Hayley’s POV
I endeavored to infiltrate my home, as a silent shadow. I stayed out past curfew on my birthday eve. I was out with Daniel, my boyfriend, for too long.
As carefully as I could, I was opening the back door when a loud creak and shatter. My heart skipped, and I knew my cover had been blown. I still tried to go upstairs to my room, but then I heard a deep voice say, “Hayley, come. I need to speak with you".
"Yes…yes Dad, I am here," I said with a shaky voice.
"I need to speak with you," he said with a pensive tone.
I approached the sitting room foreboding, anxious about what he had to say. I arrived at the sitting room and saw my dad sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on my late mother’s picture near the television. His eyes were somewhat watery.
"I’m sorry for coming late, Dad. I was with Danny." I said.
"It's okay, Hayley; that’s not the problem," he said with a pensive tone, cutting me off before I completed the sentence.
"Sit down, Hayley; we need to talk; it's important," he said, looking anxious. I’ve never seen my father look so worried before.
"Hayley I’ve not entirely told you the truth about your arrival into this world." What is he talking about? My thoughts were a whirlwind of endless queries.
“Well, I’m just going to explain since you look confused: when your mother was in labor with you, she was dying, and I looked for every possible solution at that time to save her, but I couldn't find one. I reached out to Lorenzo, the ancient undisputed king of vampires," He said.
"Vampires?!" I said, cutting him off, "What do you mean by that?" I said standing up instantaneously, "Calm down, Hayley," my father said standing up to calm me down.
"Just sit down; I will explain," he said in a soothing voice, pointing at the chair and directing me to sit down.
"I need you to be calm because what I am about to say on your eighteenth birthday eve, will change your life forever." As my father uttered those words, an intense atmosphere gripped the air. When I saw the look in his eyes, which screamed fear, I knew this was no joke.
"I am a werewolf, and so was your mother." My father’s words sent a wave of shock that surged through my entire body.
As I endeavored to anchor my perplexity, he continued, "When your mother was giving birth to you, both of you were dying, and I had to do something to save you guys. I contacted Lorenzo, a cruel vampire king who could help me. He was able to save you with his blood, but he could not save your mother."
What is happening? Could all this be true? Is it possible that everything is true in fairy tales and horror stories? “Hayley," my father said, breaking me out of my trance.
“Yes Dad," I said tentatively. "But why are you so tensed? What is the matter? A vampire saved me; no big deal. I forgive you for not telling me the whole truth," I said sardonically.
"It’s okay, Hayley, but there is one more thing," he said casually. I am not sure he detected the sarcasm in my voice.
"When I, uh," he stammered as he tried to talk, "when you what? Daddy, what are you not telling me?" I said curiously as my eyes widened.
"To save you, I had to pay a price," my father said.
"What price?"
"I had a contract with Lorenzo that if he saves you, you’ll marry him when you're eighteen," my father said, looking straight into my eyes.
"What?! Daddy, please tell me this is a joke." I paused to watch his reaction, but he didn’t flinch.
"I hope it was a joke, my love," he said as he cleaned his runny nose.
"This is not the eighteenth century, Dad, where arranged marriage is prominent," I said, getting up from my chair "You can’t just sell me to a vampire; what about Daniel, my boyfriend".
"Forget Daniel, at least for now, Hayley. I was afraid of losing you both; he was the only one who could help me at that moment, so he gave your mother vampire blood, which gives strength and heals; it didn’t work on her, but it worked for you," he said, wiping the tears that gently rolled down his cheeks.
Then he continued, "You are a hybrid, Hayley, half vampire, half werewolf, because of Lorenzo’s blood in your system."
"I know what a hybrid is, Dad," I said sardonically with a sigh. "So where is Lorenzo now?" I said it with a deep voice, trying to sound as tough as I could.
"I don’t know where he is at the moment; I’ve not seen him for over seventeen years," he said faintly
“Oh, good, then I guess we are safe," I said with a sigh of relief.
My father smiled sheepishly and said, “No, we are not; Lorenzo always takes what is his, and he doesn’t just let things go."
"So what are we going to do?" I said, feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof.
"I am going to go to my pack," my father said.
"You have a pack?! I have never known," I said holding my chest.
“Yes, Hayley, of course, I have a pack; I’m a werewolf, but they hate me because of the deal I made with Lorenzo," he said, looking down and releasing a sigh of disappointment.
Of course, they’ll hate you, I said to myself you sold me off to a freaking vampire, and I am not even sure he is a good one. I wonder what Daniel will think about this.
My father stood up from his chair to where I was standing, softly placing his hands on my shoulder and saying, "Hayley, I know you are scared. I can hear your heartbeat. I’ll do everything I can to ensure you’re safe." When he uttered those words, he hugged me, and I felt safe.
He released me and then put on his jacket. "Where are you going?" I said.
"I have to go to our pack to ask for help and protection; if Lorenzo is coming, we have to be ready," my father said, wiping his eyes and runny nose. He looked like he was entering protective dad mode.
He held the handle of the door “Umm, one more thing: don’t tell Daniel or anyone about this; keep it a secret" He said, Then he closed the door.
Now I’m alone in the house thinking about what my dad said: I’m betrothed to a cruel Vampire king named Lorenzo. How about my sweet Daniel? I want to be with Daniel, whom I love so much. If what my father said is true, then I’ll have to leave Daniel. No, I’m probably overthinking, I said to myself. Overthinking is like a storm in my mind, spiraling thoughts into a whirlwind of chaos. I need to be calm.
I suddenly felt a vibration in my pocket, which made my heart rise. Oh, it’s just my phone. I said to myself, it’s a message from Daniel saying ‘Happy birthday’. I am an eighteen-year-old who is betrothed to a vampire king. Well, Lorenzo can come for me now.
I heard a loud knock on the door, which made my eyes widen, my heart pound like a drum, and my legs numb and paralyzed by fear. I heard the knock again, this time louder, and the door vibrated. Who could this be? Is that Lorenzo? It can’t be my father; he has his keys, and I’m not expecting anyone by midnight. Who could this be?
