Love Bites

LOVE BITES Chapter 38 : The Vampire Talks

Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore of it, I collapsed to the ground only to be snagged by two arms suddenly wrapping around my middle. Through my hazed vision, I witnessed the remnants of curling black wisps as Alastair's face appeared before me.

My muscles were given an electric shock by his touch. Suddenly, they were working again and I could move. I threw out a hand, snatching the corner of his shirt. "Y-you left me," I cried.

"It was only for a moment. You were asleep. I'm sorry," he said in a rush, trying to calm me. His hands rubbed my shoulders comfortingly, but it didn't help soothe the heat rushing through my blood. He looked into my eyes. No doubt they were glazed and struggling with the act to stay in control. "It's happening again, isn't it, Nikki?"

I nodded frantically, squeezing my blue eyes shut. I hung onto him with all my might and tried my hardest to fight the reversion. "It's worse... than before," I managed to choke out. "I'm scared. It hurts so much that I..."

He went to pick me up but I pushed him back.

I grabbed the sides of my head, nails digging into my scalp, and doubled over, crying out. "The buzzing, Alastair. Stop the buzzing! I can't hear anything but the buzzing!"

"There is no buzzing," he said, cupping the sides of my face and bringing my attention back to him. I stared into his ash mauve eyes, the light colour calming and familiar. "It's all in your head. Just try to fight it. It'll be over soon. I promise."

You don't know how much it hurts.

"It's not," I wept, shaking his hands off me. I pressed my forehead to the cold floor trying to ease the ache, my tears dotting the brown floorboards. My body trembled violently and another wave of heat crashed down on me. I screamed, stomach twisting. I was going to hurl.

Alastair went to put his hand on my back and this time I roared out something furious. "Don't touch me!"

He retracted his hand, stunned, as if my words had frozen him.

I snapped back to reality, bolting upright and staring at him with scared eyes. The harsh words rang in my head. I didn't say that. "I... I feel like I'm loosing my mind, Alastair," I said, fresh tears welling in my eyes and spilling down my cheeks.

He unfroze, dropping his hand on my shoulder like he'd meant to before. There was a gentle smile on his face that eased the pain — if only marginally. "You're right here," he said softly. "I can still see you. You're going to be okay."

I grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly between us. I wanted him to taste my pain, to share it with me so that I didn't have to face this alone.

"Please don't leave me," I begged, my sobs clouding my words. When will this ever end?

"I won't," he whispered and swooped down to haul me against his chest.

But something snapped before he could wrap his consoling arms around me. A chain. It's cage. In that swift moment of weakness, as the power drained from my body, the beast within my mind found a moment to strike.

It broke free.

I pounced. Alastair wasn't expecting it, my jagged movements too swift for him to calculate. I knocked the both of us to the floor, my legs straddling his hips and my hands clasped tightly around his throat.