I slowly came to, wondering what all the fuss was about.
Victor was cursing incessantly in my ear and shaking my shoulder. "Belle? Belle, open your eyes. Come on, baby don't do this to me. Please open your eyes for me."
I struggled to find the strength to open them. He cursed viciously and left my side as the cursing started up again. I finally pried one bleary eye open and saw him pacing as he agitatedly pulled at his hair. I registered a shrill beeping sound but didn't care about it. All I wanted to do was sleep. Whatever Victor had done, we'd fix it in the morning.
I sighed and darkness enveloped me.
***
I woke groggily, struggling to focus my mind. Somehow it felt foggy, like I hadn't had a good night's sleep. I fought my eyes open and squinted in the dark room. Where was I? What time was it? And why did I feel like I'd been run over?
I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure anything out. It came to me slowly. I came...somewhere with Victor. Wait, Victor. I rolled over in bed, instantly anxious to find him. I sat up slowly, moving sluggishly, and took a deep breath to steady myself.
Damn, I was tired!
"Vic?" My voice croaked so low I barely heard it. I cleared a dry throat and suddenly desperately needed water.
A hand appeared in my line of vision attached to a clear glass. I took the glass gratefully and took greedy sips of the water. The pain in my throat eased and I breathed easier.
I looked up and found Victor walking away from me, pushing his bright hair back. Every line of his body was rigid as he yanked the curtains back and the room flooded with late morning light.
I yelped at the sudden assault on my eyes and held an arm up to shield them. "Give me a warning, please?"
He didn't respond. I made out his pale form striding over to a table and I took the moment to study the room curiously. It wasn't mine or his. "Where are we, anyway?"
"Hotel," he responded absently, walking back to me.
I ran a hand through my hair. "When did we make it to a hotel?" I wondered. "What happened last night?" My hand landed on my neck brushed against something that felt suspiciously like a bandage. Frowning, I fingered it and realised that it really was a bandage. I looked up at Victor in alarm - just as he dropped a phone on my bed.
"It's been ringing all night," he said emotionlessly, avoiding my eyes. "I had to switch the ringer off. We need to go before your avenging angels come after us."
My eyes dropped to the phone that was ringing even now - silently of course - and I saw Warren's name flashing at me.
Avenging angels?
I looked back up at Victor, my voice urgent now. "What happened last night?"
He looked away, pushing his hair back again. How had I gotten a bandage on my neck? I didn't remember getting hurt. My memories from last night hazy, there was a skating park and I think there was a diner... None of that merited a bandage, much less in such a weird place. I spotted a mirror across the room and struggled out of bed, stumbling my way towards the mirror. From the corner of my eye I saw Victor reach out to steady me then freeze midway, his hands fisting.
I barely registered it though - I was too focused on the mirror. I was in one of my sleep shirts and my hair was a nest on my head, but what really caught my attention was the white bandage that covered my neck on one side. I approached the mirror slowly, fingering the bandage again. I frowned as I tried to remember last night. "Where did I get this thing?" At the silence I turned to find him standing still right where he was a minute ago. "Vic? How did -"
I turned to the mirror and memories hit me, flooding my consciousness and making me gasp. Victor getting into a fight in the diner, me yelling at him on the roof, the five vampires... He saved me, protected me. And then he lost control. And I wouldn't let him hurt someone else. I gave him my blood instead.
I stared at the bandage as the reality of what happened hit me. Victor took my blood, and that was probably why I felt so sluggish this morning. Had he bandaged me? I looked at the spot where he was supposed to be standing in the mirror, though I couldn't see his reflection. "Are you okay?" I asked softly. Had he gotten enough blood?
That seemed to breach the dam. He growled and was suddenly right behind me, his hands gripping my shoulders as he trembled with rage. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he demanded.
"I -"
"Belle, you nearly died! I almost killed you last night! And you're asking how I am?!"
"Well, I -"
"You're insane, you know that?!" He hissed. "But I'm crazier because I'm in love with a woman who's certifiable!" He spun me round as my heart raced at his words, only to clench at the wild look on his face. His eyes were blue but blazing with a bubbling rage I'd never seen before. "How could you do that to me, Belle? I'm a vampire! Why would you make me hurt you?"
My heart clenched tighter. "No, Vic, I didn't mean -"
He pulled away again, landing three feet away from me in an instant, eyes downcast. When I stepped towards him he shook his head. "Go shower. I'll see about breakfast."
