by K A Young
I can't hear anything, I just see his mouth moving, his focus looking out as though he is saying something to someone. Tears slide down the sides of my cheeks, my heart slowing to almost nothing.
He's mad.
I cough again, my body convulsing as the pain sparks deep. Locaine looks down at me, my eyes trying to hold his gaze. It becomes tough to breathe, blood filling my lungs...It feels like I'm drowning, and I have no way of breaking through the water's surface.
He's mouthing something to me...what is he saying?
I attempt to make out what it is he's telling me, but my eyelids are just too heavy.
I'm so tired.
I feel myself slipping away, my eyelids coming to close slowly as a cold blanket tug at the corners of my mind, blinding me in abyssal darkness.
Locaine...
**
-Locaine
"Restrain them!" I growl with such anger and furiously glaring at her so-called 'parents,' catching Annika in my arms as she falls against me. Her vision goes in, and out of focus, her shaking body is so fragile as I sink to my knees, cradling her in my arms.
My little hunter...
"Locaine!" Rynn catches my attention as I glance up to see what she's calling about. Darius and Henri have both Jared and Ericka pinned flat on the ground, their arms practically broken behind their backs. Their cries fall on deaf ears as Rynn waits for my command, wondering the hesitation I hold behind why I won't order them to kill.
Annika coughs weakly again, letting me know she is still alive...
...for the moment.
My eyes meet hers, those white irises of hers are glassy and distant. I can't even tell if she knows what is going on.
"Little hunter..." she is still with me, her eyelids fighting to stay open as the look of shock remains on her face. I run my hand over the wound on her chest, noticing that the bullet went clear through her and barely scrapped me.
Just like with my brother...Jared wanted to take out both of us, though that doesn't make sense because a gunshot wound alone wouldn't have fazed me...
...he meant to end his daughter's life, regardless of how she feels or the decisions she's made.
Her body isn't healing, and she is slowly falling in and out of consciousness.
"If there is a chance to save you...I'm willing to take it," pain rakes through my body, watching my little hunter dying before my eyes, "I don't even think I can live without you anymore..."
I was supposed to protect her.
I promised her.
"ANNIKA!" My voice roars as my heart drops out of my chest. My eyes search hers as her eyelids flutter, finally becoming too much and shutting completely.
"Don't you fucking dare!" Jared barks with full rage, seeing what I am about to do as I lift her slightly.
He's still talking...
"Rip his tongue out!" My voice thunders, carrying across the room. His high-pitched screams echo through the ballroom. Ericka sobs are loud as she screams at what my coven members do to her husband.
I hold Annika back in my left arm as I lightly touch her chin with my right hand, tilting it upward to the ceiling. I feel my blood pulsating through my veins, my fangs elongating as the many things my little hunter had worried about comes flashing through my mind. I bring her neck to my lips, brushing the tips of my fangs against her cold and fragile skin.
I hone in on her vein, the pulse of it slow as if it's almost nonexistent.
Forgive me...
...for I know it's not what you wanted to be...if this works.
I hold her tightly, the tips of my fangs piercing through her skin and sinking gradually into her flesh.
Annika groans weakly.
She's still alive.
In the next moment, I apply added pressure, puncturing deeper into her vein as the only thought running through my mind is...
...please don't let her skin darken, knowing if I pull away and I see the blackness begin to plague outward that she's not compatible.
Her body twitches slightly beneath my grasp as an almost inaudible exhale leaves her lips.
Please...little hunter...
A force radiates through her body, pulling through her bones, muscles, and flesh and finally contacting my fangs. Her breathing is almost nonexistent as I withdraw my fangs from her neck, glancing down at her gentle features and the puncture marks left behind on her neck.
That's when I notice the rapid eye movement beneath her closed lids and a small bit of tension releases from my shoulders. I exhale slowly, pulling her closer to my chest as I stand to my feet, holding onto Annika tightly.
"L-Lo-Locaine..." Rynn's voice trails off as I meet her gaze, her gaze quickly falling on Annika and then lifting to stare at my features. She staggers backward, standing closer to Ericka and Jared when I give her no response in return.
I begin to stride toward the ballroom doors, walking right past her parents. My eyes catch a brief sight of Ericka cowering in fear while blood drips from Jared's parted lips, the anger still set on his face. He'd rather see his daughter dead than in the arms of a vampire...when we could have coexisted peacefully a very, very long time ago despite the events that have led our species to this moment.
It takes everything within me not to rip both of their throats out at this moment, my revenge to end Jared's life not only the promise I made to my late brother...but now my anger is fueled by him almost ending his own daughter's life. However...
...I promised Annika that I would stop my search to kill her parents and even though they found their way right into my home...she'd never forgive me if I acted impulsively without considering her feelings...
"Lock them in the dungeon," I growl, my fangs normalizing just as I reach the ballroom doors.
"If they try to-" Adam begins, opening the doors to allow me to exit with Annika however, I cut him right off.
I turn briefly to them all, my coven members looking quite frazzled and unsure as they had expected me to want the hunters dead. Instead, I order, "Nail them to the bloody wall if you have to. I don't give a fuck what you do to them so long as they are kept alive for the time being...just make sure they are secure."
