I got out of the tub the minute I heard the very familiar soft knock at the door. I reached out for the towel on the old-fashioned chest of drawers and dried myself as quickly as I could. And by dried I mean rubbed the towel on my body just not to look soaking wet. I put on a matching set of black lacy underwear and tied my dressing gown around me in inhuman speed and opened the door.
I smiled broadly and gave Alec my 1000 watt smile. He gave me one of his rare crooked smiles which left me melting in his hands like putty.
"Hi." I said fervently. I felt a lot like the hormone infested teenager on a soap opera. Or in my case, a hormone infested vampire.
Well that sounded really weird.
Was there really such a thing as hormone infested vampire? I mean, weren't hormones supposed, to sort of, die with the rest of my body? Well, I was certainly living dead proof that there was such a thing as hormone infested vampire. You could just ask my very wet centre under my belly.
"Hi" he answered back. I was too happy to feel awkward with the following silence. And honestly, I also had quite a slice of confusion on my plate too. I didn't know were we stood. He might as well have been dating another vampire for all I knew. It was not like we were together or anything. Sure we almost made out but that doesn't mean we were together. Not in my book. I remembered some girls back when I was one of the living, prattling and making a big deal out of a boy talking to them or maybe giving them a small kiss. The next thing you'd see was said girl in a relationship with poor misunderstood boy on Facebook. Then about two days later, said girl would appear single again and the cycle would repeat itself.
Well, with Alec the whole relationship status left me puzzled. There was surely some kind of relationship between us. I mean, I couldn't ignore what happened in the forest. We almost Did It!
"So..." I said to break the silence. He looked at me as if I had just interrupted a long train of thought. This is never easy. Said or done. It's just plain awkward. Something you would very much like to get over with. I decided on acting rather than talking. I invited him to sit with me on the bed. He came and closed the door behind him.
It could not have gone any better if I had planned the whole thing. I slowly leaned in, inhaling his bittersweet scent. I put my hands on his shoulders and stroked his hair. Our kiss, though sweet was filled with passion.
"Where do we stand?" I moaned against his soft lips. I thought I would cry out in pain if he told me that he intended to leave me. That I had been only a fling for him. Then I knew that he was my only binding to Volterra. The only reason to be in this little part of Italy. The only reason why I hadn't left this slaughter house to explore the world like I hoped I would do in the future. It would cause me physical pain to be apart from him. It was bad, very bad. I should never give one person such control over me. That's what I had to learn over the years.
"I want you to yield to me." he told me simply. He looked at me with so much sudden seriousness it made me shudder. Well, he certainly wasn't one to beat around the bush.
"But Alec, how can I? I don't know anything about you and you expect me to yield to you, whatever that entitles." I said which came out more like a whine. I really wanted to get to know him. He fascinated me. He was hot and passionate in a minute. Serious and cool in the next.
"Then I must call on you." he said with a little smile on his face.
"Call on me?" I said doubtfully. Sometimes ye old English gets tiring.
"You know, go out together to be able to talk and find out more about each other." he explained. I had a feeling I would really like calling on. Alec finally asked me out! I could have just flown ten feet in the air! My first date!
"I would love to accept your calling, or whatever fancy term I was supposed to use to answer." I said mockingly to lighten the mood. "So, what should I wear?" I asked skeptically. I didn't want to go underdressed or overdressed. I wanted to feel just right.
"You can make everything work, even a sack." he said, which was awfully sweet but didn't answer my question. "I'll pick you at midnight, if that's okay with you."
"Sure, that's perfect." I said.
"Very well, until then." he said and gave me a kiss on my hand and bowed a little. He exited the room and left me with a goofy smile on my face.
I must have sat there for minutes, heck maybe even hours. Then I knew I needed advice and help. I quickly put on a black dress I saw lying around and some shoes and blow dried my hair and set off to find Chelsea and Heidi. I found them in their usual spot in the garden gossiping about some of the crazy human celebrities, their currently new hobby.
"Hey." I said as I saw them. They both smiled at me and their eyes widened as they noticed the extra emotional spark in me.
