"AS LONG AS I'M AROUND YOU... I PROMISE NO ONE WILL HURT YOU, THEY WOULDN'T DARE"
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"SO, YOU ARE BASICALLY AN IMMORTAL PREDETOR IN THE BODY OF AN INCREDIBLE LOOKING MAN, WHICH YOU CAN SUMMARIZE TO ONE WORD: VAMPIRE?"Lilian concluded airily, still considering Jasper's story, whether or not she should be believing it or not. 'Dammit, didn't you throw believing in the logical overboard when you decided that these guys were immortal?' a tiny voice in the back of her head screamed, making Lilian nod her head mentally and give in.
"That's the glorified version of it," Jasper shrugged, "In reality, I'm just a monster that's made attractive to its prey."
Lilian's look became stern, "Don't say that," she stated, "don't you dare to drown yourself in self-pity because you have to kill animals in order not to kill humans, Jasper Whitlock-Hale!"
The blonde vampire – sheesh, Lilian had to get used to that word – looked up surprised. "Why are you saying my original surname with my current surname? How do you even know it?"
Lilian smirked, "Come on, I want to show you something." The human girl took his cold hand and dragged him with her, whistling between her teeth as an order to get her dog to follow them.
Hunter skipped in the direction of the house, knowing exactly where to go. Lilian let go of Jasper's hand and began to just walk at his side.
"So..." Lilian started amused, "how fast are you really? You told me you guys could run fast and are incredibly strong."
Jasper chuckled under his breath, his lips tugging up in a small smile, "Let's just say that I'd already be at your house by now."
"Considering that you drink animal blood, does that mean you want to kill Hunter and Daisy? 'Cause if they make you uncomfortable, I'll make sure they won't be near you guys," Lilian offered, answering Jasper's smile with one of her own.
"Drinking animal blood doesn't make me necessarily immune for human blood," he started, "That's why I look so much in pain when I'm at school, I am. But in a different way, it pains me to restrain myself from attacking humans and drain them dry."
Lilian then stopped her tracks, her eyes wide. Jasper looked at her questioningly, his golden eyes betraying that he was worried.
"That man," Lilian started, "that man I saw in the woods... was he a vampire too?" Jasper nodded, approaching her slowly, only to put an arm around her as he comforted her.
"Yes, I believe he was. But don't worry, as long as I'm around you... I promise no one will hurt you. They wouldn't dare," the last part came out as a growl. Lilian cocked her head at him, confused.
"But you said that it pains you to be around humans. Why'd you even talk to me if my presence alone makes you want to rip me apart?" Jasper chuckled in response, glancing over at her slightly.
"You ask so many questions, yet never do you appear to be scared with my answers, or for me," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. Lilian hummed and shrugged.
"I thought we all already knew that I am practically crazy if we talk about lifestyle choices and social skills. Now can you please answer my questions?" she pleaded, "I want to help you being as comfortable around me as possible... I'm scared that I'd hurt you if I come too close."
"Hurt me?" Jasper repeated, wide eyed, "Lilian Harper, you surely are special. And for you, there are few ways to actually hurt me. But truth to be told, I am in no pain around you."
"That answer I don't understand," Lilian raised an eyebrow at Jasper, her gaze asking for an explanation.
Jasper thought for a while, and Lilian figured he was trying to find words to explain. "I think you have to see it this way: for a vampire, everything has its own scent. The flora, the air and stones, for example, have a vanilla scent, it's not even debatable to eat one of those things. Humans, by contrast, all have their own scent that smells inviting, most of the times," Jasper glanced at Lilian, "but with you, there's none of that. You don't have a scent – or, better said, your blood doesn't have a scent. We vampires smell the blood of humans and animals, which thrives our thirst. Since your blood doesn't have a scent, I'm not thirsty for it."
Lilian nibbled her bottom lip questioningly, giving the words time to sink in. With every answer, another question came up.
"How come I don't have a scent?" She eventually asked, knowing that this question was bothering him as well.
"When a human is turned into one of my kind," Jasper answered, "there's a chance that the newborn vampire will possess... a gift of some sort. Perhaps, if you turned, you'd be untraceable to anyone... it's merely a theory." The blonde boy shrugged, his golden eyes fixated on his feet as the couple walked out of the woods.
"Do you have a gift?" Lilian asked him, promising herself that this would be the last question she'd ask him today.
Jasper slightly nodded, "My gift is pathokinesis, which means that..."
"You're an empath," Lilian stated, "you can feel the emotions of the people around you."
"And alter them," Jasper added, "if I'd like."
Lilian's gaze turned sharp, her blue eyes cold as stone. Jasper obviously sensed the change in her mood and stopped his tracks, staring at her with a shocked expression.
"You don't honestly think I altered your emotions, do you?" He voiced from her feelings.
"I don't know," Lilian bit back, "did you?" Her temper came into play, and Lilian knew that she wasn't judging the situation in the right way, but couldn't he have altered her emotions when they met?
"I swear on my life, Lil," Jasper said, "I never touched your emotions."
Lilian glared at him again, "Surely that isn't much of an oath for you. You're already dead." Her words remained in the air for a while, and Lilian knew that it was a low blow, but her anger was in control of her.
Not willing to continue this conversation, Lilian turned her heels and called Hunter to follow her, walking back into her house.
✕
"Surely that isn't much of an oath for you. You're already dead." Her words stung inside Jasper's chest, and he completely froze as he watched Lilian walk home alone. Hunter's tail was the last thing he saw before the door closed, and Jasper couldn't help but climb into one of the trees that gave him view to Lilian's room.
He watched her enter her room and saw her sit down the bed. Jasper wanted nothing but to get to her and swear to her that he had never used his gift on her.
His heart ached as he had to see how Lilian took her dog on her lap and buried her face in Hunter's fur. Was she crying?
Jasper couldn't help it. He jumped over to her opened window and went in without her seeing it. Her emotions were all over the place, and the longer he stood there, the sorrier he felt for even upsetting her in any way.
"I messed up big time, Hunt..." he heard her say to her dog, "I let that stupid temper of mine take over... I'm so stupid."
Jasper's eyes widened at the words that left her mouth next, and he was sure that if his heart was still beating, it'd have beaten rapidly at that moment.
"I didn't even tell him that I love him..." Lilian mumbled into the dog's fur.
"I love you too," Jasper said breathlessly as he stepped out of the shadows. Lilian jumped from her bed, startled by his appearance.
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~ hope you liked it!
+ I wanted to ask you guys: should I put this story on mature content? It's not like there'll be R-rated scenes and stuff... there just... there going to be a few triggers and the language is pretty mature. Well I don't know, but do you guys think I should do it?