"Are you feeling better?" Belinda lifted her gaze and stared into Fane's enchanting eyes as he caressed her cheek. After breaking eye contact, she kept her gaze on the ground.
He truly sounded worried about her. It couldn't be possible though. They knew each other for only a couple of months.
Not like it mattered.
They could never be together.
Contract or not.
Even though she didn't want to, she moved away from him.
"Let's head back," Abraham said just as the wolf barked. He seemed hesitant before sprinting into the forest.
Belinda met Fane's gaze. "Thank you...for saving us."
Fane smiled, a boyish smile she had come to adore. "I would do anything for you."
She looked to the ground. "Why are they so determined to hurt me?"
Abraham picked Kassie in his arm, bridal style. She was awake, but seemed weak. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation somewhere safe."
Belinda never realized how many portals there were hidden within the forest. Once they found one, on the other side, she was greeted by the inside of the cabin.
Obviously wanting to get rid of the blood and dirt, Belinda and her friends headed to the bathroom to shower.
"Next week is graduation," Kassie said as she showered. "Exciting, right?"
Belinda knew she was trying to lighten the mood, but no matter what her friends did or say, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened.
"I think it's best I don't attend," Belinda said as she brushed her hair, staring at the marks on her face. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
Keisha put on her shirt as she walked into the bathroom to take the brush from Belinda. "Kassie, who was the wolf?"
"Niko...the prince of the wolves."
Keisha froze. "W—what?"
"Is something wrong?" Belinda asked.
"You know that I love dogs...so I patted him and he didn't like it at all."
Kassie guffawed. "You patted Niko?"
"Well he was all up in my space—when I see a dog, I automatically want to pet it."
"Too bad I missed it," Kassie said as she stepped out of the shower to wrap a towel around her body. "I would have loved to see his reaction to being patted."
Belinda walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body. At the door creaking open, her eyes grew wide.
"Get the hell out!" Kassie shouted as she rushed into the room from the bathroom to attack Abraham with a pillow from the bed. "I've told you a million times that you wolves need to learn to knock!"
Abraham chuckled as he took the pillow from her. "I thought you would be finished by now."
Kassie raised an eyebrow as she propped her hands on her hips. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to speak with Belinda." He hesitated for a moment as he raised his hand for everyone present to see the small dagger. "After what happened, Fane refuses to come feed from you, but we all know he needs it."
"Are you out of your mind?" Keisha asked.
"Fane is young—he ascended to his full power months ago...he still struggles to control the blood thirst, so I prefer to do this than have him lose it all by just the sight of her."
"It's okay," Belinda said as she stepped closer to Abraham, noticing he held a small glass cup on the other hand. She took the dagger from him and hesitated for a moment, the cold blade against her fragile skin for the longest. Until finally, she pulled it across her palm, bitting her lip at the pain.
Once the small cup was half full, she handed him the dagger back. "From now on, this is how I will feed him."
Abraham's eyes widened as he set the cup and dagger on the end table. "From the vein is best... this will not restore his full power—"
"I have made up my mind," she placed her left hand over the open wound on her palm before Abraham took hold of it, glancing at Kassie for a brief moment. When Kassie nodded, he pulled Belinda's hand to his lips so that he could run his tongue over her wound. Within seconds, it healed.
Belinda jerked her hand free. "You didn't have to do that."
He shrugged as he took the cup and dagger. He began to head toward the door that led into the large corridor but halted. "You should really think twice before doing what you're thinking of." Without another word, he exited the room.
Kassie met Belinda's gaze. "Are you really going to reject him? After telling him you would—"
"I can't continue to be by his side after what happened." Belinda sat down on the bed, clasping her hands. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Keisha—everyone I love."
Keisha sat next to her and took her hand. "At the end of the day, it is your choice to make...no one can force you to be with him."
"Except, they signed a contract," Kassie said. "You have to spend time with him."
"I know," Belinda said, her voice so low she wasn't certain they had heard her.
Kassie crouched in front of her. "I know you don't want us to get hurt—but girl, you said it yourself that the contract states you have to spend time with him—If you break it, you die." Tears accumulated in her eyes as she held Belinda's gaze. "I will not let you do such thing." She wiped away her tears as she stood. "I wouldn't be able to bare the weight of knowing you died to protect us."
Belinda stood, trying to not break down In tears and hugged Kassie. Keisha joined them and for the longest neither pulled apart.
