Chapter 48

Hi,

Sorry for the one day delay. But, THANK-YOU SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for being patient and understanding! I LOVE YOU ALL for that. Kisses.

Here is chapter 48 and it is dedicated to @deviel.

Beautiful cover above ^^^^ done by @HotnessNCoolness :D

SaQuinn lovers.... Enjoy!

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"Don't judge yourself by what others did to you."

-C. Kennedy, Omorphi.

AT KONRAD'S WAREHOUSE...

"He banished me from the pack!" Maxwell roared. "That son of a bitch banished me from the pack! After what I did to them, this is how they repay me?" He growled slamming his hands on the table.

Sanity on the other hand was training by throwing the Kerambits to a dart board.

"What did your best-friend do?"

"Scott didn't utter a word. Not a single word while Quillon passed that statement" Maxwell breathed out in fury. "They know I have been helping you. He and his friends were waiting for me. The moment I came to my house, they issued the ban. That little fucker even threatened to kill me and Scott kept quite the whole time. My best friend didn't speak a word to stop it from happening" Maxwell hissed.

"They will regret this. I will make them regret this" Maxwell said in determination and his wolf growled in agreement. "I will destroy Serene" he roared again.

"Only Serene?" Konrad demanded, raising one dark brow and Maxwell stopped growling.

"You want to destroy all the packs?" he asked, after some time.

"One after another, so that they see their death coming towards them. I want to wipe out everything. They killed my family and I will destroy everything that is theirs" Konrad swore viciously.

"Our kind will be wiped out" Maxwell said in a weak voice, still shocked by the bomb that Konrad just dropped.

"It has to and only then a new kind will be born. My kind" Konrad spread his arms beside him and Maxwell just stared at him in stunned silence.

His kind... a body made of half human and half wolf.

"Powerful. So powerful that it will crush everything that dares to stand in the way" Konrad said through gritted teeth.

Maxwell gulped; he was scared and confused but Konrad was very powerful and he knew he couldn't stand against him. He couldn't risk losing his life like others.

"How can your kind be born?" Maxwell asked hesitantly.

"By giving my blood to all werewolves" Konrad said grinning cunningly.

"We... we won't die?" Maxwell asked surprised.

"No. We will become more powerful" Sanity said and a slowly, the corners of Maxwell's mouth tilted upwards.

Now, he knew why Sanity was so supportive of Konrad.

More powerful!

A different kind of werewolf! A body which was half of human and half of an animal; yet so strong and dangerous! He could become like Konrad... probably even stronger. The offer was so tempting to Maxwell that he immediately stood straight.

All his life he wanted to be powerful and now, Konrad would help him become one and then, he will take his revenge on Darya, Quillon, Duncan, Scott and everyone who had insulted him.

He clenched his fist when his wolf growled in agreement.

Maxwell made the decision, right at that moment. He was ready to do whatever it takes, that will help him get his revenge on those vicious people.

"This happens just by drinking your blood?"

"No. It will take surrender and sacrifice"

"You can get that easily" Maxwell stated the truth.

"No. I won't get it easily as long as Quillon Sanders is in my way" Konrad breathed out harshly.

"Then take him out of the way" Sanity said and Konrad's eyes met her mint green ones.

"I will" Konrad swore.

"Won't his bitch get in your way too?"

"She will. But I already know how to take her out of the way and only after she is out, Quillon will be coerced to get out"

"You are talking in riddles" Sanity pointed out quietly.

"I am?" Konrad demanded, cocking one brow as he strode confidently, towards Sanity. With his thumb and index finger, he held her chin and tilted her head up. His eyes turned dark when they met hers. "Then be patient my dear, for the riddle will be solved soon" he said with a smile and one corner of Sanity's lips curved upwards.

"What have you planned?" Sanity asked narrowing her eyes and Konrad eyes twinkled.

"Lots and lots of games for all of us"

"When will you make the first move?"

"Oh! I have already made the first move and I got the desired reply. Now, it's time for the second one. My favorite one" Konrad smirked shrewdly.

__

AT SUPREME PACK...

Mrs. Robin Cartmel went to answer the door when the knocker sounded again. She pulled open the door and smile appeared on her face, when she saw her visitor.

"Quinn" she said and he smiled shyly.

"Hello Robin" he said and leaned forward to hug her.

"How are you? I heard you moved into the new house. Have you settled in well?" she asked as she ushered him indoors.

"Yes. Moved in last week" he replied and sat on the couch.

"You can manage?"

