Struck (A Vampire Novel) ✔

Twenty-Four

“Being a prostitute isn’t a safe profession, especially if you don’t have someone to protect you,” She explained to me slowly, “I had finished with a customer and was walking home when I was attacked. The men took my money, raped me, and stabbed me before leaving me for dead next to an abandoned building.” I gasped, horrified. I couldn’t imagine someone doing that to someone as beautiful as Aveline. Without even thinking of it, I had tightened my grip on her as though trying to comfort her. She didn’t look affected by the words she was saying, though. I imagined she saw it as someone else’s life at this point.

“Yeah. What I didn’t know was that I had something of a guardian angel following me around my entire life,” She told me with a small smile. “Jacobi had apparently had this brother of his who he was really attached to when he was human. When he was turned he kept track of his family line, which trickled all the way down to lonely Evelyn. It was only luck that he had been checking on me that night, though I think due to the Depression, he was checking more often than usual.”

She sighed as though bored. “So he turned me, being that I was the last survivor of his family tree. That night was still the worse feeling ever… the fear, pain, and humiliation. I got my revenge though, the minute I wasn’t bonded to Jacobi anymore. Luckily, that only lasted a few years. I had worried my attackers would die before I got to finish them myself.” She swiped a finger across her throat, making a noise of mock-death. My eyes widened to saucers, imagining a vicious Aveline tearing people apart. It reminded me that I didn’t really know a lot about their vampire sides.

“Have you done that a lot?” I asked carefully before reiterating, “Kill people, I mean?”

She shrugged. “Not really. Not unless it’s called for. Jacobi has extremely admirable control over his vampire nature, so when I was turned I could depend on our bond to keep me in control until I learned to control myself as well.” I remembered Jacobi’s so-called control when he had pinned me down to his bed and assaulted me with kisses and caresses; the way he struggled to pull back his spirit that called to me so demandingly. I blushed deeply, hoping Aveline didn’t notice.

“What about Xander? Vincent said he had seen him… you know, behead people,” I lowered my voice to a low whisper. Xander immediately tensed at the words, though. He must have been awake the entire time, just half-sleeping or something. I hadn’t meant to actually say those words. I knew that Aveline had told me before that his Maker forced him to kill humans. I can’t recall the last time he’s killed one, she had said. It was only blind grasping at random topics to keep me from revealing why I had been blushing that had made me ask such a thing.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“You didn’t mean for me to hear it,” His deep voice responded just behind my ear. The tone behind his words sent a chill through me, though not an altogether unpleasant chill. Maybe I was beginning to get off on danger. At this point in my life, I wouldn’t put it past me.

“Don’t get upset, my love. Our little tiger’s only being curious,” Aveline said softly. Something in her calm demeanor assured me I wasn’t about to be harmed, besides the fact that I had grown to deeply trust my two vampire companions. Still, I held unmoving in his grip, waiting for something to happen.

“Would you think me a monster if I told you of all the innocent humans I’d killed while bonded to Vincent?” he asked me darkly, ignoring Aveline’s words. I shifted, rolling so that I was on my back and able to turn my face to look up at his.  Peering into his illuminating blue-green eyes in the darkness, I thought about his question seriously. If Xander had gone into detail on how he’d ripped apart humans under Vincent’s order, how horrified would I be? But could I really blame him if he’s forced to obey due to the bond between Maker and Kindred?

“The thought of you,” I hesitated, frowning but not cowering from his intense stare, “killing people frightens me. I… I’d never seen a dead body until the night I was taken…” My thoughts turned at that point, remembering my neighbor still and fallen on the floor just outside my apartment. My breath became harsh at the memory, seeing Corentine rip into that man’s flesh so viciously.

“I couldn’t… I couldn’t even look at my dead mother,” I didn’t notice that my voice had gotten smaller, more panicked by the second. “I hid while she died. I hid. I’m so afraid… of death… that it’s painful. I don’t want to…” I was losing focus while panicking. Xander cupped my face in his hand, his touch soothing and bringing me back from the horrors of the past. Something in his expression seemed off, as though I had confirmed a bad thought he had in his mind.

“But I’ve seen a monster,” I told him, “You’re not one.”

“You don’t even know,” He answered quietly. I snuggled close to him then, burying my face under his chin against his chest. He hesitated a moment, but moved his arms around me to hold me to him.

“I don’t care,” I mumbled in his chest stubbornly. A low chuckle traveled through his body as his tense form relaxed next to me. I sighed, relieved that he wasn’t so upset any longer. I really needed to work on my subject choices and learn how to not bring up things that bother certain people. This moment of relaxation lasted probably only a minute before a very dramatic gasp tore from Aveline’s direction. Assuming she was being herself, I ignored her.

“What is this?” Her voice came amused and loud. I immediately felt her fingers moving over a sensitive area of my back where my mostly healed wounds were. Her touch focused on a specific spot that sent a trill of mortification throughout me. Oh, no.

“What?” Xander asked, confused but intrigued. I moved to bolt from his grip, but he quickly tightened his arms around me, keeping me in his confinement. I pushed against his chest, looking up at his very amused expression before attempting to kick him.

“Let me go,” I demanded, squirming when Aveline’s touch caressed that same area, sending a heated blush across my flesh. “Xander!”

“Did you have a little fun with Elysia without inviting me?” Aveline asked Xander with a fake offended voice. She was obviously enjoying the torture she was now putting me through. I promptly gave up on struggling out of Xander’s grip, instead closing my eyes and wishing I was anywhere else.

“What are you on about?” He asked curiously, “I’d never play without inviting you, precious. Not if I wanted to live to remember it.” At this statement, I could practically feel the silence in which Aveline paused, considering that Xander was speaking the truth.

“You didn’t do this, then?” She inquired him, her voice tone changing abruptly. Xander loosened his grip on me, but before I could run for it, he had me pinned down on my stomach on the bed. I groaned in frustration, trying to wiggle out from under his hands. It wasn’t long before he spotted what got Aveline’s attention, only instead of amusement, a very unpleasant growl rumbled through him.

“Who touched you?” Xander asked me, his voice dark and serious. I knew he wasn’t directing any type of rage towards me. In fact, if it hadn’t been their Master who apparently had imprinted my back with his set of teeth then I was sure Xander would have destroyed them if I told who it was. Still, my complete embarrassment kept me quiet.

“You’re not in trouble,” Aveline told me, brushing my hair, “Just tell us who did it, we’ll make sure they don’t touch you again.” I wasn’t even sure I wanted to not do it again. I closed my eyes, feeling like I would die between being in the current situation and the irrational thoughts crossing my mind. When I still didn’t respond, I was twisted around so that I was lying on my back once more and facing Aveline and Xander’s serious faces.

“You’re ours, Elysia,” Xander told me determinedly, “You don’t need to fear us. We’ll protect you.” I bit my lip, looking away but knowing there was no other way I’d be doing anything else until I told them who had played with their little human. So, I did.

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I'm gonna be adding random music to my chapters by pressing shuffle on my playlist and picking the first one to play. \o/ This time it's: Sam Smith's I'm Not the Only One.