As a child, her mother would tell her that she would know who truly was loyal to her in the hardest of times. She was beyond lucky to have such friends and would do anything for them.
Neither of them said another word as they finished getting dressed. Minutes later, they all headed downstairs into the living room where a tall female stood, a bright smile on her lips.
She rushed to Belinda's side and hugged her. As she pulled back, she cupped her face. "Oh, wow! You are as gorgeous as the rumors say!" She hugged her again, then headed into the kitchen. "Sorry, the name is Star." Her smile grew from ear to ear. "I hope we become the best of friends!"
"Star, where are Fane and Abraham?" Kassie asked as she stood behind one of the chairs, placing her hands on the backrest.
"Oh, they headed out to get some things."
"Well, can you take us home, then?" Keisha asked.
Star glanced at Belinda wide-eyed. "You can't go back. Not after what happened."
Belinda averted her gaze. "I never agreed to stay here—I have to return to my house and let my parents know I'm okay. I lost my cellphone in the woods." She began to head to the door. "Take us back."
When she opened the door, Abraham smiled at her, bags in hand. He headed into the kitchen and placed them on the counter. "We got some food." His eyes narrowed at the silence that followed. "Is everything okay?"
Belinda stepped back the second Fane walked into the house, talking to someone in his cell as he handed another bag to Star.
Star smiled. "Well, I'll prepare us all something to eat."
"Keisha and I are leaving."
Pin-drop silence.
"Fane...I can't stay here—" Tears fought to rise as she recalled the recent events. She shook her head, the tears finally trickling down her warm cheeks as she avoided looking at her friends. "I'm sorry, but I will not risk their lives."
When she began to walk toward the door, he moved at unimaginable speed and grabbed her forearm. The second his skin touched hers, she gasped, enveloped in a foreign sensation.
Fane's eyes flickered from silver to crimson over and over. The hold on her forearm tightened as he evidently fought something within. His lips parted, flaunting a mouth full of sharp teeth.
When he raised her arm, her eyes widened as she realized that she wasn't wearing the bracelet her mother had gifted her. She had taken it off when she showered.
After she jerked her arm free, she headed upstairs. As she made her way into the en-suite bathroom, she was overwhelmed by so many questions.
She picked it up from the sink and returned to the bedroom where she found Fane waiting for her. For a moment, she wondered why her friends didn't follow her. Perhaps, Abraham and Star stopped them.
They wanted Fane and her to talk alone.
For the longest, they stared at each other in utter silence. Her heart skipped a beat when he took a step closer to her. She walked backwards until her back hit the wall.
He grabbed the bracelet from her hands and tossed it on the bed. Then, he met her gaze, eyes flickering out of control from blood red to silver. When he was mere centimeters away, he hesitated before raising his hand toward her face.
The second his fingers brushed over her skin, she bit her lips. Her eyes closed for a brief moment as she relished the soothing sensation spreading through her veins.
As Fane's hand slid to the back of her head, he lowered his face to her level, stopping when their lips were mere centimeters away, their noses touching.
The sensation enveloping her began to make her feel lightheaded. "This can't be real." Her voice got caught in her throat when his lips drew even closer She parted her lips slightly as she craved the kiss like she never imagined she would.
She couldn't have fallen hard for Fane in just a couple of months.
Though, it didn't matter.
At the last second, she turned her face, forcing him to kiss her cheek. Not meeting his gaze she made distance. "Stop using your abilities on me."
When she lifted her gaze, she regretted her words. The pain her accusation caused could be seen in his eyes as he stared back at her.
"These sensations can't be real—we've known each other for just a few months."
"This..." He began as he trailed his fingers up her arm. "...doesn't mean we're in love. It means that there is a strong attraction between us. As it grows, so will the effects of our bond."
It was exactly as Abraham had told Kassie.
She lowered her gaze and headed toward the bed, but halted at his next words before grabbing the bracelet. "Who gifted you the bracelet?"
"That's none of your business." She wasn't about to tell him that it had been her mother.
"You're mother?"
Her eyes widened as she faced him. "Stay the hell out of my head." She grabbed the bracelet and put it on. "She is just worried about me."
"She has nothing to worry about. I would never harm you."
"I know you disagree, but..." Her words drifted away when he appeared inches away from her, moving too fast for her eyes to even notice.
