Mystery Man Revealed (Now Published so sample only)

Chapter 13

© Sandra Corton 2013

Chapter 13

Honey had never wanted an adventurous life. She had always been happy with what she had been given in her life. She would never try to seek what others like her friend Polly craved. Now though she had completely stumbled upon it without even trying.

She backed further away from the evil red eyed man that leered at her. Tripping over Aiden was not at all part of the plan but it was certainly what she did. She ended up sprawled across Aiden's body giving Ethan an easy chance to get hold of her.

"Come sweet Honey, my fangs are awaiting what has been owed to me for a long time now." Ethan said his voice thick and almost unrecognisable.

Horror struck when she realised why his voice had changed. Long, deadly and nasty looking fangs protruded from the man's upper jaw. From her weakened position still sprawled on the ground the sight was bone chilling in its intensity.

With a whimper she pushed away from Aiden, not even realising she had shoved the choker out of his hands. Ethan smiled smugly as he picked up the ugly piece of jewellery. He admired it for a brief moment before snatching hold of her arm at lightning speed and shoving the collar back around her neck. The choker enclosed her and Honey felt trapped.

 She quickly reached her unrestrained hand up to yank on the offending chain that clicked defiantly into place. Ethan laughed harshly and simply dragged her closer to him. She screamed as his hold on her became painful while he laughed maniacally.

Even looking into those red eyes sent a terror like no other through her. His nasty breath wafted over her and she felt like gagging. Everything about his man was disgusting and vile. There was no redeeming feature of this hideous man.

"Do you even know what this means?" Ethan tugged the choker sharply away from her neck making it dig into her skin roughly.

"N-n- no." She stammered out.

"This means you belong to me. You are my vessel to drink from for as long as I desire." He traced a cold finger down her throat to where her pulse pounded furiously.

"No!" She protested with despair.

"Oh yes! You are about to become my slave, my blood slave. I would take your innocence too but it may taint the bouquet." At that he deliberately let a fang trail along her skin.

She knew if Aiden was the one standing in front of her then she would gladly give herself to him. This man only made her feel utter disgust and dreadful fear. She wanted desperately to back away from him but his grip only tightened making escape impossible.

"You are going to be my play thing until I am bored of you. Then I may hand you to those under me. They will care none for your innocence as I do." A sardonic snarl rent through him as a whimper escaped her.

"No." She repeated tugging against his hold again.

"Oh yes you may protest but I shall simply take what is mine." His voice became silky smooth but the threat was evident and real.

"No I won't let you! I would rather die." She told him determinedly.

"If you want me to take your life then that is easily done.  Would you like me to drain you and fill you with my own blood? You would make a stunning vamp." She thought at that comment she might faint with the sheer terror of his words.

"No!" She shouted loudly as she reefed away from his restraining grip.

"That's not possible." Ethan said in amazement as she quickly put some distance between them.

She backed up but kept a steady eye on the horrible man. He moved as a blur to try and snatch her back to him. She moved just as quickly further across the room. The shocked look on his face would have been comical if she hadn't been so scared. Fury filled his face next.  She stayed away as adrenaline pumped through her system strengthening the vampire part that was already in her blood.

"You are a human. You cannot match me!" Ethan snarled as he once again went to reach for her. Something smashed but she never took her eyes from the man.

"I will never be your blood slave. Never!" She screamed out the words in defiance.

She reached up to the choker. She pulled on it, tugged as hard as she could but it didn't budge. There had to be a clasp, she thought wildly as she stepped back from him once again. She felt around the dreadful piece trying not to shudder now that she knew what it was.

Finally as she focused on the choker she found the clasp. She had taken her eyes off him though and in that instant he grabbed her roughly. Concentrate on getting rid of this thing, she demanded of her mind as she closed off her focus to him being near. Still her fingers shook as she tried to work out how the complicated clasp worked.

"Try all you might; only a vampire can remove it." His amusement as his cold fingers trailed over hers made her feel physically ill.

"I will not be your blood slave." She told him fiercely.

"Oh yes you will. You in fact want to be my blood slave." His voice did the compelling thing that Aiden had tried with her once.

