A/N: Thank you to my first reviewer/follower! I'm so glad Levi isn't too ooc, I tend to make him that way sometimes when I'm stressed. Finals are irritating my soul these days, seriously. I have one more day of school and then I'll have the whole summer to update ALL of my stories! At least, that's my goal. Check them out! I'm sure you all will be interested in The Balance of Life and The Difference Between Us. AND I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I HAVE NO EXCUSE!
Carry on!~
(o~o~o~)
Chapter 1: Unexpected Meeting
(Charlotte's P.O.V)
What did I ever do to deserve this? It's happening to me, again…
My name is Charlotte Brewer. I am 20 years old and currently enrolled in Trost University, going into my second year of college. I know, you'd expect me to go somewhere like UCLA or a college that actually fits the Los Angeles environment, but something about Trost just lured me in. I don't know what it was, but it worked and I love it there. I am majoring in Geography, and minoring in Music Production, but otherwise I'm not sure about what I really want to do with my life yet.
Most people describe me as the quiet, docile type, but in truth that's not something I can help. Though it hasn't been medically proven, I am mute. Not deaf, but mute. Of course I can hear everything without a problem, but that is not the point.
The reason I hardly ever speak is because of severe trauma I have had in the past. I'm not going to go into detail about what happened, but eventually I will when I am ready. Let's just say it was the most frightening experience I had ever gone through in my entire life.
Well, I thought it was. Until now.
Living life for me is just about as hard as winning the lottery. There are several precautions I have to take, as well as twists and turns that could easily knock me off balance if I'm not careful. I currently live by myself in a dingy, run-down apartment that is hardly comfortable for me. To be quite honest, calling it an apartment would be an insult to all apartment complexes.
I usually get by with the money I earn by working at the little café a couple streets down from where I live, but it's only enough to pay for my rent and school. My eating habits had decreased significantly and I am forced to save my rations, thus why I am underweight. I try to cover how skinny I am with baggy clothing, but I think people can see through it anyways. I'm hoping that by the time I graduate I can apply for an occupation that suits my needs better than my current job, even though I do enjoy the days I do spend in the little shop.
Today is (or was, I'm not sure anymore) a Saturday, and I had received my paycheck along with some tips I had picked up from generous customers. Since it was the first time I'd actually be able to spend money on anything but school and bills, I thought I would pamper myself a bit and go out to eat. I thought about asking a friend to come with, but decided against it when I had left later than expected. I applied a bit of makeup and put on some cute clothes before I headed to my destination—a cozy little Italian restaurant by a well-known club in town—on foot. Of course, that was my first mistake when I began walking alone.
I bet you're all shouting at me right now, scolding me and telling me how much of an idiot I am for wandering around at 9:00 in the evening by myself when I could easily be abducted, murdered, raped, etc. And you're completely right. I am an idiot. Yes, the walk was only about a ten minute walk considering it wasn't that far from my apartment. But even the closest destinations have dangers that lurk in the shadows.
I was only about five minutes away from the restaurant, my mouth watering in hungry anticipation when I had started to get a bad feeling in my gut. I began to quicken my pace, walking faster and turning the corner when I had saw them.
Three men, all the size of freaking bulldozers where chatting in front of a sports bar, exchanging vile words that were meant to be heard by passer-byers. Strangely enough, there was no one outside but the men and I. Ignoring them as much as possible, I strode by while trying to make myself as small as possible. Unfortunately, that didn't work when the tallest man out of the group looked at me in a rather lustful way, eyes glinting dangerously as he watched me continue on my way.
At first, I let out a sigh of relief because I thought that I was safe. I turned the corner of the shortcut I followed, all the while taking steady breaths to calm my nerves. My relief was short-lived, however, when I heard the pitter-patter of multiple feet behind me.
Not wasting any time looking back, I made a run for it. That was when I knew my gut feeling had been right and that I was indeed being followed, possibly by the same men I had tried to avoid contact with. With each sprinting step, I had gotten closer to the restaurant. The more public the place, the safer it would be for me.
And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I had come to a dead-end. The alley was secluded, cramped between two buildings as I stared in frustration at the fence that was at least three feet taller than me. I couldn't get over it, but I bet the behemoths behind me could.
