“No, forgive me I don’t blame you.” I said standing, wanting to go to him.
I argued with myself shaking my head, trying to reason with myself. “I can make myself wake up from the nightmares. I have dreamed it enough to recognize it’s a dream… I’ll be fine alone... it’s not necessary for you to keep coming in every night losing sleep over nothing.” I told him sternly.
“I sleep just fine, Eva. Stop ignoring the truth.” He was angry with me because I could tell he expected differently from me.
That name did things to me. Made me want to run to him, to make love to him, and erase everything with him deep inside of me.
He was sitting at the closest side of the bed to me with his arms held rigidly at his sides grasping the edge of the mattress in what looked like a death grip. His jeans were unfastened, and I could see he wasn’t wearing anything underneath- my eyes lingered; we’d been so close this time.
“With the way you’re looking at me you might as well carve out my heart. Why don’t you, Eva? You think I don’t want to give you what you want, what we both almost died for? I’ve had to live with the unknown, and treat your illness while the whole time I was afraid you’d remember and hate me so much more. I stayed away because I was afraid if I touched you again you would remember us. You’re dying because he’s fed you his blood, and your body needs it. How do you think it makes me feel to know a part of you wants him? I’ve been going out of my mind, trying everything I could think of to keep you alive, safe, and untraceable, but this whole time your instincts are pushing you towards him… you want to be found Eva.”
I was shaking my head as I walked up to him and stood over him, “You think I want to be found by that monster? Have you completely lost your mind? You have no idea what I endured to keep him away from you, to keep you alive. Don’t you see… I read the obsession in his eyes, so I knew he would always keep me alive no matter how much I begged for death, but for you I endured. Because if he sought you out, he would not have hesitated to kill you out spiteful vengeance.”
“I expected it, Eva! I expected him to come after me, in fact, I was counting on it. All I could do was think of the two of you together, go crazy inside my head, and search for a way to end him. When I found the answers I was looking for- I waited in vain because he never came. I never got the chance I’d prepared for.” Now I saw the intense hatred reflected in his eyes, but I understood it wasn’t directed at me because it was the look that always passed between Darius and Eros. I’d seen that look exchanged between them ever since I could remember never fully understanding it. “I feared you’d bargained for my life. I was right. You kept him well occupied when he didn’t come looking... I thought I hated you for so much during that time.”
He looked up at me, probing my mind. I was stronger now because of his blood, so I told him, “I won’t let you see what you want. You can’t control me any longer.”
“Are you his mate, did you love me so much that you fucked someone else?”
I hit him then, so hard I could feel the pain deep in my bones. Then I hit him again, but he took it never trying to stop me as his hand grabbed my nape while the other secured me against him. I struggled and pushed, but he was too strong. He’d bled all over us, yet he was still stronger kissing me forcefully as he pulled me against him. I tried to resist, I tried so hard to fight him.
I weakened… his scent was exquisite reminding me of our home, a scent so clean… smelling of fresh breeze and ocean water, safe… pure. I imagine it’s what heaven would smell like. My mind was erased of all the fears it held onto so tightly, like a mother holds a newborn to her breast… nurturing it, giving it life through her very essence. My fears were simply gone by just inhaling him in. I welcomed my memories of our past together because of his scent… it was home.
I was lost unable to fight him. I climbed on him putting my knees on either side of his thighs and kissed him deeply- our tongues thrusting, pulling, and ravaging with all the desperation I felt when I first awoke earlier tonight. I couldn’t help letting myself go to him because after what he’d just accused me of- he still wanted me. It amazed me. It made me want him more.
But this was more to him, I took the bait his words had cast. He wanted me unreasonable, unthinking, and lost to my emotions because as soon as I became feeble he attacked my mind seeing what I had tried so hard to protect him against.
The memories came overwhelming me with pain, and of course there was so much… fear.
___________________
I was in a darkened bedroom, Eros’s bedroom. He’d just traced us here. I was unable to stand on my own much less, try what my mind screamed for me to do- push myself away from his body. I moaned from the feeling of loss as I tried to take in my surroundings. I searched for doors, windows, or any escape I could find. He picked me up; my head tipping over, elongating my neck, making me feel vulnerable. Everything was upside down distorted from my weakness and hindered point of view. I closed my eyes trying to clear the haze caused by fatigue- surely all the blood loss I suffered was to blame.
Although it was night and no lights were on when my eyes opened, I was able to see in the dark. I’d never questioned my capabilities because it was who I was. He carried me across the room toward his bed when I heard a door open and someone entering. He turned, and I coughed barely able to breathe when I saw a very beautiful woman approach us. I noticed how intensely she looked me over. She neared us with a frown marring her beautiful features and a look of deep concern. She looked distressed. She also looked very familiar, but either I was too weak to place her, or we’d never been formally introduced. She could have been someone I saw in passing, I thought dismissing her.
“Eros no, you promised me… she’s dying you cannot mate with her like this.”
“Elenessa, I don’t know nearly enough about my mate, but what I do know is she cannot die. What she needs is my blood and our union will make her stronger.”
