Chapter 7

"Arnav…" She pulled him close, "Bite me!"

Urgghhhh… He grunted, as if something was choking up his insides, and tried to shift away from her.

There was no way in hell he was going to commit this mistake, even if he was dying.

Hadn't he sworn he would protect her?

Hadn't he sworn he would take his life himself when a condition like this arose?

Knowing very well that his thirst was at its maximum controllable limit, and Khushi offering herself as a midnight snack not helping either, he pulled the Rose, which he was holding on to with his dear life, near to his chest.

She just saw what he did, and her hands instantly went to clutch the Rose. Yet he pulled away. What the hell was he even thinking? She wasn't letting him go that easily! Not now, when she saw that the Rose still accepted him.

He hadn't turned completely, and she was sure that she could save him right now.

She pulled him out of his soaked shirt, only to see the huge wounds on his chest. He was bleeding profusely, and if he didn't give in soon, it would become impossible to save him.

"Goddammit Arnav! Where did you get these from?" Khushi spat out at him, trying to come to terms with the fact that even Arnav could lose in a battle against leeches.

She had never thought she would see such a day when he, the mighty ASR, whom the hunters almost prayed to like a deity, would be fallen before her, frail, weak, insubstantial.

Yet, the idiot refused blood.

Khushi was going crazy here, trying to talk him into this… And all the half-alive Arnav was doing was shoving her away…

She felt anger welling up by each passing second, why did he have to be so stubborn?

Couldn't he just surrender and let her save him?

He had his eyes closed and his breath sucked in, his mouth away from her, as if she was an untouchable being and her presence was disgusting him.

The bloody Raizada had to be a Raizada on his death bed as well!

She saw him reaching for the Rose again, but this time, she jerked the Rose away, holding his weapon in her hand for the first time.

And instantly, the jolt she felt made her throw it away.

He was too busy controlling his pain and body to notice that she had been given the shock of her lifetime by his gun.

She still couldn't believe that the Rose had just scorched her. Why?

Wasn't the hunter weapons designed to help humans? They never rejected a human… The only revulsion they gave were to Vampires. Rose being the best among them, why would it hurt Khushi so badly?

Was the Rose so special that it only allowed Arnav to wield it? That must be it.

She rubbed her bruised hand and concentrated on the task in front of her, keeping the last Raizada alive.

His eyes were shut now, and she wasn't sure if he was breathing or not.

Her mind already frazzled, she tried what was the last resort.

She tore off the first two buttons of her night shirt, and brought him near her neck.

As soon as she did that, she could feel his breath return, quite miraculously. He was now taking in long breaths, as if her smell was of a delicacy ready to be savored.

She felt his bloody hands clutch her shirt from the back, pulling handfuls of silken fabric, exposing her neck way more than she wanted to.

Now, for a fraction of a second, she felt afraid.

Would he be able to stop?

Before she could think of the answer to that question, she felt his rough stubble graze the contours of the side of her nape, moving downwards to her chest.

His ragged hot breaths were creating more goosebumps on her than her fear for him was. And she closed her eyes, trusting him in whatever he would do to her now. It was too late to regret anyways.

As long as this kept him alive, she was ready to do this every day.

And that's when she felt it finally.

The teeth.

She felt really hot for a second, as his teeth bit into her flesh. She clutched his shoulders, fearing the pain that would ensue. But strangely, she didn't feel any of it.

Never in her weirdest dreams would she have imagined such a scenario. Never would she have thought of him as an animal.

But yet, here he was, quenching his thirst with her. He drank away furiously, his hands roaming all over her, pushing her into his body even more, as if the proximity was needed more than the blood. Her hands made their way down to his back, and she sighed in contentment, as his wounds began to heal at an accelerated rate.

And then finally, he stopped. She felt him regain a bit of control and pull his teeth out of her nape, but his lingering breath still creating havoc on her senses.

She thanked all the heavens that her plan worked, for she couldn't imagine an existence without him.

Just as she tried to pull herself away, she felt his hands on her back jerk her to halt. She couldn't understand what else he wanted; when she suddenly felt something really warm on her throat. His tongue was tasting her slowly now, slithering downwards to the valley in between her mounds. It felt as if he still was hungry for her, but in control just enough to not take a bite.

She couldn't take this anymore. This was worse than her offering him the blood. At least, it made sense when he drank from her. But this? This wasn't making any sense. Why was he treating her as a lover? Her whole system was getting more bewildered at the moment, and all she wanted was that he consumed her fully now, coz she sure couldn't live with the aftermath of this.

"Arnav…." She called out softly to him, stifling a moan escaping her lips.

And with a jerk, he was BACK.

She saw the cold return in his eyes, as if she had called him back from a dream to face some ugly reality.

He pushed her away, and moved to the other corner of the room, picking up a fresh shirt.

She sighed. Yes, what else did she really expect out of the Raizada?

Well, at least she could now get an explanation of how he got hurt…

Getting up from the ground, she covered the bite mark with her hair, fastening the buttons of her nightshirt, very well knowing he was aware of what she was doing, yet he refused to pay attention to her.

"Arnav, would you tell me how you got injured?" She asked, trying to hide the concern, not that it helped.

He took in a short breath, he owed her that much. So might as well be out with it.

"Rose rejected me. And there were too many of them." He told her coldly, "You should leave."

"Why? So that you leave as well? Don't you think I know you well enough Arnav?" She asked furiously.

"After what happened, you know I deserve to leave! I won't be around you dammit!" He flipped back at her.

She felt like crying. Yes, she was right about the aftermath. But well, she was Khushi after all. Might as well try the last card she had.

"You even try that and I'll tell Master! He needs to know what is happening with your seal! Maybe he can help!" She screamed, desperately, at the brink of tears.

He lunged forward, and held her by her shoulders, his fingers bruising her skin now. "Don't you dare tell Master! Got it!" And he shoved her out of the room, unwilling to face her flowing tears, unwilling to let her see his pain as well.

He slouched down on the door he had just closed on her face, admonishing himself for what he had just done. How was he any better than the leeches? Wasn't the only difference in this situation that he didn't infect her? What was the point! He just violated her body right now. Used her as food! He hated himself. He hated himself more than she probably did right now! He deserved to die. He should have died before committing such a sin.

She woke up with swollen eyes. What else would have resulted in so much crying anyway? She had slept through most of the day, and had missed almost all the classes she had to take.

She bandaged the wound, and got ready heading out for the main drawing room.

"Beta, at least inform me when you plan on sleeping throughout the day."

She stiffened as she heard Master's voice from behind her in the hallway.

Fixing her hair, she turned around, praying that he didn't notice the mark.

"Sorry, Mas… Umm.. Sorry, Dad.." She stammered.

Vikram felt blood leaving his body, as his eyes settled on what he saw.

A scar.

No, a bite wound.

"Khushi! Who DID this?" He roared.

And she gulped, scared at his thunder.