Chapter Nine (Alexander)
My whole body ached with pain as Claude twisted his fingers into my hair, pulling me along toward the other staircase. He was still breathing hard and he seemed to be in pain too, but I couldn't will my arms to punch at him anymore. It was like my body just wanted to shut down.
I forced myself to stay conscious, though, as Claude pulled me up the stairs. We got closer and I was surprised to see Vladimir standing there, looking calm and collected with Sen not too far away, bleeding profusely as he struggled to stay standing.
"About fucking time," Sen snarled at Claude, who glared at him, "You could've fucking told me he was telekinetic!" He looked like he wanted to go on until he saw me and his lips twisted into a sick smirk. I winced, then looked up to see Vladimir watching us, his expression blank.
I gasped as Claude brought me around so he was holding me against his chest. I squirmed a little as he struggled to get his fingers into my mouth. I tried to bit him, but he ignored my fangs slicing into his skin as he managed to hold my mouth open.
"All right, Vladimir, if I were you, I'd give yourself up or I'll rip the kid's teeth out. And I don't just mean his fangs either." Claude threatened, narrowing his eyes dangerously. I writhed, trying to get loose, but Sen came over and slugged me hard in the stomach, making me choke and crumple a little in Claude's arms.
Sen stood beside Claude, still breathing heavily as he blinked his strange eyes a few times until they were relatively normal again. His body seemed to crack and shift until it was human, save for the severely bleeding wounds dotting his skin.
Vladimir stared at them with an expression that could almost be called bored, but something about the way he was staring was too blank to be any kind of emotion. He was shutting it down so he could think.
Why was he even bothering to think?
He was a dictator! It was like Claude said. Vladimir had killed thousands of people. He killed anyone to climb his way to the top of the food chain. He destroyed the Court of Seven and stole his place as King of our species.
He had powers that far surpassed any of our species. He had powers that made Slade's look almost non-existent. He was intelligent and seemed to know everything about everything without even trying to. He was gorgeous in a manner so deadly it even scared me sometimes.
Why was he even contemplating their threat? There were plenty of people in our species that would be a better match for him. I never understood Vladimir's attraction to me. I knew he liked me. He told at least twice as far as I can remember, but he never told me why. Not exactly anyway. I felt like every time we spoke about it, he lied to me. Maybe he was even lying about being attracted to me, but I could never know because the look on his face was the look he was wearing at that moment.
"I'm waiting, all powerful god." Claude seethed, gripping one of my fangs, making it throb as blood gushed around it from Claude's fingers.
I looked back at Vladimir, blinking as his muscles seemed to relax.
What the hell was he doing?!
I squirmed in Claude's arms, shaking my head to get away from Claude's hands before I managed to get his fingers out of my mouth.
"Are you stupid?! Kill them already!" I managed, then winced as Claude grabbed my jaw. He brought his other hand up and I tried my chances to get away from him, but Sen hit me in the stomach again, making me choke as Claude gripped my fang between his thumb and forefinger.
I thought back to what Kristophe's fang had looked like after Claude had broken it. The jagged, broken edges, the blood gushing from the nerve inside and around it. It was pitiful. I squeezed my eyes shut until I heard Vladimir sigh, making me blink and look up at him as he took a step down the stairs.
"You're asking me to choose between not just the species that I rule, but the world against the one I favor most of them all." He stated, making Claude grind his teeth together. Sen visibly tensed, his muscles bulging in preparation to fight Vladimir off. I waited for Claude to carry through with his threat, but he still wasn't moving as Vladimir glanced between Sen and Claude, then at me.
I froze at the way his icy blue eyes stared at me intently.
"Impossible." Vladimir stated, making me almost sigh in relief until Claude gasped and let go of me, stumbling back. I almost fell forward, but managed to catch myself as I whirled around to see Claude gasping for breath. I looked at Vladimir, who glanced at me and gestured me to stand beside him. I bit my lip, but before I knew what I was doing, I was scrambling to stand beside him.
He put his arm around me, holding me close enough so I could hear his heart beating in his chest. It was a steady, calm beat as if he wasn't scared or worried at all. I looked up at him to see him watching Claude, who was sinking to his knees.
"F-Fuck you." Claude managed, squeezing his eyes shut until the pressure seemed to lift suddenly, making him gasp for air. Sen winced and looked between Vladimir and Claude before deciding against another useless battle against Vladimir. Instead, he went to Claude and caught him by the elbow, jerking him up.
"We failed, get up." Sen ordered, but Claude shoved him back, struggling to his feet as he glared daggers at Vladimir.
