Vampire Bride

Chapter Ten - Part One

Charlie

I shut down. My brain freezes, unable to register what I just saw while my emotions paralyze my body. No matter how much my feet refuse to move, Maxwell's brute strength pushes me along. Silence fills the room he leads me to. But silence is soon replaced with the click of the door locking.

"What's going on, Maxwell? Why did you bring me here?"

"She'll be fine." His calm voice puts my nerves even more on edge. I can picture his statue like body guarding the door.

"Stop with the bullshit, Maxwell. I'm not blind. I saw what was happening in the room, but this isn't about some other vampire's carelessness; this is about that empty look in your own eyes. I thought you were trying to be a better. I thought you were trying to be more humane." I still have my back to him, refusing to look at those mischievous dark eyes.

"There's something you need to know. Need to do if you like it or not."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I swing around, finally looking at him. The sight of his fangs makes my fingers tremble. I want to scream, but only a whimper comes out as fear squeezes my lungs.

His hands jolt out to grip my arms as if what he's about to say will scare me even more than I already am. He takes time choosing his words, speaking slowly. "Charlie, do you remember asking about The High Council and I told you that you would meet them sooner or later? Well, they're requesting your presence in six days. You have to be presented as my bride and in order for the meeting to remain in our favor one thing needs to happen."

I don't know what to say. I have many things to say but to choose one is impossible. One foot after another, I slowly walk backwards, slipping out of his grip. His fingertips clutch my elbows, trying to keep me next to him, but he eventually allows me some space. Carefully rounding the bed not breaking eye contact, I get as far away from him as possible. More than anything I want a greater amount of distance between us than he's permitting as he carefully follows each of my steps. The sharp corner of the nightstand jabs into my lower back, telling me there's no space left to go.

He must be able to see my body quiver with fear as he moves his hands to the tops of my shoulders, trying to steady me. My heart pounds so loud that my eardrums throb and my hyperventilating makes me lightheaded. His fingers press harshly into my bone, trapping me in front of him. "This doesn't have to hurt, Charlie. Just hold still and I promise everything will be fine."

Fine? Everything will not be fine in my opinion. What happened to not digging those fangs into me until I wanted him to? As if that were to ever happen. I lean away from him, bending backward over the nightstand as he slowly slants toward me. The lampshade of the lamp that sits upon the table behind me presses into the curve of my back, tipping it over.

With my instincts kicking in, I reach my hand behind me in search for the lamp base. My stretching fingers frantically grope for the base before it falls off the table entirely. As soon as my fingers wrap around cold metal, I swing. The heavy object seems light in my grip as it soars through the air.

The force of the hit vibrates through the lamp up my arm. Taken by surprise, Maxwell bends over, holding his head in pain. I see my chance and make a dash for the door, but luck isn't on my side as my fingers fumble with the lock. As Maxwell becomes silent, blood rises to the top of my skull. Panic makes the worst of a person come out. My fists pound wildly on the door as my screams finally escape my mouth.

A growl of anger sounds behind me. His voice comes out harsh and strained. "No one will come running, Charlie. You're at a vampire party in a gated community. These rooms are purely occupied for bloodlettings."

And just like that I find the Maxwell that was described in that journal in the room with me. A monster more so than man.

Shuffled footsteps play with my head. I press my back up against the wooden door. Fear incapacitates me, but that doesn't stop my eyes from meeting his. His casual walk in my direction taunts me as he lightly dabs the gash on his forehead. The thick, tangled mess of hair covers parts of his face, making him appear more menacing than he already is.

He runs his hand through those tangles, letting me see his glare in full. A small dribble of blood runs down the side of his head. The wound is deep and gruesome. It looks as if it should produce more blood than it is.

"You're bleeding?" I say with a barely audible shaky whisper.

"Vampire 101, love, we tend to hold blood in areas that cannot be covered up. The head, neck, and hands remain seen by human eyes; therefore, blood accumulates there to keep one looking alive." He looks at me with those devilish eyes.

The cruelty in his voice as he continues sends chills through my body. "You know, Charlie, I was going to be easy on you, but seeing you still don't trust me, there's no better way to get around this. We'll have time to fix our relationship; you'll have eternity to learn to love me. As I'll have eternity to forgive you for your stubbornness. Not to mention that you made me bleed, twice."

"First time you didn't bleed. And you're going to make me bleed, you idiot. So it's even," I yell back.

"Look at me, Charlie," he demands.

I shake my head violently, refusing to listen to his commands. It physically hurts denying him and his mind mojo.

He ignores my words and continues with his rant. "What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much, besides love you?" He steps in front of me and grabs my jaw, forcing my head to lift in efforts of making me look at him.

"I can't do this," I beg. His fangs are no longer extracted. As I stare at him all I see is a man. An average, normal, heartbroken man.

"Charlie, relax." His voice puts me at ease. "That's right. Relax."

With those words everything becomes a haze, but a welcomed haze.