"I understand that all you want is to protect those you love." He paused for a moment, gaze averting to her lips for a moment. "But you must understand my side as well. If you return home, you could be doing exactly what they want." He cupped her face in his hands as he held her gaze, his eyes giving away the worry he felt within. "Today, we were lucky. I was close when I sensed that you were in danger."
She placed her hand above his, leaning into his touch, before pulling away. "What happened today was my fault. I ignored their first warning and decided to give you a chance."
Without another word, she headed out the door. Downstairs, she found everyone in the living room. The moment she came into their view, they all stood, concern evident in their eyes.
"Abraham please take us back—"
"No need for that." Belinda glanced over her shoulder at Fane. "I'll take you." He raised his hand, showing her the necklace he had gifted her, the one she had dropped on the forest floor.
Without a word, he stepped closer to her. She grabbed hold of her hair and moved it out of the way for him to put it on around her neck.
Her cheeks grew warm as his face came close to hers. Even though she wore the bracelet, still, she felt crazy butterflies in her stomach at their proximity.
When they reached their town, Keisha hugged Belinda before heading toward her home. As she glanced around, Belinda noticed the hateful stares of those who were still out in the streets.
As expected, when she walked into her house, she was enveloped in hugs from her parents, worry evident in their eyes.
"I'm fine."
Her mother hugged her again. "What happened?"
"We were attacked...Fane and his friends saved us."
Her father glared at Fane. "Thank you."
Belinda pulled away from her mother and faced Fane, feeling her heart breaking as she took the steps needed to exit her house. They stared at each other for the longest, perhaps neither wanting to say goodbye.
She broke the distance needed so that she could place a soft kiss on his cheek. It was something she did to all her friends, but with Fane, it felt more intimate.
He inched closer and whispered in her ear, "Do not leave your house without the necklace."
"I won't."
Her cheeks burned as he pulled back and stopped inches away, their lips almost touching. The smirk told her that he knew the effects their closeness was having on her. With one last kiss on the cheek, he turned and left.
"What exactly happened?" Her mother asked once the front door was closed and locked.
"Some vampires attacked us during our jog...Fane arrived in time with two of his friends and saved us." Now, it became difficult to speak as she fought to not break in front of her parents.
Her mother grabbed her arm and lead her to the kitchen table where she took a seat whilst her mother made her tea.
Within minutes, she had a mug in her hands, her parents waiting for her to speak. It was amazing when the pain within vanished the second she took a small sip of the tea. "I'm not going to see Fane again."
"Have you lost your mind?" Her mother took a seat beside her, placing a hand on her forearm. "It's okay if you choose to not have any sort of relationship with him, but that contract forces you to spend time with him."
Her father seemed lost in his thoughts before saying, "Even if I dislike the boy, your mother is right, sweetie."
She tried her best, but still, a low sob escaped her lips. "They threatened with killing of all you if I don't."
Pin-drop silence.
She finished her drink before standing up. "I'm so sorry but I can't be near him..." Without another word, she headed up to her room. After closing the door shut behind her, she stood still as she stared into the distance, wishing she could go back and not sign the contract.
Because she had allowed her fear to cloud her mind, she had signed basically her death sentence. If she followed the contract, her friends, her family would get hurt.
And if she didn't, in three years, she would die.
For the next few days, she tried her best to distract her mind with anything she could. She helped out with preparations for not only the graduation but the school dance.
Everyone was exited.
She should have been too, but she wasn't.
On the night of the dance her mother stopped them at the front yard and took way too many pictures. The parking lot of the school was full of cars and students dressed to match the theme of Egypt they had chosen.
When Belinda walked in, she smiled, loving the elegant decorations they had all worked so hard on. The gold, black and turquoise colors really did look good together.
After Keisha, Blake and she took their group picture, they headed to the dance floor to dance. About a half hour later, Belinda went to where all the drinks were.
Instead, when a sharp pain enveloped her, she headed to the bathrooms. Once inside, she clung to the sink, bitting her lips to not cry out in pain.
Her eyes grew wide as soft murmurs of voices echoed in her head in a language she didn't recognize. A gasp escaped her lips when her hands began to get too warm.
Black thin lines sprouted on her fingers intertwining as they slowly spread up her arms. As they spread, the pain within intensified. She cried out, her eyes shining gold along with her mark. Her legs wobbled. If it wasn't for the fact she held on to the sink, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Tears accumulated in her large blue eyes as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, realizing that finally she was being punished for breaking contract.
She was dying.