"I am learning to"

"Good. Sooner or later, it was meant to happen right?" she said and he nodded.

"Quinton" a male voice said and Quinn stood up when Mr. Sal Cartmel stepped into the room, while wearing his wrist watch.

"Hello sir" Quinn said stiffly. "Good afternoon"

"Good afternoon" Sal replied quietly. "Abi didn't tell us you were coming" he remarked with a frown.

"I didn't tell her either" Quinn shared quietly.

"Hmm. She is studying. Has got her exams coming"

Quinn refrained himself from saying that she still had a month to study for those exams. "I know" he said instead.

"You don't have any exams?"

"I do. Next month"

"Then you must study for it. What are you doing here?" Sal demanded with a frown and Quinn's wolf growled angrily, but he smiled.

"Sal" Robin called sharply, shooting him a glare.

"I had to meet Sabine"

"She is studying"

"Just ten minutes" Quinn said quietly.

"Yes, you can. She is upstairs" Robin said cheerfully and Sal frowned at his mate. "Go up. I will get you some snacks"

"There is no need to go up" Sal growled.

"Weren't you going out?" Robin demanded with a scowl. "Then what are you still doing here?"

"I will leave but make sure he doesn't hurt Abi" Sal glowered at Quinn, who too was doing the same.

"I will" Robin said gently and had to nearly push him out of the door. "Sorry about that" she said to Quinn, who nodded with a forced smile.

"Can I go up?"

"Of course" she replied and watched him go upstairs, to her daughter's room. Robin trusted that boy and knew he wouldn't ever hurt Sabine.

__

Sabine was on the phone with her friend chatting about everything and nothing, when someone knocked her door. Thinking it to be her mom, she climbed off the bed and went to answer the door.

The phone dropped from her hands but Quinn easily caught it before it could touch the floor.

"Careful" he said with a smile.

"Quinn" she said in a shocked whisper and then gulped nervously. He was in her house! Not the first time, but he hadn't told her he was coming either. She would have been prepared, dress better because all of a sudden, Sabine felt uncomfortable in her long, sleeveless t-shirt. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and she had been spending the day, lying on the bed and reading novels; hence she had worn one of her old, faded t-shirt.

Now he was here, smiling at her and she blinked in puzzlement. He ought to be angry with her because she had carelessly hurled insults at him, the last time she met him. She felt very ashamed later for calling him a man-whore and tried to apologize, but didn't have the courage. In fact, when Quinn had called and texted her but she didn't reply because she didn't know what to say to him. Now, he was here... smiling and it obviously means that he isn't angry with her. Why isn't he?

"Hey" Quinn said as she tugged the hem of her dress.

His gaze dropped to her legs and as her wolf purred, Sabine turned the shade of a tomato.

Quinn entered the room before she could say anything and Sabine instinctively stepped back, when he closed the door behind him. Fear, which now felt like a second skin, enveloped her at the thought of being alone in a room with a guy.

I can do this, Sabine thought confidently. I can be in a same room with a stranger... no Quinn. I had done this before. I can definitely do this now! Sabine thought and then took such a deep breath that she marveled, her chest didn't explode.

'Mate' her wolf reminded her with a growl. Her wolf wasn't afraid of Quinn, but was angry with him.

At that very moment Sabine recalled his history and her wolf bristled insider her. How could she forget his colorful past? No matter how many times she convinced herself, she couldn't forget it. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Her mate was supposed to be only hers and love only her. But Quinn didn't... Sabine closed her eyes as her wolf whimpered.

She couldn't forget it, but she could suppress it for the moment and be polite. At least she was taught to do that.

"Hi" she said, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Sabine felt nervy. She was excited, happy, and wary and scared at the same time. Too many emotions were confusing and it then suffocated her.

Quinn didn't miss anything. He had seen her gulping, taking few step back when he closed the door and he saw the way she was avoiding his gaze. He suppressed his wolf's unappreciative growl and instead smiled softly.

"I didn't know you would be coming" Sabine said nervously.

"Thought I would surprise you" Quinn said with a shrug and Sabine nodded hesitantly. Well, she was surprised, she accepted grudgingly but she didn't know if it's a good or a bad one!

"Do you want something?" Sabine fielded hesitantly. Quinn was about to say no, but changed his mind before the word could escape from his lips.

"Yes. An answer actually" he said instead and Sabine raised startled looking bronze eyes to look at him. "You have been avoiding me" Quinn stated and Sabine flushed uncomfortably. "Why?" he demanded, taking a step forward which instinctively made her take two steps back.

