Chapter Two: Leaving my home behind
I got home mid afternoon, my heart racing. The only thing I could think of was my doomed state. My father had gone out for his normal day, getting drunk, and my brothers were all out working to support the family. My oldest brother was doing the most work seeing as he was going to have another woman and a baby to support. Her parents didn't know yet, but they'd find out in a month or two and she'd be stuck with him.
The first thing I did after I regained the use of my legs was try to find something to keep me from getting attacked in my room. I figured he was watching anyways, seeing as the cloud cover was still keeping the sun away. Either that or he was occupying his "darling brides" in some sort of activity that I hadn't thought of in ages.
I hadn't exactly taken store in sexual activities. My brothers usually scared all kinds of men away. But they couldn't scare Dracula away. He wasn't going to let me just slip out of his hands.
I had managed to find an old crucifix of my mother's in my father's room and I found a place to station it in my room. It was an old method that probably didn't work, but everything I could find was worth a shot. Everything except garlic, I hated that nasty vegetable.
Finally I looked out the window and the sun had started to set. I went to the kitchen to find something to prepare for my brothers when I saw a small glass sitting on the kitchen table. I looked at it curiously, trying to see what was in it. My faced paled immediately when I noticed it was red and thick.
I went to go into my bedroom when I ran into something hard. With a scream, I fell backwards onto the ground to look up into the amused face of my brother.
"Who did you think I was?" he laughed as I tried to catch my breath.
"You don't want to know." I muttered and I looked back at the table. To my horror the glass was gone. "Jonathon I'm just going to go to bed. You'll have to fix something for yourself." I clutched my head and headed towards my little room while I heard him shout back at me that he could do it himself.
I got in to my room and without thinking flopped down on the bed. I could hear a slight masculine laughter coming from the other side of the room.
"You figured out I was here pretty fast." His smirk appeared in front of my view as he stood over me. "I guess my clue helped."
I looked at him and said coolly "That helped and the fact that I got chills up my spine. What? Were you hanging from the ceiling?"
When I got no response I dropped the subject and sat up slowly. "So you're here to sweep me off my feet?"
"In a manner," he put the glass down and leaned over me, his lips dangerously close to mine. "I also wanted to ask you why you haven't been eating."
I blushed "How did you know I've stopped?"
"Your blood has started to lose its sweet smell and I immediately decided to watch you and see why. You really didn't think we met in the market by coincidence did you?"
I was a little fearful at this statement and I averted my eyes from his. "Why were you stalking me?"
"I found you interesting. You have a spirit that Aleera lacks and it fascinated me. Now please stop changing the subject." Dracula looked frustrated as he tried to control his temper "I don't approve of this "no eating habit". If you are to live with me, you will eat."
"Okay," I replied, thinking I had found an escape from the situation "Then I guess I'm not going to live with you."
He laughed harshly and I winced slightly, the sound scaring me. "You're coming whether you like it or not. You can come with me now or I can send my brides to carry you off."
"How is my brother not going to notice I'm gone?" I stood up and placed my hand strategically on my hips, knowing he'd look there.
"So you want me to make a scene and attract that attention of the villagers?"
"No…" my comment was cut off when he turned into his hell-beast form and I let out a yell and fell backwards on the bed. How did such a handsome man become such a horrible beast? I thought to myself, and then slapped myself for saying handsome. This man was kidnapping me! He couldn't be handsome…could he? I must have been feeling bad from lack of food, is what I reassured myself. This is what I got for being eighteen; a mind full of wrong thoughts.
My brother ran in the room to see what was going in and promptly ran out. "My hero," I muttered "If I ever come back I'm going to warn that girl about his cowardice."
I then yelled out curse words as Dracula's claws wrapped around me…it was going to be a long night and I wasn't ready to spend it locked up with a beast even if it turned into a prince.
Flying was probably the worst experience of my life. Whenever I looked down my stomach would go sliding down my leg where it would sit till I looked straight again and it'd slide back up. I noticed the land change as we flew over a grave yard and I shivered. Grave yards brought back too many memories of my mother and everyone knew that her death had been no accident. It was just too much to think over when up in the air and on and empty stomach as well.
He finally released his grip on me and I stood on wobbly feet, adjusting to the feel of the ground. "Damn vampire," I grumbled as I looked down at my dress. He had torn it clean up my leg and I felt very exposed suddenly.
"You look fine to me." He looked very elegant compared to me and I just shot him a glare.
"You really didn't have to slit my dress up the side. It's not like you're planning on having me wear the same old clothes again." I grumbled.
He smirked "I just had to make sure that you're body was still okay."
"Oh how kind." I plastered the fakest expression of sweetness on my face.
He frowned and I smirked to myself as he led me into the grand palace. I had never been in a place like that with all its elegant décor. His brides were waiting for him and when they saw me they frowned.
"Master," the blonde questioned "What is she doing here?!"
"She's to be my pet Marishka, you shall have no worries about her." He said in a soothing voice and she immediately smiled. But Aleera and the brunette still looked suspiciously at him.
"Master, what kind of trickery are you playing?" the brunette frowned at him. She apparently was the smartest out of the three, but I wasn't going to comment. I was too busy thinking about smacking "his highness" over the head with some sort of blunt object.
"I am not tricking you Verona. Nadia is to be my pet to keep me amused while you are off harassing Anna and Gabriel." His voice had turned harsher as he corrected the older bride.
"Fine," Aleera snapped and the three of them stormed off to go hunt most likely.
Dracula stared after them and then turned to me. "They are jealous as usual." He sighed "Those women would eat me alive if they could."
"You wouldn't mind." I said calmly as I continued to look around, ignoring him raising his eyebrow and asking me where that came from.
"Come, you need to take a bath and get some clothes to sleep in. I will be waking you up in the morning so that you might be ready to go to town to me to buy you some things." He then looked at me and said "Well, you'll take a bath after you eat."
"No, I'm fine." I protested but he swept me up into his arms and carried my struggling form to the dining room where a servant was waiting with a plate of food.
When I sat in the chair, refusing to eat, he growled and said "Do I have to force feed you?"
I sighed and shook my head and finally consumed the food reluctantly. It was so good but I wasn't going to let him know that. I just ate slowly, pretending I hated every minute just to spite him.
After I finished he led me off and showed me my rooms. I had expected a cot in the dungeon or something with my attitude being the way it was, but I had a bedroom and a sitting room that was elegantly furnished with satin and gold and all sorts of things I thought I'd never see in my life.
"I hope you sleep well." To my surprise he stroked my cheek fondly and gave me this understanding look.
"Thank you," I said softly and he turned on his heels and left. The beast really did have a heart.