CHAPTER 6: Re-Awakening
I wake up in a blanket of warmth. Several blankets, actually. Topped with a cream-colored comforter.
I burrow out of the layers and look around. I'm in a bedroom I don't recognize—a well-furnished area bathed in yellow light from a chandelier and smaller light sources. Hot air blows out from a nearby vent, keeping the room warm even without the blankets around me.
A large, white t-shirt I don't own covers my body and nothing else. I don't have my jacket, boots, or even panties. Nothing I own nor recognize is in here with me.
What the hell is going on?
Someone knocks on the door twice before entering. A handsome man in a suit walks in with a wine glass and offers it to me with a smile.
"Good evening, Princess Maybelline. My name is Rosenfield. I'm Drew's assistant," his cheekbones lift in a grin. "You're going to need to drink a lot of this to recover."
I take the glass. "Recover from what?"
My voice cracks, and I quickly sip the wine to clear it. I don't realize how dry my throat is until I talk with it. Hell, every part of my body feels like they've come out of a year-long nap. If this Rosenfield person tells me I'm recovering from death, I'll probably believe him.
But the more I drink my beverage, the more I realize it isn't wine. Wine can be sweet, but not as sweet nor thick as what I'm drinking. There's a hint of metal in the taste like someone has melted coins and mixed them into my drink.
I've drank something like this long ago—when I was a teenager. My friends and I had decided to steal a bottle of synth and take turns drinking it. Then we got sick, and my doctor advised me not to drink synth again because its high iron levels can cause catastrophic damage to my body. Synths aren't meant for humans. They're meant for vampires.
So, if what I'm drinking is synth—and I'm sure it is—then why am I feeling better, not worse?
Memories of the beach come to me. Drew had been dying, I had offered him my wrist to drink from to save him, and he went for my heart instead. His mouth had been covered with my blood, and he fucked me until I was unconscious.
Or dead.
Dread fills me, and I place the glass of synth on the bedside table. "Did Drew turn me into a vampire?"
Rosenfield looks surprised but not defensive. "It isn't my place t—"
"Tell me!" I stand and march toward him. "Did Drew turn me into a vampire?"
That's when Drew comes into the room and runs to me. He has replaced his soaked tuxedo with a pale blue sweater and navy pajamas. He looks devastatingly handsome in this domestic attire, but the fact that it arouses me angers me even more.
"You turned me!" I point at Drew. "Didn't you?"
For the first time since I've met him, Drew's confident countenance holds shame and humility. His mouth opens but says nothing.
Yet it's the answer I'm looking for.
"You, son of a bitch!" I charge and raise a punch to Drew's jaw, but Drew quickly weaves around my fist and captures my waist from behind. "Let go! Let go of me, you piece of shit!"
"Calm down, love!" Drew grunts, tightening his grip around my flailing body.
"Don't tell me to calm down, you, jackass! You turned me! I saved your life, and you turned me!"
"I swear, love, I didn't mean to. It was the last thing I wanted to happen. I'm sorry."
"No, you're not! You're a monster! I hate you! I hate you more than I've ever hated anyone in my life!"
I yelp when Drew suddenly pins me to the mattress. It happens so fast; I think I've imagined it until I register Drew's weight on my body and how much heavier he gets when I struggle.
"I don't like this any more than you do, May, but it happened, and now we're dealing with it!" Drew barks. How fucking dare he be angry here. This whole thing is his fault in the first place!
"How the hell are you going to deal with this? Do you accidentally turn people into vampires all the time?"
"No, and I'm not saying a word to you until you calm down."
"Go fuck yourself!"
"So be it."
I scream when Drew presses more weight onto me. It doesn't hurt nor asphyxiate me, but it does embarrass me. I rarely lose physical altercations. Even when I'm smaller or less muscular than my opponent, I win by intimidation due to my impassioned bravado. No one messes with the screaming woman who's not afraid to fight.
But Drew isn't having any of it. He sees me yell and charge at him, and he lays on me until I settle. Taming me like he can because, fuck, he can. Even as a vampire, I'm no match for him.
But the worst part is that I like this too. I like that I can throw a tantrum, and Drew can handle me with no problem. The fact that he hasn't called me crazy or even tried to hit me back speaks volumes as well. He only pushes down on me until I finally go limp under his body. When I do, he strokes my hair and my shoulder.
"Good girl," Drew mutters to the back of my neck.
I avoid his gaze as he lifts us to sit on the bed. He wraps my legs around his waist and then his arms around me. He continues to pet my strands, which calms me even more.
"I really am sorry, May. I didn't mean to do this to you. I'd undo it if I could. But I will fix this, love; I promise. Can you trust me to do that for you?"
I bury my face in his chest. I'm crying and don't want him to see it. Then I realize he can feel it since I'm soaking his shirt.
"Why?" I croak. "Why did you do this to me? I helped you. I helped you live."
"Rosenfield," I feel Drew nod to the door.
Footsteps click on the wooden floor until a door closes. Drew and I are alone now, and I don't know whether to feel worse or better.
"As I've said, love, turning you wasn't my intention. The venom I use to turn creatures into vampires is in my fangs, which entered your body when I bit it. It has a chance of killing you, but your body ended up surviving it, turning you into what you are now."
"Are you saying if you hadn't bitten me, I wouldn't have turned?"
"Aye. As the Vampire King, I harness the ability to turn people into my servants. But there's some good news for you, love. You didn't inherit Blood Sync, a biological trait that makes all vampires obedient to the Vampire King or Queen. You're a vampire but retain your free will. I don't know why yet, but that seems to be the case."
I pull away from his chest to stare him in the eye. "So, I'm a threat to you?"
"Hardly," Drew strokes my cheek. "No vampire can overpower her ruler. With or without free will, I'm still your king, May. I can kill you, if necessary. Hell, I could have stopped the transformation and left you to die on the beach.