"No! I'm going to watch you die," Claude shouted hatefully, making me wince at how crazy he looked all of a sudden, "All of you! You took Kristophe from me, you son of a bitch! He never would've joined you otherwise! And now because of you, he has to die! I'll fucking slaughter you! I'll watch Newell rip you and your beloved little parasite to pieces!" I opened my mouth to make our argument, but Vladimir tightened his grip on me and I fell silent instantly. Not because of his powers or anything, but because I knew he didn't want to interfer with Claude's rage.
"Good," Vladimir answered, making me blink and look up at him before I looked at Claude, who looked at us with angry confusion, "You still do love Kristophe. I'm glad you'll do anything to get him back." Claude sputtered angrily, but only curse words flew past his lips until the sound of a cell phone rang, making us look at Sen, who grimaced.
"That's the boss, Claude. We need to go." Sen ordered, grabbing Claude's elbow. Claude still didn't shut up as he screamed.
"Fuck you, you goddamn fucking thief! I'll fucking rip your head off and feed on your entrails! I'll make you wish you were never born! Do you fucking hear me?!" He shouted as Sen dragged him off, the sound of his voice echoing down the staircase making my ears ring.
We stood there for a while, eyes locked on the end of the staircase in case they chose to come back, but they never did. We were left alone at the top of the staircase that was splattered with dark red blood.
I didn't know what to say. I expected to feel cold and shaky and sick after everything, but for some reason, Vladimir's arm me felt like the warmest, most comforting thing I could have at that moment.
"I have this feeling... That you knew this was going to happen." I spoke at last, looking up at Vladimir's calm expression before a smile tore across his lips as he looked down at me. The sight of his blue eyes that used to make me feel cold suddenly felt perfect.
"I could say the same to you." He responded, making me wince. He smiled anyway and tilted my head up towards his so he could study my face, his smile working into a frown.
"He did a number on you." He stated, obviously annoyed. I grimaced a little, taking this chance to pull away from him so I could step back, tucking my hair behind my ears as I cleared my throat awkwardly.
"I'm not much of a fighter." I answered uncomfortably. I could admit that. I wasn't raised to fight people and I never fought anyone before this whole fiasco with Vladimir and his family started. I suddenly found myself hating my life. More or so than usual. I let my parents raise me to be a doll and I still found myself trying to fit that role in life.
"That's good," Vladimir said suddenly, making me look at him in confusion, "I couldn't ask for a more perfect person to fall in love with." I felt my cheeks grow hot as Vladimir studied my face before looking up, cocking his head as if he heard something before sighing.
"Unfortunately, the cops are cutting into my flirting period, but that's fine. We'll continue at the hotel. For now, we must go before we end up in a sticky situation." He commented, then held his hand out to me. I didn't hesitate as I took it and he led the way down the stairs. I mentioned Luca and Kristophe, making Vladimir nod as we stopped by the other booth where sure enough, Luca and Kristophe were waiting.
"You have a lot of explaining to do," Luca complained as we took the back way out of the opera house, "I do not know where my caretaker is, again. I do not know who you were protecting me from either. I also wish, maybe, to say a little thank you for saving me."
"I accept your thanks. Maybe." I deadpanned, making Vladimir smirk and Luca huff.
"You must find me my caretaker. I have no thought where my parents are."
"Idea," I corrected flatly, rubbing my temple in annoyance, "And, neither do we... I'll help you find your parents." Vladimir glanced at me before nodding, as if he knew what I wanted to say. We broke off somewhere near the back before heading around the side of the building. I spotted Luca's parents with Vincent standing nearby, looking panicky.
Part of me didn't want to leave Luca with Vincent. He was involved with the rebellion. I knew it, but apparently, Luca didn't. He seemed completely oblivious and I knew Luca loved Vincent. It was very obvious in the way he stayed close and worried over him. I didn't really want to tell Luca that his caretaker was working with the bad guys, so I just kept it to myself.
"I see your parents and Vincent. He looks worried." I added, making Luca blush lightly before I looked up in time for Vincent to spot us. His eyes widened and he left the Moretti family to rush over. He grabbed Luca in a tight hug, making Luca gasp in surprise for a moment before feeling around for Vincent's hands. All he did was touch his hands before he seemed to automatically know who was hugging him before he hugged Vincent back.
Vincent murmured something in Italian and Luca looked like he was going to cry before he squeezed his eyes shut, hugging Vincent back tightly before Vincent led him to his parents. I watched for a moment, then my eyes met Vincent's. He stared at me and I stared back.