And I stood alone.
I wondered what I'd said wrong. The whole point of giving him my blood had been to help him. What was so wrong with making sure that I'd been successful?
I ran my hand over my face - I was truly tired - and my eyes fell the still ringing phone on the floor. Warren was still calling me but I couldn't face him right now - not his words, not his anger, and especially not his concern. So choosing to ignore the phone, I went to use the bathroom instead. Throughout my shower I thought about what to say to Warren. Still, when I was done getting dressed and redressing the wound as well as I could, I had no idea what to say.
So I just answered the phone.
"Annabelle! Tell me you're safe, my love," he begged, his voice raw.
"I'm fine," I replied.
"He did not do extensive harm?"
I frowned. Extensive harm? "Wait, what did Ashley see?"
"Enough," he replied, a hard edge creeping into his voice. "Do not worry. I shall reach you within the hour."
"Yore coming here?" I squeaked, sinking onto the bed as I gripped my hair in panic. I couldn't let him anywhere near Vic before I explained. "No Warren, you can't!"
"Is there anything I'm unaware of?"
I closed my eyes, trying to think. Whatever Ashley saw couldn't be accurate otherwise Warren would be yelling at me right now. Since he was sure I was the innocent victim in this, he must think that Victor had attacked me. "Look, I need you to trust me on this. We'll be home soon."
"Unacceptable!" His voice was low and harsh.
"Warren, please listen to me," I begged.
"Annabelle, you are no longer to fraternise with that rodent!"
I bit back my first response to that direct order. He was only reacting from the fear of losing me, after all. "You don't get to judge him before you know what happened."
"I'm aware of what matters," he ground out.
"So the truth doesn't matter? All that matters is what you think?" I asked bitterly, my temper no longer fully in check. He was silent and I closed my eyes on a soft sigh. I really didn't want to fight. "Warren, please. I don't want this to fall apart. Just give me a chance to explain what happened, that's all I'm asking."
"No, love, you ask me to leave you in his care," he countered quietly.
"I'm asking you to trust me," I pleaded.
There was a longer silence than he said softly, "Do you realise what you ask of me? Annabelle, I have no assurance that you will return to me whole and unscathed."
"I can assure you," I insisted.
He dragged in a breath. "Very well, my love. But you must reach Los Gatos no later than noon."
My heart soared and I loved him completely for trusting me. "Thank you!"
"Noon, Belle," he stressed.
"Noon, I promise. I love you."
"Then return to me," he said quietly and hung up.
The door opened and Victor pushed a trolley into the room. I stared in amazement as he wheeled it to me and said, "Breakfast."
"For how many?" I asked staring at the spread. There were three kinds of cereal, lots of fresh fruit, eggs, bacon and toast. There was a pitcher of orange juice and a pot of what I figured was English tea.
"Just eat whatever you want. A lot of it."
I leaned closer to the food, and it smelled divine. Maybe I'd start with the eggs...
"How long do I have?" he asked as I poured a glass of juice.
"We have to be home by noon," I replied absently, sampling the perfect eggs.
He'd been floating towards the window, his hands fisted, but he turned back to me in surprise. "Wait, 'home'? 'We'? Isn't he hunting me down?"
"I talked him out of it."
Why the hell would you do that?"
I looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean, why? Vic, he'd skin you!"
"He'd kill me," he said matter of factly.
His tone was odd and had me frowning. "Is that what you want?"
"In his position..." He trailed off and sighed, frowning as he pushed his hair back. "What I did last night was unforgivable, Belle. If I was him, nothing in this world would keep me from ripping the miserable *flip to shreds."
I bit my lip, my heart breaking for him. What had I done? "Not even if I begged?" I asked softly.
"You'd get over it," he mumbled, then looked at me. His soft eyes belied his callous words. "Nothing is worth hurting you." He drifted down until his feet touched the ground and crossed his arms, looking vulnerable. "Finish your breakfast."
I didn't know how to respond so I just focused on eating.
***
Victor was annoying the ever loving crap out of me.
He barely talked to me as we drove home, but he kept stopping and getting me more food every chance he got. His very favorite thing to get me? Orange juice.
I glared at the latest bottle of the stuff and decided enough was enough. "Alright, that it!" I yelled, throwing the bottle over my shoulder. I heard it hit the backseat with a satisfying thud.
