Chapter 2
I gasp as I feel warm breath by my cheek. I grip the hand of the man holding me trying to pull it off so I could scream or yell or something.
"If I let you go, will you run?" I shake my head as well as I could. And felt the hand release. I want to walk. I want to move but I couldn't. Oh my God… I had made a promise to a vampire…
These types of bonds you cannot break until the vampire says it is ok. I lifted my foot to stomp and alert my family to an irregularity.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Another voice… this was bad this was bad. I didn't move and I held my breath. I felt someone grab both my hands and tie them together.
"We have to get out of here before the father gets back." The first one says. My mind raced I was doomed, dead, and dead to the second power. My heart thumped out of my chest and ran away, taking my courage and will with it.
"Hey! Who are you?" I heard the voice like a song, my head whipped and I saw my dad there. He held his silver pistol and a cross.
I heard hissing behind me and felt one of the cold hands grip my arm tightly. Two shots. One hit, one missed.
"Come back with my daughter!" I felt myself being pulled and I managed to hook my feet around the door. This gave my dad the chance to shoot the one holding my arm and place a cross necklace over my neck and suddenly, I could move again. I ran to my dad and he pulled me into his arms.
"It's alright Katherine… I'm here. Daddy is here."
I cried into his chest weeping and spluttering and letting my tears roll down his shirt. He hugged me and his heat warmed me. He brought me into my room and sat me down on my bed and held me. I cried until I fell asleep.
I wake up blinking the sun out of my eyes. I stretch and realize I was in my night gown, the green one with light blue trim. I look around. The light yellow walls, my straw bed, my hair frizzy. Was it all a dream? Did I imagine all of it?
I glance at the cross necklace on my neck resting on my chest. I touch the cross and the rope burns on my hands. I get up and throw on my classic jeans and shirt and walk down stairs. My mom stood at the table with food
Mom hugged me, "I am so sorry that happened to you."
I hugged her back wishing she only knew…
Mom led me to the table and pushed some food in front of me. I don't feel like eating but I ate.
My mom kissed my forehead and walked out to the fields.
I sip the tea she left out letting my mind wander. Three times. Three times in one day I came face to face with a vampire. And only one of those, I suspect, would have ended up with my survival. I sigh and start messing with my egg.
"You still haven't thanked me for saving you from that snake."
I turned and stared at the vampire then regained my wits and stared at the ground again.
"Thank you." I whisper.
"You really are calm and collected around vampires aren't you? And you didn't even know I was from the royal family."
My muscles tensed and my heart skipped a beat. The royal family… he was the prince…
"Oh um uh please excuse my rudeness you're highness."
He smiles and then walks towards me. I turn to look at my food again. I hold my fork not moving. He walked over so he was nearly touching me. My hair brushed his pant-leg. My breathing quickened. He touched my hair and lifted my face so I was forced to look at him.
"Your necklace doesn't work on purebloods."
My heart quickened and my eyes were full of fear. I stared into his red eyes praying for some sign that I wasn't going to die. He runs his hands along my hair, "You have such pretty eyes. What is your name mortal?"
"Ka-Katherine… Clearwater…" I whisper my eyes darting to the side.
"You let go of my sister fangface." Nathan appeared wielding my dad's pistol and pointing it at the prince's chest.
"You dare point that at a royal?"
"I have every right to shoot you if you don't let go of her."
"I can have you killed in an instant."
"I know."
"Nathan stop he'll kill you!" I say trying to look at him, "Nathan!"
Nathan looks at me, "I won't let a vampire touch you!"
The prince smiled and looked back at me, "Too late mortal." He forced me to look at him again, "Will either of you tell your parents of my visit? If the answer is no than I will have to bring you home with me."
"I won't." My brother said instantly.
"I… won't." I whisper.
"Good." The prince says and jumps out the window and vanishes in a blur.
Nathan rushes over to me and hugs me to him. I hug him back. He helps me up and we go out to keep picking wheat.
Out in the beating sun, with my skin burning, I felt normal. I had slept in a long time and I needed to make up my work. I focused on wheat. The rough feeling against my skin and the pricks from the wheat, the bright sun hitting my skin. I stand and stretch and sigh and continue picking wheat. My mom calls me to come switch with her and father and Nathan and I walk down to the orchard.
I climb a tree and begin plucking apples and tossing them down to James.
For the record, I get hurt a lot. I am a klutz, and I normally fall out of the trees in the orchard because I am careful, and yet I still fall.
I grip the tree-branch and reach up. I was high, dangerously high. I reach up to grab the ripe apple above me when I hear a crack. Tentatively I look down and see the branch cracking. I feel my breathing grow faster.
The branch cracks louder and I feel my feet slipping.
"K!" Nathan shouts up to me.
I scream as the branch cracks and I fall backwards.
Strong hands grab me and I feel that wind again. The hands were cold on my bare arms. I heard James shout, "Katherine!"
"Are you alright Katherine?" I heard the voice, the voice that had been there with the snake, and this morning. The prince stood over my holding my in his strong arms. Staring at him I nod slowly.
I heard heavy footsteps running towards me. I see Nathan, fuming, running towards me.
"How on Earth do you keep being there, right when K is in trouble?! Do you stalk her!?"
"Not exactly." He says still holding me.
"Put her down please." Nathan looked at me.
"Oh?" He set me down and I step away.
"Thank you…" I whisper.
"Just be more careful." The prince said just before he vanished again.
Nathan runs over to me and hugged me once again. I remain still, once again stunned out of my wits. I start walking back home when I see dad talking to the neighboring farm's lead farmer. I keep walking to the house when my mom is waiting there in the doorway.
"Honey, there is someone I want you to meet."
I look at her when a boy steps out, a farmer with light brown hair and blue eyes. He looked about 18, maybe one or two years older than me.
"This is Jason, he is engaged to you." I feel my heart stop at these words, "To join our two farms."
I was a pawn.
I ran, I ran until it was sunset and curled up in a ball in the apple orchard and cried against a tree. I cried until my face stung and I was wet. My eyes red and puffy, my skin sticky and wet, the cold air around me… I passed out.