"I... I have not!" Sabine stuttered.

"You don't answer my calls or reply to my texts. Why are you so angry with me?" Quinn demanded, intentionally taking a step forward.

The back of Sabine's knees touched the bed and gasping, she fell on it, when Quinn leaned forward. She turned pale all over and her skin turned cold as her wolf cowered insider her. She could hear her own heart beat loudly, rapidly, inside her chest.

Shiver ran down the length of her spine as she felt a fear that hadn't let her sleep for years. Her breathing turned sharp and heavy. In fact, she started gasping for air.

When Sabine felt like she couldn't take it anymore, she felt a touch. It was different. Soft, gentle, caressing and warm; still it had her heart pounding in her chest. Tingles spread all over her body calming her wolf and making her sigh!

Sabine gasped out loud and blinked repeatedly. The hand which was holding her tightened, which made her flinch. She focused dazed eyes on Quinn, who was whispering things to her. Her eyes collided with his brown ones and she couldn't help but stare, feeling mesmerized.

"Hey Sabine" Quinn called and cupped her cheeks.

Sabine suddenly felt like she was on fire as her cheeks tingled pink.

"Come on, Sabine" Quinn said pressing his fingers against her cheek. She was scaring him. She was snapping out, completely blocking him out. Her skin had lost almost all it's color and felt ice cold. He just didn't know what he could do to help her.

Unwarily, Quinn shook her and that seemed to bring Sabine out of her trance.

The first thing that Sabine felt was a hand pressing hard on her cheek. Flinching, she immediately pushed the hand away and quickly got to her feet.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed full throttle and Quinn blinked in astonishment.

Hearing her daughter's loud voice, Robin ran up the stairs in an automatic maternal pilot.

"I don't want you touching me" Sabine screamed again and every scrap of color drained from Quinn's face. His wolf howled in anguish and trembled and dropped down inside him, unable to hear his mate's words.

"I hate you. You are a womanizer" Sabine shouted, losing her head.

Robin stopped just outside the door of her daughter's room. She wanted to push open the door and throw Quinton out of the house, but what stopped her was his quiet reply.

"I am not a womanizer" Quinn said quietly and Sabine glared at him, through burning golden eyes. "My past is my past. I am sorry I didn't wait for you. Believe me, I am. If I could go back in time and change it, I will. But I cannot—"

"I don't care" Sabine shrieked cutting Quinn off and he compressed his lips. "And I don't want your apology. You are not really sorry. You don't care. For you, it just doesn't matter" Sabine shrugged and Quinn stared at her in disbelief. "You consider women are something to have fun with. You don't give a damn about how we feel. You are a womanizer. JUST LIKE THEM!"

A loud murderous growl erupted from Quinn's chest and roaring, he punched the closet door, breaking it into pieces. Sabine screamed and pressed her back against the wall as she watched Quinn's body trembling in anger. For the first time ever, she felt the Alpha blood running in his veins.

'Mama' she hailed through the link, fearful that her mate is going to hurt her.

Outside the door, Robin closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she heard the boy snarling angrily. She wanted to get inside the room and take Abi away, but she stopped because Sabine was in the wrong today. It was wrong of her to compare Quinn with those lecherous bastards.

Quinn closed his eyes and pursed his lips to form a thin line when he heard Sabine's whimper. "Don't be scared" he said through gritted teeth and Sabine's eyes widened further in apprehension. "I have never hurt a woman in my life and I won't start now. I punched the closet because it's the only way I knew that would have silenced you from saying unjust things" Quinn said and then slowly opened his eyes. "You wouldn't have liked the other way" he added, without looking at his mate.

"Wh-what o-other way?" Sabine stammered.

"Grab you and push you against the nearest wall" Quinn said turning to look at her and Sabine's gasped as her eyes widened in horror. "But don't worry. I will not do that" he said shaking his head and Sabine gulped audibly. "That means touching you and I will not touch you, until you ask me to" he swore as his wolf sadly lowered his head.

Sabine stared at him through clouded eyes. Her heart just cracked a little inside her chest as her wolf, curled sat down quietly inside her. She expected herself to be happy, but strangely she wasn't happy.

"Don't. Just don't compare me with them" Quinn breathed out harshly and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists. "I am nothing like them. Nothing" Quinn growled out and Sabine lowered her lashes. "Yes, I have been with other girls but I am not a man-whore, not a womanizer. I am not some sex-crazed teenager. It happened only a few times. I have never been unfaithful, never made any promises. Those girls... they knew what they were getting into. It was consensual. I didn't hurt them. I respected them, never thought less of them" Quinn said with quiet dignity and mortification swept up over Sabine.

