was for sure, Arabella did not seem pleased with that answer.

Although, she made no comments on it and instead moved on... Or back to a previous topic they’d broached, "Why didn’t you tell me about the mark before? When I returned, I mean,"

"I couldn’t bring myself to do that," it was one of the rare moments when Silas broke eye contact while speaking to someone, "You were in such a state of mind...," he never finished that sentence.

"For all I’ve read about them, there was never any mention of this mark whatsoever," a light yet somehow also heavy chuckle escaped her, "It turns out it is because they only mark their human mates to basically brainwash them into staying with them... Such a cruel fate," eyes shut, and features crumpled, she shook her head from left to right as though attempting to cast the thought away.

"I wasn’t aware there were other ways of introducing the toxin responsible for the mark into a body without a bite. I always believed it functioned similarly to the Mirari,"

Upon uttering those words, his diamonds fell on the tiny bite marks he left on her neck, consequently drawing her attention to them as well.

Her hand ascended and hovered, covering those two little gaps.

The young woman then moved towards the bed and picked the vest that lay atop its surface before walking and handing it to him, "Thank you," she muttered. Seeing that he’d been about to speak, she quickly added, "May I see him now, please?"

"The dungeons aren’t welcoming," he turned around, vest in hand.

"I am well aware of that, but I still have to see him," she tilted her head to the side, as though seeking his gaze.

"Why? Are you tempted to mother him?" he refused to look her in the eyes.

"Of course not," the words came in a sigh, "He is just a child. He’s all alone and was led onto foreign territories only fueled by innocent and righteous goals. I do not need to be his mother to pity him,"

There followed a moment of deafening silence during which Arabella was so sure Silas would simply deny her request and leave, but to her surprise and much to her relief he said, "Have it your way. Follow me,"

She did not need to be told twice and trailed after him through the hallways and then down the underground levels.

That was when the cold turned too loud to ignore as both of her hands clasped against her arms and rubbed them up and down to fight the shivers overtaking her body.

"You seem to need this verst more than I do," the vampire stopped to wrap her in that thick fabric once more.

Arabella accepted it without a protest then continued on following him along the corridor displaying empty cell after empty cell. The deeper down that path they walked, the grayer those walls seemed to grow and the weaker the flames brightening that place became.

A sharp gasp emanated from the last cell down the straight line ahead of them, quickly followed by shuffling then the rumbling of metal bars.

"Mother! Is this you?" Remus’ voice resonated through the entirety of the dungeons.

Arabella picked up the pace and rushed past Silas who did not try to stop her.

Claws out, Remus’ little fingers were wrapped around the bars as he tried with all of his might to push through the metal.

"Mother! Please let us leave this place together!" he pleaded, "Father is waiting for our return!"

When the boy reached through the bars in the hopes of grasping Arabella, Silas immediately interfered and grabbed him by the wrist, "Keep your hands to yourself," the vampire uttered in the coldest yet calmest of tones.

"No! Let me go! Get your hand off me!" at first there was defiance in his eyes, but then it gradually turned to imploring as his voice turned meek, "It hurts," he cried while his second hand clawed incessantly at Silas’.

"Please," Arabella pushed forward and took Remus’ hand in hers, "I’ll hold it," she knelt down before the bars, "He won’t hurt me. Isn’t that right, Rem?" her eyes remained on the boy who looked back at her. She pledged the best smile her features managed in that moment.

"I would never," Remus muttered, shaking his head from left to right.

"See?" she chirped in that fragile tone that betrayed the strain around her vocal cords, "You may let go of him,"

Silas was reluctant at the idea but eventually resigned himself to listening and stepped back, watching as Remus and Arabella took each other’s hands and drew so near to one another that even the bars seemed to cave in and fade.

"Will you come home with me, mother?"

The little rasps in the boys’ voice were devastating blows that took stab after jab at Arabella’s already bleeding heart.

"Oh... Remus," her head shook ever so slowly, "I can’t,"

"Why not?" he wept louder.

"Because this, right here, is my home,"

Remus took one look around them and wailed, "He keeps you in a dungeon!"

As ridiculous as that remark was, Silas focused on the fact that Arabella called their manor her home. It was by no means something he thought he needed until his ears caught it.

"No, no, no, no!" the young woman tightened her hold around the boy’s hands, "Not in the dungeon!" she corrected him, "I stay upstairs. I’ve even got my own room and all," she smiled sweetly.

"But you belong with us,"

"No, Rem, I don’t,"

"Father said-"

Before he could finish that sentence, she cut him off, "I know what your father said," she nodded, "But... You have to understand that your father was very unfair to me,"

"How so?" he asked through the streaming tears and sniffles.

"He tried to take away my choice, and that is so unkind,"