His was much stronger than Aiden's, a lot harder to repel. A moment passed when she realised she had actually been considering his words seriously. Her fingers had stilled on trying to remove the horrid choker. Panic took control at how easy she could give in to this horrid man's whims. She shook her head violently to release herself from his compulsion.

"Never!" She hissed the word sharply and once again the vampire looked surprised.

"My food has never protested as much as you." He mused, tapping a finger on his chin as he dragged her closer. "It seems I shall have to speed up the process."

Terror blinded her as her fingers tried desperately to remove the offending choker. His fangs flashed again showing his intentions as she tried to push down on the fear and work faster at getting rid of the choker. She snapped her forearms against her throat so he had no opening but he just laughed maliciously.

"Do you really think that is the only spot I can draw blood from? You humans and your silly ideas." He drawled smugly with a shake of his head. "I will have your blood this evening."

"No!" The refusal boomed through her at the same time her fingers reefed the choker from her neck. It fell to tinkling pieces on the floor. The vampire watched with a mixture of astonishment and utter fury. He was not used to being beaten by a measly human.

"How dare you!" His words were snarled out low and deep. Honey quite deliberately stomped on the pieces, breaking them up even more.

"She should dare." Aiden said from behind her as he calmly stood in the lounge room doorway and surveyed the wreckage of the room.

"What do you mean half-blood?" Ethan glared towards the other man, his red eyes terrifying in their intensity.

"A few things. The first being that you were never once invited into this house." Aiden said as he watched fear enter the pure bloods eyes. "We will deal with that one last though." Aiden gestured for Honey to come towards him and she finally felt able to move from her frozen state.

His appearance had stunned her. All she could remember was that the necklace had made him unconscious. Now he stood there confident and brave. Those feelings developing for him edged a little deeper as she pulled hard to release herself from Ethan's grip. She walked over to Aiden who looked her up and down as though searching for injuries.

"I'm fine." She assured him, even though she couldn't stop her voice from shaking. He let out a breath and sent her a concerned look but nodded.

"That's good, lets deal with this scum." Aiden tilted his head towards the other vampire. "Do you really think your Elder would agree with your behaviour tonight?" Aiden asked calmly.

"And what business is that of yours?" Ethan snapped.

"You tried to take my innocent again. Your Elder gave me express permission for me to take her that night." Aiden's words were stated firmly but with an edge of anger.

"Foolish half-blood! She was mine from the beginning." Ethan stalked closer to them with rage in every step.

"I was never yours! I kept telling you no but you wouldn't leave me alone. I wanted nothing to do with you even then." Honey told him with a glare.

"Did he tell you that necklace he gave you meant the same thing as my choker did?" Ethan tried to knock them off guard.

Honey certainly felt a little betrayed by his statement. She sent a quick glance to Aiden who looked uncomfortable. Why had Aiden never explained what the necklace meant? With clarity she realised he had done the right thing, it had kept her from Ethan's clutches. She knew Aiden and he was nothing like the vampire in front of her, he would never have forced anything on her that she wasn't willing to give him.

"It doesn't matter. Aiden would never use me the way you want to. He would never force me to be his blood slave." Honey told him defiantly.

"You dare to think she is yours but the marks on her throat that you could never have missed say otherwise." Aiden told the man as he wrapped Honeys icy fingers in his. At this combined attack Ethan went speculative.

"She is stronger than any innocent should be. You shared blood." Ethan pointed accusingly between them and Aiden smirked.

"Funny that but yes we did." Aiden said with a grin. Ethan cursed wildly before looking between them snidely.

"If she takes too much I hope you are aware of what will happen." Ethan let out a sardonic laugh.

"I do as does Honey. I explained everything to her." Aiden answered decisively and Ethan seemed unsure of what to say. "I have had enough with this conversation now. You were never invited into this house. You were going to make the occupant of this house your blood slave without an invitation. You Ethan Jacobson have doomed yourself to the punishment." Aiden told a suddenly scared looking Ethan.

"You wouldn't do that to one of your own." Ethan backed away a little, all his smugness gone.