"I am sorry I didn't live up to your standards. I apologize for that... and trust me, I don't know if I should apologize or not" Quinn said sincerely. "It was before I met you. I didn't even know you... How could I? That isn't an excuse but that's all I have got to say in my defense" Quinn said and Sabine closed her eyes in anguish, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"And I also know that that is not the real problem here" Quinn continued and Sabine settled startled looking eyes on him. "I know you have trust issues when it comes to men. What happened with you was wrong. Bad. Very bad and I am sorry. It hurts to even think about it and the fact that I wasn't there with you at that time hurts too" Quinn admitted as his wolf bared his fangs. Those fuckers were dead; he controlled himself by repeating that.

"Those boys are dead. Gone Sabine! But you haven't killed them yet, have you?" Quinn asked and Sabine stared at him in numb silence. "No. You are still letting them harm you" he said and Sabine shuddered painfully.

"You don't understand. They touched me. They made me feel unclean" Sabine sobbed and slid down the floor.

Quinn restrained himself from going to her and comforting her. It wouldn't be appreciated, he knew that.

Outside, Robin leaned the back of her head against the wall and wiped her tears. My baby... she thought painfully. Sabine was hurting and Robin didn't know what to do to help her.

"You are not unclean. Even if they had gone too far, you still wouldn't be unclean."

"I hate this" she said gesturing to her face and Quinn inhaled sharply. "If it weren't for the way I look, they wouldn't have come after me. This gift is a curse"

"Sabine stop blaming yourself. It is not your fault. Your gift, your beauty is not a curse. Gifts are given to us for a reason and it is never a curse. Who is to say that those boys wouldn't have gone for another girl? Those guys didn't care about anything. They just wanted someone to sate their desires. Nothing else mattered to them!"

"I feel sick every time I remember it" Sabine shuddered again and pressed her knees closer to her chest.

"Then stop remembering it" Quinn advised and Sabine raised her lashes to look at him. "You are letting those bastards ruin your life. By repeatedly, thinking about it you are giving them more hold on your life. You are blocking out everyone, everything. You are pushing me away" he said in a sad voice and Sabine's lower lip trembled.

"I..."

"Unintentionally. I know" Quinn finished and nodded quietly.

"Don't let it be like this between us" Quinn added after sometime and Sabine lowered her head. "Not everyone is blessed with what we have got" he said and then sighed. "I like you. Clean, unclean, doesn't matter! All I know is that I like you and I am waiting for you. If you think what we have got is worth fighting for, then tell me" Quinn begged.

So many thoughts were running in her mind that Sabine couldn't think straight, couldn't form and utter a coherent word even if her life depended on it.

The silence lingered and Quinn closed his eyes as his heart sank to his stomach. He got his answer.

"I am sorry" Quinn said one last time, staring at Sabine's curled up figure on the floor and then turned to walk out.

He stopped and decided to say one last thing to her. "You are not a man-magnet" Quinn stated and startled, Sabine looked him in the eye. "Your gift is not that. Your gift is much more beautiful and it is not a curse" he stressed.

He pushed open the door and stopped in his tracks when he saw Robin crying silently while leaning against the wall. He gulped when she attempted to smile at him weakly. Without uttering a word, he walked away and Robin stared at his retreating figure.

Only when she heard her daughter's sobs did she run to her room.

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That night, sitting on the roof of her house, Sabine wrapped the cream stole around her and sightlessly watched her surroundings.

All she could think about was what Quinn had told her. He doesn't understand how it was for her....

Just thinking about it made her eyes scratchy. She had cried a river and she didn't have any more tears left.

As she felt the cold night breeze, a chill ran over her body and she trembled silently.

"You are not a man-magnet"

She could still hear him telling her that. She was. Her gift was luring men. Her gift attracted men and she hated it. She despised her looks for it attracted undivided, unwanted attention from the opposite sex. She had thought by helping killing Cable, she would feel better. For a while she did, but then she realized she had used her beauty to lure him and once again, she had hated herself and broke a mirror in anger.

She had broken lots of mirrors because she couldn't bear to see her own face.

Her wolf curled herself insider her and Sabine swallowed a sob.

"Your gift is much more beautiful and it is not a curse"

It is a curse. She knew that much and had come to accept it. She harshly wiped away the tears and then took a sip of her coffee. It was cold and she placed the mug on the window sill.

