Daniel Sharman as Marcus
You would think, by now, I would learn. That with all the experience I have accumulated, I would not make the same foolish and pitiful mistakes. What's worse, I knew it was foolish. I knew it was pitiful. But I still did it. I ran.
With a twirl by the heel, I scurried away from the deadly vampire, whose red eyes feasted upon me like that of a snake to a mouse. He stood over Luke's body, which remained motionless along with the wooden shard lodged in his back and leg that oozed blood.
My barefeet pounded on the wooden floors as I ran into the the kitchen. I knew it was daft to attempt to flee from a vampire on human legs. So I grabbed the first thing my eyes caught upon.
My hand yanked the knife out of its set on the countertop as I twirled around and held the weapon in front of me, pointed at the door from whence I entered.
I awaited for Marcus to enter. To see his fanged smile and devilish eyes as he stepped inside. But I did not see him enter.
He was already there.
Arms coiled around me like snakes with a hand clenched over my mouth, muting my scream. A sinister chuckle pounded in my ears as I felt the warm breath tickle my ear. "Now then," he said, "what were you planning to do with that, dearie"?
His hold tightened on me as my arms were pinned to me, causing me to drop the knife. Another chuckle escaped his lips.
"Tsk tsk, Katherine," Marcus said in my ear. His voice was void of happiness as it felt dead and cold. It was different from how Luke spoke to me when I first learned of his secret. It was more condescending, and immersed in evil.
"I must say, I thought you were smarter than that. A young, soon to be summa cum laude graduate who has lived most of her life alone", he said. "But I suppose you aren't everything you display, now are you"? I struggled to break from his hold and delivered more muffled screams. But his arms only tightened around me.
"When people first meet you, they see a girl who has it all. A pretty face, excellent academic standing, a talent for dance, and supportive friends and family". He laughed to himself as he got closer to my ear. "But that is far from the truth isn't it, Katherine"?
My heart raced as I felt my body shiver at his touch. I couldn't see his face, but I knew Marcus was thriving on my fear. "Where shall I start? You live your life being told you are pretty, but have never had a real relationship, have you? Tried for years to get the attention of one of your best friends, and was humiliated when who you thought what would be your first real boyfriend was simply playing you for his own game".
My heart pounded in my chest as my breathing hastened. "Then we have your achievement in academics, but you have yet to truly decide what you plan on doing after graduation. You await an acceptance letter from Juliard, hoping they could whisk you away to go after your ambitions, but know it is childish as you look over the colleges who will accept you as a general business major".
His fingers tapped against my arm as he went on. "Speaking of which, there is your dance. You have lived most of your life with it, haven't you. But you never truly felt great. You still don't. You utilize it as a way to ease your pain,but wonder if it will ever become more".
"Your friends are truly reliable, but you worry if whether or not the friendship will survive after you all go your separate ways".
My eyes were bugging from my head at this point, how did he know all of this?
"And last but not least, your family. I must say. With all my time visiting your lovely town, I have yet to see your mother. From what I gathered, not many of the townspeople have seen her either. She has practically abandoned you, hasn't she Katherine? Ever since you were small, it was just you and your brother as your mother would take the most vigorous shifts and business trips to help you all make ends meet with a single income. Your poor brother who at once felt so close to you, is starting to feel like your keeping something from him, pushing him away. But you must be feeling like he has been keeping something from you. When was the last time you talked to him about University"?
My anxiety reached it's high, as I felt anger begin to replace my fear.
"You can't blame the boy for being insecure about his relationship with sister, though. No mother in the equation only makes it worse doesn't it, Katherine"?
I pressed my finger nails into my palms, my knuckles turning white. "Your brother has talked to you about it before, hasn't he? Or has he kept the secret that he has lived his life, wondering if he is to blame for the absence of your father. It has haunted him. He remembers how kind he was, how dependable, how trustworthy he was. But yet, Ashton can't quite figure out why he never returned home".
A chuckle erupted once again. "Little does he know you too feel the same. You wonder if you were the straw that broke the camels back. After all, why would he leave his daughter before he even met her. Was he ashamed"?
My eyes stinged as my body shook, no longer with just fear, but with also sadness and fury.
His hand released my mouth as he peered over at my avoiding eyes. "Is it hard, Katherine"? His tone was like he was speaking to a child. As if his intelligence was of so much more. "Is it hard trying to create this persona that you are a strong young woman"?
I didn't answer.
"It must truly aggravate you. Never been one to want to appear fragile. But it is tragic". Marcus's eyes bore into my skull as I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I can see right through you Katherine", he said, "and so can everyone else. They can all see just how truly pathetic you are".
His free hand grabbed a stray hair as I flinched slightly at his touch. He twirled the red strand at his finger as he spoke. "After all, only someone truly incompetent could fall so easily for the first boy to pay any attention to her".