As if on cue, the men entered the entrance of the alleyway, coming towards me like predators trying to capture their pray. I was right, they were the same men that I had come across in front of the bar except for this time they were all wearing black masks that concealed their features. Not that it helped any, I had gotten a good look of their faces when I passed by them.
I panted, out of breath as the space between them and I was being eaten up. I tried to look for any ways to escape, but my thoughts were in vain when they were nearly an arms-length away. I was officially trapped.
With a last attempt, I tried skittering around them only to be caught by three pairs of beefy arms, enclosing around my body in a vice grip and forcing me to the ground. I cried out into the night air, not used to hearing my own pained voice. It sounded more like a whine then a cry, if anything.
I was scared; no, I was terrified of what these men had in store for me. I was in too much shock to cry or yell for help, and my body had shut down due to the horrific situation I was in. It was like I wasn't in control anymore.
I laid face-down on the concrete, pinned by the group as my arms were held to my sides and my hair was collected in the palm of their leader's hand. I let out another hoarse cry when he tugged at it sharply, and I almost regretted wearing it down that night.
"How nice, this one's not a struggler. It would be such a pain to hurt this pretty little body of yours," a voice said next to my ear, the rancid breath making me want to throw up. I felt pressure on the back of my spine, signaling that someone was pinning me down there as well.
As soon as those words left his mouth my body kicked into high-gear, waking up from its temporary sleep as I began to thrash around as much as I could. I had remembered what had happened to me in that moment and the realization finally donned on me, honing my senses and sending me in a state of panic. There was no way that I wasn't going to just lay there and let them harm me.
"Now look what you did," I heard one of his friends scold, quickly placing a hand over my mouth to stifle any screams that could conjure out. "It's like you triggered something that woke her up!"
"Tch, shut the hell up and help me restrain her!" the one holding her down snapped at his partners, increasing the pressure on my back. I continued my struggle to get free, not fazed in the least of their gruff banter. No matter how much I squirmed, they would not let me go. My heart began to beat at an alarming rate, fear coursing through my veins and flooding throughout my body.
It was just like before. It was happening to me again and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. I let out a scream of frustration into the man's hand, making it clamp down profoundly around my mouth.
"Dammit, stop squirming you bitch! I've just about had enough of you!" the attacker above me barked, not amused with how much retaliation I was putting in against them. The fight in me did not decrease one bit and I continued the battle to get free.
"I'm going first," he spoke again, and I could almost hear the grin in his face as he bragged to his friends. A shiver went down my spine and I knew what he was implying. They were trying to rape me. The same level of terror I have felt before started to consume me, causing endless rivulets of tears to escape my eyes as my struggling started to cease. A choked cry escaped my throat when the pressure on my back turned extremely painful. "Well boys, we finally managed to get ourselves a nice piece of ass!"
It was sickening, the way they cheered and congratulated each other for doing something so disgusting and cruel. My hair was tugged, jerking my face closer to my attackers. "We're going to treat you real nicely, girl. You're going to love every bit of it." He jeered, making some of my fear dissipate and spark anger in my veins. I was not some story-book princess in distress that needed a knight on a white horse to save me. I had always been on my own, and I wasn't going to get out of this situation unless I fought for myself.
These bastards are messing with the wrong girl, I thought bitterly. Growling uncharacteristically, I opened my mouth wide enough to clamp down on one of the men's hand, biting down with as much force as I could muster. Blood began to trickle inside my mouth and I spat it out as he took his hand away. My stomach churned nauseously at the taste of iron, and I tried to recollect my bearings so that I could yell for help.
"You fucking bitch!"
I didn't take any time to hear his cursing. Instead, I took a deep breath, screaming out into the cold world as loud as I could. "Somebody help me, please!" My own voice sounded alien to me, and it sounded as if I was underwater, but it was a plea nonetheless.
Sadly, my plea was not heard.
I felt a searing stab of pain on the side of my head, and I saw a white flash of light before losing consciousness. Well, not completely.
