The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 3: Chapter 24

Nothing had changed since she had first treated me like a possession, except that I actually cared. Damn it. Why was she not here yet? I looked towards the door.

"Don't even think about it. You're not running loose without having sated your thirst first, Little Human. But that doesn't sound quite right now, does it? I guess I should call you Little Leech, huh?"

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I must have known he was trying to provoke me, cocking off like usual, but that reason was drowned out by the thrumming anger at her betrayal. I lunged forward, and I overshot the mark as he dodged out of the way. I slammed into one of Vienne's dressers, cracking the wood and scattering the objects upon it across the floor.

I whirled, and this time I grabbed Marcel. He did not go down easily, bringing his elbow into the side of my head viciously. "If you think I'm going to go light on you because you're weak and too stupid to drink what you need, you've got another thing coming," he promised, his voice still too loud and reverberating in my head.

I got him with another couple of punches before he managed to pin me. "Pathetic, man. You're in shit condition right now, and you think you can take me? You nearly died, and you refused to drink, you don't have a chance."

I gritted my teeth and I could feel my fangs, strange and new, where my canines should have been.

"Are you ready to drink, or do I have to force feed you like a brat, huh?"

I swore at him and tried to shove him off, but he was right. I was faster and stronger, but my energy was gone.

I swore again, as footsteps came towards the room, light and graceful. Was it her?

"Let me up," I said. "I won't attack again."

"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to do that," he said.

"Let me loose, Agro."

He laughed at me. "Fine. But if you pull that again, you'll end up in the same spot. I can do this all night."

I shook him off. My temper was still boiling, and it did not improve as she walked into her room.

Her brow was furrowed. She looked worried and was not even trying to hide it, which was strange in itself. I reminded myself what she had done to me so that I would not lose my anger at her. I did not care why she had done it, there was no excuse, and I was not going to let her sweet words influence me.

"Jamie?"

Damn, my instinct was to help smooth the uncertainty from her voice, and I fought against it. "What did you do to me?" I asked, even though we both knew the answer.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said.

I laughed harshly.

"But you need to drink," she said, her eyes resting on the blood bag amongst all her scattered possessions.

"I don't want that," I said.

"I know, but—"

"And you knew that I did not. I told you, you understood, and somehow, I stand here, a fucking leech! Hadn't you done enough?"

"Jamie!" Marcel interjected.

She glanced at him sharply. "No, Marcel. Leave. He needs to have his say."

"Mistress."

"I said go," she said.

Marcel scowled and faced me. "If you hurt her, I will kill you myself."

"Run along, little Agro," I said. "You've been dismissed." I was thoroughly sick of him. Even the immortal power of a vampire could not stop him from his scraping dedication.