I am so sorry for the long wait! Hope you guys like this one! :)
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CHAPTER 10
The tiger in front of me leapt, and I realized how idiotic it was to remain standing, gawking at it- I had already learned that out, I jumped out of the way, only to have the weretiger roar in annoyance. The sound was as loud as a gunshot and my newly acquired super-hearing wasn’t helping the situation. Also, the smell was horrendous- like rotten eggs and flesh.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust, “Ever thought of using a breath-mint?” I asked calmly, I couldn’t seem weak here - they would eat me for lunch if I did, literally.
The Weretiger roared more loudly and forcefully in outrage. Shit, I was hoping it didn’t understand that. I guess they could still understand things in their animal form, or maybe it was just my tone of voice. Either way, I had a very pissed off tiger on my hands.
Perfect.
As it came after me again, I dodged but it came too close for comfort. My speed was the only thing on my side, and the fact that this was one-on-one. That was good because if I was up against a pack of them, I would have been ripped apart in a heartbeat. It was obvious that this animal worked better with others of its kind, but that didn’t mean it was a pushover.
I was fast but not that fast, and the were seemed to be getting more and more aggressive with each attack, making it harder and harder to dodge and I couldn’t get close enough to do any real damage with the knife, not yet anyway. It was graceful and somehow becoming faster and I was getting more scared, I couldn’t help it. It seemed to smell the fear and reveled in it, getting more excited as I was getting increasingly nervous.
I feinted to the right and then turned left but the Weretiger seemed to have anticipated that. Its claws came down at me along with its giant teeth and I couldn’t get out of the way quickly enough.
I couldn’t help but scream at the pain of my flesh being torn from my right upper arm as its claws grazed me. It left a gaping wound and I couldn’t see past a red haze of pain for a second, before it started to heal. The pain was receding, but it was still a distraction that I couldn’t afford. The scent of blood perfumed the air and the tension in the room went up a notch.
Suddenly the large arena seemed too small and suffocating. The hunger of the crowd only served to feed my growing fear and I could no longer hope to hide it. Why the hell did I agree to do this? Then again, I never really had a choice.
The giant pussy-cat is playing with me, I realized with more dread than outrage. Everywhere I turned it seemed to be one step ahead of me. The only choice I had was backwards, but I couldn’t risk taking my eyes off the beast for a second. The dagger was biting into my hand but it would be no use in the wounded arm so I shifted it to my left hand with the edge pointing low and flat on my palm. I kept edging back until my back was met with the cold hard rock wall.
Shit! My back was literally up against the wall, with no way to escape. How was I going to get out of this? My brain was on overdrive, trying to find a way to get out of this. But as he got closer, my heart started beating more erratically with each step. The Were was dragging it out, increasing my fear for some sadistic need that ran through its blood. And I could do nothing about it but meet my inevitable end.
Then I felt anger course through my blood, both at myself for my weakness and at this beast who dared to attack me. It was rage brought on from primal fear – the fear of dying. I clung to it- drew strength from it. I can’t die from this little cat; I’ve got bigger monsters to fry.
It was now so close I could feel its breath on my face as I met its golden eyes with my own defiant gaze. The bastard was enjoying every moment of it and I felt my rage burn brighter at the thought. It showed its sharp teeth- ones that could tear me limb from limb, trying to get me more frightened before the kill, like a cat playing with the mouse. Something was simmering just below my skin; I could feel it growing as my rage was building, begging to be released.
It roared at me again in outrage at my defiance, not liking that I wasn’t cowering in fear. I felt my fangs descend and the air around me became more charged, I could see sharper and hear every shout of the audience with more intensity than before.
And I could feel Power, like a jolt of electricity going through my body, energizing it. The tiger seemed to have realized it was a mistake to have played with me so long instead of killing me when it had the chance and it reared down to crush my body.
“Get the fuck out of my face, fur ball.” I roared at him. And I felt energy pour out of my body, fueled by anger.
But it was so hot.The stink of burning flesh filled my nose as I held out my arm and energy coursed from my chest down my arm and exploded in a sudden burst of flames that pushed the Were back to the center of the arena on his back. The sudden power shot my body back as well but since I was already up against a wall, I didn’t get knocked out and it took most of the shock.
The roar of the crowd – both cheers and curses – rocked the arena. I looked over to see Sasha with a Cheshire grin on her face, clearly enjoying the show. I also noticed, surprised, that Gabe and Nash were leaning over the railing separating the stands from the battle-ground, practically attacking the burly man as he tried to pry them off. He gave them a warning not to interfere but gave them a wide berth after that. Both looked relieved but Gabe looked more worried whereas Nash more proud.
“Nicola!” Gabe yelled over the crowd, and I tried to reassure him. But it felt like all my energy drained out by using that one blast and I slid down the wall as my legs could no longer hold me up.
I was panting as a wave of exhaustion hit me. I looked over to see the were still on the ground, appearing to be unconscious. I breathed a sigh of relief at that and closed my eyes and let my body relax; I don’t think I could lift a finger at the moment, never mind fight a weretiger. I tried to catch my breath, slowly feeling energy come back into my exhausted body.