In and out of the darkness I went, trying to hold onto my life as I could feel myself slipping gradually away. It was as if I was playing tug-of-war with life and death, and death was slowly winning as my vision faded from white to black. In between moments, I could feel myself lifted into a standing position while cold metal was pressed against the base of my throat. I could vaguely hear words being passed around as well. Whether they were hostile or kind, I couldn't tell. Everything was turning into a blur as I fought for my life.
I could tell I was dropped again as I hit the uncomfortable concrete a bit harder than I would have liked, trying to open my eyes even a fraction of what I normally could. My efforts were in vain, considering I was too weak to even move. Whatever head injury I was inflicted with was worse than I had expected, and I was surprised that I even remembered being hit.
Footsteps could be heard, and the smell of rust was permeating the night air as I took ragged breaths. I wasn't ready to die yet. I was just starting to achieve my goals in life, and it was taking a turn for the better. At least I thought it was, until now. Maybe this was a sign that it was my time to go. The fates must have wanted me dead longer than I had imagined if they were constantly trying to end my existence.
I don't want to die…at least give me another chance. I haven't done anything wrong. I haven't done anything at all!
And then I smelled it.
It was faint, but it was there. It consisted of spice, pine, and something fruity that I couldn't put my finger on, combined. It was a refreshing scent that would have calmed me down if I wasn't in the process of dying.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around my torso and lifted me into a sitting position, the smell lingering around me as I was provided with extra warmth. I still felt afraid, but it somehow felt safer than the other embraces I was previously put in.
The pain ebbed, but I could still feel my heartbeat slow to a steady pace as I was fighting hard to open my eyes. I wanted to see the person holding me. I wanted to see the person behind the desirable smell. Of course, my body didn't comply and I was forced to keep my eyes shut.
The person leaned in, brushing my unruly hair to the side before leaning in and breathing on the side of my neck with a warm breath, giving me tiny chills. I felt the faint trace of a finger slide down the side of my blood-covered cheek before disappearing again, leaving the latter cold and untouched.
The warm breath was back against my jugular again, and warning bells went off in my mind as I recalled the memory of the dramatic event that had happened to me prior, when I was just a child. This was the same sensation I had felt before…it happened. Despite how frightened I was, I could not bring myself to feel hatred towards this person. If sating their need would save lives, even for a little while, then I was willing to give mine.
Or was I?
Despite my understanding, I was still racked with unease. Deep down, under all of the fear and resentment, I didn't want to die.
I really didn't want to die.
Before the individual could strike, my eyes snapped open as if a curse had been lifted. I couldn't really register my surroundings due to them being quite blurred, but I did visualize the raven-colored hair to the side of me. It brushed against my cheek like soft feathers, waking up my tired body even more.
I could only get out one, hoarse word.
"Don't."
That was all it took for the stranger to stop. One, whispered out word that changed everything. Upon hearing my voice, they pulled back to get a good look at my face, also allowing me to do the same. And I was not disappointed in the least.
He's beautiful.
I embraced the cheesy thoughts as I stared, mesmerized at the person's appearance. The air he gave off was a bit threatening, but otherwise tranquil as I peered into gorgeous slate-grey eyes. His face was nothing short of handsome; sharp, pale-ivory features and thin, soft lips that were a rosy pink color. I let myself indulge for a moment, picturing myself kissing said lips. The thought was short and sweet, though.
At first, his face took on shock before returning to a stoic, blank look. I could tell it was something he did often because of the harsh lines and crevices between his eyebrows and on his forehead. They were harsh, but otherwise smooth and somehow it fit his image. Yes, he really was beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful males I have ever seen.
The stranger's eyes flashed from a vibrant, blood-red color and back to their original state as he was caught between his decision to follow through with what he was originally going to do and stopping himself short. I briefly hoped that he would choose the right decision—to stop—and stop he did.
Due to my weakened state, I could no longer keep my eyes open and they were forced shut, almost as if they were glued tightly together. I felt irritated when I couldn't open them anymore, and this time the level of difficulty was too vast, too high to do so. I wanted to open them again to see if this alluring stranger was still indeed holding me, but I couldn't.