He knew that I knew. The moment our eyes locked, we both knew. He frowned and I just stepped away before heading toward the cars that were parked in the parking lot. The sound of sirens blaring around the building echoed through the alleys as I managed to find our Porsche limousine parked on the edge of the parking lot. I approached the open car door just as Mark was coming out.
I yelped when he hugged me.
"Mark!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"I thought you were dead, you jerk! You scared the shit out of me! Stop running around like that!" Mark cried, looking angry as he pulled away from me. I noticed a little red rimming around his eyes, but didn't point it out as I smiled apologetically before we got into the limousine. Storm also greeted me, looking relieved.
"Please stop running off." Though it sounded like a request, coming from Storm, it was more an order that I was happy to obey as I nodded in return. He smiled before it faded and I spotted Kristophe lying on a couple of the seats, his head propped up by Vladimir's blazer. And from the sound of the car starting up, Vladimir was the one to drive us home.
"Have you heard anything from Zander yet?" I asked as I undid my tie, watching Mark take little sips of some Italian softdrink. Mark grimaced as he sat back in his seat, leaning on Storm a little.
"Not yet. He only called once and that was on the way here just to tell us that they were taking Slade into surgery. Jesus, I hope he's all right." He added, looking uneasy. Storm took his hand and gave it a squeeze, making Mark blink and look at him in surprise. He probably still thought Storm was angry with him, but the reassurance made Mark relax.
"I'll give him a call once we get back." I agreed, making Mark nod. The rest of the ride was done in silence as we arrived in the hotel a few minutes later. We got out and managed to get Kristophe inside without any suspicions. Vladimir let Kristophe rest in his bed as he fed him a good amount of blood to replace the amount he lost.
Already it was healing up the wound in Kristophe's head, but I had a strong feeling that when Kristophe woke up, he wouldn't get over the fact that it was his brother that attacked him for the second time.
I sat on my bed, staring at the carpet as Vladimir went through some files on his desk, frowning in concern as he was on the phone with William. Or at least, he was supposed to be.
Over the speaker phone, I could hear William's voicemail pick up.
"Hello, you've reached William Octiv Gothica's personal--"
"Damn it." Vladimir cursed and hung up, taking a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. I stood up, frowning.
"Is he still not picking up?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous. We'd called William's cell phone and even the house phone a good seven times and he still had yet to pick up. Vladimir paused, averting his eyes with a stern frown.
"I may just be trying too many times in a row. I'll try calling him again later and if he doesn't pick up, I'll call Archibald. He should be able to find out what happened." He decided, stepping away from his work and holding his hands out to it, as if he was telling himself to take a break.
I nodded slowly, sighing tiredly. Vladimir paused, lowering his arms and turning around to face me.
"If you'd like, you may shower now." He offered, making me blink and glance toward the bathroom. I pursed my lips for a moment, glancing at Vladimir, who just stood there, his clothes splattered with blood. Blood that belonged to someone else. Vladimir himself was unharmed.
"All right." I answered at last, then walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I took a few deep breathes as I went to the mirror, pausing to frown at my reflection. I'd drank some blood once we returned, so most of my wounds were gone. Just blood remained in their wake.
I parted my lips to look at my fangs. They looked as they always did. Sleek and pearly white, longer than the rest of my teeth with a sharp, pointed end. I ran my tongue over them before stepping away from the mirror, shivering a little.
The thought of having my fangs almost ripped out made me feel cold and I was almost afraid to undress and shower, but I managed to get my clothes off, folding them up and placing them in a corner before I went to the shower case.
I stepped inside, closing the door and turning on the hot water. I almost gasped in relief as the hot water sprayed down on me, warming me instantly. I parted my lips, letting the water hit my fangs, making them drip. I reached up, running my fingers along them gently, closing my eyes.
I took my time washing all the blood off my skin and out of my mouth. I watched it get sucked down the drain before I looked up, waiting for another nightmare to slam into me like last time, but I was relieved that I was alone in the shower.
I finished washing off before I stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist. I went to the mirror, again checking on my fangs. I felt mildly paranoid about them now. I ran my tongue over them before I brushed them gently. I almost dropped my towel when the door opened, making me catch it just in time as I snapped my head to see Vladimir standing there.
"I'm showering." I deadpanned. Vladimir raised an eyebrow, holding a change of clothes over his arms.
"Looks to me like you're finished and it's my turn." He responded, making me roll my eyes. I looked away as he set his clothes down and started to change right there with me in the bathroom. I pretended not to be bothered by it, but I couldn't resist looking up into the mirror to see his reflection as he undressed.
