Eric bit into his wrist with a detached expression and held out his arm toward me, blood dripping down the sides. I recoiled instinctively.
"What are you doing?"
"Tending to your needs. You've lost blood. I'll replenish it."
"What? I'm not drinking your blood!" I almost shouted, stepping back as if he had pointed a weapon at me. The lingering effects of the last time were still too fresh in my memory, thank you very much.
Eric rolled his eyes, took a step forward, and pulled me closer, his bleeding arm now mere inches from my mouth. The way he held me somehow dulled the throbbing in my shoulder. He was almost gentle.
"Don't make me force-feed you," he warned quietly, his arm steady beneath my face. I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head.
"Don't make me redislocate my shoulder and break your ribs as well," I hissed through clenched teeth. We stared each other down for a tense moment before he finally released me with a rough shove and stepped back. I stumbled slightly.
Without another word, Eric turned and left the room, much like his... yes, his father, I guessed, had done earlier. Over his shoulder, he called back, "Better hurry up. We've got to go," before disappearing out of the church.
I hadn't realized how tense and uncomfortable I'd felt inside until we were finally outside, where I could breathe in the fresh night air. I sighed. It still hurt like hell, but I'd been through worse.
"I'm not running after you just because you said so!" I grumbled, running after him precisely because he said so. Pathetic. Eric let out a knowing grunt.
"Sure."
Why did he have to look so damn adorable when I wanted to hate him with every fiber of my being? Why did my heart flutter when we argued? The gods must be playing tricks on me. I rubbed my forehead, as if trying to erase the thoughts from my mind. A wave of dizziness hit me, and then Eric stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into him.
"Jeez, give me a heads-up, you big lump of muscle," I muttered, which made Eric raise an eyebrow.
"How much blood did you lose?" he asked incredulously. I snorted.
"Enough. A lot. Not too much. I've been through worse."
Eric grunted but didn't move. Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.
"So..."
"So?"
"Can we keep going?"
He looked at me like I was dense."Where to?"
Did I hit my head and forget something? Didn't he just tell me to hurry so we could get to Godric?
"Aren't we leaving?"
Eric smirked. It was never a good sign when he twisted his mouth like that. I knew I wasn't going to like what happened next. And I was right.
I was in his arms and ten feet off the ground before I could protest.
"Oh God, not again..."
Eric laughed. I was beginning to fear his laughter more than his grin. The man had a twisted sense of humor.
"We can snuggle again if you prefer, but I thought this might be easier on your shoulder."
He held me like a bride being carried across the threshold, my injured shoulder carefully nestled between us. I pressed my lips together as if my life depended on it. I was sure that if I opened my mouth, I'd scream. And that would be the final nail in the coffin of my dignity, which I'd already completely and utterly lost.
Dignity, self-respect, and integrityâthey must have all gone on vacation to visit my sanity, which had left weeks ago. Pretty much the second this damn Viking walked into my life. So I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to the gods that we'd land safely, all while I was fairly certain I could hear Eric softly humming "Fly Me to the Moon." Great, he was like my own personal airline, complete with in-flight music.
About ten minutes later, we landed, but Eric didn't put me down immediately. Although I was sure my knees would wobble as soon as they touched the ground (which they did), I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of carrying me around like a child any longer.
As soon as we hit solid ground, I squirmed...
...and Eric promptly dropped me like a hot potato. Pain shot through my shoulder, and I groaned before snarling at him.
"Thanks a lot, you asshole."
There it was again, that grin. God, how I wanted to wipe it off his face. I picked myself up while Eric headed purposefully toward a house. Quickly, I glanced around. It was nothing like what I had expected.
Maybe I had approached this with too many preconceived notions, I thought as I walked through a neatly arranged garden in what seemed to be a suburban street. White roses were in full bloom, their intoxicating scent filling the air as we passed. I stopped. The intensity of the fragrance was disconcerting, but I didn't mind. Roses were my favorite flowers. I took a deep breath, then continued up the path to the house, reaching Eric's side just as the door opened.
"Eric, Ashley..." Godric greeted us like old friends, while I tried to remember if I'd ever told him my first name. Once again, it was strange to see such authority radiating from such a young-looking vampire. But there was something about him that made me feel instantly at ease in his presence.