“You said it yourself you can’t act based on theories, we risk too much my liege. We do not know the consequences your blood will have on her.”
He brought me down on his bed and then began undoing the laces of his leather pants. I started stirring trying to move away from him, horrified by the lust in his eyes and what he spoke of. I tried to fight against his hands while I lay in his bed. I would not drink his vampire blood, my mind admonished because I believed my mother was lost to it. She’d become addicted to this creatures blood. Had completely changed into someone I no longer recognized.
I felt his weight press down on the mattress before feeling his touch. He caressed the blood on my neck, lifted his bloodied fingers to his mouth, and closed his eyes as he sucked two of them into his mouth… savoring my blood.
The woman turned. “I will not let you harm her, you promised me her safety if I helped you- said it was paramount to everything. I’ve done everything you wanted, but you must not cause her harm, or it ends here. I will take her back to her father.”
“And for what, you would dare take her from me knowing what he has planned for her? Do you wish to see her hate you, feel betrayed by you for what he will do to her?”
She gasped, fear written all over her face because for some reason she believed Eros. “No, I won’t take her to him, but you mustn’t hurt her!”
He looked at her then, eyes going black and said, “Then spell him out of her thoughts. Erase all memory of him from her; I don’t care if she doesn’t recognize any of the love she once felt for me… yet. She has forced herself to love another, it needs to stop. I will not have her continued devotion for him. Don’t you realize her emotions for him have prevented her from feeling anything towards me?”
“Compel her then. Remind her.”
“If only it were that simple. I’ve tried compulsion, and it will not work on her. Don’t you think it was the first thing I tried?”
“My king you have brought her here too soon, no one knows exactly what she is. You may have endangered everything.”
“She was trying to mate with another, she has his scent all over her, and it’s causing me to go mad with rage. I will bring him here, drag him in front of her, and kill him right before her very eyes!”
“No, she will never forgive you for it, and you know this, or he would have been long dead. Look at her, she’s in pain because of the damage you have committed. This was not the way.”
“Then help me find the answers I need, or I will hurt her further for the pain she has caused me.” I felt his claw then, leaving a trail of blood down my neck and over my breast. “Maybe I want to use pain to break her, free her of him.” His arms wrapped around me, holding my back he lifted me. I felt his embrace when he whispered in my ear, “I wanted to kill you when I saw him over you... moments from taking what is mine, but this I promise you,” his breath fanned my neck, his tongue darting out- licking a path over the blood down my neck. My mind screamed no, stop… don’t touch me.
His laugh was all sinister then, “You will want me, more than you ever dreamed possible. What you think you feel for him will seem so insignificant in comparison. I promise… you will beg me just as I heard you beg him.”
I refused to turn into another dominated sex starved minion because of his blood.
As his tongue cleaned the blood trail, he made so many promises forgetting the woman who stood watching only feet away. I could feel her sorrow, and wondered how, but most importantly why did I feel such a strong connection with her. It was very obvious she was concerned for me… she didn’t want him hurting me.
He kissed my cheek before whispering near my lips, “My beloved, I think the only way to fix us both now is through a little pain.”
“My king we made a solemn promise to one another, and pain was not part of it.”
“I know what I promised, and try not to forget your purpose. Leave us witch, and do not enter again unless you have found what we’re looking for,” he said as he tore open his shirt and held me to him. My cheek lay on his shoulder while I stared at the woman who dared make demands to this monster.
“What are you going to do to her?”
“I’m going to start by taking away all trace of him from her body, but you need to find a way to permanently remove him from her mind, or I will find my own.”
“I may be powerful, but none of the spells against your mate that benefit you will work for very long, and nothing is without consequence.”
“Make her forget him now. I want to feel, to see myself through her eyes for the first time without any knowledge of him in her mind.”
“My king, she has a strong mind. I must warn you this will only last a few hours if at all. All spells will work differently with her because of her lineage, and when it’s over she will despise you all the more.”
“Yes, she will despise me greatly at first, but then when she’s sick of all the pain she will remember her desire for me, and the great pleasure she felt after allowing herself to let go… to me and only me. She will prefer the pleasure. It’s what she feels towards me… deep inside herself, but is afraid of facing.”
Knotting her hands the woman said, “I will get what I need, My King.”
He waited for her to leave. Then, I felt him tearing my dress- undressing me, “You need my blood Emma… I would have waited for our union, but if I don’t feed it to you… well let me just say it will not be good for either one of us. I learned of this in your father’s dungeon while he tortured me and studied my blood.”
“Mhmm… I see I’ve caught your interest Princess. But first… I wish to bathe you. I can’t have you drinking from me and smelling of your slave.”
Chapter 7: Your Memories are Slaying Me
“Get out of my thoughts! You should never have done that… some things are better left buried,” I said shaken to the core pushing off Darius, but he held on to me not allowing for any separation. “Let me go. It won’t work again, you’re not distracting me.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” he said letting me go. “Eva, tell me… you know what he did. I can’t find him, his weaknesses, if you don’t tell me what you suffered… how you escaped. Don’t you see? I need to find him and kill him a thousand times for your pain.”
