Lessons of the Heart and the Liquid it Pumps ||

65: Ownership

No, this can’t be happening! I thought as my heartbeat soared and my limbs froze. One force was trying to make me react positively and the other trying to make me fight back resulting in a loss of any movement at all. I opened my mouth to yell at him to stop but nothing came out, which turned out not to matter anyways for a familiar voice filled the air instead, “I would highly advise you release her.”

For a second everything froze. The vampire on me ceased grinding me against him and his hand stilled itself, still clasping my breast. His hot racing heartbeat thudded into where my hands were stuck pressed up against his bare chest in between us. Slowly he turned his head, a low growl coming as he said, “Wait until I finish.”

“Francis,” the voice came again sounding forceful but still polite, “release her now.”

The vampire, whose name I now know was Francis, turned his eyes suddenly to me. I held in a choke of surprise as the deep grey of his eyes locked onto mine. “We may be interrupted momentarily,” he said slowly, slipping his hand off of my waist, “but I’ve already decided on my method. So don’t think I’ll allow any other means of getting what I came for.”

I flinched as his thumb massaged slowly across my breast before he drew his hand out from under my shirt and took a step away from me. The moment he did my hands busied themselves with grabbing the ends of my sweatshirt and zipping it all the way up. But he’d already turned his attention away from me and didn’t notice this action. “What is it?” he demanded, obviously irritated.

I followed Francis’ glare with my own surprised gaze to where Matthew stood casually leaning against the railing leading down from the upper floor. His emerald eyes met mine as he ignored Francis’ question. There was no attempting to hide my confusion as he smiled brightly down at me as though seeing an old friend. “Are you all right?” he asked me in a soft voice.

As I nodded dumbly still confused by the entire thing Francis scoffed angrily. “I’ve not broken any rules.” he stated sounding utterly aggravated.

“That may be so,” Matthew mused as he stepped down a stair and onto the platform where we stood, “but that’s not why I have to stop you.” Never once did his eyes meet Francis as he scanned me as though trying to see if I was damaged anywhere.

I never thought I’d be thankful to see Matthew. But as the cold metal of the door I’d been pressed against finally registered as it seeped through my clothes I found myself unable to look away from him. Francis seemed to notice the strong gaze and turned to look at me as well. “It’s not polite to stare.” he suddenly said possessively as he took a sidestep to stand between Matthew and I.

“I apologize,” Matthew started in a low calm tone as he finally returned his eyes to Francis, “but I cannot allow your activities from earlier to continue on.”

Unable to speak yet I shifted uncomfortably. It seemed as though this wasn’t heading in a direction that Francis was fond of for he demanded to know, “Under what pretenses do you have the right to interfere?” Then, as if going over it out loud he listed off; “There are no witnesses. I have not strayed from our territory. She is not with child. And, as you can see, she’s not accompanied by one of our own.”

“There’s one you haven’t accounted for.” Matthew started and turned his eyes back to me.