"You've been awfully quite lately. What happened with that vampire? Everyone was talking about it. And where exactly did you and Alec run off to? Spill." Heidi said as I joined them. I missed them when we didn't talk. They knew when and what questions to ask and they weren't pushy. At least not when Alec was involved.
"Well, after that vampire attacked me and I stupidly froze like an idiot-"
"Ohh, don't blame yourself. It happens. It may be bewildering the first time." Chelsea said with concern.
"If you want the whole story don't interrupt. Alec took me in the woods and he got mad about me not being a good vampire and he called me helpless, which ended in one of my hissy fits so I attacked him."
"Men." Chelsea said with a sigh. "They never understand." concluded Heidi.
"Well, I won the first time and then we fought some more and he beat me. But I pulled his leg and he fell on top of me." they both raised their eyebrows at this. "Then he called me beautiful and he kissed me." I mumbled quickly.
"Ohh, you smooched Alec! I didn't even know he was straight before you told us what happened with the bear a year ago." Chelsea commented.
"Shut up, Chelsea. I want to hear what happened." Heidi said as she shook her friend's shoulder. I continued when I got both their attentions.
"Ok, so I took off his jacket and shirt and he unzipped my dress..." I trailed. "We didn't do overboard or anything. I stopped him from carrying on but then he came in my room and 'called on me'." the last 3 words sounded more like some foreign language.
They started to squeal as if I told them that we were getting secretly married in a little church.
"Oh, how romantic." Heidi squealed.
"When are you going on your calling out and what will you wear?" Chelsea squealed.
"He'll pick me up at midnight. But I have nothing to wear." just call me Cinderella
"It's already past eleven. You two go in Sam's room. I'll bring some dresses." Heidi said as she got up.
"1800s?" Chelsea asked with a smile on her face.
"You know it." Heidi said and left in inhuman speed. And that's exactly what we did too. We arrived in my room in a few seconds.
"Come on, take that dress off." Chelsea ordered.
I went in the bathroom and did as I was told. I found Heidi there when I finished. She had about five different dresses in her hands. They were all old-fashioned and now I understood why they mentioned the 1800s. These dresses were actually two hundred years old and they were all in mint condition. There was one blood red dress that especially caught my eye.
"Okay so I brought the corsets and skirts. Come here." Heidi said and for the next quarter of an hour they kept on pulling down skirts over my head and tightening up the god damned corset.
"Now, put on that red one, I think red suits you best." Chelsea said.
"Oh, ok. Just one problem. I can't walk straight. This is just so stiff." I cried.
"Well get used to it! We spend almost four hundred years wearing corsets and petticoats." Heidi said with a laugh as she slipped on her dress over my head. She arranged it and it was a beauty on me. I caressed the silky material. It was completely plain but at the same time its material made it look fancy.
Then Heidi and Chelsea started pulling at my hair. In a few minutes my long hair was turned into a fabulous up style. Heidi then put small red rubies in my hair and gave me a pair of black ballerina shoes.
"Here put this on." Chelsea said as she looked through the jewel box that came with the room. I didn't like to use the jewels in it for everyday use. I found them too fancy for my taste. But what Heidi gave me was simply perfect. The necklace was made of black velvet and it had a dangling ruby drop in the middle.
"He'll be here any second." Heidi squealed as she glanced at the clock.
"Have fun!" Chelsea called out as they left. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes but it didn't last for long as I heard a soft knock on the door. I opened it slowly, restraining myself from tearing away the door from its hinges. Alec was at the door looking as stunning as ever. A goofy grin spread across my face at his reaction. His mouth was barley open, as if he wanted to speak but forgot whatever he wanted to say. He was wearing black from head to toe, with a matching black tie.
"You...you look beautiful." ha said still dazed.
"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." I said.
"So... Victorian huh." He said while he pointed at the dress.
"Yeah, Heidi and Chelsea got to me." I said. "So where are we going?"
"Come on." he said as he took my hand. He led me to the basement and then he stopped in the corridor.