"Return my amulet and perhaps I will spare you this time only." Aiden held out his hand as Ethan seemed to consider things.

"Fine have it." At this the red eyed man threw the necklace hard at Aiden who caught it easily.

"Now leave!" Aiden's voice echoed loudly around the room. As Ethan turned towards the door Honey was able to sigh with relief. "Remember this Ethan, you are not welcome here. You shall never be invited through this door. She is mine!"

At the doorway Ethan turned, this time not looking threatening at all. He glared sullenly at the pair of them before slamming the door shut. The red eyed vampire was gone. Honey slumped against Aiden, letting out a harsh breath. Silence surrounded them and she wasn't sure what to do or say but she knew the air had to be cleared between them. It seemed there was a lot she didn't know.

"Is that true about the inviting thing?" Honey asked shakily.

"Yes, most supernatural creatures must be invited in before they can wreak havoc. Vampires most especially. If you had been unable to resist his compelling then he could have convinced you that you did indeed invite him in."

She shuddered at his words. Her body felt cold at even the thought of what had almost happened. She had almost given in to the red eyed vampire. She could have become his blood slave so easily. His words had been so hard to resist but she had known that she had to or her life would be at an end.

"Come we can talk when you are warmer." He said softly as she shivered uncontrollably once again.

She let him lead her, having no idea where they were heading. On the landing he gestured to his room and she went willingly. As she walked through his door she wondered whether this was also considered an invitation of sorts. He tucked her securely under the covers and she was pleased that the bed was surprisingly warm.

"I need you to put the amulet back on so you will be protected from whatever he may try to send you." He said simply as though waiting for her refusal.

"Was he right in what he said?" She asked as she fingered the necklace he handed her.

"Yes this amulet does put my claim on you. I promise you that I would never use it in the way Ethan wanted to. This is simply to protect you. It should keep other vampires away but that part doesn't seem to work too well." He finished wryly as he sat on the bed next to her.

"I won't be able to get it off?" She forced herself to enquire.

"I am no too sure of that. You got rid of Ethan's amulet without too much effort."

"Please hold me and I'll try not to attack you." She pleaded holding out her arms, not enjoying thinking back to the vampires hideous visit. He sighed but complied. He pulled her blanket clothed body against his, noticing that she was shivering quite uncontrollably.

"Perhaps we should return to the hospital, I fear you are going into shock." He said worriedly but she shook her head.

"No I need to talk about what happened. It will help me to feel better about everything." She replied astutely.

"Fine but put the amulet on first." He said and without a word she handed him the necklace.

He carefully tilted her away from him as he undid the clasp and placed the delicate jewellery around her neck. This time when the clasp closed with a decisive snap she felt no fear. Instead she felt an almost joining of souls together. She was happy to know that in the vampire world at least, she was considered his.

"I still don't understand what happened. You took that nasty choker off me and it hurt but then he was here....." She trailed off on a shiver.

"He managed to switch the amulets without me realising. It has me wondering what Mage he has involved in his workings. He is going against his Elder which is a penalty worthy of his death." Aiden told her and Honey clasped her cold hands tightly together.

She felt freezing until his arms came around her again. Without conscious thought she snuggled closer to him. His enticing scent wrapped around her with its familiarity. Her lust flared warming her while at the same time comforting her. The need for his blood was still there but tempered by his embrace.

"Why did it knock you out though?" She asked as she focused back on the answers she was after.

"That had to do with the Mage he is using."

"You keep saying Mage. Do you mean like a magician?" She asked curiously as he played with the tendrils of her hair.

"Yes some vampires are quite talented. The vampire Mage that made you that amulet is a specialist at that kind of constriction. He is the only one I have heard of anywhere in the world. This is why I have to wonder who made Ethan's strong enough to leave me unconscious." He mused almost to himself.

"Are all vampires like him? He just seems kind of....evil." She shuddered again and he dragged her fully across his lap.

"No most vampires are just normal beings trying to go about their lives like you and I. His elder was a very generous man as he let me take you from Ethan's clutches. Sometimes it is as the saying goes 'that absolute power corrupts absolutely'. I think that is what might have occurred with Ethan.

