Black Roses, Silver Thorns Prologue

Daniel looked just as surprised as I did.

“You didn’t know?”

“Of course not you idiot! I’m a vegetarian! I don’t eat Humans!” I snapped at him.

“I wasn’t told that. How do you live?” I gasped. He wasn’t told what I was. I lowered my voice.

“I am a Hemophage. I can eat Human food to survive.” Daniel gasped.

“Well,” he said with a grin, “if you are going to be my wife, you will eat Humans and like it.” I looked around the wedding chapel.

There were two sides of the pews the bride's and the groom's side.All of my family was sitting on my side. My mom, my dad, my sister, my brothers, and other relatives I didn't recognize. They looked disappointed in me. I looked over at Daniel’s side. I didn’t know anyone from his family. They were all gasping. Their mouths hung wide open. His father’s eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets. His mother fainted. Then something hit me. I didn’t want to be part of this family, his family. I didn’t want to be a wife to someone who had no respect for my values. I looked at the speechless crowd one more time before turning back to look at Daniel.

“I can’t do this,” I told him.

Then I did something that would change my life forever. I picked the bottom of my dress and ran back up the aisle. I shoved myself at the oak doors and opened them. I ran through them. I walked straight until I got to the front door. I shoved it open. The cool midnight air hit my skin as I started to run. I didn’t get very far. James, my brother, ran behind me and stopped me. James was wearing a black backpack on his back.

“Rosella what are you doing?” I gulped. James only called me Rosella when he was pissed. I took my hand and moved it to my bun and took the hair band out. My silver hair fell over my shoulders.

“What does it look like I am doing? I am leaving. Now if you don’t mind, I need to leave.” I saw Michael was clutching onto James’s black tuxedo. James spiked Michael, my other brother, and his hair special for the occasion.

“It looks like you are being a complete fool! Now get back in there and be married to Daniel already.”

“No! I will not. I don’t love him. I don’t want to marry him” I waved my hands to our surroundings, “I want to marry someone who…” I trailed off. I couldn’t tell James I wanted to be a Human.

“You want to be with a Werewolf,” James wrinkled his nose at the word, “so you can become Human?”

“How did you…” I already knew how he found out.

“Alex told me.” My mouth dropped open. “Where will you go if you leave?” In truth I didn’t know.

“I’ll stay with Alex.” I was surprised at my own words. James knew better then that.

“Kairi if you leave here…I swear you will not come back. We will disown you. If you even think of coming back to the family you once had, I will kill you. Understand Rosella?” I bit my lower lip and nodded.

“Jamie…why is Rosily leaving? Doesn’t she love us anymore? Why are you going to kill Rosily? Don’t you love her anymore?” Michael asked. James flashed his teeth at me. I gulped. I knew better then to answer my brother.

“Michael I guess this is goodbye.” I hugged my eleven year old brother and tasseled his strawberry blonde hair. I let go of him and whispered in his ear, “I’ll be back, someday. I promise.” I gave James a nod and started walking off.

“Kairi,” I turned around. To my surprise it was James. “don’t leave without this.” James tossed me the solid black backpack that was on his back.

“I thought you…”

“Go.” James’s face turned hard again. I slung the backpack over my shoulder and began walking. This time, nobody stopped me. I started to run. My glass heels pounded on the sidewalk. I realized I was tired. I spotted an alley up ahead. I kept running forward. The only sound I heard in the night was my heels against the pavement. I finally reached the alley. I sat down in the dirt and wetness. I didn’t care anymore. I folded my dress around me so I could get comfortable. I then drifted off to sleep.

I woke up on and off. I had a dream that it was raining. Then I had a dream about a handsome guy. He picked me up into his arms while it was raining. There was a girl with him and another boy. The boy that was holding me said to the others, “I’ll take her to my house to get her out of the rain. If she needs to she can stay.” The last thing I remember is the distinct smell of aftershave. Then my world went black.