“Just living in the past, it's got nothing to do with you or last night.”
He laughed lightly as he shook his head. “You can not fool me Mary, I know what your heart desires. I am sorry that the drunk human had affected me so, but whatever happened last night was a mistake.”
“Oh I know that.” I said dryly. “But nothing happened. You got the kiss you asked for and that was it.”
“You let me kiss you?” He snapped. “You let me cheat on my wife?”
“Are you listening to me?” I frowned hard at him. “Do you hear the words that come out of my mouth? I tried to stop you. You're just upset that you got drunk and showed your true emotions.”
“True emotions?” He cruelly laughed. “Do not be so foolish, I told you, I love my wife and besides you do not truly want me, you just want to be loved. Any one can do that, why would I expose myself to such torment?”
“Torment?” I snapped. “You know nothing of torment.”
“Oh but you are so wrong, but that's fine. You are right, I know nothing about torment compared to your life, do I? The poor hard done by orphan, woe is me.” He sneered as his eyes narrowed. “Most people pick themselves up and get on with their life but not you, you like to dwell in the past and ensure that there is reason for the misery.”
“You can talk!” I snapped back. “You can't get out of your past, can you? You can't let the dead wife go.”
I got up from the floor and stalked out of the room and back to my bedroom, slamming the door shut. Tears flowed freely as I slid down the door, listening, it sounded like he broke something. Something small and glass. I jumped with fright at the sound of glass smashing loudly. It sounded like it came from the front of the house, I panicked, thinking someone was trying to break into the place. I ran to the window, pulling the curtain open, shocked to find the truth. There was no one breaking in, no one coming to harm the vampire and the human. Just one lonely green tree on a bed of white snow. The red and gold baubles were everywhere. Then there was the sound of a pained cry, not the sad kind of crying, it was like he had hurt himself and was groaning with the pain. I sprang to my feet and ran to the door, bustling down the stairs. Sunlight lit the parlour, the curtains were ripped, bloodied glass was everywhere. It wasn't direct sunlight, it was reflected off the snow. But it was enough to burn him and he was cut badly, cowering behind the lounge.
“Are you crazy?” I hissed. “How badly are you hurt?”
I pulled back the curtain that he had somehow managed to wrap himself in, looking at the burns. They were little red circles, almost like someone had dotted him with a marker.
“Ok spotty.” I sighed. “Time to get you somewhere dark.”
“I can't.” He croaked as he turned his foot over.
I wanted to huff, he'd stepped on a glass bauble, shards of gold glinted on the underside of his foot.
“You sure know how to hurt yourself, idiot.”
The biggest issue was the light, I had to darken the room. But how? Then there was the issue of the broken window. That wasn't safe. You know, lycans and witches, home invaders and thieves.
“Can you fix the window with your hokey vampire nonsense?”
William raised a splotchy eyebrow at me from under his curtain cover. Clicking tiles echoed through the room, returning the tree and it's baubles to the spot beside the piano. The one in his foot disappeared though the wound remained. The window was repaired and one of the curtains returned to it. He refused to let go of the one he had wrapped himself in.
“You have to give it up or the sun will still shine.” I chided him.
Frantically he shook his head, panic and fear running rampant.
“Fine.” I sighed. “Are you going to get up and leave the room?”
He shook his head again, this was frustrating. I got up to retrieve the blanket I had left behind but he grabbed my wrist.
“Don't leave me Mary.”
The words sent a shiver up my spine, he'd said that to me in the first vision.
“I'm sorry, I was so cruel. I didn't mean it.”
I squatted in front of him, clasping his hand. He was shaking, for someone that was usually so confident, he was so easily broken. I did this to him, the fight, the horrible things that were said. We both said things that were terrible.
“Neither did I and I am sorry too. We were both wrong to be so mean but maybe it might help us to move forward in our lives. I am going to get the blanket to swap them over, okay?”
He nodded reluctantly. I knew why, it meant that he would have to unwrap the curtain. He would have to leave the safety of it to get the blanket around him and the curtain back onto the rod. I held the blanket over the edge of the lounge to create a shade while he braved the curtain removal. It was lightning fast as the clicking sound snapped through the room. I don't think that I have ever heard it click so fast. But it was done, the curtain was up and the room was dark again. Now it was time to repair the broken vampire.
William hobbled his way up the stairs to his room. It was the door at the end of the corridor, just a few steps from mine. The room was cold and dark, candles on the mantle lit up as we passed the fireplace, lighting the room. William continued to hobble into the first doorway, the bathroom. His room was almost the same as mine, only it was a darker colour scheme. Tones of green and brown, cream and taupe, it was rich and vibrant. He settled onto a chair, lifting his foot to inspect it.
“Ok, what first?”
“First door under the sink. There is a brown wood box, fetch it out but be careful.”
I ignored the be careful comment, doing as he asked. He flicked through the little glass vials in the box, pulling out a brown tinted bottle. The liquid oozed into the wounds, a clear gel like substance. He then proceeded to wrap his foot in a bandage.
“I'm afraid that you are going to have to do the next part, though there is an issue. It is toxic to humans so you will have to use the product carefully.”
