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Chapter V
The uniform felt tight and I felt completely constricted in it. The collar felt tight around my neck and the tie only served further to suffocate me. The blue skirt felt tight on my waist, the blouse tucked into it and I checked for any lumps at the back, making sure it hadn't rolled. The tights were itchy on my legs and the black shiny shoes on my feet felt like they were cutting off circulation.
I eyed the blue blazer on the chair with distaste, dreading having to add yet another garment to this dreadful attire.
Glancing at the clock I sighed, only ten minutes and I'd have to be there in order to make it to my locker and work out where I had my first class. Nerves ate me up and I wish I was back home, most likely in my warm bed sleeping.
I shrugged on the tight blazer and picked up my small leather backpack, thankful that once I had my new books stashed in my locker my arms wouldn't be broken like they were now. I balanced the text books as I slowly walked across the bedroom to the door, biting my tongue as I tried to open it without dropping anything.
Making it into the hall I began a slow walk down the passage way before reaching the landing and hitting the top of the stairs.
There was no way I was going to get down there with all books still piled as they were.
I bit my lip, deliberating before shrugging. Let's test the vampire hearing skills, "Aron?" I said softly.
Suddenly the piles of books were no longer in my hand and Aron had a frown on his face, "you should have called me as soon as you were ready."
"Don't be so bossy," Josie sang as she came out of nowhere and began descending the stairs. I made to follow her and heard Aron huff in annoyance. "And don't huff," she ordered. When we reached the bottom she went to the door near the entrance and pulled it open, taking out a large black coat. "Okay, let's go Ashia darling."
"I'm taking her," Aron said in a clipped tone.
Josie scoffed, "Aron that would be so embarrassing for her, it'd be like her father dropping her off at school and making sure she has enough lunch money. I'm taking her and that's that, you have business to attend to anyway. Marx' hearing is in half an hour is it not?"
I stood there awkwardly as Josie took the pile of books from Aron's arms and skipped ahead outside. I felt dread consume me as I realised I had wanted him to take me, but realised it probably would look as weird as Josie said it would.
Aron took my hand and I dragged my eyes from the floor to his, trying to ignore the shiver that ran through my body as he pulled me closer, placing my hand on his chest. "I'll see you this evening love," he murmured.
-
Sitting in the hearing room I listened as Marx, a vampire almost as old as I defended his actions of striking his bride in a café while I had been away. She had been brought over from Australia not only three weeks ago – taking her to a public place besides the school was a stupid idea, especially for a vampire like him.
"I thought it would please her, to get some fresh air and taste some local cuisine, until she tried to blow the café up," he snarled.
Part of me gloated to find that I had gotten lucky when finding a docile witch as my bride. Many others had not been so lucky.
"Taking your bride out so early was not a wise idea Marx," I began. "However had I been in your position I would have acted as you had, as your bride was putting the lives of our people at risk. But I would have waited until we reached home, we are still on very uneven levels with the humans – we cannot go around publicly disciplining, they don't understand and they are not from our time." Rising from my chair I walked down to the floor, "to the humans they would have seen it as abuse, which is why I had to go through the formalities of calling this hearing," I snapped frustrated.
"I can apologise for my carelessness to those around me, but I cannot apologise for striking my bride, she would have hurt herself just as much as everyone else Lord Aron," Marx said, his tone holding sincerity.
I looked around at the council, who were all nodding their heads. I spotted Talon with his lip curled.
Talon and I had been friends for the entirety of our vampire lives, we agreed on everything, besides the old ways. I strongly believed in them, if Ashia acted up like that in public she'd be lucky if a slap to the cheek was all she received.
I had come close to it these last few days.
"Marx you are not being charged with anything, however leave personal matters behind closed doors. All those in favour of clearing all charges?" I looked up and everyone's hand beside Talon's shot in the air. "Cleared of all charges, dismissed."
The court began to clear and I went back to my seat, sensing only one more vampire in the room.
"If you must say something, then say it now Talon or be gone."
Hearing his weight shift from his chair and his descent from his seat I heard him approach my desk, "now for someone who hasn't seen their friend in a month I'd expect more of a hello than that."
"Hello Talon," I said blandly.