My body was beginning to numb, as were my senses, and I could hardly breathe normally anymore. I couldn't bring myself to move or form words any longer, and I knew I was truly dying. These were my final moments at life. And although I was dying in vain, I thanked whatever God there was that I had gotten to see something beautiful before my passing.
"Oi! What the hell is it that you want from me?! Why don't you stop using that accursed hold on me and just let me feed?!"
What…?
I processed the words, slowly but surely. His voice was attractively deep, even with the angry edge to it. I felt perplexed when he was having a battle with himself right in front of me, and I had no idea what it was for. Whether he was feeling conflicted of something or someone, I didn't know. I didn't understand why he had thought I had some type of 'hold' on him.
A few seconds passed, and I was stunned at how long I had clung to consciousness for. I must have been fighting for longer than I had thought possible. It was then that I heard a faint squish sound, the noise almost making me sick to my stomach as a loud 'pop' followed, making me vastly aware of what he was doing. The woodsy, spicy smell had gotten much sharper than before and something wet was placed against my lips, coating them in liquid.
"Open your mouth and drink, if you want to live."
The deep baritone of his voice had calmed my senses once again, filling me with much-needed security. At first, I was a bit hesitant. How would I know if the liquid he was trying to feed me was dangerous, or even poisonous? And then I thought to myself; he wouldn't go through such lengths to kill me, I was already dying. So why would he have a reason to?
Throwing all reason out of the window, I decided to comply, parting my lips to let the warm liquid flow past them into my mouth and down my throat. The liquid was immensely sweet, like a sugary soft drink or energy drink, and it lit my senses on fire. Energy flooded throughout my body, and the numbness surrounding me faded away and disappeared completely. Even the pain was gone, and I felt like I had gained a few extra pounds.
Much to my consolation, I was strong enough to reopen my eyes again and peer at the strange man once again. I could see him much more clearly this time, and I let my eyes travel down his body to see the blood coating his shirt and…cravat?
Blood.
He wasn't bleeding, not from what I could see, so the blood obviously wasn't his. It had to be someone else's. I had bled quite a lot, but my wound had clot and scabbed over, stopping the flow from pouring out of it, so it couldn't have been mine. And that was when I registered that my attackers were gone.
Oh my god…he did, didn't he…
As much as I had wanted to, I couldn't feel afraid of him any longer. He had just saved my life from those men, not to mention he gave me something strange to heal me. And I could give a wild guess as to what it was.
Testing out my own voice I caught his gaze once again, a bit surprised at how talkative I was being today. "W-What are you going to do with me?"
The stutter wasn't intentional; it was just the effect not talking for so long had on me. Hearing my own voice for the first time in months had almost scared me. A flicker of disdain passed through the man's eyes, his heated gaze boring into my own like knives. "You are just going to have to be patient and see for yourself. For right now, you need to sleep."
Sleep? Why do I need to sleep? I feel a lot better than I did before. My lip jutted out in a slight pout, but everything changed when I had seen an unfamiliar gleam in his eyes. As soon as they took their red form again, my mind went blank and my consciousness faded away, casting me out into a black abyss of nothing.
For some odd, unexplainable reason, I felt completely safe now that I was in his grasp. Maybe my life had gotten the blessing that it finally needed.
Maybe I would finally have a purpose for existing.
(o~o~o~)
Warmth.
I was enveloped in a warm, comfortable cocoon as I could just make out the shifting of feet below me. I could tell someone was carrying me, with the arms that held me under my knees and around my torso. My head lay limply against said person's chest, and I could hear the soft, steady heartbeat of their heart beating soundly against their ribcage.
I shifted slightly, making the person grunt and fix their hold on me so that I wouldn't be dropped. "Finally awake? You sleep like the dead."
I tensed, stilling my movements. It was the man's voice. The man who had saved me, tried to kill me, and then save me again. Of course this was a strange pattern that made me feel more wary then I could imagine, but part of me felt….safe. I couldn't explain it; it was a calming effect that slowly flowed over my body.
I should probably pretend to be asleep still, I still don't fully trust this man let alone to talk to him.
"You can't fool me, brat. I know you're awake."
It was almost as if he read my mind. I felt a frown descend on my face, deciding to slowly open my eyes to get a glimpse of the man carrying me. And, maybe I would find some way to get out of the uncomfortable position.
