Interview

Chapter Four

“Eli?” I whispered when I woke up screaming but he wasn’t to be found.

“I’m right here.” He promised walking in to find me crying. “Olivia wanted me to help the stylists find you something to wear.” He explained pulling me into his arms. I clung to him and just let my tears fall into his chest.

“Brenin? Eli?” Olivia whispered coming in a few seconds later. “You both need to get ready.” She explained and Eli helped me stand up. He kissed me softly and handed me to Olivia.

“I’ll meet you in the sitting room.” He promised me and I nodded letting Olivia lead me away.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” Olivia asked.

“It’s nothing. Just the fire that happened in our state five years ago.” I shook my head forcing the memories away it had been a week before the Choosing, a week before my first Choosing.

“I’m Steven.” A man smiled bringing in an outfit that I would never wear.

“I’m Bree.” I whispered and he smiled.

“I don’t want to put too much make-up on you but I would like you to wear this dress.” He held up the short red dress.

“I can’t wear that.” I shook my head thinking of the scars all over my legs.

“Why not?” He asked and I slowly lifted one of my pants legs. “Where did you get those scars?” The disgust in his voice was clear and I quickly rolled the pants leg back down.

“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head, “Just please don’t make me show them.” He nodded and went back to a rack of clothing bringing over a dress that would reach the floor.

“This is better.” He promised and then sat me in a chair. I let the stylists do my hair and make-up and then I walked into the bathroom and slipped the dress on. When I walked back out they handed me a pair of heels and then led me out to the sitting room.

“How are you feeling?” Eli whispered pulling me into his side.

“I’m fine.” I promised and just relaxed into his hold. There was noise outside though and I sat up pulling away from Eli. He took my hand though and I sighed before pulling it away too. He started to say something but then August walked in.

“Hello Brenin… Eli.” He smiled and then said, “Go ahead and sit close to him, Brenin.” I looked uncertain and so Eli pulled me back over to him.

“What’s wrong?” Eli whispered in my ear. I shook my head though and he sighed but kept me close. Then the cameras switched on and we were on.

“So Eli…” August started, “What does it feel like going into your second Choosing?” I tensed again thinking about it but Eli tightened his arms and just looked at me for a second before answering.

“Completely different than when I went the first time.” He promised.

“Yes going in with your mate…” August shook his head, “How do you plan on dealing with that?”

“By keeping her alive.” Eli told him simply.

“Brenin?” August turned to me and I forced myself to pay attention, “You hadn’t spoken to Eli until the train… how does it feel to find out that he has kept this a secret for so long?”

“I haven’t really thought about it.” I admitted, “After all I’ve never really been the type to tell all of my secrets.” Eli tightened his arms again and I just shrugged, “I guess that I just understand.” I felt my dress pull up some as I moved my feet and I quickly pulled away from Eli and fixed the dress so that none of my scars showed. When I had fixed it I leaned back into Eli but everybody was staring at me. “I don’t like to mess up beautiful things.” I covered quickly and everybody laughed.

“Spoken like a true Fila.” August smiled. Our state, Fila, was the poorest of all of the states and we were always being told we worried too much over the few good things we were given. “So we have all enjoyed seeing the relationship between you two grow so much in just two days.” August started again, “What I want to know Brenin is if you’re ready to join the Choosing when you are about to change?”

“I don’t think that anybody is ever truly ready to join the Choosing. I just happen to be going through a change that will either make me stronger or weaken me entirely.” I told them and Eli looked down at me worriedly.

“Eli? What do you have to say about that?”

“That if anybody tries to hurt Bree; I won’t think twice about killing them.” He warned in a growl and the cameras went off.

“Thank you.” August promised standing up, “That’s all we need.” Everybody left us alone then and we didn’t say anything I just moved closer to Eli and he just held me.

“It’s time for lunch.” Olivia smiled coming in later and Eli helped me up leading me back to the table.

“For dinner Bree and I are going to have a picnic.” Eli told her and she nodded.

“I’ll have the cook get you a picnic basket ready.” She promised and Eli cut part of his meat and stuck it in his mouth.