"Saw your bride this morning, cute little thing she is, bit small isn't she?"
"You dropped Alana off?" I questioned.
"Oh yeah, I was surprised to see you weren't there, but Josie said you were busy and Ashia needed space from you, noticed she still smelt-"
"She isn't ready to be claimed," I snapped.
Talon snorted, "so much for Mr Old School, you getting all soft now that you sharing a bed with your bride and not that annoying wench from Russia?"
A growl ripped out, "I have not gotten soft, I've been letting her get comfortable, and I've already taken care of that whore from Russia." As soon as she had found out I'd found my bride she swore to cause strife, I had snapped her neck in less than a minute, ripped out her heart and tore he limbs from her body in less than five minutes, the moment she showed up at my front door the first night we'd gotten home.
"Wow, I thought you stopped killing after-" He stopped then as my eyes flashed to his.
"I will not have anything ruin the progress I make with Ashia, I had to knock her out just to get her off the plane, and another woman showing up would have made everything worse. No matter how much she tries to fight the bond, she'd feel it."
Talon nodded, "so why haven't you bedded and claimed her yet?"
I rubbed my hand down my face, "I have no idea. I made that stupid promise to get her to come with me, and I regret it each time I got to bed with her and she puts a pillow between us."
Talon laughed out loud then, "man you are getting soft. What happened to, 'as soon as I find my bride nothing will stop me from claiming her.' For someone who believes in the old ways, you sure have a hard time following them."
I felt my skin prickle in anger again, I had worked hard on my image, and people didn't mess with me or my coven. If people thought I was getting soft now...
"You know the girls will smell she's still a virgin, they'll tell their mates. And I'm not saying force her, but just be aware that the idea that the coven has a new mother yet she isn't claimed...it could cause some unrest."
I sighed as I set down my pen, damn Talon for making sense. And damn making promises.
-
With shaky hand I placed my last book in the locker, picking up my bag and eager to head home. The day had been nerve racking and terrifying, yet I wasn't the only one who looked terrified thank goodness.
I hadn't spoken to anybody and I was thankful I couldn't find that girl I had met the other day. I didn't want to be stuck with her pestering questions again. Shuffling my way down the corridor I followed the group of girls as we all walked toward the front doors, I was shoved to the back as the girls poured out, many of them giggling and speaking animatedly to each other.
I headed toward the car that had dropped me off today, the driver had told me his name this morning but I had forgotten. I smiled at him as he opened my door for me and I slid in, sighing in relief to finally be away from those bustling gossiping girls.
The drive home was brief and I saw sad I only got so little time to myself. I opened my door before the driver could get to it and I smiled at him before quickly making my way up the steps and to the door the cold air whipping my skin.
I let myself in and dropped my bag near the door, my teeth chattering. I made my way over to the sitting room, glad I hadn't been bombarded by people yet and stood in front of the fire, placing my hands near the flames.
I wasn't used to this kind of cold, and I felt like it went to my bones!
I went to shrug off the blazer, stilling when hands wrapped around my upper arms from behind and I felt Aron's body behind mine, feeling his lips press into my neck as he slid the blazer off the rest of the way.
It dropped to the floor with a dull thud and Aron's hands slid down my arms, bringing my hands trapped beneath his on my stomach. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, though I was surprised for a vampire he could give off such heat.
"How was your first day?" His deep voice vibrated against my neck and I felt my skin break out in goose bumps.
"I-it was o-okay," I stammered out.
"Did you like your classes?" His hand was tracing small circles on my ribcage as his other held mine trapped beneath his.
"Y-yes, although p-physical education i-is – not my strong p-point," I finally managed to gasp out. When I felt his hand gently pulling my tucked in blouse from the confines of the pencil skirt I made to pull away.
He however just pulled me to face him, my hands rested on his upper arms and I tried not to feel the bicep beneath his white dress shirt.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured. He leant in and placed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, his arm tightening behind me, pulling me closer.
Somehow I turned my head, like an automatic impulse and I place a soft hesitant kiss on his lips. Before I could pull away or question what I just did he kissed me in return, more confidently then I had.