I smiled at him, a genuine smile. "Hi, Godric."
Eric grunted and brushed past him as Godric stepped aside to let us in. As I passed him, he clicked his tongue.
"I see my child didn't heal you," he observed, a mix of reprimand and resigned acknowledgment in his tone that made me feel like I was being scolded by a parent. Or at least how I imagined it would feel to have parents who scolded you out of concern. My throat tightened, and my heart began to race as Godric placed a hand on my cheek.
"Don't fret, my child. You're not to blame."
I exhaled in relief. Godric smiled.
"Rest now. Nothing important will happen tonight. You'll find fresh clothes, towels, and bandages in the guest room."
Noticing my confused expression, he winked.
"I had a feeling we might need them."
My brain buzzed with a strange sensation. It took a moment to realize why. A tear slipped down my cheek, prompting Godric to call out to Eric in annoyance.
"She's in pain," he snapped, making Eric frown.
"And?"
"I'm not in pain," I cut in before throwing a furious look at Eric for his indifference. "But I'd really like to lie down. Thank you," I quickly added. The fact that my tears were from being touched by someone's selflessness and care was something I wasn't willing to admit. That was just pathetic. No one needed to know what a wreck I really was. I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the lump in it.
"So, upstairs?"
Godric nodded.
"Eric, take Ashley to her room and show her where to find everything. We'll sort the rest out in a few minutes."
Eric nodded at Godric, who then squeezed my hand and disappeared.
I was beginning to genuinely like Godric, something I hadn't expected. Smiling, I turned to Eric, who immediately made my smile vanish. How could someone so kind have such a grumpy child?
Psychopathic, Ash. The word you're looking for is psychopathic child. Norman Bates had nothing on him.
Eric tilted his head slightly, his face still wearing that mask of indifference, but I could sense him studying me. I stared back. Always the same mistake on my part.
I wanted to outstare him, win this bizarre contest, but someone who had had a thousand years to perfect his gaze knew how to make a girl's knees weak. Frustrated with myself, I snorted when I realized my heart was starting to flutter under his blue eyes, which glowed like molten glass. I averted my gaze. Eric's damn grin reappeared as I brushed past him and marched up the stairs.
"Left," he barked behind me as I reached the top and looked around in confusion. I followed his directions begrudgingly. Even though he was helping me navigate the house, and all he'd done was point me in the right direction, it still annoyed me to obey anything he said. But turning right would have been too childish.
Eric opened the door to one of the rooms and gestured for me to enter. It was simple but elegantly furnished. A massive wooden bed stood in the center, draped with dark blue, high-quality linens and a fur throw covering half of it. Nightstands flanked either side of the bed. On the left wall was a door that I assumed led to a bathroom. A paper bag, towels, and a first-aid kit sat on the nightstand. There was also a large fruit basket filled with oranges, bananas, grapes, and apples, with a bag of cookies sticking out.
Even cookies?
Tears welled up in my eyes again. Since when had I become so emotional? This was getting ridiculous. I turned around, fully expecting to have to throw a large vampire out of my room, one who would try to get me into that big bed behind me, but I was alone. Eric had slipped away silently without a word of goodbye.
"God, who pissed in his cereal this morning?" I muttered angrily to myself, ignoring the little pang in my heart. I was such a damn girl. I'd spent all this time pushing Eric away, wanting nothing more than to rip his head offâliterallyâand now that he was finally leaving me alone and brushing me off, I was the one who wanted to chase after him. Grumbling, I slammed the door behind me and locked it for good measure. Not that a locked door could stop a vampire, but I hoped it at least sent part of the message. I took a deep breath and turned back around.
The bed looked so inviting, I couldn't wait to crawl into it. But first, a shower was desperately neededâprobably overdue, really. I knew I had to look anything but fresh at this point (I wasn't even sure when I'd last showered or what day, or night, it was), but the reflection that greeted me in the bathroom mirror still startled me.
I was covered in dirt and blood, my hair was tangled, and my eyes were sunken deep into their sockets (undoubtedly a side effect of blood loss). My clothes were torn, and I had a slightly wild look in my eyes. Shuddering, I turned away from the mirror and peeled off the remnants of my clothing. I felt guilty leaving them crumpled on the clean white tiles, so I quickly tossed them in the trash before stepping into the shower. They were beyond saving anyway.
