Chapter 13
"It means, Rosemary is the vampire who turned me." You gaped in surprise at his words.
"Who... turned you? You mean she changed you into a vampire?" Taehyung nodded. You faced the road again and looked down, thinking hard. In the light of this new information, it only brought more questions.
The most important one nagged in your brain as you felt a sense of uneasiness pass through you.
"Taehyung... why are we going to see her?" You asked slowly, hoping that he wouldn't tell you the worse.
"Like I said, I just want to talk to her." Taehyung said through gritted teeth. You shook your head, unconvinced.
"It's more than that. There's more to this story that you aren't telling me." You turned to look at his profile again as he was quiet for a few more moments. You definitely deserved more information, but he didn't seem keen to give it.
"I don't have to tell you anything." Taehyung growled finally, tensing his shoulders defensively. You pursed your lips and narrowed your eyes indignantly.
"If you're dragging me with you on this little expedition, then I deserve to know a little background." You said pointedly. Taehyung shook his head punitively.
"Not about this. I'm only taking you because I don't want to waste the time bringing you back and leaving again." He ground out. You let out a huff and faced the road again.
You still had no idea what this little field trip was all about. You didn't even really understand what he'd told you about Rosemary. So, she was a vampire, the vampire who'd turned him from human to vampire. Was it on purpose? Did he want to be turned? Or was she a villain in his mind, someone who forced the transformation on him? Was she a past lover? Or an enemy that he wanted to do more than just talk to? You didn't like the idea of being caught in the middle of a lover's quarrel or a revenge mission.
"Shouldn't we tell someone about all this? Aren't Jimin and Jungkook going to worry?" You asked after a for moments of silence. Taehyung let out a cruel bark of laughter.
"About you? Please." He shook his head nastily and you felt your stomach curl with indignation. "They know you're with me, that's all they need." He said dismissively, lifting one of his hands to rub his neck.
You frowned and crossed your arms. "I find it hard to believe you trust each other that much." You said with a skeptical raise of your eyebrow. Taehyung sneered and gave you a scathing glare.
"You don't know anything about us." He snarled vindictively. You felt taken aback at the harsh words, but you knew he was right. You really knew absolutely nothing about them and their relationship to each other. You only knew about Jimin's strange influence over the other two, Jungkook's obvious amotivation, and Taehyung's anger. You still didn't know anything about their trust or distrust for each other.
"You're right." You said with a sharp exhale. "You people have told me nothing about you. So, back to my original question. Who is Rosemary to you? Why are we going to see her?"
Taehyung grinded his teeth and squeezed the steering wheel tight. You stared at his reaction and tried to figure out what it meant. You'd already gathered that this was definitely not going to be a cordial visit, but what exactly did he have in mind for when you got there? You pursed your lips, feeling your stomach turn over when you remembered how easily Taehyung had tortured that vampire for the information on Rosemary.
"We aren't... I mean, you're not going to..." You trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Just tell me you aren't going to go on a psycho revenge break or something." You rushed out quickly. Taehyung gave you a weird look.
"A what?"
You huffed and tried again. "This isn't for revenge, is it? Because you seem really angry. Like really angry, angrier than I've ever seen you, and that's saying something." You looked up at him skeptically and he rolled his eyes.
"You don't know what you're talking about." He growled, facing the road again. You let another sigh of exasperation and slapped your hands on your thighs in annoyance.
"Then explain it to me, Taehyung. What happened between you two?" You exclaimed, sick of this roundabout conversation where he was giving you nothing.
Taehyung was suddenly silent, and his grip relaxed on the steering wheel. You turned to look at his side profile and saw his jaw working as if contemplating whether or not to answer you. You stayed quiet, giving him a chance to consider his answer and eventually, he sighed, and his mouth parted.
"Rosemary and I met when I was still human in the 60s." He said finally.
"The 60's? like the 1960's?"
"No, the 1860's."
"Oh..." You felt stupid, remembering when Jimin had said they were all around 150 years old. You tried to form a mental picture in your head of what the 1860s looked like, but you came up blank. You never really paid attention in history class and you regretted it now.
"We had a history." Taehyung continued vaguely. "And when I found out what she was, I asked her to turn me. And she did." He fell silent as you processed the information.