I reacted almost instantly, my entire body searing up like I was in a furnace. Wherever he touched me my skin pulsed, my heart thumped erratically.
His hands slid down my back and over my bottom, pulling me into him as his lips left mine and landed on my neck, sucking before his teeth bit down, not enough to break the skin however the idea of him feeding on me sent a rush through my body, causing me to react even more out of character.
All that could be heard from the room was harsh ragged breathing and the sound of the fire crackling as my fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt, eager to feel the pale skin of his chest that I caught a glimpse of each night.
"Well, you know that the bedroom is not that far away," Josie chimed from the doorway.
Gasping back to reality I pulled away from Aron as an annoyed growl escaped his throat before a rush of air surrounded us and suddenly I was laying on something plush and soft, the walls a familiar colour.
Aron covered my body with his, hiking up the hideous skirt and wrapping my freed leg around his hip. His hand went higher and higher up my leg and my heart hammered, as I blinked realising what he was aiming to do.
"Wait!" I said, pushing his chest roughly and freeing my leg, sliding up toward the headboard.
His eyes were on fire, staring deeply into mine as his hand held my ankle, his expression near delirious. "What is it love?"
His husky voice sent tremors though my body and I realised my legs were spread apart. Slamming them together I quickly climbed off the bed and toward the bathroom, shutting the door, locking it and staring in the mirror.
What in the world even evoked that reaction in me? My cheeks were flushed and my lips were swollen and my neck had a few red dots on it. The door glided open, the lock snapped, and I nervously looked over my shoulder as Aron came in before turning to look at him through the mirror.
"Are you alright love?" He stayed by the door, almost as if he was afraid to enter.
I looked down at the sink, "I-I don't know."
"Love, what we were doing was perfectly normal. We're destined for each other-"
"I've known you for a week and a half, my behaviour is completely out of character and I don't climb into bed with strangers," I spun around, "I don't know you at all! This house is full of secrets and I feel the anger and sorrow that fills these walls yet I don't know why. I know nothing of who you are and why you are who you are, yet somehow you know more about me then I know myself."
"We have years to get to know each other love," he murmured as he went over toward the bath and began turning on the taps. "I may know the obvious details about you, but that doesn't mean I know you either." He stood up from the bath and came toward me, "but the fastest way we're going to get to know each other is if we are comfortable with each other."
His fingers went to my blouse and slowly began undoing my buttons as I stood their immobile, unsure of what I was to do. My blouse was removed which left me in my bra and skirt.
"You should be comfortable with me touching you, holding you when we sleep, loving you and seeing your body without embarrassment." His eyes stayed on mine as his hands went around my back and down toward the zipper on my skirt, gliding it down until the skirt loosened at the waist and began to drop from my hips.
His own hands went to undoing the buttons on his own shirt that I hadn't and I felt my heart rate pickup as more of his beautiful chest was exposed. I put my own hand over his, stilling his actions.
"I-I don't know if that is a good idea," I murmured.
He let out a rare smile, something that changed his feature dramatically but it was gone before I could tell if he had done it or not, "I'll make sure we both behave. I have decided we are to bathe together every night."
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I looked at the impressive tub, almost half full. My gaze flickered back to his as his hands went to his belt and began unfastening it before taking off his pants, leaving him in black underwear that near had my palms sweating.
He was aroused, that much was obvious – but at least he wasn't trying anything. His hands went to the back of my bra, popping it open with one flick of his wrist and I watched as his eyes eagerly fell to my chest as the cups slid away, only to be covered by arms.
"I-I..."
"Relax," he murmured. His fingers looped through the top of my panties and he tugged them down, he followed them down before coming back up and glancing down I saw he had somehow already removed his.
I immediately pulled my eyes back to his as I blurted out the only thing in my mind, "I-I don't know if I believe in sex before marriage! I-I think t-that two p-people should be wed b-before doing..well...that!" My face felt hot so I knew it was bright red, and it went redder at the humour in Aron's eyes.
"Then our union will have to be very soon love," he murmured as he pulled me toward the bath. He pushed me toward it first so I put my toe in, testing the temperature before climbing in, trying to calm down my nerves.