A familiar feeling was gnawing at the back of her mind and she didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I like you. Clean, unclean doesn't matter!"

She expected to feel better, but instead she was feeling horrible. Guilty and Sabine absolutely hated that. She hated Quinn for doing this to her. Forcing her to go through and face such conflicting emotions.

"You are letting those bastards ruin your life. By repeatedly, thinking about it you are giving them more hold on your life. You are blocking out everyone, everything. You are pushing me away"

Was she doing that? She never thought about it. Just kept thinking about...

Sabine gasped and closed her eyes as that familiar feeling surfaced and her body shuddered.

Fear.

She was scared.

Scared of going through what she once went through.

They might have drugged her that day, but she could still remember everything! They had touched her in places and ways; she didn't want to be touched. She didn't know anything about such thing at that time, but she still disliked what those boys were doing to her. They made her feel dirty about herself.

Sabine stopped and then blinked.

By repeatedly, thinking about it you are giving them more hold on your life.

Quinn had said and she just realized Quinn was right. She had let them scare her and slowly, that fear was consuming her.

Sitting straight, Sabine furrowed her brows when she realized that unwarily she was still letting them hurt her. The fear of what could have happened is still in her and it was eating her alive.

Her phone which was lying beside the coffee mug, began ringing and she was Vincent's name on the screen. She knew he was about to warn her, but she had already made up her mind.

Slowly, she stood up and dropped the blanket near her feet. Hesitantly, she marched towards the edge of the roof and jumped down.

She had to face her fear!

__

Sabine's lower lip trembled and her body trembled violently as she stood in front of the closed door of that classroom. She remembered that night... how those boys had dragged her here. With shaky hands, she unbolted the lock and pushed open the door.

A cold breeze hit her and her hair flew wildly around her head when she stared at the now empty room. The room was being used as a stationery room since that incident and used only by the staff.

Clenching her fists and swallowing audibly, Sabine stepped into the room for the first time after that incident. She hesitated and held the door, while contemplating stepping back. However her wolf growled disagreeing with her.

Her wolf had decided and she now refused to live with that fear. Dropping her hands from the door, she walked further into the room and stared at it.

This was the room that ruined everything and broke her into pieces once, but today she swore in the very room that it would stop. She wouldn't let that one incident ruin her life.

By staying here, going to this school and repeatedly watching this room from distance, she hadn't been able to forget her past. She had let it shape her into an insecure, timid person.

No further.

She was here standing in this room and looking at it. Recalling everything. Yes, what happened to her was bad and it is something she wouldn't ever wish on another soul, but she had been given a second chance and she would grab it with both hands.

Sabine realized then that she was truly blessed.

She looked at the room once again and saw her helpless self weakly, pleading with the boys to let go. They didn't show her any mercy and they got punished for it too.

Those boys were cowards. They were in the wrong. They had drugged her and had she been in a proper state of mind, she would have killed them. She no longer saw herself lying helpless, she saw herself being forced to feel helpless that night. Even then, she had tried to fight them back and she remembers trying to push them away.

They left some scars but it is time for her to get rid of those too. A scar might be forever, but it is up to her to be ashamed or proud.

Sabine realized she had been ashamed of it for a long, long time. Ashamed of herself even when she knew she hadn't done any wrong.

However, no more! She decided firmly. She is going to wear that scar like a badge. They hurt her, but she survived and now, she is stronger than ever.

Smirking once, she turned to go to her house, without bothering to close the door of that room.

__

"Oh dear God! Abi, where were you?" Robin asked hugging Sabine the moment she entered the house. "We got so worried. Vincent told us you would go—"

"I went there Mama" she said looking at her mom and watched both her parents tense. They had tried their best to help her move on with her life, but she had never really let it happen. In her mind, she never really moved on.

"I just wanted to g-get over it. Forget it. Today, I went there and remembered it, but it didn't scare me like it always did. Today, I saw myself in a different light there papa" she told and Sal nodded slowly, understanding what his daughter was telling him.

"I always thought I somehow tempted them. My looks tempted them, but I didn't do anything. They were in the wrong" she said tears rolling down her cheeks and Robin wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders.

"We know honey. We know. It's not your fault" Robin said tucking a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ears. "They had no respect for women" Robin said and Sabine nodded.

"Quinn was right. It is a matter of perspective" she whispered quietly after some time and then cried softly. "I hurt him too."

"You weren't doing it intentionally. He knows that. He understands that" her mom said soothingly.