He held out the bottle as he hobbled to his feet, putting the box onto the vanity. Then he proceeded to remove his shirt. I could have died from the view, it was something that could send me into a faint, knocking me out. He dragged his shirt from his back, over his head. The muscles contorted and his hair became scruffy. I knew I was biting my lip, my eyes fixed upon him. It was a mighty fine view but it had to come to an end at some point and I knew what it was when I looked at his back. He could be mistaken for suffering a bad case of chicken pox, maybe measles. Places on his back had just spots, some had melded together in a large rash like mark but they were all red and angry. Turning the lid on the bottle, I looked at the little brush. I was going to be here for hours.
After working on his back for what I estimated was two hours, I had to take a break. My legs were sore, I was starving and I was sick of crying. It was like I could feel the pain. Every flinch, every hiss, every stifled whimper. It was only a short break, downing the entire contents of the tin of fruit I was able to return within a couple of minutes. William was oddly agreeable to me leaving for a short while, which I figured he was going to do the burns in places that I didn't want to. Or he didn't want me to. When I returned he was down to a pair of shorts, spotting the liquid over his legs. They hadn't suffered as badly, it was just a few dozen spots. I started to do the front of him, over the once gloriously fine chest now it was marked with spots, a reminder of how horrid we were to each other.
“Don't cry.” He whispered as he wiped the tears. “It's not as if this hasn't happened before, why do you think I have this here?”
“But you're hurt and you've still got to go and feed, it's almost dawn.”
Pain filled his eyes as he ruefully nodded. “I am hurt but it is a pain that will fade quickly as will the marks. As for the feeding I will just have to miss tonight.”
“But you can't, you need to, don't you?”
He nodded, we both knew that he could go now but he would never make it back in time.
“I shouldn't be out there in
such a state any way.”
“Can you feed without killing?”
“Of course. We just can't because the humans would tell everyone and create mass hysteria.”
I pulled my hair to one side exposing my neck. “But I won't.”
“You do not know what you offer Mary. It is dangerous to do this.”
Shrugging as I continued, I looked up at him and wondered why it was dangerous. Was it emotional danger or was it a danger for my life? I dabbed the last of the wounds, screwing the lid back onto the bottle.
“You know what I think?” I dumped the bottle back into the wood case. “I think it is the safer option. You can't go out but you know you need to feed. If you become too hungry then you are a danger to my life anyway. Why not do it now and then you will be able to control it easily because you are not ravenous with hunger?”
Sadly he sighed, nodding his head. “It's going to hurt, I won't lie to you. You may also pass out from the loss so it would be best to do this on the bed.”
He held the door handle as he stepped through the door. “With the possibility of passing out, I will leave you to freshen up before we start.”
Promptly he closed the door and I looked at the shower in the far corner and the arched doorway that led to the toilet. Did he mean to use that or to clean my neck? Did I stink that bad? I scoffed at myself, he said I might pass out, clearly he wants me to make sure I don't need to use the bathroom.
William was waiting on the balcony on the opposite side of the room, watching the last of the night dissipate. My fears of him hearing everything were rather unwarranted, though it was eerily quiet in this place.
“Ready.”
He turned from where he was leaning on the wrought iron balustrade, the smile increased slightly as his gaze lingered over me. Stepping into the room he closed the doors and dragged the heavy curtains shut. I clambered onto his bed, it was softer than mine. It made me cringe to think that he had laid here with his wife, that this was their bed. My mind taunted me that I was a home wrecker, tempting a married man to lay on the bed with me. But this wasn't about love or sex, this was about feeding a hungry vampire. William laid onto the bed beside me, his eyes wide with hunger. His soft smile had turned into a darker grin, one that revealed his fangs all too easily.
“Are you really ready Mary?”
I gulped hard as I stared up into those cold blue eyes, his mouth parted slightly as the fangs grew. Was I ready for this?
Chapter Seventeen
I knew what pain was. Suffering at the hands of a beast that towered over me, I could honestly say that I had suffered. But the pain of being bitten by a vampire was just as bad as the gouge marks that adorned my stomach. William was being gentle, I knew he wanted to be as kind as he could. After all, I was freely giving some of my blood to sustain his life. Having his body close to mine made it worse, it was like an erotic moment with a nightmare waiting to happen. As I laid on the bed feeling the weight of lethargy, I remembered how good it felt to have him wrap his arm around me, the other pulled back my hair.
His breath on my skin was filled with heat as he whispered not to tense up and to try to relax. He chuckled, adding rather inappropriately that I could think filthy thoughts if it made it easier. I frowned at him, wondering if he was still drunk. But he wasn't, apparently there were some humans that were willing to do this on a regular basis and that was what they did to cope. They were called feeders and though they were few in numbers, they were regarded as the ultimate in the human species. An almost god like status was put on them, they were not allowed to be killed by a vampire, they were protected from the lycans and other things that might see their demise. They were given a life of luxury, the vampires bestowed many fine things upon them as an offering. And this was available to me if I wanted to become a feeder. But the discussion on that would happen another day, for now this was about repairing William.