My vision was blurred, so I could only see the faint traces of his arms and torso. Blue, black, and red clashed with each other, and I could vaguely remember what the red was as it splotched some of the white parts of his shirt. But otherwise, he was clean.
Looking up into the crystal-grey orbs that were his eyes, I felt my cheeks start to heat up as my vision cleared. The man was staring down at me, slightly adjusting his grip around my back as I made to sit up. He's as beautiful as I remembered, I thought to myself idly as he lifted a raven brow.
"Like what you see?" I almost wanted to make a witty retort, but he beat me to it. "Never mind me asking, it's written all over your face."
I gulped, hiding my red-as-an-apple face behind the sleeve of my torn jacket. Of course, the condition of it didn't help. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and I began to feel even more embarrassed. I hardly knew him, and yet he was teasing me.
Making an annoyed sound, I shifted forwards to link my arms around my savior's neck. If he wasn't going to let me down any time soon, I thought I might as well take advantage of the situation. He grunted, nearly letting me drop in the process as he once again fixed his grip on my form.
"Jesus, at least warn me before doing that. Unless you'd rather fall." He snarked, and I rolled my eyes at his flippant attitude. Despite his crass behavior, I shrugged nonchalantly and looked to the side. I had no idea where we were, and we sure weren't anywhere near my apartment or the university. Instead, we were walking down what appeared to be a private road. A large private road, to be exact. Luxurious houses—or should I say estates—framed the sides of the road, all slightly the same size but several hundred feet away from each other. Ahead of us was a dead end, and the largest estate of all stood there, reminding me of the Winchester Mansion. In short, it was huge.
"Oi, do you even speak?" He interrupted my staring contest with the beautiful structure, lightly pressing his thumb against the side of my knee to get my attention. "You haven't said a word since before."
I bit my lip. This was going to be difficult. Yes, I did speak before, but all I could get out were a couple of words before my mind went blank. How would he react to knowing that I could hardly speak on a free will?
A frown marred my face, and I shook my head to indicate that I really couldn't speak. At least, not yet. Not without feeling more comfortable around him. A surprised look flashed over his features before disappearing again, resuming his blank face. He made a 'tch' sound to signal his frustration. "You're serious? Well, fuck," he cursed, though his voice held no emotion. "That makes things somewhat complicated…but I guess it would be more of a blessing at the moment."
A blessing? I tilted my head to the side, wondering why it would be exactly that. It's not a good thing, I can't talk to you like a normal person could!
I was starting to think that he could read my mind with the response he gave me. "You'll see what I mean once we get to where we're going. Obviously you're not deaf, because you can hear what I'm saying. So I assume you're either mute, or just stubborn to speak."
I huffed, watching as a corner of his mouth twitched in slight amusement before returning to his original look. Holding up one finger, I signaled that he was right with the first thing that he said, that I was mute. He gave a hum of approval, stopping in front of the largest mansion that we were now standing in front of.
"That's too bad, we're just going to have to get you something to write on. Anyways, you should probably know my name. Hell if I left you to call me 'that man' or something. I'm—"
He stopped short, and I raised my eyebrow in suspicion as he ceased speaking. He visibly tensed, looking towards the front door of the mansion.
Standing in front on the welcoming steps was a man, probably in his mid to late thirties. He was wearing comfortable lounge clothes, but his hair was a different story. It was combed neatly to the side, not entirely fitting the image. I wanted to snicker at the thick, bushy eyebrows that donned his face, but decided against it as I met cold, untrusting blue eyes. Whoever this man was, he was not taking kindly to the unannounced arrival.
"What do you think you're doing, Levi?"
(o~o~o~)
Yes, I know. We all hate cliffhangers.
I really have NO EXCUSE for updating so late. Things have been very busy lately and will continue to be. I wish I had more time to update, but It looks like I'll have to take a short hiatus from some stories, probably not including this one. Please expect another late update, though, I promise I'll make the next chapter twice as good as this one!
I'm so glad you all like the story. Please continue to follow me, you make it worth the time to update and continue!
Cheers.
~M