He hadn't said it explicitly, but you could infer that the 'history' he talked about was the fact that they were probably lovers. You tried to imagine a human falling in love with a vampire and then asking for them to turn them into a vampire. It seemed so far-fetched. You could never imagine loving someone so much that you would give up everything that made you human. But apparently, it had happened for him. He'd been that much in love.
"And then... what happened between you two?" You asked cautiously, knowing that wasn't the full story, only a fraction of what had happened.
Taehyung grimaced and rolled his neck around. This was obviously a very painful memory for him.
"And then... she left. And I was alone in a new body." He sighed deeply, a melancholy look passing over his face. "I haven't seen her since." He finished, engulfing the car in silence again.
You looked down at your hands in your lap and breathed out slowly. You were surprised you'd even gotten this much out of him and you were afraid of pushing any more in case he blew up or shut you down, but there was one more question you needed the answer to.
"So... what's your plan when you see her again?" You asked slowly. Taehyung let out a long sigh and lifted his head to look ahead, as if asking himself the same question.
"I... I honestly have no idea."
The car ride was silent for the rest of the trip and it wasn't long until you accidentally fell asleep. You woke up much later as Taehyung slowed the car to a stop. You looked outside to see large buildings of a city passing by. Taehyung drove along in traffic, his eyes intently focused on the road. You looked at his hands to see they were still tightly gripping the wheel, but they were much more relaxed, more resolute and less angry. His face now held a stoic confidence and determination, which was very different from the usual cruel and angry expression he always sported.
Taehyung pulled the car into a dark parking garage on one of the busy streets. He rolled the window down, took the ticket and drove inside, taking the first spot he could find. You wrung your hands in your lap nervously, not sure how to break the silence or if you should even break it at all. Taehyung opened the door and you made to open yours when his voice halted your movement.
"No, you stay in the car." He ordered, tapping the door. You gave him an incredulous look.
"Are you nuts?"
Taehyung rolled his eyes. "You'll be safe in the car." You shook your head indignantly.
"Taehyung, I'll be a sitting duck in the car. I have to go with you." You protested logically.
He left out an exasperated sigh but relented. "Fine, come on."
You got out of the car and jogged over to him, following close behind him as he led you out of the parking garage.
The two of you walked down the street until you reached a luxury bar called The Crimson Lounge. He reached out and grabbed your hand suddenly and you gasped, instinctively jerking back. Taehyung's grip was strong, and he yanked you to his side, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.
"Hey, what are you—"
Taehyung cut you off in a low whisper. "Listen, you have to stay close to me. We want people to think that you're just one of my girls, got it?" You blinked in surprise.
"One of your... wait, is this bar like the Red Satin? It has an underground vampire lounge?" You hissed in reply, looking around nervously. Taehyung shook his head.
"No, it is a vampire lounge. Everyone inside is either a vampire, or a human being compelled by a vampire. They have to think I'm compelling you and you're mine, okay? So just play along." He explained.
"Okay..." You said reluctantly, allowing your body to relax in his grip. Taehyung's hand tightened, forcing you to look up at him.
"I'm serious. Don't speak unless I speak directly to you, don't make eye contact with anyone, just... look as dazed and cooperative as you can, do you understand?" He asked pointedly, his eyes deathly serious. You nodded.
"Yeah, I get it."
Taehyung nodded and pulled you against his side. You tried to ignore the thud in your chest as he did and let him lead you inside the bar.
Walking inside, you immediately felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand erect as pairs of eyes from all around the bar turned to focus on the two of you. It was definitely a high class bar and even though it was the middle of the day, there were a good number of men and women sitting around in the couches and at the bar. There was an upper level and you could see more people up there sitting at tables.
You noticed immediately that all of these people were tall, leggy, and emitted that same stoic confidence that every vampire you'd ever met exuded. You were surrounded by vampire on all sides and you were just a human with only a very unstable angry vampire to protect you. Maybe you should have stayed in the car...
You heard a loud inhale and you turned your head to see a male vampire on one of the bar stools inhaling deeply, giving you a look of interest and curiosity. He sniffed and smirked, his eyes landing on yours. You quickly looked away and instinctively moved closer to Taehyung, forcing a dopey smile on your face. Taehyung led you up to the bar and pressed his hand on the small of your back to lead you to one of the stools.
The bartender walked over to you and Taehyung, a wary look in his eye.
