Darkly Devoted (Book 1)

Chapter 6 - No Love Song for a Vampire

Vivienne couldn't stop staring admiring his beauty. She took his hands in hers and admired the shape of his fingers. They were calloused and hard to the touch; he stood before her a man who had seen his share of trials. She explored the whole of him seeing him for the first time, and yet rediscovering a man she had always known in her dreams and in her heart.

He wrapped his powerful hand around her neck and caressed her cheek with his thumb. Vivienne couldn't stop marveling at how strong he was. There was no trace of that weak, sickly boy in him. What had happened to him to turn her friend into this muscular, predator-like man in front of her?

Blake angled her face upwards to stare into her eyes. Perhaps, he was taking her in with as much ferocious hunger as she had him. A helpless smile appeared on Vivienne's lips. She wanted to kiss his lips. She couldn't believe she was having such salacious thoughts about him so quickly. This was no ghost that was standing before her but a sturdy, robust man. She felt something stir deep inside her that she felt embarrassed to admit. Vivienne tilted her face upward toward his lips. Normally, she would never make such a bold move but the way he was holding her, so gently and yet so passionately in his arms, she felt as though she could take every liberty with him.

"We can still be together, Blake," Vivienne whispered. "I've never stopped dreaming of you, of being with you again."

"No, Vivienne. You don't understand. I'm not. . . " he trailed off.

"Not what?" she asked.

"I'm not who you think I am," Blake finally blurted out. He took a step back and then guided her to a bench. Sitting down beside her, he rubbed his hands together  — nervously — as though he was trying to find the right words. "Vivienne, if I could, I would live a human life with you."

"Why can't you?" Vivienne demanded. She stared at him and wished she could take back those words. She had a feeling she already knew. Blake finally took her hand and placed it over his heart. There was barely a heartbeat.

Calbert's words came back to her. They won't stop drinking the Nectar. It makes them do horrible things.

"You told me never to forget what the vampires did to you," Vivienne whispered as she traced the imprint of the moon on the cameo. "You said that this was proof they were real. I believed you."

"I'm so sorry, Viv," Blake replied. He drew back his upper lip so that she could see the vampire fang in the moonlight. "I carry that proof with me now."

They stared at each in the moonlight. Vivienne tried to absorb the revelation of what he had become. He tried to touch her again, but she recoiled. The sadness in his eyes was palpable.

"How could you let them turn you? You were supposed to be good," Vivienne said, in overflowing anger. "You can't be one of them. You were always the strong one. I never gave up hope that I would find you, but I never imagined it would be like this. What do you want with me now? Do you want to drink my blood?"

As she felt her eyes growing warm with overflowing tears, he once again tried to wrap his arm around her waist and to lead her away. "Let's go away from here," he pleaded. "I can explain." He tried to bring his other arm around her, but she shoved him away. She wanted to slap him in his beautiful face and yell at him.

"No, I'm not going anywhere with you, vampire," Vivienne hissed and turned to run away. Blake caught her wrist as she tried to flee.

"Vivienne, please." He said, his unnaturally strong fingers digging into her flesh. 'You're not safe here. They'll kill you if they knew."

"You're hurting me," Vivienne snapped back glaring at him through her tears. Blake looked down and immediately let go. He flexed his hand with an embarrassed look as though he was unaware of his own strength. She was starting to wonder if he touched humans very frequently at all. "Why did you do it? Become one of them? For power? Revenge? What?"