“Eat.” Eli whispered in my ear. I sighed and forced myself to eat but I couldn’t eat as much as I had the night before. “You’re still hungry.” He sighed when I stood up.

“Yeah well so are my sister and Austin.” I snapped and he just nodded letting me leave. I went into my room and into the shower letting the make-up fall off.

“Do you want to talk to them?” Eli asked waiting on my bed when I walked out.

“Yes.” I whispered, “But we’re not exactly allowed anymore.” I sighed.

“But if you do what I say and let me protect you…” I tensed understanding exactly what he was doing.

“That’s not fair.” I whispered, “Don’t use them against me.”

“Come here…” He sighed but I shook my head. “I’m sorry Bree. I knew that it wasn’t fair the second I started I just… I can’t lose you and I know that you promised your sister you would go back.”

“No I didn’t.” I whispered, “I told her that Austin would always be there for her.” I felt a tear fall down my cheek. “You have no idea how much we are hurting him right now. How much it hurt him for me to refuse to let him take Derek’s spot. I don’t know how much more I can hurt him. I need him Eli. Elizabeth needs him.” I begged him to understand and he stood up pulling me into his arms.

“We’ll cut back on all of the touching when we are being filmed but Austin did visit me before the train left and… he promised me that he would still be there for you and for Elizabeth. I told him that you were my Mate the day that he told me that he loved you.” Eli and Austin had always been friends.

“So that’s why he’s always told me that I’ll love somebody someday?” I asked and he nodded.

“Austin gave me his permission to tell you that you were my Mate before we left. He said that you deserved to know in case anything happened in the country.”

“So he seemed like he was okay with it?” I asked softly.

“He was as okay as I could expect anybody could be when they are told that the person they love is unable to love them.”

“I do love Austin though.” I whispered.

“Just not the way he wants you to.” He added, “You will be able to love anybody you want to in other ways but since you are my mate…”

“You are the only one I’ll be able to…” I trailed off fear clear in my voice.

“I’m not asking you to suddenly fall in love with me.” He promised, “I understand that you need us to move slow. I just thought you needed to hear that Austin already knew the truth.”

“Is Austin…?” I trailed off.

“He’s new.” Eli nodded, “The love you felt in your human life is intensified as a vampire.” He explained, “But one day he will find his mate and will feel the differences in the loves.”

“How old does somebody need to be before they can be mates?”

“There isn’t an age limit. Sometimes a vampire will find their mate as a baby and will have to sit back and wait for them to be old enough.”

“You sound like you have experience with that.” I whispered.

“You were only twelve when you lost your parents.” He sighed, “I knew then that you were my mate.”

“And you sat back and watched as Austin and I grew close and he helped me survive.” I snapped angrily.

“I…” He trailed off and just shook his head. “I couldn’t help you myself there are laws against that now. I wasn’t allowed to tell you until the guardian of you told me I could. Since Austin has been helping you take care of both yourself and Elizabeth I asked the mayor if he would work for your guardian.”

“I’m sorry…” I sighed walking into his arms finally. “I just…”

“You only have two other people besides me you have even let touch you in five years. I know that you can’t stand the thought that you could hurt one of them.” He promised when I just trailed off.

“I just can’t stop thinking about how hurt Elizabeth will be if I don’t…”

“You will.” He interrupted, “I will make sure that you make it out of this Choosing.” He promised kissing my forehead, “I’m going to protect you.” I sighed and just leaned into him. We went on our picnic that night and just talked while he held me and for once I just felt like a normal girl on a date.

“We will be at the Choosing tomorrow morning.” Olivia interrupted us as we headed down to bed. I nodded and just took a detour from Eli into my room. I couldn’t make him stay with me tonight after all we would be surrounded in the morning when we woke up.

“Don’t do this.” Eli whispered a couple minutes later coming into my room. “Let me hold you tonight.” I nodded after a couple seconds and he slipped his shirt and shoes off moving up into the bed to hold me. I rolled over so that my face was against his shoulder and we both just stayed up neither of us talking in case the other was able to sleep. The stylists knocked before coming in and while they fixed me up in the clothing for the Choosing all they did was talk about the tragedy of mates having to go through this together.