"What can I get you?" He asked, looking between you two. You drummed your fingers on the counter, pretending that you hadn't a care in the world. Taehyung leaned against the counter confidently.
"I'm not here for the drinks." He said in a deep voice. "I'm looking for someone."
The bartender paused and narrowed his eyes. His gaze moved to you and you quickly avoided eye contact, pretending to inspect something on the wall dopily.
"Don't worry about her." Taehyung said, waving a dismissive hand at you. "She has no idea where she is." He patted your head and you resisted the urge to slap his hand away. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the bartender give you an appreciative once-over.
"Nice choice, she's cute." He nodded, impressed. You gritted your teeth through the dopey smile, already hating this. You weren't one to ignore bigoted comments and this was proving to be more difficult than you expected.
"I'm looking for Rosemary." Taehyung said, giving your arm a reassuring squeeze. "Do you know where she is? I was told she would be here." The bartender focused his attention back on Taehyung and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Well, it depends who's asking." He said skeptically. Taehyung gave him a dry smirk and shrugged.
"I'm an old friend." He said sardonically
"Well then... old friend... I'm sorry, but she hasn't been around these parts in years." The bartender turned away, but Taehyung's arm shot out to keep him from leaving.
"What if I buy something?" He asked. The bartender gave him a side-eyed glare, but Taehyung didn't look fazed at all. "How about a vodka cranberry for the lady, and your strongest shot for me."
The bartender frowned and gave Taehyung a contemplative look, before shrugging and getting started on the drinks. He fixed up your drink first, mixing the vodka shots and cranberry juice in a glass and placed a lime wedge on the rim. He passed the drink to you and you looked down at it, debating if you should take the drink. You lifted your head to see the bartender placing a shot glass in front of Taehyung and then holding up a bottle of thick red blood to pour inside. You swallowed hard and forced your shoulders not to tense.
You caught Taehyung's eye and he nodded at your glass, raising his own. You understood then that this was just a show. This had nothing to do with drinks. He clinked it with yours and down the shot in one gulp, swiping at his lips with the back of his hand. You swallowed and lifted the glass to your lips, taking a long sip of the alcoholic beverage.
"I'll have to call for her. Could take a while." The bartender said, his eyes flickering between the two of you. you placed a hazy smile on your face and pretended that the single sip had already hit you, swaying a bit on the stool. Taehyung nodded.
"We can wait." The bartender gave you two a slow nod, before walking back and disappearing through a back room. Taehyung pulled his wallet out and placed a wad of cash on the bar before reaching out and taking your wrist. You let him lead you away from the bar, leaving your drink behind you.
You tried to keep the dopey smile on your face even as you passed several vampires whose eyes seemed to never leave your body. You passed one of them a little two closely and you heard him take a long inhale through his nose. You wanted to flinch and run away, but you forced yourself to breathe and ignore the goosebumps appearing over your skin.
Taehyung led you to a corner and pushed your back against the wall, standing in front of you protectively, with one hand planted on the wall beside your head, the other settle on your waist. You breathed heavily, looking at anywhere except his face. He was close, closer than you'd anticipated. The last time he was this close... it hadn't ended well.
"You look scared. You need to relax." Taehyung growled softly, quiet enough for no one to hear. You closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths, composing yourself. You opened them again and placed a sultry smile on your face. Taehyung grinned, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He closed the space between you two and you couldn't stop yourself from gasping when he dipped his head and pressed his lips against your neck. Fire burst from your skin at the contact and you released an exhale that sounded dangerously close to a moan. Purely out of instinct, you raised your hands and shoved his chest.
"What are you doing?" You hissed. Taehyung growled against your neck, swiping his tongue over your skin, making you jerk.
"We have to make this believable." He replied, his hot breath fanning your exposed skin. You shivered and closed your eyes, taking another deep breath to compose yourself. Taehyung suddenly trembled and you frowned in surprise. He inhaled deeply and the hand on your waist tightened. You realized suddenly that in order to make this believable, he had to pretend that he was feeding on you. But by being this close, he was being tempted by your abnormally smelling blood. And if he accidentally gave in, it would be bad for both of you.
"What can I do?" You asked, letting your hands fall limp at your sides. Taehyung panted heavily, pressing his lips into your neck. You could feel the tips of his fangs and you squeezed your eyes shut, feeling your stomach flip nervously.