He peeled the bloody clothes off his body, his really nice, muscular body. He dropped them in a pile in the bathtub, probably to clean the blood off so the maid didn't gave a heartattack when she came in to do our laundry.
I was too busy staring to realize that Vladimir was staring back at me until my eyes trailed up to meet his. I felt my face flame as I quickly looked away, trying to find something to distract myself with and decided I was going to brush my teeth again until I felt the air behind me stir a little. I held my breath and looked up to see Vladimir standing directly behind me, completely naked.
"You should be less obvious when you're checking me out." Vladimir commented near my ear, giving me goosebumps as I snapped my head down. I shifted a little, wishing I could step closer to the counter when I felt Vladimir's body touch mine through the towel.
"W-Well. I wasn't... I mean. You were undressing right there." I stammered, mentally cursing myself before I dared myself to look up and meet Vladimir's eyes.
Icy cold blue eyes that seemed to see everything and anything in the world, sucking it all in.
My heart was pounding violently in my chest, making it feel tight as I bit my lip. I winced as my fang sliced into my lip, making me wish I could curse out loud. I gasped in surprise as Vladimir turned me around so I was facing him. He put his hands on the counter on either side of me to keep me from ducking away from him.
He dipped his head down toward mine, his eyes never once leaving mine. I stared at him, feeling the blood well from the cut in my lip.
"I let you get away last time because you were intoxicated, but this time, you have the choice to truly accept me or push me away." Vladimir stated, making my eyes widen. I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but his lips were already pushing against mine.
My mind buzzed with excitement, confusion, and everything else all jumbled into one hectic thought that only resulted in me parting my lips against Vladimir's. His lips clamped on mine, sucking hard at the blood there. I moaned, leaning against the counter as his fangs brushed my lip very delicately, careful not to cut it open as he sucked at the blood oozing from my lip. He parted his lips now against mine, his tongue slipping into my mouth, wet and slicked with blood from my lip.
I was already breathing hard, my heart thudding all the way into my throat to choke off another moan as Vladimir's tongue invaded my mouth, exploring every corner. I didn't know what to do this time. Last time, I kissed Vladimir I had been trying to figure out how I felt for him.
I didn't know if I loved him for sure or not, which made the kiss go as it did.
This time, I felt unsure of what to do physically because the only thought racing through my head was how much I loved him. My eyelids fluttered as his tongue brushed my fang, making it throb in my gums as I moaned. Vladimir's hand drifted away from the counter and trailed along my hip to my leg, moving up and down to stroke my skin, giving me goose bumps.
His mouth worked on mine with a talent that made me blush hotly, a moan managing to escape past the lump in my throat. Vladimir finally broke our kiss, but our lips were still brushing together, our eyes locked.
"What's your choice, Alexander?" He breathed, giving me chills. I sucked in a shuddering breath, opening my mouth to admit to defeat when I suddenly heard Claude's voice in the back of my head.
He even killed his own wife. What the hell makes you think he'll treat you any different?
That's right. Vladimir was married before me. He was married to Elizabeth Van Gothica. According to what everyone else said, Vladimir killed his own wife to gain power. He had done it without remorse, just as he had when he killed the other clans and his other family members.
If I was going to do this, I had to know what was going to happen to me beforehand. If Vladimir could kill Elizabeth with no problem, I had to know if I should expect it from him, right?
I kept my eyes locked with Vladimir, who was watching me intently before I spoke.
"Tell me about Elizabeth." I stated. Vladimir's eyes flashed and he instantly stepped away from me as if I had slapped him. I frowned, leaning against the counter still, gripping it tightly before I pushed off.
"I want to know about Elizabeth and what happened to her. Everyone says you killed her, but I'm tired of learning about you and your past from other people. I want to hear it from you. If you love me, you'll trust me enough to tell me about her." I explained, keeping my voice firm and unrelenting.
Even though my heart ached. I felt pain in knowing that I wasn't Vladimir's first choice, but it was ridiculous to dwell on that fact when it was done and over.
And it only ached more from the stricken look on Vladimir's face. Of all the years I'd known him, I'd never seen this look on his face before. His icy blue eyes no longer looked scary and powerful anymore and the color seemed to have drained from his face as he stood there, muscles tense and body ready to defend.
I have no idea how long we stood there staring at each other, waiting for the other to talk. The air suddenly seemed cold, frigid before Vladimir spoke.
"I killed her."