"Close your eyes and don't peep." he said as he put his soft hands over my eyes. We went further along the corridors until we arrived where he wanted. He opened the doors and removed his hands. I was shocked. The floor was covered in petals of red roses and there were roses everywhere. If this wasn't the sweetest thing any girl could ask I don't know what it was. I still couldn't speak so I decided to show him my gratitude. I turned around and kissed him deeply. I pressed myself to him even though it felt a little weird with the thick corset and about two kilograms of skirts.
"You're perfect, you know that, right? This is just amazing." I said.
"I'm glad you like it." he said as he poured some red stuff in two wineglasses. It smelled awfully like mountain lion blood. I tried not to feel like crying but I couldn't. He was just too darn perfect. I went over there and put my arms around his neck.
"If you ask me I would have preferred to give you some human blood but I didn't want to ruin the night by offending you." he said as he gave me the wineglass. The blood calmed my thirst which by now was at its peak. I hadn't gone hunting in quite some time. He had been sensible enough to get me the one thing I really needed. I kissed him again. And again.
His breath was cool against my lips. Then I felt his lips leave mine. He put on a CD inside the stereo and sweet classic music started playing.
"May I have this dance?" he said and bowed.
"Of course you can." I said as I lifted the sides of my dress as a princess would do in a movie. Because that's exactly how I felt, like a princess. He put his hand on the small of my back and the other one around my waist. I put my hands around his neck and we started swaying slowly to the music.
"So, this is the kind of music you like?" I asked him as I listened more attentively to the classical music. I used to like this kind of music but now, I was more up for Paramore than Antonio Vivaldi.
"Yes, considering that I was a teenager at those times it makes sense." he said
"Oh, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" I asked with a smile on my lips. I looked at him and I could see inner counting. Was I dating such an old man?
"I don't want you to be shocked or anything."
"I'm waiting." I said with determination.
"I was born in 1703; so that makes me three hundred and eight years old." he said matter-of-factly. I really didn't plan to choke but that's exactly what I did.
"Sorry Alec, I didn't mean to. I mean there's nothing wrong with you having over two hundred ninety years..."I mumbled. Stupid! Stupid! Why did I have to go there? I dared to look up at Alec and I saw him restrain himself from laughing in my face. He put his lips between his teeth in restraint. Then we both burst out laughing.
"So you're not disgusted that you're involved with such an old man?" he asked me through chuckles. I knew that he wasn't offended with my stupid involuntary choke and I felt instantly relieved.
"No, not really. I'll admit that it sounds weird but not disgusting." I said matter-of-factly. Then I heard my voice change with hysterics. "I mean seriously! How many girls can say that their boyfriend is almost three hundred years older than them?"
"Boyfriend?" he asked. His face was empty of all emotion, except his eyes, they were filled with intensity. I had to hide my shudder. His eyes were a deep crimson. He spent the last three hundred or so years, feeding off humans. Who knows how many humans died at his hands, looking at his angelic face before his teeth ripped out their throats? Suddenly I wasn't looking at him anymore. In the blackness of his pupils I could see dainty white necks with delicious blue veins just waiting to be pierced and the sweet blood flowing out and staining their clothes.
Then I felt someone slightly shaking my shoulders and I was snapped back to reality from my long train of thought. I swallowed hard and tried to forget my last few thoughts. Tonight was my... our night. And nothing would ruin it.
"Sam?" he said as he put a lock of hair behind my ear. Our gazes locked and I was lost in him once more. But he wanted an answer.
"Well, maybe... I thought that you... um... we..." I mumbled under my breath.
"Well, 'boyfriend'. That does sound weird. I'm not much of a boy, now am I? But I like it." he said softly. I was bewildered beyond words.
"You do?" I asked him when I finally managed to speak without my voice breaking.
"Yes, your my girlfriend and I'm your boyfriend." he said with an unusual possessive tone I had never heard.
I didn't dare speak or move. Our soft swaying stopped and we were both standing still as statues. I looked down at our feet- or in my case, the red skirt- but he lifted my chin and kissed me softly once more. Our lips were barely touching but I realized that I wanted, no needed more. I ran my fingers through his hair and inhaled his scent. I pulled him closer and our kiss suddenly deepened. But it was more than just passion which was spreading to our bodies like wildfire. Just when I thought that I was in perfect bliss, in Alec's arms I heard a tapping sound and the door suddenly opened.