"Just... pretend you enjoy it." He said gruffly, opening his mouth against your neck. you tensed as he started again, making your neck tingle every time his lips and teeth grazed.
You forced yourself to relax and took a few deep breaths, leaning your head to the side as if giving him more access. Taehyung growled as his tongue swept over the sensitive skin and your mouth dropped open involuntarily. You hummed as his kissed started to become tantalizing nips and you found that it was easy to pretend to enjoy this. Maybe because... you were enjoying it, just a little bit.
You suddenly felt the pressure of his protruding fangs graze on your skin right over where your pulse throbbed wildly. You felt the rest of his teeth join them and suddenly he was doing more than just kissing, he was sucking your neck as if intent on leaving a mark. Your hands closed to fists and you whimpered at the pleasurable feeling. The pressure of his teeth deepened, and you had brief thought that if he tried biting any harder, he would pierce the skin.
Your hand lifted up to curl around the fabric of his shirt and you arched your back, pressing yourself closer. You were lost, intoxicated, dazed, stunned, paralyzed under his touch and it wasn't until you heard him growl that you fell back down to reality.
You exhaled hard as he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. He was breathing heavily, his eyes squeezed shut. You realized that this was probably way harder on him than it was for you, considering how easily he seemed to lose control. You ached to each your hand up to rub your neck, but you forced yourself to keep your arms lips at your side. You breathed heavily, trying to dispel the sensation of what had just happened.
Bad, dangerous vampire, you reminded yourself. He's a literal killer, you are not allowed to feel good with him.
"Sorry... about your neck." Taehyung growled, making you blink up at him in surprise.
"It's... it's fine." You breathed out, dropping your gaze again. From that apology, you were probably right, he had in fat left a mark on your neck.
"Hey." Taehyung pulled away at the voice calling out from behind him. You let out a long exhale when he was no longer caging you in and pressed a palm on your chest, trying to calm your racing heart. You peered around Taehyung's shoulder to see the bartender beckoning for the two of you. Taehyung reached out and took your wrist, pulling you with him as he followed the bartender to the back room.
The bartender guided you to a small room in the back behind the bar. It was an office of sorts, with a desk and a few couches. There were stacks of paper on the desk and large portraits of a beautiful woman on the walls. Taehyung sucked in a sharp breath when he looked around the room. You inferred that these portraits were probably of Rosemary herself.
"You can wait here. She'll be here soon." The bartender deadpanned before walking away. The door to the office shut behind him and Taehyung dropped your arm once you were alone. You pulled your arm to your chest and used your free hand to rub your neck, feeling for a bruise.
"So..." You said quietly, walking up to one of the portraits. "This is Rosemary?"
You looked up at the beautiful woman in a crimson Victorian gown posing next to a window. Her skin was like porcelain and her lips were as red as blood. Her hair fell in beautiful raven locks around her shoulders to frame a nearly perfectly proportioned face. Her neck was long and slender, and her hands were dainty and elegant. She seemed like everything you weren't.
You looked over at Taehyung who was looking at the portrait above the desk. His arms were crossed, and his jaw was tight as he glared at the woman, giving him a coy smile. You couldn't decipher his expression. Anger? Longing? Resentment?
"Before she gets here..." Taehyung said, turning to face you. "I should warn you. She... she has a way with words. She probably won't need to compel you to bring you on her side." Your blood ran cold.
So, like Jimin, you thought to yourself.
"What would she tell me that you're so afraid of?" You asked cautiously, watching as his eyes narrowed and a wall fell down behind his eyes.
"Just... be careful. Take everything she says with a grain of salt." He said vaguely, which did nothing to reassure you or answer you question.
"Taehyung, what aren't you telling me?"
Suddenly the door opened, and you gasped in surprise. Taehyung shot you a warning look and you quickly composed yourself, looking off to the side stupidly.
You pretended not to be all there, but you watched out of the corner of your eye as the woman herself walked inside. Her raven hair was plaited down her back and she was wearing tight jeans and a tight tank top that showed off her voluptuous cleavage. Other than that, she was identical to the beautiful woman in the portraits. This was Rosemary, the vampire who'd turned Taehyung and perhaps was the reason he was so cruel and angry. She smirked and panned her gaze around the room until she locked onto Taehyung.
"Well, isn't this a surprise?"