"But I couldn't do it. As soon as Rosenfield arrived with the car, I gave you my synth so you could survive the transformation. I've even taken you to my villa so you can safely recover here. A recent turn will leave you vulnerable, and I can't let anyone or anything hurt you, May. Not now, not ever."
I remember why Drew had to bite me in the first place: because he had been dying on that beach, nearly freezing to death.
"Why were you flying around during a storm?" I ask him. "You should've known what would happen if you did."
Drew stares out the window, and I glance at it as well. It's still dark and pouring outside. Our scene at the beach has probably only been a few hours ago.
"When I came to your mansion, your brother told me you weren't there. He told me you weren't interested in pursuing a relationship with me, and that I should leave you be. But I had to hear it from you, not him. And when he told me where you were, I didn't think. I turned into a dragon and just flew."
"Max told you where I was?"
"I demanded him to, and I wouldn't rest until he spoke."
I stared at his determined—no, protective gaze of me. Drew is serious. Even without saying it outright, he would've hurt Max if Max didn't tell him where I was.
"Why do you care about me?" I ask.
"I don't know, love. All I know is that regardless of your feelings for me, you're mine. I won't let you go. At least, until I find a way to turn you human again. I've made you a promise that I would fix things, and I won't break that promise. But…"
Drew pinches my chin.
"You don't have to turn back into a human," he tells me. "Vampires are the top predators of Nua. Nothing and no one can hurt you. Not even diseases, for blood is a healing elixir for us. You can live forever and live forever young. Wouldn't you want that?"
I bite my lip. "I…I don't know."
Drew kisses my forehead. "I understand. It's a lot for you to take in. I'll give you time to think about it. In the meantime, I want you to be under my care and not say a word about your transformation to anyone. Understand?"
"Woah, woah, woah," I back up. "I'm fine with not saying anything to anyone, but what do you mean under your care?"
"As in, I'd like you to stay in this villa while I search for answers."
"I'm not moving in with you."
Drew glares at me, and I glare back. Then he sighs, "Alright, love, you can live in your mansion if you wish. I'll just give you something to further assure your silence."
Drew places me on the bed before walking out of the room. He then comes back with a pen and checkbook.
"Write whatever amount you'd like, and I'll pay it," he hands the items to me. "This will ensure you keep your transformation as well as what happened at the beach tonight confidential. Prolong your silence, and I will pay you more."
"You mean silence about your weakness to the cold and how it almost killed you?"
"Aye, exactly that."
So, Drew is bribing me to keep quiet. I guess that's better than imprisoning me in his villa. The checkbook and pen feel like sandbags in my hands. Metaphorically, of course. I have numbers in my head, but I don't know if—
"Any number, love. I can handle it."
Richest man in the world, right. Almost forgot that after all the other things that have happened today. Money seems trivial now.
But I'll take it because the foundation needs it. I fill out a check, and Drew signs and hands it to me.
"Thanks," I mutter. Thumbing the paper, I ask, "How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours, love."
"And you're alright?"
"Better than I've ever been."
I blush and disregard that. "And you're a dragon?"
"A shifter," Drew suddenly looks sad as he sits beside me. "I was only a dragon shifter before I became a vampire too."
"How did you become a vampire? The Vampire King, no less?"
"That's a story for another day. Would you like to know a little more about vampires?"
Evading a big question about his past, noted. I don't know if I can trust Drew as much as he wants me to, but I guess I won't have to if our association is only temporary. He says he'll only stick around until I'm not a vampire anymore. Humans disgust him, I vividly remember.
I swallow my anger, not wanting to pick a fight right now. "Yeah."
"Vampires are faster and stronger than most creatures on the planet. Their quality of vision may get impaired—especially when they're hungry, and their irises turn red. But their lowered quality of sight sharply enhances their other senses, a good reason why we're feared even in the dark. Being a vampire means you're at the top of the food chain. An apex predator."
Okay, that does sound kind of cool. Still, I can't get excited about it. Mostly because I'm feeling a lot of other things, like shock.
"I know this is a lot to take in. Again, I apologize for bringing these unexpected changes to you. I'll do everything I can to support you, love. You'll never go through this alone."
"Love," I give him a small smile. "I love hearing you call me that."
"Good, because I don't address anyone else this way."
I close my eyes to savor that answer. "So, I'll have to drink blood?"
"Synthetic blood—or synth, not real blood," Drew sternly corrects. "Synthetic blood is healthier and comes in different flavors. Real blood can be tainted and filthy, not to mention its tendencies to incite bloodlust that turn us into rampaging beasts. We may be blood-sucking creatures, love, but we're not savages."
We as in we, vampires. Because I'm a vampire now. "Are my eyes going to be red all the time? Will I be constantly cleaning lipstick off my fangs?"
"Your vampiric traits only show when you're hungry, love, so take care of yourself. But I'll be taking care of you, so you don't have to worry about that."
"Are you going to give me free bottles of synth?"
"That can be arranged."
He and I smile at each other until a yawn escapes me. Drew lays me back down on the bed and wraps me in the blankets.
"I've washed and changed your clothes myself. You're okay, love, and you will be okay as long as you're with me."
I snuggle into the pillows, avoiding eye contact again. "How long will it take you to turn me back into a human?"
"I don't know, love. But until then, enjoy your abilities. I'll teach you more about them tomorrow. Goodnight, love."
Drew kisses my temple before leaving the room. He turns off the light, so a night light at the corner of the room is softly but effectively keeping the darkness from swallowing me whole.
I don't know what's going to happen and whether I can trust Drew or not, but one thing is for sure: I need to get away from Drew as quickly as possible.
I go over plans in my head, imagining every scenario until these visions bring me to sleep.