But even in the haze of weakness that threatened to overcome me to, because the tiger was still breathing. I’m not stupid enough to believe that just because he was knocked out, I could relax and take a breather. He was still alive and that meant he was still a threat. And once he wakes up, there will be no more playing around; he will kill me without a second thought. So I had to kill him first or I’d die trying.
I tried to get up using the wall for support but my legs couldn’t support my weight and buckled. I landed on my ass with a thud and wished I was wearing the more comfortable clothes from my backpack. For the first time, I noticed that the dress was torn beyond repair and stained with my blood but I was reasonably sure that I wasn’t flashing everybody in the place. I had left my backpack in Sasha’s room and completely forgot about it. It would’ve been nice to be fully clothed, but right now, I really didn’t care about my attire.
Agonizingly slowly, the wound on my right arm was starting to close and heal itself much faster than any human could ever dream of but it still hurt like a son of a bitch. I still wasn’t strong enough to stand yet. My breathing was still irregular, but it was getting more even by the second and my heart rate was slowing.
The pain was the only reason I was still conscious but that was dulling and I was being dragged in by the weariness I could feel right down to the bone, lulling me to sleep. I could no longer hear the crowd screaming, it sounded like white noise in the background.
Just a few minutes couldn’t hurt; my sleep-hazed mind assured me as my eyelids became heavier and I couldn’t recall why taking a little rest was bad. I didn’t care.
Just then I felt a prick at the back of my head that even in my lethargic state, I could tell that something was wrong. I opened my eyes, much to my body’s distress, and couldn’t understand what I was seeing at first. Where was I? What was going on?
“Get up!” A familiar voice commanded, breaking though the haze.
Suddenly, the world snapped back to focus and I could hear every shout that sounded through the arena, could smell every kind of monster in the place along with the metallic sweet tang of blood and violence that thrived here, and - most importantly – could see that the Were I knocked down was getting back up.
Oh come on! Couldn’t he just stay down for a few more minutes? I cursed him mentally but was already thinking of how I could stay alive for a few more minutes.
Then an idea hit me.
I thought about every scenario I could think of and it was the only one which had a slightest possibility of working – highly suicidal, but I just might be able to pull it off.
The beast was finally orientated and roared in rage, before he came charging at me in full speed.
I could feel something akin to adrenaline coursing through my body, each sense heightened causing things to appear slower than they were, fear giving me enough strength for my body to do what I needed it to.
It was on me within seconds but that was all I needed. It leaped at me with it claws and canines out and deadly and I shot my arm out as it came down on me. I pushed the dagger into its mouth so hard that I could hear the skull crack then break as it went through its head, using its own momentum against it.
I felt its sharp teeth tear into my skin from wrist to elbow and screamed in pain, but didn’t release the dagger or take it out, not yet.
Only after I’d seen the life go out of its eyes and its body go limp, did I drag my weapon out. His body was heavy on mine, dead weight. I didn’t have the strength to move him, nor the thought to do so because at the moment, I was too distracted by my arm.
Excruciating pain filled my left hand and I dropped the dagger. The shock was retreating, making me acutely aware of my wound. The damn bastard had gone deep enough to expose bone and veins.
I am dying, I dimly realized. It was pooling too much blood for me to survive for long; my body was already becoming weaker and I was growing colder by the second. Everything was in slow motion again, like someone had pressed a button during a movie. I wanted to laugh at that because movies are supposed to have happy endings right? But I knew my story wouldn’t. But I couldn’t laugh, nor could I do or feel anything at all; not my arm - what was left of it - or the tiger body crushing me. I was glad about that; I didn’t have to feel the pain anymore. I didn’t want to feel anything anymore.
I closed my eyes and, finally, rested.
Gabriel's POV:
I was by her side the second the wretched Were died. I pulled him off her and threw his lifeless body across the ground hitting the opposite wall with enough force to break bones.
She was practically lifeless – her eyes closed and blood oozing profusely out of her savaged arm. Her slow pulse was a slight reassurance but one that I needed to hold on to some semblance of sanity. But it was much too weak for my taste. The scent of her blood was heavy and intoxicating, but I was much too consumed about her condition to let it hinder me.
It was infuriating and nerve-racking to simply stand by and watch as she was butchered by the Were. If I had it my way, the flee-ridden vermin would’ve been dead before he even thought to attack her. But she needed to experience her first kill, that much of what Sasha said was true.
But this, I thought with silent fury as I lifted her unconscious form carefully and turned to glare at Sasha, this was unnecessary for one so young. I quickly headed towards more private quarters which Nashton managed to coerce someone out of. I walked as fast as I dared with her in the condition she was in, but she needed immediate medical attention. Or should I say, she needed a transfusion immediately.
The blood finally stopped spilling from her wound, but not because she was healing. I cursed in frustration and ran to the room, not paying attention to my surroundings.
She was dying. The thought held horror that I had not felt in so long that I’d barely recognized it. I reached the room and kicked the door aside so hard that it shattered. My self-control was in tatters but I truly did not care.