"You mean like your sister"?
My question hung in the air. I don't know what made me say it. But I regretted it quickly as I felt the room itself drop forth degrees.
Marcus snickered, an action that caused me more panic than if he had hit me. "Oh Katherine", he said condescendingly, "sweet, sweet Katherine. Truly, you must know how stupid you are to try to anger me".
His hand gripped on my jaw, rather tightly as a soft gasp escaped my lips. He whispered one thing into my ear. "Let me make something a little more transparent to your dull mind. Lucas may act all tough. But he is nothing. I will kill you, Katherine. I will".
"Then do it already", I said rather stubbornly. "Enough with the empty words. Just do it".
Marcus laughed at my insolence. "My my, you have quite an amount of spice", he spoke, "how times have changed since the 1800's".
His hand released my jaw as it went towards my shoulder and moved away the hair they covered over it, exposing my neck.
"But do not worry, Katherine, I am a man of action. You will die", he said calmly, "just at the right time".
"And what makes now not the right time"?
"Why such haste to die, Katherine"? His voice fell into a whisper. "I would assume it was of bravery, but judging how you have yet to meet my eyes and how fast your hear is beating, I am leaning towards foolishness".
Marcus lowered his face to the crook of my neck, as I felt frozen in place, waiting for the kill.
"But I must say, in two hundred years, it is not often that Lucas stays in one place for too long". I felt his hot breath bath my skin as he was just centimeters from my skin. "I couldn't help but wonder what was it that kept him here for so long. And found that it was you".
His cold lips touched my skin as he started to leave soft kisses against my neck, causing goosebumps to emerge. "He must see you as someone valuable. By was is that, Katherine"? He continued to plant kissed on my skin, leaving small playful bites every so often with no fangs. "What is it about you that has had him endanger his life, and stay, knowing I would find him sooner or later"?
He started to roughly suck on my neck and gradually go further up towards my jaw until he found a sweet spot, causing my own body to betray me and leave a soft moan.
"Is it your pretty face", he asked softly in between, "is it your brain"? His lips retracted from me, as my breathing reached a maximum speed to match my heart. "Or is it perhaps something a bit more, delicious".
Marcus was so close to me, I could hear his fangs emerge, causing me to shut my eyes in fear. "Don't worry, Katherine", he cold hand touching the otherwise of my cheek as he leaned into my ear. I could almost felt the grin on his face as he spoke. "I won't kill you just yet. I need to make it a show for our dear Lucas. Something that will haunt him for eternity, make him pay for his actions before I rip his heart out of his chest".
He chuckled once again as he got closer to my jugular. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a small snack".
His fangs chomped down on me as a scream emitted from my mouth. It has never hurt this much before. Not from Luke or Michael. Marcus was more savage. Animalistic. My strength began to fall as I felt my vision growing blurry until Marcus's arms released me and his pushed me away.
He began to cough maniacally as I stumbled before catching myself, and dashed towards the door, holding my bloody neck.
But just before I made my escape. Marcus stood before me. His mouth dripped in blood. My blood. As he glared at me. His eyes and face had the look of the devil as shadow covered his face and his red eyes glowed with the thirst for murder.
A sharp pain sparked at my left cheek as my head retracted from left hand.
My body crashed onto the floor as my head hit the ground rather hard. Everything was ringing as sat up slightly looking up at the creature of the night in front of me.
He stared down at me like a viper. He almost seemed lost in thought until he broke the silence. "An SI".
His realization sparked more fear in me as I remembered Michael's warning.
"As soon as a vampire finds an SI, they are as good as dead".
My vision grew weaker as my head began to pound. The tousled haired vampire looked down at me as he took a step forward, causing me to crab walk backwards, cowering.
"It looks like there is going to have to be a change of plans, Katherine". His voice was filled with venom as he spoke, stepping forward. "I suppose now is a good of a time as any to kill you". I was beginning to see spots as Marcus gazed at me.
"I'm sure Luke will get the message, once he sees your entrails on the walls".
My vision got darker and darker as he came at me, until a chill ran through the room and a blue streak sped passed me.
After that. Everything went black.
Hey guys!
So I admit it. I suck at updates. I, 3-read21 humbly admit it. I have just reached a point in my life where I have grown a bit picky with what I release.
I'll admit. There is some things I kind of wish I could change in this book, but I can't anymore nor would it be fair to you. Luckily, I have somewhat managed to make it work.
And I will still try to do at least one update every other week. I want to say every week, but with my job, it may be hard, so I don't want to promise you something I can't deliver.
What is one way to make me update faster. Comment and vote.:) seriously. If you make me feel like an asshole I will stay up late to update for you.
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