I must find him.
The loud and angry rumble of the motorcycle echoes through the garage as I pulled the gas handle. In haste, the bike accelerates through the garage and into the empty streets, leaving nothing but a trail of tire marks and smoke.
Due to the speed I was going, it didn't take me long to reach Valentine's manor. I sigh at the full moon right above his darkened and estranged estate and let my shoulders drop. It doesn't seem like anyone could be home - no light can be seen or detected. He's a vampire - they are masters of keeping secrets, especially in darkness.
I desperation, I break into his house by kicking down the door, not even bothering to check for an alternate access point. A wave of nausea sweeps over me - I'm terribly hungry and his house is full of titanium. A crackling sensation rises in my throat and worsens as I smell his musky scent seeping off of his belongings. Maybe, I can find clues to his whereabouts.
"Where are you, Valentine?" I whisper under my breath.
The silence had me wondering if I was deaf. Although his furnishings are exemplary, the house feels cold and rarely lived in. I don't feel his presence here but I don't think twice about checking every inch of space. My gaze glides over every inch of space, not missing a single door or room. I have no luck in my search but I did discover that he's a very simple vampire.
'What have I done?'
'I might as well have lost him.'
'Where could he be?'
'What more could Augustine do to his brother?'
Self-accusations circulate my mind and they don't stop. I want to punish myself for acting without thinking and if possible, turn back time. I knew that Augustine didn't have a sense of consideration or forgiveness yet I allowed him to cause another fracture in our already torn relationship. The blame cannot be passed to anyone else but I and no one else can mend it but me. This is between the two of us alone.
He isn't here, I finally thought silently.
Just as my foot was to step out of the door, an object flashes in the moonlight and catches my attention. I turn my head to the left and spot the glittering, red mask I wore to the masquerade ball after I was turned. The mask lies next to the shimmering diamond necklace and in a flash, I was back on the motorcycle.
How could I be so foolish? He told me once that there was a place he would find peace and a place no other person would know but me.
The drive to the castle was quicker than my journey to Valentine's manor. I arrive and toss my helmet to the side without even thinking of setting it aside properly.
The castle is unusually quiet for such a busy day. Sebastian has invited Numidia's most skillful fighters to train with the guard and I had to disappoint him again with my absence. I'm sure he'll have my head when I see him again, given our circumstances. It has been hours since Valentine's disappearance and I've avoided all contact with everyone under the stone roof of the grand castle.
I close my eyes and try to feel him.
My shoulders slump because all I feel is an immense amount of despair. It was powerful enough to make my knees week with a deep sorrow. Is this what he's feeling now?
I hold my breath as a strong, sweet smell wafts into my nostrils. A raging and forceful hunger burns in my throat as I try to figure out where the delicious fragrance is originating. I look left and right in the enormous corridor and my lips curl back in frustration at the emptiness of it.
My fangs elongate and I feel my eyes turn red with lust. Where is this unbearably decadent smell coming from?
With my inhuman speed, I go in the direction of the fine odor and follow until I reach the place where it's the strongest. I end up at in the one place I failed to check - his personal study. My vision blurs at the intensity of the smell of blood. It was a sickly, sweet aroma and there was so much that I could also taste it on my tongue.
I blink multiple times to clear my vision and made an attempt to suppress my hunger by shaking my thoughts free of blood.
I twist the doorknob and push open the door. The air hits me and I almost cave - the smell of both bloodlust fills the room like water.
I look forward and have trouble seeing what's in front of me. The room is pitch black and the only light is from the glow of the full moon shining above the castle. A small sliver of hope taps my heart as I feel his presence in the room.
"Valentine?" My voice was coarse and barely a whisper.
I step into the room and adjust my eyes to the darkness. An audible gasp escapes from my mouth and my eyes widen at the pool of blood and bodies of men and women strewn on the floor. What have I done?
I spot an armchair and a bloody hand holding a glass full of liquor hanging over its arm, which was highlighted by the moonlight. With small steps, I amble to the middle of the room and stop just before the hand moves. I focus my eyes on Valentine's silhouette and my eyes water with liquid from the discord I caused today.
I'm sorry, I wanted to say but my voice was caught in my throat. The tension surrounding us is so thick that it was hard to sense anything else.
"Have you come to mock me?" My heart drops at his hollow voice and broken tone.
"I would never do such a thing," I say in humility.
I can hear him scoff and I can feel his eyes look at me in disbelief. "This is what I was afraid of when I saw you again for the first time," he mutters softly. "I shouldn't have let you in."
"I can explain," I say and instantly regret it. It's probably the worst thing you could ever say in a situation like this. It gives the wrong meaning.
A laugh echoes through the room and rests on my ears. The hairs on my arm and neck rise as he stands and comes into the light. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when his features and clothes are clear enough for me to study. Blood dripped from his mouth and thickly coated his chin and neck. His dress shirt was soaked in blood and was mangled at the edges. His pitch black eyes have not changed since I saw him hours ago.
"Have you seen a vampire during bloodlust, Saphira?" he asks while stepping closer to me. I don't move and don't make a sound. "Or do you always kill them before it happens?"
"Valentine, please hear me out," I coax.
His full attention is on me but it was evident that his mind is focused on one thing. "Did he convince you to come here?"
I gulp and try to remain composed. "You must understand that nothing happened between me and Augustine."
In one quick gesture, he throws the glass against the wall and it shatters in pieces, scattering glass all over the room. His fangs elongated and his eyes flash with red. "That's exactly what you said the first time I caught you with him."
I give him a serious look and step closer so that he would understand. "I am not Scarlett."