"Nearly all vampires try never to take too much blood. They always try to leave their meal alive. It would not be helpful to kill off your very food source. I had seen Ethan hunt that night at the club. Before he tried to entice you, he almost drained another woman that had to be sent to the hospital. He truly sees humans only as a food source." Aiden shook his head sadly. Honey turned her face away from him so he couldn't see her horror struck expression.

"He won't stop coming after me will he?" She asked through dry lips.

"No I think you have intrigued him with your ability to resist him." Aiden said softly and Honey felt like cowering under the covers. "If you stay in this house during the night time hours he cannot enter unless you invite him in." He tried to reassure her but her fear never lessened.

"If I lost my....virginity would he stop?" She stammered out the words and Aiden shifted beneath her.

"I am no longer certain that he would." He answered her truthfully his voice dropping low. "He would be more fascinated by keeping you as his slave now I fear."

"Oh God how did this happen to me?" She uttered.

"I am more surprised that it never happened sooner." Aiden replied and she snapped her eyes to him.

"What do you mean?"

"You are beautiful, stunning in fact. My Aunt chose you because she was certain that you could never be innocent. She was wrong of course. She saw what thankfully every other person seemed to. They all thought you were worldlier than what you are. I think that has given my species the reason to ignore you too. Most innocents are not the most good looking of women." He finished with a frown.

"Oh I see." She mumbled as she barely understood what he meant.

"It is only because you are not, oh how shall I put this?" He trailed off while she just stared at him. "You do not flaunt the very beauty that you possess."

"Was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?" She asked peering into his silvery eyes.

"Neither, simply a statement of what I have observed." He replied and was surprised when she smiled.

"That's good then I guess." She said on a yawn.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he tilted his head to look her over.

"Better but tired. I only have one more question, how did I get that choker off? He said that only a vampire can do it." At her words he looked a little uneasy but took a deep breath and answered her.

"The truth is Honey that I have no idea how you removed that amulet or how you got away from him. He is a pure blood, stronger than I could ever hope to be yet you escaped him. I will go through my books tomorrow and see what information I can find out." He told her and she bit her lip.

"When I drank your blood did it make me like him?" She asked fearfully. He tipped her chin up so they were looking at each other.

"That is easily answered. Did sunlight touch your skin today?"

"Yes."

"Did you crave Brooke's blood when you saw her earlier?"

"No only yours."

"Then I can assure you that you are not a vampire." He affirmed as he traced his fingers over her lips. Pleasure swamped her at the simple touch.

"I'm not a vampire?" She asked the words in a mumbled fashion around his fingers.

"No more than yesterday." He sent her a cheeky little grin that melted her heart. She tried to contain the pleasure that engulfed her but was unable.

"Don't." She had to force the word out and he regretfully pulled his fingers away.

"At least rest then." He said on a sigh as he shuffled her off his lap and stretched out.

"Thank you for getting him away from me. You saved my life." She said softly, her voice full of awe.

"You were saving yourself Honey, I just sped things up." He said with a smile that had her stomach fluttering madly.

"I wish I could kiss you without feeling like I would attack you." She murmured on another yawn.

"Then how about this?" He teased.

His lips touched hers so briefly, a gentle butterfly landing before he was gone. She sighed and pushed against the flames that threatened her. How she wished she could feel those soft, cool lips of his against hers even more.

"Perfect thank you again." She said as she stretched out and snuggled under the covers.

She watched as he picked up one of the old tomes that sat on his bedside table. She forced aside the terror from earlier in the night and focused only on him. She watched as his hand gripped the book and he poured over its contents. She drifted into her dream world with only silvery eyes being her focus.
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This story has now been published! At the moment it is available digitally through Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Scribd, iBooks, and Barnes and noble. 

If you are interested in other stories of mine these are some of the titles:

Finally (now published)

How we began (now published)

A world of love (now published)

This supergirl has no powers (now published)

I met him on the balcony (now published)

The Chase Begins (now published)

The girl who writes and the boy who likes her

The series of Reflection stories (there are 5)

A dragon for your thoughts (now published)

And I'm now writing: Summer love and all its follies

I hope you enjoy them too :)