I continue out the entrance of the ballroom, stepping over the two dead hunters that litter the doorway. I take the familiar walk up the marble staircase, glancing down at Annika's unconscious appearance. Her once warm skin is now ice cold, my touch not able to bring back the light of her own body.
I approach the door to my room, pressing down on the handle and nudging it inward. I lean my back up against the door, shutting it completely once I'm inside. Crossing the space to the bed, I carry her gently, my gaze dropping every so often to check on her.
The bed dips as I kneel on the covers, placing Annika smoothly onto the surface. Blood soaks her clothes, covering and spilling down her body...
So much blood...
I sit there, pulling the stray hairs behind her ear and revealing my fresh bite mark, reassuring myself that for some reason it hasn't altered. I unlace her bodice, finally able to get a glimpse at the gunshot wound that penetrated through her chest. The wound has stopped bleeding and is slowly beginning to seal shut.
Good.
I begin to change her out of her maid uniform, casting away the clothes into the clothes hamper, my heart skipping a beat with the guilt I feel for what I've done.
I push off the bed, walking into the bathroom and filling a small bowl with warm water, grabbing a cloth on my way out. As I emerge from the bathroom, I see her small form shaking, making me stop in my tracks momentarily.
The worse is yet to come...
I lower myself down on the bed beside her once again, quickly scanning her features. Wiping the blood from her body, I release a sigh, "This is not the way I would ever have wanted to turn you, my little hunter."
Once I've finished cleaning her, I dress her in simple black sweatpants and a white shirt.
I can't leave her side now...
...not until this is complet
e.
I unbutton my black long-sleeve shirt, walking toward my wardrobe and hang it up on an empty hanger. I slip off my slacks, kicking off my dress shoes while I put on a pair of dark blue sweatpants and leaving my chest bare.
I crept beside her, holding her gently against me as her muscle twitched involuntarily. My eyes slowly slide shut as my breathing evens out.
**
-Annika
"Annika, it's alright..."
Locaine?
My thoughts have steadied over time, beginning to form memories and dreams though I'm not entirely sure if they're figments of my reality. A racing fire spreads through my body, burning everything in its path and causing me to plummet further into the chaos plaguing me.
Is that me screaming?
A whole new level of pain erupts when I begin to feel everything. It feels like my bones are being broken, one by one at such an agonizing rate...the tendons strained. My veins become coated in a fire, burning everything in its path as they rise to the surface of my skin, ready to pulsate and break through the surface. When I believe it's going to happen, my heart racing faster than it ever has before, they sink back down, my heart hurting.
Yes, that is me...
...I'm the one screaming.
I vigorously thrash my head from side to side, wanting the sudden pain that explodes within my mind to dissipate. The side of my neck is searing, an illuminating scorching feeling overtaking me. I claw at the painful spot, trying to desperately make it go away.
"No, Annika...don't do that, leave it be love."
Cold hands take hold of each of my wrists, pulling them away from my victim that I'm trying to destroy with my nails. The hands pin my wrists down next to either side of my body, securing me from attacking any further.
The oxidizing agony sets ablaze once again, this time though...I can't move my arms. I can't attempt to alleviate the pain, and it just drives me mad with anguish.
"No! No! No!" I scream loudly, whipping my head again, trying to push my body up away from its resting place.
It doesn't get far, as I feel strong legs on both sides of my thighs, keeping me in place. "NO!" I shriek once again as I feel like I'm going to lose any sense of sanity I have through this pain.
"Shhh. Shhh."
The flames unexpectedly cease, my body laying still at the eerie occurrence.
Is it over?
A wave of numbing cold frosts my body over, creeping through my veins. I feel myself release the tension, but the hands and legs that hold me do not let go for a second.
I respire a breath, my eyes snapping open and my shoulder blades lurching from what I'm lying on.
Locaine...?
My eyes lock with the familiar icy blue eyes that hover above me. He searches my eyes, his brows furrowing for a moment before they shift and show a sign of concern.
"Lo-Locaine, w-wha-what? I-I, what happened?" My shoulder blades dip back down onto what I now know is Locaine's bed. His eyes are warm, the winter white hair falling on the right side of his face while he breathes steadily.
"You were shot in the heart," Locaine's sweet voice resonates in my ears.
It really is him.
I'm here...with him.
But, why is he still holding me down?
"M-my blood m-magic?" I start to ask, something sparking in my eyes at the confusion, many thoughts racing through my mind. I try to think of how I'd survived that gunshot wound, knowing my magic had to have been the only way I could heal fast enough.
Locaine's eyes sadden for a moment, a reflection of guilt lingering in those eyes as he lowers his voice, "No."
"I-I didn't?" Dread fills me at his single word.
That's when I feel the severe desiccation rising in the back of my throat, an unquenchable thirst building within me.
I cry out to Locaine as an unfamiliar feeling erupts from my canines. He notices the bewilderment cross my panicked stricken face and attempts to reassure me, "Annika, shhh, please...calm down."