He pulled me tight to his body, the fangs scraped over my neck as he searched for the right vein. As they pricked the skin, I tensed, feeling them gouge into my skin. I whimpered with the pain as the tears trailed down my cheeks. My thoughts lingered with wondering why anyone would willingly sign up for this. There was an odd level of intimacy about it, if this happened with the feeders, I didn't know. I would have to start a list of questions. Wondering if the intimacy grew so rapidly that it led to sex. Wondering if there was one or two vampires for one feeder or if there was a lot. My hand was on his shoulder blades, gripping his shirt roughly as the pain burned through me. I could feel the blood dragging through my veins, my heart was working overtime just to sustain the loss and my breathing was rapid. Haze filled my mind as I listened to the rapid beating of my heart.
Slowly William lowered me onto the bed, retracting his fangs. “All over.” He said softly.
I blinked, trying to be free of the fog that seemed to lazily float around. He smiled as he trailed his finger over my temple, pulling back a stray lock of hair.
“Close your eyes Mary, sleep easy.”
I woke to the softest of touches, gently urging me awake. Fluttering my eyes I looked around the darkened room, the blue light on his bedside was dim.
“Time for you to eat Mary, sit up.”
Candles slowly began to rise, lighting the room dimly. William was fussing with the pillows behind me, helping me into a reclined seating position.
“Fruit again my dear Mary, I fear you will be sick of tinned fruit by the end of your stay here.”
The jostle of the bed as he moved closer roused me from my return to sleep, the sound of the fork scraping over the tin edge made my head hurt.
“Open up, it's pears today apparently. Do you like them?”
Wearily I nodded. Why did he want to have a conversation? Could he not let me sleep? I wanted to sleep. So tired.
“What do they taste like?”
“Sweet.” My mouth rasped out the word, it was like a baron land, aching to have a sip of water. William put the piece of pear into my mouth, the juice of the fruit squished through my mouth as I chewed it, filling my arid mouth with sickly sweet juice.
“Water.”
“Of course.”
He held the cup to my lips, this was the strangest thing I had ever done. I was nineteen and being fed and cared for by a vampire. How many people could say that they had done this? None, I'll bet. When the tin was done and I had finished the glass of water, William lifted me into his arms, carrying me somewhere.
“I am going to place you onto your feet now, hold the wall if you need stability.”
I nodded my head even though I didn't understand what he meant. The cold of the tiles were a shock to my warm feet, instantly I felt the cold of the room.
“Eyes open Mary.” He cooed. “I can't stay here with you.”
The world seemed to sway as I opened my eyes again, the candle light flickered from the vanity. I was in the bathroom, why? I had only just been to the toilet, I didn't need to go again, did I?
“Are you alright?”
I frowned as I looked up at him, wondering what was going on.
“I am going to leave you now, you have two minutes. Alright?”
Slowly I nodded, fearing my head would hurt too much. He walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. I looked around wondering how long I had been asleep for.
When I was done, I shakily walked to the vanity to wash my hands, the door was opening a crack.
“Sorry, I heard the flush and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I offered a slight smile, it was all I could muster at the moment.
“I am sorry, I should have warned you about the side effects.”
Shrugging I looked up into the mirror, watching as he moved closer. The spots were slowly fading away but it still looked like he was suffering from a disease. Feeling the cold water slipping over my skin was making me parched, I leaned over to drink it from my cupped hand.
“I can get you a glass of water Mary, you do not need to d
rink from the fixtures.”
I turned off the tap, feeling refreshed. As I turned to him, my legs turned to jelly, my head became light. William pulled me into his embrace before I fell, pressing me against the vanity. It had caught him off guard and now he was struggling with the awkward position.
“Back to bed with you.”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, resting my head. It felt so heavy, like my neck was unable to cope with the weight. His hands lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. I could feel his hands on my thighs, skin on skin, leaving me to wonder why. Where were my pants? And my socks, I thought I was wearing socks. His hokey vampire nonsense had changed me into another nightdress. The sensation of falling backwards felt odd, as William lowered me onto the bed I felt the soft cool sheets.
As he pulled the covers over me I could hear the soft voice of another man, my body tightened at the sound.
“Do not fret, all is well.”
I couldn't open my eyes, they were heavy with sleepiness. His fingers trailed over my skin, I could hear the voice again. I flinched at the deep voice.
“Friends have come to visit Mary, they will sit with you while I go and feed. You do not need to worry, they will not harm you.”
Rough and calloused fingers clasped my hand, gripping it firmly. It was cold like Williams but unlike his, this hand had seen hard labour. The bed dipped as if someone was sitting beside me, I wished I could open my eyes.
“This is Nick but everyone calls him Spud because he looks like a potato.”
“I do not.” The voice grumbled. “Don't you listen to the liar Mary.”
William chuckled, I could feel my hair being pulled away gently. I knew it was him that did it, he seemed to do it a lot.
“Spud is here with his sister, she will be back soon. Marty went to get you some things, you know, stuff to keep you occupied.”
I could hear the pained sigh from William. “I'll leave you to it.” He whispered sadly.
“Okay, the old prude is gone, you're safe to be wild and free.” The new man chuckled.
Deadly Beasts (The Curse of the Rose Book 1) Page 11
