Escapism - A Fantasy Romance

Chapter 19: Claws Off the Merchandise

The days ticked by. We fell into a routine: wake up, freshen up, watch Valen eat breakfast, watch Valen workout, make some jokes, watch Valen eat lunch. Let's just say we got close pretty quick, and when there isn't much else to do, I turn into a creepy stalker.

Eventually, I told Valen all about my prison break at my pervious lab. He was very impressed and had lots of questions about the supernatural world and about life outside of the lab. He also told me about his life growing up. It was similar to mine with a few differences. He said that at first his mother raised him. She survived giving birth, unlike my mother. However, the scientists wanted to get more babies out of her and the next pregnancy killed her before she could even give birth. I guess the baby's genes were too incompatible, and the cells began attacking themselves.

Time seems to keep flowing by. I missed Leo and all my vampire family. It hadn't been that long but my heart ached. It probably had to do with the bond. I was somewhat grateful for the pain. It gave me hope that Leo was still alive. Surely, the bond would break if he died. Thinking about it just led me in circles that hurt my brain, so I distracted myself with Valen's rippling muscles. Not to compare or anything, but Leo was much slimmer but about the same height. Valen was just built, and even if I liked to pretend it didn't, watching those muscles while he worked out did something for me. It also helped that he was very kind and funny once you got him talking. He often lapsed into silence though, so sometimes it took some effort on my side to get him present and in the moment.

We were having another dinner where I watched Valen eat some type of meat and potato concoction. When I started to feel really hungry, like really hungry. The hunger had been at a low simmer that I was mostly able to ignore until now, but I guess my monster was done waiting. As if sensing the shift in me, Valen stopped eating and looked at me, searching my face for what had changed.

"Valen," I started, "I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should probably get away from me right now."

His eyes widened, but he didn't move. "I'm serious. You need to get away from me right now." I swear the crazy bastard moved closer to me, his nostrils flaring.

Before I could yell at him about how he was an absolute moron. I pounced. It was like my hunger surged forth and took the reins, controlling my body. Before I knew it, I was on top of him, straddling his waist. I lowered my face toward him, and his hands moved to hold my hips. Push me off you idiot. His eyes were blown and his nose kept scenting the air. My monster took a second to look at him, before moving my lips down to his. Damn his lips were soft, but I couldn't focus on that as I sipped the most delicious energy from his mouth. It tasted like chocolate. I missed chocolate.

I don't know how long I fed, but at some point, I came back to the present. Is he still alive? I was just about to listen for his heart beat, when his eyes flicked open. They were not just golden but glowing. Well, at least I didn't kill him. One second I was straddling him on the floor and the next, I was in his arms as he marched toward our bed cave.

I hit his arm. "What exactly do you think you are doing?" He didn't respond, quickly striding into the room. I was dropped onto the mattress and I whirled around to figure out what the heck was going on with my lizard. He was shoving off his shirt. Oh hell no.

I was about to yell my head off when he climbed in next to me holding me close to his chest. He was cuddling me? I was too shocked to say anything. The monster inside of me seemed to relax, and I realized that Valen was actually purring. Okay, so I fed off of Valen and he turned into a cuddly cat. This is not weird at all.

I wanted to try to talk some sense into him but when I tipped my head back to look at his face, he was already asleep. Well, I guess we can deal with this in the morning.

I slowly shifted to wakefulness with a strange shifting feeling in my core. My monster was riled up but why? I could just barely hear a soft sound that was not typical of our room. It almost sounded like someone was letting air out of a tire. That doesn't make sense. As I was trying to figure it out, my eyes slowly shifted shut, feeling heavy. I will figure it out later, yeah that sounds fine.

I wake up to low growling and something warm around me. I try to move to a more comfortable position, but my body it too constrained. My eye flutter open and Valen's glowing eyes greet me. I give him a soft smile, still feeling sleepy.

"How do you feel?" He asks with a strain to his voice that I haven't heard from him before.

"I'm the one that should be asking you that. I fed from you. How do you feel?"

"Fine, I was tired that first day but the next day I felt like I was back to normal."

My eyebrows furrowed. What? I just fed off of him last night. His worry and clinginess was starting to make sense. "What happened?" I said with dread.

"I woke up and you were gone. They took you right out from under my arms," He growled and began pacing the room. "I waited at the door all day, demanding to know where you were. They finally brought you in last night. You were passed out and I didn't know when you were going to wake up." He then sat back down on the mattress next to me and once again held me in his arms.

As I soaked in the situation, I tried to be up-beat to cheer up my worried lizard. "It's just them running experiments. At least, I don't have to remember going through all the tests again." I try to look on the bright side, but there is something even more scary about not knowing what they did to you. He just clutched me tighter.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Eventually, the low buzz that signals the arrival of food rings through the room. Valen got up and I slowly follow, sitting next to him. It looks like it is some partially cooked steak is for lunch today. I watch him slowly devour it and to my absolute shock my mouth starts to water.

I haven't even had a bite of the food after the last incident, but damn, I want a bite. Feeling my hungry stare, he cut off a small piece, offering it to me on his fork. Without think too much into it, I lean forward and swipe a bite off his fork. A pattern forms, he eats about three slices and then cuts me a small slice to eat. Soon, the meat is devoured and I'm tired again.

Seeing my half-closed eyes, Valen picks me up and lays me on the bed. I cuddle into him, and he wraps his arms around me. I actually feel comfortable and happy. I didn't see that happening back at the labs, but here I am. I can't help but feeling like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Of course, that shoe drops like it fell off a tenth-floor balcony. I wake up feeling a sensation I have never felt before as I rush to the bathroom. Before I know it, my previous meal is making a second appearance going out of my mouth instead of in. Is this vomiting? I hate it, and the worst part is, I'm hungry. Hungry for more meat. I think I have lost my mind.

Soon, Valen is behind me, supporting my body and mumbling soft words. I can't help the tears that leak out of my eyes. He softy rocks me and offers some clean water to drink. I rinse out my mouth and then curl up into his body. He carries me back to bed and the stubborn tears don't leave my eyes.

"It's okay, Lily. Maybe steak does not agree with your body."

I start sobbing harder. "No, no I want more steak. I want more."

Probably looking at me like I had finally lost it, Valen brushes away my tears. "Okay, you can have more steak, Lily."

"You don't know that. You don't get to decided what food they give us," I yell, anger coating my throat.

Valen just keeps rubbing my back. "You're right. But next time we get steak, you can eat as much as you like."

"Okay," I say between hiccups. Eventually, I pass out. I really have been sleeping a lot lately.

The days pass, and the same thing keeps happening: I crave meat, its delicious, I throw up most of it, and then cry for more. I feel really bad for Valen, but he is handling it pretty well. After another night of my dramatics, I wake up to see Valen looking at me with an appraising look in his eyes.

"What?" I ask.

"I think," he cuts off. "I think you are pregnant."