Darker Blood

Chapter twenty-eight

I nodded yet again, waiting for her to continue. She breathed in heavily, her breath catching a few times along the way as the result of her crying.

"She was the smart and driven one, and I was just the child too scared to face the world alone. If I had been there for her that day like she had been there for me all those years, we'd be heading off to class together right now."

I tried to comfort her as best as I could but nothing worked. I rubbed her shoulders reassuringly, leaning her head against my cold chest, breathing shallowly. She tensed once again, too scared to respond. She stayed like that, stationary and silent, crying to herself.

Guilt now overtook every other emotion I could feel. I could have prevented this. I saw what they would do to Daria, I could have at least tried to save her, for Inori's sake..

"P-prove it.."

Her words startled me, and I lifted my hand off her quickly. "What..?"

She sat up, now staring directly into my green eyes. "Prove that you are what you say you are."

I gulped, panicking. "No, I can't."

She leaned closer once again, adjusting the collar of her jumper away from her neck, not blinking or removing her gaze from me for a second. "I'm not afraid of you. Just prove it."

"You're not afraid of me..?"

She shook her hand, glancing back over the lake with a slightly fearful expression. "I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of what's inside you that overcomes your humanity sometimes.."

"Then why ask me to prove what I am?"

"I want to know that you have self-control."

I drew my arms back to my sides quickly, gulping again, panicking even more. I didn't want to bite her, not here, not like this, but at the mere thought of blood I couldn't stop the colour rising in my eyes or the excitement pooling in my stomach. She eyed me, observing my clenched fists, my rigid jaw, and my dark red eyes. The bloodlust was building; I hadn't fed on human blood since my first feeding with her, and that was weeks ago. I was desperate, and that familiar burn rose in my throat. I tore my eyes from her, ashamed, gasping for air, trying to stay still. She moved closer yet, and I groaned in protest.

"Just do it."

How could she sound so calm knowing what I was and what I could do to her? My hands latched onto her back, tugging her closer. I breathed in sharply, opening my mouth, resting my sharp fangs over her the skin of her neck. She stayed, completely still beneath me and I trembled, fighting the urge to dig my fangs in and suck her dry.

"No..," I gasped, pushing her off, closing my mouth quickly. "I can't do this to you."

She glanced away for a moment, before holding out her wrist. "Then do it here."

I opened my mouth to refuse yet again, yet her scent was overpowering every one of my senses, and my intention of speaking disappeared from my mind. I locked eye contact with her, watching her as I sank my fangs into her tender wrist. Her face contorted in pain as a scream escaped her. Shaking, I dug my fangs in even deeper, completely consumed by her taste, letting every drop of her sweet blood flow down my throat, filling every inch of my being. She whimpered, too scared to move her wrist or pull her eyes from mine. I growled, pulling in more blood, feeling some of it slide down her arm. The very sight only made me crazier.

I slammed her against the thick bark of the tree trunk, pulling off her wrist before digging myself into her neck, moaning at the even richer flow of blood that came to my lips every second. She cried out beneath me with every harsh suck, her pale weak fingers trying to push me off. I straddled her against the tree, drinking more and more, unable to even consider stopping.

"Jungkook!" She gasped out, trying to stay awake. "S-stop."

I groaned, sucking even harsher. She whimpered beneath me, getting weaker and weaker. I cursed to myself, finding the strength to pull off. I wiped my lip clean of her blood, looking down at my hand, breathing heavily. The red in my vision slowly receded and the burn for blood left. I looked at Inori, panicking and full of regret. She gasped, shakily bringing a hand up to the bleeding mark on her neck.

"No don't touch it..," I bit my lip, covering the wound in her neck, now fighting the urge to become excited at the sight and smell of blood yet again. She went limper still and I freaked out, concentrating all of my strength into healing her wound. She clung onto my back weakly, her breath still coming in gasps. "I'm so sorry.." I pressed my forehead to hers, feeling her tremble and whimper beneath me. I knew it burnt a human every time they were robbed of most of their blood. Her grip on my back intensified and I held her supportively, trying to reassure her.

"J-Jungkook.." Her eyes closed as she gasped out my name, falling into the realm of unconsciousness.