“Tell me now who’s lying Darius. Stop making me relive another’s touch,” I said walking away from him.
I turned perceiving movement behind me, and a sick part of me wanted to see if my words had earned the desired result of him leaving, but instead he was up coming towards me- moving faster than any person ever could. I turned trying to get to the bathroom, but he had me so quickly, grabbing my waist, turning, and lifting me over his shoulder. Instantly he was at my bedroom door opening it and walking out into the hallway.
“What are you doing? Have you completely lost your mind? Put me down! Someone will see us, they’ll know.”
“Let them. Let them know you’re mine. I’ve been holding on, sitting on your bed, talking myself out of doing this, but no more. You need to get this through your pretty little head… I don’t care who touched you before. I just care about making him pay, and knowing it was me you wanted all along. I care that it will only be me touching you from now on.”
“But my father, he’ll fire you.”
“Your real father will try to kill me if he knows I’m anywhere near you.”
“Have you lied about everything?” I asked exasperated.
“Yes.”
I hit his lower back feeling like I hit a solid wall and not skin, “Why… where are you taking me?”
“Why… because you’re safer not knowing. I need to show you something, and stop squirming I’m not letting you go.”
“I don’t have proper clothes on… where’s everyone?” I asked looking around at the empty hallways we passed. “I’ve never seen this place so quiet.”
“I told Kamila to get rid of the guards on this floor at night.” He says reaching an elevator I have never seen before, and pressing the call button.
“Oh my god, have you made everyone believe we’re lovers? Because I’m sure that’s what they’re thinking when you told Kimmy no one was allowed here.”
“Kamila knows the truth. She knows I only trust myself to protect you, and I’m sure the others know this too. They know I haven’t had you yet… believe me Emma. They see what not having you does to me. And they know to stay the hell away.”
Shocked because I thought of Jeffery, and of everyone knowing our screwed up situation, I asked, “When did you implement the new rule?”
“The night we had our falling out.”
“Oh you mean the night you wanted to kill me?”
That would be the night you developed trust issues, I think to myself.
His hand fell hard on my thigh spanking me, “Oww, why would you do that?” After hearing only silence and feeling the breeze of how fast he moved, I felt his hand fall on my thigh again. I felt the burn, so I yelled, “That’s it Darius put me down! I can walk just fine.”
“Not putting you down… and yes, that night. I wasn’t trying to kill you. I need you alive and killing you wouldn’t bring peace for either one of us.”
“Speaking of no peace, how long have you been spying on me while I sleep?”
“Enough, I feel generous and answer a few questions, and you think you can attack me with them, nice try.”
The doors open and he enters a stainless steel elevator. I feel claustrophobic as the doors join, and start panicking over his shoulder, “Please put me down. Where are you taking me?”
“I need answers… you know it wasn’t possible for him to drink from you, yet he found a way. I need to scan your memories to permanently finish him.”
“Finish him,” I laugh hysterically, “…you think you can erase the past if you get rid of him, but it doesn’t work that way.”
“Emma, I have to try. I don’t know how he did it. How he took you the way he did because a taste of your blood kills his whole race. Your blood is lethal to vampires. That is why your mother wasn
’t afraid of him. She knew that if he so much as licked a drop from her blood… the immortal would fall dead. But when he drank from you with so much abandon… without a care in the world we knew he must have scented he was immune to you because no spell would have saved him. His heart started to pound once he drank from you. I heard it as loud as cannon fire.”
“Who knows about this?” I asked.
“No one, Eva. Up until this point not even you knew.”
“Make me forget. I remember how you made me forget before… when I found you.”
While we continued to descend, he caressed the thigh he had struck. The doors finally open, and he begins to walk out as I sigh with relief.
“I made you forget because you tried to kill me,” he responds walking into what looks to be an underground cave.
Striking his back again with my fists, unconcerned with where in the world we are, I shout, “I demand that you do it, or I’ll try to kill you again, and drained as you are I don’t think it will be very difficult.”
“It doesn’t work that way anymore besides I’m sick of living a lie,” he smoothly lets me slip down his body and holds me, “…of wanting you and depriving myself of you. I want to see all you are and what else I can tap into while you share your memories with me, see all that you’re hiding.”
“Screw you, and I demand you take me back.” I say pushing away from him, turning, and looking at the jagged rocks all around us. “None of this happened. Send Kimmy to my room, next time… I’m… I’m not myself when you come in. I’m acting out because of my dreams, and the drugs,” my voice is almost a whisper now. The cave’s beauty has captivated me.
“So you’re reverting back to that. Why… because you finally showed emotion…because you hold on to me and beg me not to let you go before you realize you’re awake, or was it what just happened now? Are you concerned- afraid of hurting me? I can take it Eva. I can take whatever truth you’re afraid of, whatever or how ever dark your need is. I can take you wherever and however you want.”
Taken by The Hunger: A Blood Thirst Novel (Book 1) Paranormal Romance/ Erotica/ Urban Fantasy Page 5
