Fear and Blood

Chapter 17

“She's been spending a lot of time with him,” Lisa said, looking a little nervous. “I know Josh told her to stop, but she just doesn't listen. She doesn't seem to realise how dangerous that guy can be.”

Josh just turned away and said nothing. He hadn't told the others about the incident in the car park and he wasn't about to. As much as he didn't like Ly, and thought Rome should be kept as far away from the other man as possible, he knew that telling the others Ly had almost broken his arm would only make more trouble for Rome, and he didn't want that.

“Leave her alone guys,” he said stiffly, grabbing another wineglass and draining its contents in one shot. “It's her life, she has the right to make a mess of it if she wants to.”

As the night wore on it became obvious to Rome that she was being avoided by all her fellow students, as well as some of the staff. She could tell that Ly was use to it, because he just grabbed a couple of wineglasses, leaned his chair back against the wall and sat there, looking bored.

They were seated at a table with Josh, Lisa, Melissa and Robert, who all, with the exception of Melissa, pretended that Ly didn't exist so they wouldn't have to make conversation. Melissa kept shooting the raven haired man dark looks, which Ly returned.

The young vampire tried to ignore what was going on around him, but he could feel his anger steadily rising. It was unfair that the others treated Rome like an outcast just because of him, on top of that he was sitting only metres away from a girl who's father was a famous anti-vampire campaigner.

As he struggled to keep his anger in check, he realised that the numbness he had been feeling was fading and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore the beating of hundreds of human hearts so closely packed together in a room that now seemed way to small to hold them.

His hands clenched and unclenched rapidly under the table and he realised he had begun to shake again. Crap, the thought furiously. I couldn't even last two hours. I have to get out of here, before I do something that proves Tristan's point about me being too dangerous to be around humans.

At that moment the music picked up and people, having finished with their food, started to move out onto the dance floor. The other four at the table saw this as an opportunity to leave Ly's presence and disappeared into the crowed.

Despite Ly's increasing lack of control, he found he was more concerned about Rome than he was about himself. The young woman smiled at her 'friends' as they left the table, but Ly could tell she was incredibly depressed about how they were treating her.

Growling softly to himself he grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “I would ask you if you wanted to dance,” he said stiffly. “But I know we wouldn't get a very good reaction from the people around us. Come with me.”

Rome didn't protest as he pulled her out of the hall and into the empty corridor outside. Looking around, he spotted a door that led to the room next to the large hall where the formal was being held. He pushed it open, discovering it was a small room where lighting and sound could be controlled for one of the main reception halls. It wasn't currently being used. The music from the formal could be heard from the hall next door.

Ly smirked and held out his hand to Rome, which she took, rather reluctantly. In one swift motion he pulled her close to him and wrapped his free hand around her waist. She squeaked in surprise before turning bright red.

“Ly? What...?” she began, but was cut off when the young man smirked again and tightened his grip slightly. He wasn't completely in control of his actions, but he knew Rome wasn't in danger, well, not yet anyway.

This close he could feel the beating of her heart against his chest. He could almost smell her blood running through her body, but he forced himself to focus on her and not her delicious blood. He leaned in closer so his mouth was almost touching her ear.