He climbed in behind me and I jumped when he pulled me up and against his chest, his arm resting over my collarbone as his other went over my abdomen.
Well and truly trapped, with his hardness pressed into my bottom.
He pressed a kiss to the side of my head, sighing as I felt his body relax beneath mine and I tried to do the same, but I was too shocked that we were both absolutely stark naked and he hadn't tried anything with me.
In fact I was surprised he was so patient with me, I knew how old fashioned vampires could be, most of them would have claimed me by now, punished me for the way I had shouted at him the other night – but Aron had been kind and understanding.
Maybe I had gotten a new age vampire.
"Did you meet anyone today?" He murmured as his hand moved around in circles over my stomach.
"No," I murmured, feeling my body tremble as his hands glided higher. "They kept their distance..."
I felt his head rest in the crook of my neck, "tomorrow will be better love."
I heard the familiar whir of machinery as the shutters began falling down over the windows, the small window at the top of the bathroom blanketed in darkness.
Sadness entered my body at the thought of another lost opportunity to see the sun, I missed it badly, and every time those shutters went over the windows I felt weak.
"Willa has sent you a letter by the way, it came in this afternoon." A squeak of excitement left my lips as I made to get up, Aron however held me cemented to his body. "You can read it after."
I sighed, to excited to even care anymore that I was naked in the bath with him, I just wanted to read my letter-oh!
Aron's hand covered my left breast, gently squeezing the small mound, flicking his thumb over my perked up nipple. My hand quickly went to his, stilling his actions as I moved it back up my chest.
He said nothing, just continued to trace circles into my stomach before leaning over and grabbing the bottle of body wash and a sponge. "Will you wash me?" He asked.
I felt like I had swallowed a golf ball. "I-I beg y-your pardon?" Touch that body and try not to lose myself as I had earlier?
Yeah right good luck.
He was chiselled muscle, completely perfect, every plain on his body was beautiful and trying to keep my eyes off him was increasingly difficult, but touching him?
He chuckled, a low, deep chuckle that sent shivers down my backbone, pushing me gently to sit in the bath before spinning me around to face him, handing me the soap and sponge. I watched as he rose to his knees, his penis near coming out of the water, and I stared at it fascinated as it bobbed there.
My gaze trailed up his chest, looking at the dusting of blonde hair with interest before moving over his face and connecting with his eyes again.
I grabbed the sponge and wet it before squeezing the soap on, moving toward him slowly before I rose to my knees, placing the sponge on his chest and slowly moving it, trying to focus on my hands, moving the sponge in rhythmic circles and not his hot gaze on mine, willing my eyes to his.
As I washed the soap from his body, his voice interrupted the silence in the room, "there has been something I've been meaning to talk to you about love." My eyes went to his and he slowly turned so I could wash his back. Continuing my job he spoke again, "It isn't normal for a bride to go unmated this long...People will start to wonder if you really are their new mother and this could cause you some strife at school." I frowned in concentration, where was he going with this? "I think it's time we made the blood bond, and I mark you – we can leave the claiming for as long as possible after that, but if you're marked it would make everyone a little nicer."
I bit my lip, "when you make the blood bond it's hard for you to want to stop just there. Your natural instincts will want to claim me. I learnt that today."
"I can stop. But it has to be done love-"
"I-I don't...you said w-we could h-have as long as I needed..." I dropped the sponge and quickly got out of the bath, wrapping the towel robe around me. It sounded as if he had already made his mind up on this.
"Ashia get back in the bath."
"N-no, you said I could have as long as I need-ah!" he was in front of me in a blink of an eye, his expression frustrated.
"How long will you deny me?" He demanded, "It seems as if you have no qualms in spreading your pretty little legs for me when you aren't thinking," my face flamed in embarrassment, "so stop thinking."
I watched in shock as his hand went to his moth and he roughly bit into it, before bringing it to my lips. Before I knew what was happening I was sucking on his wrist, the taste entering my mouth exquisite, like nothing I had ever tasted before, the perfect combination of everything.
I never wanted to stop drinking!
He pulled me into his arm as I drank from his wrist, moans escaping my throat as he moved my hair from my neck, not wasting a second as he pierced it with his fangs and began taking long draws of my blood.
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