"What the -"
"No, Vic. I'm not taking another sip of that stuff but if you want some, don't let me stop you." I folded my arms and glared at the road. We were about halfway home now.
"Are you *flipping kidding me?" he raged, losing control for the first time since the hotel. "After how much blood you lost last night -"
"Do I look dead to you?" I challenged. "And I'd love to see you drinking tons of that with an angelic smile on your face."
He eyes the juice suspiciously. "It can't be that bad. It's supposed to be good for you."
"A glass or two maybe, but these amounts?"
"You lost more than a glass or two of blood," he gritted.
"I had some to spare," I mumbled testily.
The car screeched to a stop and if I hadn't been strapped in I'd have gone straight through the windshield. "Watch it!" I yelled, my heart pounding.
"No, you watch it." The ice in his voice had me turning to him cautiously. He was leaning towards me his blue eyes cold as he stared at me. "Don't ever joke about your life like that."
"Victor -" I began hotly then rolled my eyes, so over his attitude. "I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear? Okay, I'm sorry I didn't run when you told me to. You don't have to keep punishing me for it."
His brows shot up. "Punishing you?"
"You've been acting like I'm a curse you can't wait to get rid of since I woke," I said defiantly, hiding just how much it hurt by crossing my arms again.
It was true, he'd been acting like I disgusted him. He wouldn't touch me, didn't want to be anywhere near me unless it was necessary.
"You think I hate you now," he said softly, and I could here the ridicule in his voice. "Look at me, Belle," he growled and when I did he insisted, "Is that what you think?"
I shrugged, my throat clogging. I couldn't get any words past it and for some reason my eyes were filling up.
He made an annoyed sound and took my hand. His cool touch startled me and I looked down at our linked hands. "I don't hate you. I hate myself. And I'm trying to get you home as soon as possible because I know that any minute now you will really wake up and realise that you can't stand to be around me. I think Strandton is a complete idiot because nothing should justify letting me live after what I did to you. And I'm pretty sure that somewhere beneath all that, a part of you hates me now. The one thing I'm not is angry with you."
I looked up at his earnest eyes and my heart squeezed. I curled my fingers around his and felt him shudder. "I did it for you, Vic. Last night, I wasn't just trying to protect other people. I honestly hated seeing you in that kind of pain, and knowing that I caused it." I dropped my eyes, blushing. "I wanted to take your pain away."
His hand slipped into my hair and he leaned his forehead against mine, his breath falling on my lips. "I get that, but I wish you wouldn't try to protect me. You have no idea what you did."
"What did I do?"
"Belle, I'm in love with you," he said softly and my heart skipped a beat. "You don't know how hard it was not to turn you last night, to make you my mate. It would have taken an instant, and I'm pretty sure you'd forgive me for it. You left yourself at the mercy of the monster in me. And the taste of your blood..." He swallowed and I heard his breathing get heavier. His lips brushed mine and he added, "I can never erase it from my mind. I'm not safe for you anymore, Belle. And yet I can't stay away from you. You've shackled me to yourself now. I'm completely yours."
"You'll want more?" I asked softly.
His lips touched my forehead and curved. "Oh, its more than that. It's not that I want to hurt you, its just that I can never leave you again. Even if you get sick of me." He sat back, lazy smile in place as he ran his eyes over me. "And it means I've gotten more protective of you, that's why I can't help trying to feed you. And I want you to go back to sleep because I can see how drained you are right now."
I sat back, letting my eyelids drift shut. Somehow when he mentioned it I realised how sleepy I was. I yawned and mumbled, "Wow. I didn't realise I was this tired until you said it."
"What?" He leaned closer again, trapping my hand in his as I fought to stay awake. "Belle, what did you just say?"
I fell asleep.
The next thing I remember, Victor was urgently calling my name. My eyes fluttered open as he said, "Baby, wake up. I have to go."
I sat up groggily, blinking heavy sleep out of my eyes. "Where are we?" I yawned.
"Home." The car slid to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. "I have to leave."
I frowned. "Why?"
The attack was instantaneous.
Victor's eyes flashed red, his whole body tensing for a fight as a black streak hit the car. I heard an inhuman growl that didn't come from Victor. An arm yanked him out of the car as I screamed, and I got a glimpse of raven hair as they sped from the car.
The next thing I saw clearly was Victor in the air above the treetops and Warren snapping at him in panther form.