The fire burns once again on the side of my neck, causing me to pull harder away from Locaine. For the first time, I perceive his full vampiric strength as he clamps down on me with his iron vice grip. His muscles are flexed while he keeps his hold on me tight, even when I believe I can wriggle out of his grasp.
"Locaine!" I sob, wanting it all to just come to an end. Tears trickle down my cheeks, shaking my head from side to side as I beg him to let me go so that I can attempt to end the pain.
Before I have a chance to break away from him, the pain dissipates once again as my body stills under his.
"You...you bit me, didn't you?" My voice is wavering, a cold chill spreading throughout my being at the realization of how I'm alive...
"Yes," Locaine replies, his lock on me does not loosen.
Tears fill my eyes, "Why?!"
"You were going to die. There was nothing else I could do, but give you a chance at immortality," Locaine stiffens as I growl lowly at him, my anger coming to the surface.
"This pain is worse than any torture you could put me through!" I bark back at him without even thinking about what I'm saying.
Locaine releases a heavy sigh, the hurt in his eyes clear when he says, "It will be over soon. Please forgive me, my little hunter."
Chapter 24
-Annika
I spend the better part of the day floating in and out of sleep, Locaine never letting go of me.
Is he afraid I will do something terrible if he releases me?
I'm not sure.
I wake without pain for the first time, my eyelids fluttering open to see Locaine looking down with interest at me.
"Annika?" He asks with caution
"Yes?" I reply, my voice calms though the anger still resides within me.
Locaine's hold on me is suddenly removed.
I don't understand...
He rolls off me, seemingly exhausted when he releases a sigh, the tension leaving his neck as he rubs it. He sits up on the bed, leaning his back and neck against the headboard. He sure appears like he's been through a battle, to say the least.
I move onto my side, glancing up at him to see that his eyelids are closed.
"Locaine?" I ask, my voice quiet as I don't recognize the foreign feeling residing with the back of my throat. I'm uneasy and slightly afraid, wanting to just curl up in a tiny ball and disappear altogether.
His eyelids slowly open, motioning for me, "Come here. I know what you crave."
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle at the sound of his voice. A force takes over me, like nothing I have ever experienced before. I creep toward him, placing my knees on either side of his hips as I straddle him.
I place the palms of my hands on his bare chest and look at him with wide questioning eyes. I feel his hands at the small of my back, slowly traveling up toward my shoulder blades. There is a shift deep within me as I feel the drastic change in my eyes, my canine teeth elongating into...
...fangs.
I pull back in fear, but Locaine holds me firm, seeing the tears begin to fill in my eyes. In fact, he brings me closer to him, holding me tightly.
"Little hunter, you're going to need to drink if you want to remain alive," Locaine's voice is rooted in my ear as he tilts his head back slightly.
"I-I can't..." I falter, resisting the evident pull that is trying to call me to him. It frightens me, everything about the changes racing through my body at the sudden urge to taste his blood again.
Locaine sighs and continued, "Yes...you can, now come here."
He brings me to his neck, and I catch the hint of a sensational smell.
Blood.
His blood...it calls to me, a shiver traveling down my spine a second later.
I finally release a sigh, feeling his skin beneath my lips as though we were only going to kiss. A predatory sense heightens within me as I listen to the call, my fangs piercing into his neck on the next beat of my heart. Never has the taste of copper pulled me so as I swallow his sweet b
lood, the parch feeling in my throat fading away.
An animalistic growl starts at the back of Locaine's throat, my body freezing.
Out of nowhere, a feeling of lust takes over me, though it's not like any I've experienced before. It's completely different, part of me wanting to drown in it.
What is this?
I can't control the feeling inside, an animal crawling its way out of me.
Is this me?
My fangs release him, moaning loudly as I throw my head back, his blood lingering on my lips. Locaine hungrily takes hold of my thighs, rocking me backward to meet my gaze. His eyes are the same black rose, eyes I have come to feel safe within.
He did this to save me...
...not because of his own desire to purely see me as a vampire and for that...I'm grateful.
Any insecurities I once held onto in the past, are suddenly stripped away as Locaine takes the hem of my white shirt and lifts it over my head. He discards the garment, my breasts on full display.
This is different, his desires want every part of me to himself. His need fuels my lust as I gasp lightly, Locaine's mouth encasing my right nipple. His other hand immediately grasps my left nipple, caressing it gently before pinching and pulling it, my heightened senses electing new responses.
My fingers lace into the back of his hair, holding him close to me as I never want to let this go. I almost lost everything...
I almost lost him...
...he is my everything.
The dominance comes out of him as he flips me beneath him, my legs clutching around his waist. He breaks his hold on my nipples and slowly plants blissful kisses between the valley of my breasts, lingering on my neck. His tongue touches my skin, and I growl, the tips of his fangs running the length of my neck.
Not this time...
A new force takes over me, one that wants to control Locaine, to make him mine.
With my new-found vampiric strength, I flip him onto his back, laying him flat out on the bed. A devilish grin plays across my lips at the look in his eyes. He hadn't expected this as his eyes narrow on me for a split second before trying to take hold of my waist.