I laid her down on the bed gently as Nashton had a bottle of blood straight from Sasha’s cooler (she prefers to wine laced with blood) already opened and slowly fed her the blood. My body was taut and mind anxious as I watched him pour the contents of the bottle down her throat. I could tell that she needed more than that taste and I could feel my body’s reaction to the thought.
I wouldn’t do that though, I promised myself, unclenching fists that I didn’t know I had closed. I walked resolutely to Nashton, who was still kneeling over Nicola, and said, “Go. Take care of Sasha and her guards. I’ll handle this.”
He looked like he wanted to argue but took one last look at Nicola’s body and nodded once. He looked me in the eye, and said, “Save her Nosferatu and I will not hold it against you.”
I narrowed my eyes at that, it was not a compliment nor was it meant as one; a crude name for my kind from a much older period, but I let it go without comment. He left to stand outside the door and stop anyone from interfering. Sasha did not allow feeding within her premises, but these were desperate time and they called for desperate measures.
I held her head up slightly so that she wouldn’t choke. I bit my wrist and placed it on her mouth, urging her to take my offering. The blood was spilling onto her open mouth and I could see her throat swallow it down. Even unconscious, she latched onto my wrist and drank to replenish her blood supply.
As her fangs bit into my skin, I bit back a moan. I could see her wound healing faster and her body regained vitality. She would be cured soon at this rate– of her physical weakness and her power - but it was taking its toll in me. Her body reacted though she was still weak from her wounds. She grew hot to the touch as did I.
She was almost strong enough to heal on her own now but I didn’t want to lose the connection between us, I felt so strongly about it that it confused me.
I looked down at her and thought that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, even with half her face smothered with blood. I didn’t understand this…. hold she had over me.
I wasn’t sure I wanted it.
But I could not deny it nor, I realized with a measure of bewilderment, did I want to. I wanted this woman, who was latching onto me as if I was life itself, more than anyone else this world had to offer. Never before had I felt this need that was so deep now, I am truly surprised I had not realized it much sooner.
But I cannot let myself fall deeper into this madness. What will it take to rid myself of this, without losing my sanity? My thoughts were distracting me from my body’s hunger for her but not completely.
I let my head fall back and felt pleasure at her bite more than I ever thought possible. I still felt an unrivaled need that pulsed in my veins and I had to use every fiber of self-control that I had gained in all my years to refuse her my blood.
She did not awaken and she was reluctant to release my wrist, but I carefully extracted it from her mouth and she went to sleep. After the adrenaline rush of blood was gone, her body was still too tired to do anything else but rest.
I gently laid her head down on the pillow and went to fetch a wet cloth in order to wipe the blood from her face. There was a small bathroom attached to the bedroom and I wetted a small towel I found by the sink with water and quickly kneeled by her side.
I cleansed her face, dabbing the cloth from cheek to neck, and my fingertips accidently brushed her mouth. I froze but for a moment at the sensation – an electric current that was similar to what had occurred before when we touched - but then thoroughly cleaned her face, making sure not to touch her skin directly again. After I was finished in my task, I threw the towel into the bin in the corner; I knew I couldn't get rid of the smell of blood so I didn’t bother trying.
She’s lovely, I thought with wonder, like an angel.
I quickly shook the thought away. But, almost unconsciously, my hand reached to caress her face. My finger tips traced her bottom lip, just a soft brush, and she quivered ever so slightly. I could feel my pulse jumping at the thought of her acceptance, could feel myself being pulled magnetically by those soft lips that tortured my dreams for the past two weeks.
Thankfully or regrettably, I was interrupted before I could act on any of my insane urges by a knock on the door. Sasha herself was on the other side.
Why is she here so quickly? She never usually leaves her quarters, unless it was to witness a fight of interest. We had been counting on that. Nash could not keep her out of her own domain. Dammit!
She glided into the room with a pleasant smile on her face and stopped right in front of me, her gaze flickered to Nicola’s sleeping form then back to me. She backhanded me so fast it was just a blur, the slap resounding in the room loudly as it was the only noise. Her smile was continuously in place as I wiped away the drops of blood on the side of my mouth.
“She was entertaining, the first Half in a very long time I have found so. That is the only reason I will leave you without retribution after blood-letting. After all, as host, I am required to offer aid to my guests after a battle. I could simply look at this as a form of aid,” She looked towards Nicola again with a thoughtful expression, “Bring her to me once she is ready. She has the gift of fire, very apt, I suppose, considering who her Maker is. She may very well be the most powerful Half I have ever seen, but that means nothing to the Vampire King.”
And with that she took her leave. Nashton walked into the room with a serious expression as he looked at her and I felt an incessant urge to shield her from him.
What Sasha said was completely true. But Nicola was not alone; she had more allies than she knew and more strength than we imagined. Even at the beginning, we knew the risks involved and that she had almost no chance of survival.
But I now knew with a strange certainty that I'd to do anything I could to assure her safety. And that thought I shook to the core.
I frowned, looking down at her.
What on earth have you done to me?