As soon as the water hit me, I let out a deep sigh. The shower was pure bliss. I was pretty sure I had never experienced such luxury in my entire life. Countless bottles of expensive-looking shower gels and soaps were neatly arranged inside the shower, which was equipped with a rainfall showerhead. Dirt and blood swirled down the drain, and I carefully removed the sling from my dislocated shoulder under the water so I could get completely clean.
A groan escaped through clenched teeth, but once I managed to awkwardly slip the sling over my head, the pain eased a bit, and I could focus again on the hot water enveloping and cleansing me. I didn't step out until twenty minutes later.
After indulging in a long, decadent shower, I stepped out and wrapped myself in the softest towel I had ever felt. I could've groaned in delight again. Where on earth did they find such soft towels?
It felt like I'd fallen into a parallel universe where everything was nicer, softer, and better. Sighing, I cuddled into the towel as I walked back into the room.Shoppingbags awaited me, sitting on my bed. I frowned, stepping forward. Â A glance inside the bag made me pause. This wasn't just any clothing; it was an evening gown, complete with high heels and lacy lingerie. I dug through the bag suspiciously. Yep, just as I thought. No regular jeans, no t-shirt, no cotton or viscose. Instead, velvet, lace, and silk, all in a beautifully coordinated gray-green color palette.
I was torn. On the one hand, I was excited about the gorgeous outfit I'd probably have to wear tomorrow. But on the other hand... Were vampires always this controlling? The fact that I was sitting in a strange city, in a vampire's house, staring at a bag of clothes someone else had chosen for me answered my question.
I sighed again and grabbed one of the apples beside my bed. As I took a bite, I couldn't suppress a moan. Oh. My. God.
This was by far the best apple I had ever eaten. My mouth watered, and I devoured it so quickly I had to stop more than once to catch my breath from nearly choking. After inhaling the apple, core and all, I moved on to the grapes and cookies. Ten minutes later, the fruit basket was almost empty, and I found myself washing my hands and staring at my reflection in the mirror, bewildered.
What was wrong with me?
Must be the blood loss...
I probably just needed sleep. My body had to recover, that was all. I swallowed two ibuprofen I'd found in the first-aid kit and wrapped a clean bandage around my arm. I was surprised to see that the wound on my neck had already shrunk to just two small puncture marks, but I didn't dwell on it. Instead, I was distracted by the fact that I clearly couldn't sleep in a towel or in my evening gown. I frowned at my reflection in the mirror.
My options were limited.
I could sleep in the lingerie from the bag, but a quick glance revealed that meant a night in a lacy thong and matching braânot exactly cozy.
I could curl up naked in bed, but the idea of lying there without clothes, in a house full of strangers and vampires, felt indecent.
Since my clothes from the day were completely ruined, the only real option left was to ask for more clothing. Nervously, I ran a hand through my still-damp hair. It was embarrassing enough to be making myself at home here (especially considering I still had unfinished business with the "son" of the house's owner). Plus, I didn't even have anything to wear to leave my room.
I'd either have to walk through the house in a towel or sleep naked. Reluctantly, I left the bathroom and sighed heavily. What a mess. I stopped short in the doorway, eyes wide as I stared at the bed. Neatly folded on top were a black t-shirt and a pair of boxers, lying there innocently as if they had been there all along. The room was empty, the door was locked. Had I just not noticed them before?
The painkillers started to kick in, making me incredibly sleepy. Without giving it much thought, I dropped the towel and slipped into the offered clothes. The shirt was several sizes too big and could almost pass as a nightgown, but I tucked it into the waistband of the boxers, which hung down to my knees. I quickly crawled into bed, which was, of course, covered in the softest sheets I had ever felt against my skin.
Sleep threatened to overtake me, and I was already drifting off before my head even hit the pillow. Somewhere deep in my mind, the last neurons were still busy puzzling over the sudden appearance of the pajamas. Why did they seem so familiar? A black V-neck shirt... The scent of freshly washed clothes and cool forest air surrounded me, and my thoughts grew sluggish and heavy.
Goodnight, Ashley, I probably murmured to myself before I fell asleep.