It's ten in the morning here in Mystic Falls.
I have yet to take a single glance at the glowing white numbers on my phone or alarm clock, but somehow, I know it. This body and I are very familiar with time. Almost too familiar with it. So much so that it has become bothersome. But for the first time in all of my existence, I treasured it.
I lay still and quiet in a soft bed made up of white sheets. The sun pouring in through the opened windows, causing the set to practically glow all around me and with each gentle gust of wind, I watched the curtains wave, greeting me into the morning. My tired eyes locked on to the dust that broke free from the fabric. Shimmering as it danced through the mix of shade and light before falling and decorating the arm that basked in the warmth, stretched out across the surface.
My lips tugged into a small and lazy smile as I caught sight of a ring sparkling in the sunlight. A sight and feeling I had yet to get used to despite having it for months now. But after trading in a thousand year old band around my wrist for this beauty, it was no wonder things felt so different.
A good different, though.
The bracelet held nothing but bad memories for me so saying goodbye to it was one of the easiest things I had ever done. My family was livid over my choice, like always. I had told them to consider it as the final break in our complicated and strained relationship. They were nothing but literal backstabbing monsters who allowed power to consume them. The power of knowing that we were the first to exist and they would never let anyone forget it.
I could feel my blood boil at the memory of their horrid existence. My fingers curling to create a fist, gripping the blanket as I mentally relived the many times they have betrayed my trust. As quickly as promises were made, they were broken. Threatening the lives of innocents, my friends and of course, staking their estranged sister-myself, more than a few times and let's not forget our creator.
Our sweet, dear old mother who granted us eternal life only to come back and try to right her wrongs by murdering her children.
This family was hopeless and without love. We were damaged from the very beginning and no amount of time would heal or bring us back together and even if it could, I had made a new home for myself.
I was needed, here.
I was loved and I'll be damned if I ever let that go.
Pulled from my trance, I felt every sense go haywire, focusing on a body moving down the hallway. Their footsteps like rumbling thunder, scuffing against the wooden floorboards until they reached the doorway, pausing for a moment to take in the view of a woman in the bed before letting out a familiar sigh. The air was immediately filled with the smell of harsh liquor and again, I caught myself smiling, knowing exactly who it was and deciding to close my eyes, unleash my iron grip and fake that I was still asleep.
In a flash, he had moved in closer. His knees pressed to the bed before lowering himself down, carefully crawling onto the mattress and doing all he could to avoid crushing my limbs with his knees. A shiver snaked its way up my spine as his hot breath graced the skin of my calf, his lips just barely touching. He slowly moved higher and higher and fighting the urge to squirm or giggle was getting more and more difficult.
Yet I still pretended to sleep.
And he pretended to not know I was actually awake.
A warm and wet kiss was placed on my thigh, much to my surprise and soon many more followed. As he climbed, they trailed upwards and only stopping here and there to deliver a bite to the bare, thick flesh, trying to get a reaction out of me but I had yet to budge and let me tell you, retaining my composure was exhausting and quite the struggle.
His lips slowly crept up along the curve of my body. His tongue poking through to lick the dip of my midsection, one of my favorite spots and weaknesses and when that hadn't caused me to at least stir, a faint growl of annoyance was heard echoing in his chest. So he continued his gentle assault and I was basking in his tender affection.
Soon, he was hovering above and I could feel his intense stare digging into me. Digging through me. Watching my eyes flutter behind eyelids and the hair stuck to my face move as I exhaled and the slight quiver in my lips as I fought off a smile. I felt one arm vanish from the bed, his fingers then ghosting over my cheeks and brushing aside the mess of hair that had long since been torn loose from the braid I had put it in last night.
His chest pressed to my side, arms unshaken as they held his body weight up, protecting me from the sudden pressure. Though I would have welcomed it.
Goosebumps traveled and covered my body the moment I felt his plump lips tickle my ear, his breathing steady and exhales purposely placed to my trigger points, mumbling, "Wake up," before taking the most sensitive skin into his mouth, sucking, biting and licking the area until a moan escaped my throat.
He smiled victoriously, detaching himself from my neck, causing me to pout before quickly flipping me over so that I was flat on my back, facing him and entrapped by his muscular arms on either side of my head.
With a defeated frown, I looked up at the vampire, admiring his beautiful, green eyes that shined in the sunlight that poured in. This man was nothing short of perfection and he was all mine.
Did I show him off and gloat about it? I absolutely did.
He was the grand prize for my survival. After everything-the danger, the constant heartache of loving and then losing, the running and fighting and knowing your family was forever broken.. I deserved this. I deserved him and for the longest time I avoided the inevitable. I ignored the warmth that filled my body whenever he smiled and fought off any and all slight flirtatious. I was such an idiot. I should have given in so long ago so we could have had many more mornings just like this one.
But then we would have been without the fun chase. And we lived for the chase.
