‘Whoa there,’ he breathed, steadying me. I felt myself straightening up, sandwiched between the wall and his cold body.
‘You okay?’ he asked, genuine concern in his voice. I nodded shakily in reply. ‘I think I’m full.’ He laughed, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. Again I nodded, taking a few raspy deep breaths. The tunnel vision was disappearing, the pounding in my head subsiding. There was a strange tingling on my neck, exactly where the wounds were and I reached up to touch them.
What should be two mangled puncture wounds were now small incisions, stitching themselves together.
‘H-how is that p-possible?’ I began, but he leaned forward to whisper in my ear.
‘Vampires are fantasy, Girly. Anything is possible.’
‘But—’
‘It happens every time we take blood. Otherwise you would bleed to death. Haven’t you noticed it before?’
I shook my head. ‘But then when he bit me, how did I lose all that blood?’
‘He drank it all,’ Kaspar replied bluntly, averting his gaze. I lowered mine to the floor.
The blood was drying, caking itself to my skin and leaving bloody streaks all across my chest and neck. I went to wipe it away, but Kaspar caught my hand.
‘Allow me.’ His head lowered to the top of my breast and his tongue traced the line of my top. He gradually worked his way up towards my neck, lapping at the blood; and by the feel of his leisurely pace, he was savouring every last drop. His hand had begun to caress my side again.
‘Damn, you’re good,’ I breathed, not intending for him to hear.
‘I know.’ He chuckled, his lips gradually moving further and further down, until he was pulling my top aside, revealing my bra. I froze.
‘Kaspar.’ He ignored me. ‘Kaspar!’ I pushed him away using the hand that wasn’t strapped into a brace, all the while holding back tears. He looked up at me, frowning.
‘What?’
‘Just don’t do that,’ I stammered, still holding back the tears.
‘Why?’
His ignorance triggered something and the tears began flowing. I pointed at my scars, torn between anger and hurt, fear overshadowing everything. ‘I was almost raped less than a week ago. Why do you think?’ I screeched.
‘You were all right before?’ he said, frowning.
I shook my head, disbelievingly. ‘I almost died! And I know it was all my stupid fault and I should have listened to you, and I was an idiot, but everything, it’s just too much! And now Fabian’s freaking out and I’m so bloody scared. I’m scared for me, for my family, for humanity, for you! Your family! I don’t want my father to hurt anybody. I don’t want a war!’ I broke down in sobs, unable to continue. He just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at me as though I was a dangerous creature that should be treated with extreme caution.
‘And you can’t even say anything,’ I continued between sobs. ‘You stupid, arrogant, stuck-up, heartless vampire Prince!’ I pummelled his chest, trying to hurt him but failing miserably. I tried to push him away, but he just pulled me nearer into a bone-crushing hug.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he murmured. ‘So sorry.’ He wrapped an arm firmly around my back, the other hand gently stroking my hair as I cried uncontrollably into his chest.
After what seemed like an age, I drew away; tears drying up, sobs receding.
‘Sorry,’ I mumbled to the floor, embarrassed. Breaking down in front of Kaspar was becoming a habit and it wasn’t one I wanted to maintain. He shrugged his shoulders in reply, as though he had girls sobbing in his arms every night.
‘Ashton will get Ilta, don’t worry, and then you won’t have to fear him ever again. The rest you’ll have to figure out on your own.’
‘Thanks for the help,’ I mumbled, sarcastically.
He chuckled, shifting closer. ‘But you have to admit, you were turned on back there.’ He leaned his forehead against mine, characteristic smirk adorning that far too perfect face of his.
‘No, I was not,’ I replied defensively, punching him in the stomach. He didn’t flinch.
Liar, my voice breathed and I detected an almost sinister tone, as though I was lying.
Kaspar suddenly drew back, his cool forehead leaving mine. His lips curled into their half-smirk, half-smile, revealing the tips of his glittering fangs. ‘I’ll seduce you one day yet, Violet Lee,’ he breathed, letting out a faint sigh.
I closed my eyes, chuckling. ‘In your dreams, Princey.’
‘Fantasy is dreaming.’
I opened my eyes slowly to find him staring back, his lips just inches from mine. He was pressed into me, chests rising and falling in time, hands on the wall either side of my head.
Suddenly he snatched away from me, head jerking in the direction of the door. ‘Someone’s coming.’
He turned back to look at me, my heart palpitating. His face was a mixture of alarm and disappointment. It was a fleeting look – it couldn’t have lasted more than a second, but it was there long enough for me to see it.
His hands wrapped themselves around my waist and flung me towards the bed; I landed surprisingly unsprawled on the soft sheets. He paused – his hands still wrapped around me – and shot me another look. I knew him well enough to know what such a look meant: never tell anyone.
I blinked and he was gone.
I heard footsteps approaching my door, creaking open, and panicked, I glanced at the open window, the voiles billowing in the wind. The door opened, revealing Fabian. I looked back to the window. It was closed.
I frowned, but quickly cleared my face as Fabian came in and sat on the end of my bed.
‘Are you okay? I heard a noise.’
‘I’m fine. Noise?’
‘Yes, talking. Pleading, really. It’s not those dreams again, is it? And why aren’t you in bed?’
‘Bed? Right, yeah. I guess I must have had a nightmare,’ I said, rather lamely, hoping he would believe the hastily made-up excuse.
‘Was it about that vampire again?’ I shook my head. ‘You’re not all right, are you? Not at all. And you’re all flushed.’
‘I-I am?’ I stuttered, reaching up to feel my face. My cheeks were warm, my palms a little sweaty.
‘Do you want to talk?’ he asked tenderly, and a wave of guilt for lying to him swept through me.
‘I’m fine, really,’ I replied, more defiantly than I intended. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but let it drop. There was silence for a while, the whole time of which I spent wishing him away, afraid he might realize who had been causing that ‘pleading’ earlier.