I wanted to kill whoever interrupted us. That is until I saw a blond head pop from behind the door. Jane! I heard myself make a little sound as I stepped away from Alec. It almost felt wrong being physically apart from him.
What the hell was she doing here? Surely Alec didn't invite her. It was supposed to be just the two of us. I felt a wave of disappointment creep over me. The girl was creepy; she scared the shit out of me!
"Brother, I didn't know there was a party. So, what's the occasion?" she said in a sweet innocent voice. Then her glare fell on me.
"Oh, somebody wanted to impress! She's wearing all those skirts! She must like you a lot brother." she said which made me feel embarrassed and outraged at the same time.
"If you respect me as your brother, you'll leave and let us be." Alec said icily.
"What's this new attitude towards me? You never ever asked me to leave you alone. Is it her, she doesn't like me. Are you willing to let this little slut come between us?" Jane said as innocently as a child.
I was truly outraged! How dare she call me a slut! I hissed loudly but kept my cool. I tried to calm my voice before I spoke.
"Jane, we got up on the wrong foot. I never said that I don't like you and I never disrespected you in anyway, so you had no reason to call me a slut." I said before Alec could speak.
"Who told you to talk?" she said and I felt a searing pain through my body. I coiled up in a ball on the floor and I tried to make as little sounds as possible. I didn't want to enrage Alec further, even though my pride was stinging. But my try was useless. He saw right through me.
"How dare you use your power on her?" Alec said in a low voice as he helped me us and held me in his arms.
"Oh, she won't die, unfortunately." Jane said as she unleashed her twisted power on me. This time I screamed. It felt as if somebody just whipped me with a burning whip. Alec held me tighter and I instantly felt better. I forgot the pain and looked at him. But he was focusing on his grinning sister. I felt like a little mouse caught in the middle between two fighting cats. Jane suddenly began shouting and fell to the ground. Alec was using his powers on her!
"How dare you? Your own sister over a little slut." she said as the burning pain increased in my body. I grunted and closed my eyes but I couldn't suppress my screams any longer. I had to get away, escape some way. Then I saw no longer. Fog covered my eyes and the pain slowly left me. When I opened my eyes I found myself lying on some scruffy hay. I got up and wondered around. I was in stable. This was the first time that I was alone in my visions. I analyzed everything around me. I concluded that I was in an old stable, and by old I meant eighteenth century old. I heard some voices get louder. Then I saw an ugly hunched man, roughly grabbing a blond girl by the wrist. I looked at the girl and noticed that she was Jane, a human Jane. Her cheeks were flushed with the wind and she had a look of utter fear on her face. But even as a human she looked sweet and innocent. The man on the other hand had a crooked nose and some ugly facial scaring. His hair was long and greasy. He dumped Jane on the same pile of hay I found myself on.
"P-please sir. I never saw Nun Janet die. I was in bed, saying my prayers, please. I couldn't have killed her. I'm not a killer." Jane was pleading with tears running down her cheeks.
"Shut up you little witch. Now you'll get what you deserve. Nobody will blame me if I kill you. They'll thank me for getting rid of you." the man said with a cruel tone. He stripped Jane naked and raped her. I wanted to throw up. She was struggling to get him off her but of course all in vain. Tears streamed down her face and I felt bad for her but I couldn't help. The man pulled up his pants and got a whip. He beat Jane until he scared her back. Long red wounds formed on her back.
I screamed and the image distorted. I left Jane there being beaten and went back to reality. The next thing I saw was the starry infinite sky and bushy green leaves. From the looks of it I was in the woods. I felt two arms around me. I took a deep breath and examined the air around me. Safe. Alec obviously heard me and his eyes snapped on my face.
"Sam, what happened there-" I stopped him by putting my finger on his lips.
"I had a vision, Alec. A terrible vision. I saw your sister getting raped. Did you know about that?" I said softly.
I saw his eyes widen. He sighed deeply. I saw as different emotions ripped across his face. Amongst them anger, defeat and grief. By the worst of all was the agony that was rooted to deep for me to cure.