A/N: Wow, I totally didn't expect the feedback I got from LilVamp and SilverOnith. Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate your kind words.
I hope this second chapter goes down as well as the first. Enjoy ^_^
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Survival Instinct
Chapter 2
Just Like Old Friends
When I finally woke up my head was pounding. My eyes stung as they adjusted to the bright light coming from the window.
Window? I was in the…? But…? Where am I? I pushed myself up and suffered for it as my head spun and I felt sick from the movement. I moaned at the whirling sensation behind my eyes and I shut them tightly.
"You're dehydrated," a deep voice said. My eyes snapped open and I looked across the room, realising I was back in my little cottage, lying on the bed. Sat in the corner was a man. His skin was snow white as was his long hair. He sat on the floor in a relaxed fashion, with an impressive looking sword lying across his lap, the blade curved like a snake crawling across the ground and the hilt seemed to be welded into the shape of a skull. He too was impressive to look at, he wore armour on both his arms but his chest was bare which revealed his amazing muscular form and his face was simply mesmerising with shining yellow eyes. Despite the fact that he sat in the shadows, he was clearly visible. "If you drink something you will feel better." He said staring at me.
"I... I was in... the forest," I stammered trying to remember what had happened, "A wolf... I remember a wolf... there was – I was bleeding," I cried. I checked my dress. I was wearing something different though, not the simple white dress I had decided to wear earlier, but one of my best nighties. One of my silk ones which hung down to my ankles.
"The bleeding you experienced was natural," the stranger said, his eyes were unblinking, I looked at him curiously, "Did your mother never tell you of these things?" his hands ran delicately over the curves of his sword.
"My mother died, when I was born," I lowered my head but then sat up straight "Wait! Why am I telling you this? Who are you?" I tried to get up but was once again struck by dizziness and a feeling of nausea.
The stranger was on his feet quicker than I could even see and was standing defensively. I steadied myself against the bed and swallowed the small amount of vomit that had sprung from my throat. I shielded my eyes from the sunlight and looked at him.
He had relaxed slightly, "It would be wise for you to stay in the rays of the sun. For your own safety. Now, if you'll let me explain," he extended his hand invitingly and I sat back on the bed, he looked me up and down "How old are you? Surely you are old enough to know such things?"
"I'm eighteen sir." I was trying to remain polite, although he still had not answered my questions.
He looked curiously at me then continued, "The bleeding you experienced is natural for a woman your age. The bleeding will continue for several days and it will start again after a month. The pattern will continue for several years." I looked at him in shock for I had never heard this before. My father had either not thought to inform me or he had not known himself of what happens to a female body to create children, although I could not understand how this man knew so much. He obviously sensed my confusion and smiled at me, "I've had a lot of time to research these things. The human body is such a wonderful device."
"Fascinating," I said "now, if I may ask you a question?" he nodded and sat back on the floor "Who are you and what happened in the forest?"
"I heard your struggles against the wolf while I was in the forest. I simply came to your aid."
"But why are you here? Why do you stay in the shadows? Why would staying in the sun be 'for my own safety'?" There were so many questions to ask.
"You do ask a lot of questions, young one. Perhaps if you stopped and looked for yourself at what is before you then you would find your answers." I did not understand what he was saying, why did he have to speak in such riddles? He smiled at me, and I noticed a glint in his smile that I had not noticed before. His canines were long and sharp.
Good God!
"Vampire!" I cried. I tried to distance myself from him and grabbed the first thing that came to hand as a weapon "Stay away from me, I warn you vampire!"
He only laughed a deep laugh at me, "I very much doubt that you could do me much damage with that, child."
I looked at my hand and saw that all I had grabbed was a wooden spoon, "Oh Hell!" I exclaimed. I had no other choice, I threw the spoon at the vampire.
He reached out his hand quickly and caught it in midair, I watched in shock for it almost seemed as if the rest of his body had not moved at all.
I felt my knees buckle as my abdomen rebelled against my defence. I kept my eyes on the vampire though, "So what are you going to do to me? Are you going to use me to quench your evil thirst? I know the stories. Your kind take young girls to their lairs and keep them barely alive for years to be used for bloodletting"
He was still smiling at me, "If I'd wanted to kill you child I would've done so in the forest with no hesitation. The smell of your blood was indeed enticing and had I found you alone we would not be having this conversation. I spared your life for two reasons. Firstly, your home could be used as a refuge for me during the daylight hours and secondly, you amuse me."
"Stop calling me, child," I said defiantly, "My name is Shelindria and I am not a child. Wait, what do you mean I amuse you?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Watching you trying to deter that wolf with your shoes. It amused me to watch such a tiny thing like you battle for your life against that. I've never seen anyone resort to throwing shoes at their predators… or wooden spoons either." I blushed at this, I must've seemed so pathetic to him, so weak. "There was something about your determination to survive that I could not ignore. So, I intervened. The wolf was easily dealt with. A well aimed rock to the ribs will stop anything in its tracks, and once it saw me it gave up the fight and ran."
"And you brought me back here?" he nodded, "But why the distance? Why are you so eager to keep me in the sun?"
"I have a certain amount of will power, but the smell of your flesh and your blood is too tempting. If you stay there, it means I won't try to kill you." It was so obvious that I was amazed that I hadn't thought of it myself. Sunlight is deadly to vampires.
It still confused me that he had spared my life at all, and then to go to the trouble of changing my clothing, even my grazed knee had been bandaged up.
It just didn't make sense, this creature wasn't at all like the stories suggested. He was gentlemanly, he was obviously intelligent and to top it all he was beautiful! Why had no one told me about that? I could have been prepared for this had I known.
I resided myself to the knowledge that I was stuck here until 'it' left me now. 'It' had already displayed how strong and quick 'it' was, I wouldn't have had any hope of overpowering or outrunning 'it', and outsmarting 'it'? My chances were not good. I sat back on my bed, although the sunlight was uncomfortably hot against my pale skin and we looked at each other, my captor and I.
"Well then," I finally said after what seemed like a long silence although it had probably only been two minutes, "Will you at least tell me your name, vampire? If you have one... Do vampires have names?"
He stifled a laugh against the back of his hand, "You obviously live in delightful ignorance."
"Not ignorance," I objected, "I've never met a vampire. I've never spoken to anyone who has met a vampire. How am I to know such things?" he seemed to take this in.
"My name is Kain." He said softly.
I shuddered at the sound of his name, for I knew this man. The Vampire Lord. The sadist, the tyrant... the most evil creature in the land, or so I had been told. I quickly composed myself in the hope that he hadn't seen my discomfort. Despite what he was, he was still a guest in my home, captor or not.
Still keeping my body in the sun, I extended my hand towards the shadows until the rays of the sun no longer touched it, "It's a pleasure, Kain." I smiled in the politest way I could.
Kain also reached forward and took my hand in his own, his fingers were long with black pointed fingernails that looked claw like and we shook hands like old friends, "The pleasure is mine, Shelindria."