Chapter 20 : Bite Me
Alastair's POV
"That was..." She couldn't seem to find the words. "Magic."
I smiled, stepping closer. "Yes, Nikki, it is magic." My hands slipped into the pockets of the trousers I wore and I asked slowly, "Do you... remember? When you were younger?"
She gasped. "That was how we got on the roof." Realisation shone through the depths of her big blue eyes. "I couldn't work out how... Alastair, that was amazing!" Her eyes lit up, an electric blue, and she crawled to the other side of the bed. "Do it again!"
She must of moved too quickly because in the next instant she was swaying and toppling sideways on the mattress, the pillows acting as a soft padding beneath her. She clutched her head as a cloud of dizziness whooshed over her. My body moved to help her but she held up a hand to tell me not to.
"It's okay," she said while wincing in pain. "It'll be over..." she pulled her hand away and opened her eyes with a silent exhale, "and it's gone."
"Nikki..." I trailed.
"Will I be able to do the disappearing act?" She dismissed my worry for her with another question. I nodded in response.
She wasn't pushing herself to understand everything she'd missed in the past 13 years, was she?
"What other powers do you have?"
I counted it on my fingers. "Naturally advanced smell, sight, hearing..."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Smell?"
I gave her an odd look. "Yes?"
"So that means you could smell when..." she pulled her legs up and buried her face in her hands. "Oh my god. Every month you could smell when..." she shook her head vigorously, mumbling incoherent sentences.
I felt like I had missed something crucial but then, realisation dawned.
This was most definitely not within the borders of my comfort zone. Alas, topics such as these were inevitably bound to arise and I was prepared for such.
I cleared my throat, understanding her insinuated proposal. "Nikki-"
"No! Stop." She threw her hands out to silence me. Crimson had washed up her neck, colouring her entire face and even her ears. "I'm sorry," she squeaked, "it's just... I can't believe... could you seriously...? Don't answer. I mean, I need you to answer its just... wow."
She stared at the ground, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. An action as minor as that from her made the fangs in my gums ache. I paced the floor.
"Sorry," she said. "I know this is really awkward it's just I can't very well talk to anyone other than you... it's not like I can ask Brianna because, you know, she's not a..." A frown grew between her eyebrows.
"A vampire?" I offered, ceasing my stride. I couldn't help the light laugh that escaped my mouth. "No. Brianna is most definitely not a vampire." Nikki was still frowning, appearing lost in thought. "What's wrong?" I asked quickly.
"Nothing," she mumbled, "it's just... there's something about Brianna that I can't quite put my finger on..."
"Lady Marisa didn't seem to be troubled by... what you're asking now," I tried to explain, my hand rubbing the back of my neck. "I believe it's safe to say that once you are immortal, that, stops."
Nikki peeked up at me, still gnawing on her plump bottom lip. "Really?" she asked. "Well I guess that's one good thing about being a vampire then." She was silent after that, twirling the ends of her hair before asking absently, "Who else knows that I'm an Imperial? Other than you, me and that freaky warlock at the library, who else?"
"Klein," I answered. "And his family."
Her gaze flicked to mine. "Does that mean Brianna knows? Has she known this entire time?"
"That you're an Imperial?" I shook my head. "It doesn't seem like she remembers."
"Remembers? Are you saying she once knew about our kind? Was she allowed to know?"
I stared at her for the longest time. If she was asking me this, it probably meant those specific memories had yet to return. I decided against mentioning anything further. Nikki would piece it together soon enough without my help.
"Um, Alastair?" Nikki asked hesitantly. "Another thing..." Pulled from my thoughts, I refocused on the woman knelt in front of me. She paused before continuing. "Chàntelle mentioned that I was going to change into an Imperial regardless of anything we or he did, right? And along with that he said that I'll have to be 'turned', otherwise the reversion will kill me. I believe the exact words he used were 'tear me apart'. He wasn't serious, was he, Alastair? I'm not really gonna die, am I?"
The question hung in the air unanswered, the sun twinkling between the trees and spitting golden flecks across Nikki's bedroom walls as it sank beyond the horizon. I walked up to her, reaching out to caress her warm cheek. I brushed my thumb over her smooth skin before my fingers trailed across her jaw and down her neck. Her eyes followed my hand, breath hitching as my fingers moved the fabric of her black shirt aside. I gently pressed the spot at the crook of her neck between her shoulder.
"You won't die," I said after some while. "I won't let you die, Nikki. But unless you're turned, and soon, you'll lose every trace of sanity that enables you to walk along side humans. You'll fall victim to the beast inside of you. Just like Draven, you'll be nothing but a blood lusting killer until you can reign control on your vampire. If you ever can."
"Draven?" she remarked. "You mean the guy from the cinema? He's a vampire too?"
The mention of his name stirred the air. "Yes," I replied.
"That makes sense I guess," she conceded. "I remember him saying things that I thought were strange at the time. Like, when he referenced to me as a human. Normal people don't call each other 'human'. Is that why you wanted me to stay away from him?"