Sabine nodded unsurely and then looked at her papa, who was staring at her with tears in his eyes. "Papa, can I ask something?" she questioned and Sal nodded encouragingly.

"Can we go back to our home? Can we go back to Czar?" she asked hesitantly. This place, this school had only made her unhappy and Sabine didn't want to live like that any longer. She knew she couldn't change overnight, but she wanted a fresh start to take the first step and only her home would give her that.

Sal was quiet for a long time before he lowered his head and chuckled. Wiping his tears, he looked at his sweet little daughter, who had grown up all of a sudden.

"You have never asked for anything from us before and now that you did, I thought you would have wanted to go to Quinn. If you wanted that, believe me, I would have let you go" Sal said and Sabine sniffed. "He is good for you and I couldn't have asked for a better mate for my daughter" Sal confided and Sabine rushed to hug him.

"Don't tell him that okay?" Sal said after sometime and his wife and daughter chuckled softly. "I like to be tough with him" he said with a sheepish grin. "Keeps him on line" he chuckled and then kissed the top of his daughter's head.

"As for going to Czar, I will apply for the transfer tomorrow" he promised with a gentle smile.

__

AT CZAR PACK...

Vincent leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He had been so worried that Sabine would get hurt again, but now looking at her future, where he knew she would return to Czar, he felt happy.

His mom would be happy to know that her sister and her family is returning home. Grinning, he picked up his phone and called his mom, but she didn't pick up. Sighing, he decided to go to his parent's place.

He stood up and marched towards the door but stopped when another vision hit him.

Vincent closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, when he saw that vision.

A door closing on it's own and getting locked. He was standing in a living room and staring at his surroundings in unease. He then drops on the floor, unconscious.

Vincent stepped back when he grasped that he had seen his own future. He had been standing in the living room of his own house.

His eyes rounded in terror when he realized that he was wearing the same light blue-shirt and jeans in the vision.

His fists clenched and his wolf growled murderously inside him because he knew what was coming.

The door closed on it's own and Vincent sensed another presence in the room. The handle got turned on it's own and the door locked, preventing Vincent from going out.

Konrad!

Vincent's claws came out and he growled murderously, looking everywhere. He couldn't see Konrad, but he knew he was here.

Vincent staggered back few steps and groaned in apin, when he sensed a fist connecting to his ribs, almost cracking it.

"Son of a bitch. Show yourself" Vincent spat and grimaced in pain, when he felt another punch on his face.

Few more unforeseen, unbearable hits and punches and Vincent dropped on his knees. He did not connect and call anyone through the link because he knew anyone who would come to his help would get soon. Konrad is never unprepared!

There was a quick movement which Vincent sensed and the next moment, he felt a rod being slammed to the back of his head. Closing his eyes, he winced in pain and fell flat on the ground.

Vincent tried his best to stay awake, but he couldn't.

Blinking repeatedly, he opened his eyes and stared at the white marble flooring of his house, which now seemed blur to him.

The next time he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of boots near him and slowly dragged his eyes to look at Konrad, who was standing near him.

His dark hair was neatly brushed and his eyes were the shade of new-moon night.

Konrad crouched down and smirked at Vincent's badly beaten and bruised body.

"I had to remove the obstacle away" Konrad said with a shrug and Vincent gulped. He was still glad that it was he who was hurt and not his family or Darya. Not Darya because she was the only one who could kill him.

"And you, are a major obstacle in my way" Konrad added quietly.

The door opened but Vincent couldn't see anything.

The last thing Vincent remembered before giving into the darkness was that being in a backseat of someone's car.

****

Hope you like it :) This chapter needed lot of thinking and I didn't want to rush it. We all have insecurities; we can't help it. But we must make sure it doesn't eat us up alive. That's why Sabine's scene was crucial and I wanted to send a positive message through it. Hope I succeeded!

Next update on 26th. I will try sooner because I know it is a long gap.

My bank is almost two hours away from my house and I daily travel there. So four hours of my day is spent on journey. Choosing dorm, PG, apartment... whatever isn't an option is for me. When I return home, I will be very tired and I am out like a light by eleven. I, who once used to stay awake till three in the morning to write a chapter, everyday, am struggling to stay awake even for dinner. So, weekends are the only time I can really concentrate on writing.

But I love my job, my colleagues (They all have 30+ years of experience but even then they are so friendly and AWESOME!) so that feeling of tiredness is worth it because I feel I did some hard work :) That's coming from one of the laziest person in the world BTW ;)

Thanks for understanding.

I love you all :-*