Valentine presses himself to me and his smell mixed with fresh blood makes my throat feel like it is being scratched by flaming needles. I feel an immense sadness flow from him and it's breaking my heart.
"You have her body, her mind, and her heart," he growls. "You are Scarlett, the same woman who destroyed my every being."
"This body is mine - she died centuries ago along with your soul!" I exclaim.
The familiar feeling of adrenaline shoots through my body and my fingertips tingle with electricity. Valentine is only a foot away from me and I'm afraid I might hurt him. I start to speak again. "I may have had a past with your brother but he is nothing to me."
"Why do your actions speak otherwise?"
"I'm so sorry," I apologize with every ounce of my being.
He snarls and waves of my apology like a fly. "All this time, I thought I would have you to myself."
"You're right," I sigh and shake my head, "This body isn't mine. It's yours - I'm all yours."
His eyes meet with mine and at that moment, I felt nothing but him. He is the reason why I want to stay in this world, the reason why I learned to love again. All I want is to see is the pair of beautiful blue eyes again. I crave his touch and want nothing more than to kiss his worries goodbye.
He surprises me by lifting his bloodied hand to my face. I almost forgot that my heart even existed until it suddenly drums loudly and hard against my chest. Valentine notices and his hand trails from my face to my chest. My heart thudded so loudly that it was the only thing I could hear. A shot of electricity shakes my core as his coarse fingers strokes my neck.
His eyes were ablaze with desire as he sensually caressed my bottom lip with his thumb, letting me have a taste of the blood on his hand. I moan at the intensity of our connection my core twists in lasciviousness. In a hard thud, he pushes me against the wall and our bodies collide.
"You're mine," he says, darkly. He places his mouth on mine in a fervent and demanding kiss. He lets out a satisfying groan as I succumb to him, letting his hands freely explore my body. My tongue dances with ecstasy when I taste both him and the blood on his lips. The kiss was a hot mess of passion and fury - making me want him even more. He's taking his claim and showing me that I am his and forever will be.
A delectable moan escapes from his lips as our tongues meet and entangle. There is no room between us - both breathing the same air and feeling each other like we would suddenly disappear. He grabs my thigh and pulls it up against his waist, letting me feel him against my blistering core. He pushes further for a deep kiss and I rip his shirt from his chest and let my hands feel him.
Valentine suddenly breaks our heavy bond and I writhe against him in wanton. "I love you," he says in a very husky, very alluring voice. "I've always loved you."
Euphoria hits me as hit words flow into my ears. My heart spikes with energy as his passionate confession envelopes my every being. We are two very similar and very misunderstood beings, but we are one because of the love we share.
I gaze into his eyes but furrow my brows in confusion. His sclerae should have cleared up by now, I should be seeing his majestic irises.
He distracts me by trailing his warm lips down my jaw, nibbling each time until he reached the hollow of my neck. He's too far into his bloodlust to get out.
"You smell divine," he says against my neck. "Why do you torture me like this?"
A blanket of sorrow surrounds me as he says those words. I gasp as he pulls me closer to lick his mark on my neck and my body feels like it's been ignited. He glides his teeth over his own bite and I crave for more.
Pleasure shoots from my neck as he sinks his teeth into the flesh. It's a contrast of different sensations, like fire and ice. My body falls weakly in his arms and he holds me up like a fragile creature. I don't know what I'm doing and neither does he. My weakness and own hunger snapped me out of the steamy and sinful moment.
"Valentine, stop," I mutter in broken huffs. With whatever strength I had left, I push him from me and break the strong connection we had on each other. I see my blood drip from his mouth and two sets of sharp teeth coated in crimson. The lust-filled vampire glares at me like I committed the worst crime against him. He steps back from me and starts holding his head in his hands.
He shakes his head vigorously and blinks multiple times. "What's happening to me?" he says, heavily panting in between words. Because of his uncontrollable urge, he has lost all sense and has forgotten who he truly is. During bloodlust, it's easy to neglect all irrational thoughts and give in an animalistic rage.
My own concern for him helped me to skip to his aid. He continues to walk backward causing him to trip over his own feet and falling to the floor with a loud thud.
Valentine's body starts convulsing on the floor and he starts to groan in pain. I've seen this so many and time and I know what's going to happen if we don't get help soon. "No," I panic. I repeat those words as I kneel down to comfort him. "What have you done?"
"S-Saphira." I'd forgotten how to breathe. My nerves are taking my body over, making my limbs tingle. I can feel my own power rage under my skin, begging to be released. I gulp and ignore those feelings - for now, he's all I care for.
In spite of the severe pain he's going through, I'm thankful that his eyes have now cleared and showed his true majestic blue eyes. I take his hands in mine and he squeezes tightly against his chest. Rose colored tears fall from my face and drop on his chest.
"Ar - g-get h," he starts to say but he clutches his throat. This is the part where a deep hunger strikes.
I quickly jump, knowing exactly who he's talking about. My legs feel like gelatinous mass that would fall any second and my throat hurt like nothing could help it. I stumble out of the room and use the walls to help me down the tower.
My heart falls hard and I squeeze fists to stop myself from pitying any further. The more time I waste the less he has, I can't let him die like this.
I hear another agonizing groan from the room and curse under my breath. I inhale deeply to relax and focus on finding the only witch who can help us. My fingers curl around the pendant on my neck and hoped to find her in time.
"Where are you, Ari?"
***
Author's Note - PLEASE READ
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Thank you so much for reading and believing in me, you guys rock.
Also, I no longer have a full-time job because I'm getting ready for a big move to Hawiwi to find my zing! (Ten points for those who knows where that's from)
<3