Draven sensed her as being none other than a mere human, he didn't know of whom she was born. It surprised me then and it surprised me now, Draven didn't attack Nikki, not even when he had her alone that day she was walking home from the grocery store. He despised humans, at least he did all those years ago, and yet, he hardly battered an eye.
Unless, his motives...
He said he'd be back. Soon. Just like I could sense her transition, Draven would too if he ever met her again in the state she was. Thankfully, the scent she gave off was similar to that of a regular human transitioning to a vampire. For Draven, I guess that'd hit a personal note.
"He's not good company," I told her. The image of Adam clouded my sight and a tinge of pain tugged at my heart. It dissipated almost instantly when a warm hand clasped my own.
"Alastair?" Nikki asked softly, searching for more answers in the silence.
"To be turned, you'll need to be bitten," I continued, shaking the dreary memory away. It wasn't about me, it was all about Nikki. It wasn't worth getting lost in the dark past when I had a blinding light in front of me.
"Bitten?" She echoed, questioning its meaning.
"Right here." Moving my hand aside, her own fingers found the spot between her shoulder and neck. "And I would like to be the one who turns you."
The redness on her face had receded but at those words her cheeks flared a rosy colour. She licked her lips, gazing up at me. "You're saying you'll bite me. W-with your fangs?"
I nodded and watched a spur of emotions swirl in the irises of her eyes. There was a touch of fear but it was buried deep beneath the flicking of her eyelashes. Her heart skipped a beat, I heard it, and raw excitement reflected on her features. It was convincing. Like she was silently counting down the seconds for me to snap and sink my fangs into that pretty little neck of hers.
I bit back the urge to do just that at the last second. She made it so difficult, stroking the fire within me that wanted to take her here and now.
She was kneeling at the edge of the bed, sitting back on her legs with her head angled up and blonde hair cascading down her back in tangled luscious waves. I realised just how much closer we'd become, the space between us shrinking and the walls I'd built crumbling. I took a step back, only to be halted by a tug on my shirt. My eyes fell, finding her hand gripping the white material.
"Then do it," she whispered, her fingers twisting further into the shirt. Her words were quiet but clear, unwavering. "Alastair. Bite me."
I grabbed her wrist, holding it between us. "Do you even know what you're asking?"
Her movements were silent as she smoothly raised herself to her knees and with a single and soft but defining pull, tugged her hand back, brining me along with it. "It's going to happen sooner or later," she said, our faces now inches apart. I could feel her warm breath fan my jaw. "So why not sooner? I want you to, Alastair. I'm asking you to change me."
My gums ached, the throbbing feeling a reminder of what I was holding back. But the primal part of myself was sanctioned by her words. She was granting me permission to do just what I'd always wanted to do to her since she'd first been changed human.
"Please," she whispered, her eyes boring into my own. "I don't want to be left in the dark anymore."
She wanted me to bite her so badly?
So be it.
I released her wrist and gripped her shoulders. She jumped, her heart standing still.
"Don't..." I said brokenly, fighting to restrain myself. "There's no reason to be scared."
I moved her black shirt aside, exposing her shoulder. She drew in a breath, her body tense.
"I'm not scared," she said, her voice wavering to say otherwise.
I wasn't stopping now. My nails gently scrapped her skin as I swept her blonde hair to the side. She was sensitive to the touch; her body trembling beneath my hands as my breath drifted over her neck. She held onto my arms, her gaze over my shoulder. Her bottom lip was trembling but as if on instinct, she was angling her head to the side so as to expose her full neck to me.
The silence made the beating of her heart all the more melodic. I could see the veins pulsing beneath the surface of her skin. The blood was hardly a temptation, what I truely wanted was to bring the one girl given to me back to the dead. Oh how ironic that idea was. But after all, it was the life intended for us. Was it really selfish to want what was suppose to be mine?
My thumb smoothed over her shoulder, my stare catching the shiver of her flesh as I did. Those purple love bites I had decorated her chest with not weeks before were properly healed now, leaving her skin fresh and utterly edible. I loved my lips on her. I loved my marks on her.
Her eyes clamped shut as I leant forward, bowing my head to lower my mouth to the curve of her neck. There was a familiar tweak of pain in my gums and I knew it was my fangs elongating. I felt their sharpness against my tongue and I shook with the power not to puncture her fragile neck in one swift, ferocious moment.
My tongue darted out, tediously drawing along her soft skin. Her scent overpowered me, freshly peeled apples and rain. A sweet sound fell from her lips and she clamped her mouth shut, seemingly embarrassed. It riled me on, urging to go further. Nikki's knees buckled and she collapsed back on her legs, hands falling from my arms to grip the sheets either side of her.
My breathing grew harsher. I wanted to push her down onto the bed and bury myself inside of her in ways that would take her innocence.
My hand slid down her back, hugging her to me. She arched her back, breasts pressing against my own chest. A wet trail lingered after my tongue. Her taste was my addiction.
During the last seconds, a sharp intake of breath could be heard along with the fluttering of wings. Birds flew past the bedroom window and upwards into the endless sky. The last rays of sunlight twinkled between their wings, spluttering warm golden flecks across my face.
Beautiful.
Published 04/06/17