Valentine stood at the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. Elizzabat, Bram, and Gory stood behind him. Gory looked apologetic, while Elizzabat, and Bram both looked between me and Clawd. Confusion on their faces. Clawd growled back at Valentine, I doubted he knew that this was Valentine. The two stared each other down as Gory walked straight past Valentine, completely ignoring the two and hugging me. She kissed my cheek and pulled away smiling.
"Draculaura, isn't this weird?" she asked, "your father leaves Romania and in two weeks he's getting hitched!"
"Not that weird," Bram replied, still staring cautiously at Clawd and Valentine. I touched Clawd's arm and Valentine hissed.
"Clawd, this is Gory, Bram, and Elizzabat," I waved at the three of them. Gory held out her hand immediately, but her eyes were cold, Clawd took it and they barely shook hands before Gory removed her hand.
"Sorry, I am not a big fan of werewolves, but I can get use to them," she apologized; I wasn't sure who she was apologizing to however. That was quite the lie, she had spent a long time amongst werewolves at the beginning of the war, but that was a secret that we kept between ourselves. Bram just held up a hand in greeting before pulling Gory close to him. Elizzabat looked a bit nervous about the situation, and didn't say anything.
"That is Val-"
"I am her future husband, and you are the man who shall never lay a finger on her again," Valentine threatened walking forwards and jabbing Clawd in the chest with a finger. I winced, but didn't move away.
"Actually –" I started, but Valentine cut me off.
"Do you understand me, or do I need to speak in slower words?" he asked, enunciating his words more. Clawd bristled at the words, and gently pushed me behind him.
"I can hear you, just fine. What I don't understand is how you think that you can control who she wants to spend her time with," Clawd growled so darkly that Gory reached forwards and pulled me further away from the two of them.
"She is my future wife, and my mate. I can tell her to do whatever the hell I want," Valentine hissed, his fangs extending. Clawd snorted and rolled his eyes.
"She may be your mate, but are you her mate?" Clawd lowered his voice. Valentine's eyes darkened and he shoved Clawd away roughly.
"I think you need to go into obedience school, dog," Valentine hissed grabbing my arm, "because you need to learn your place." Without another word he tugged me out of the room. The fact that he was manhandling me startled me into complacency until we reached the stairs. I pulled away and stepped away from him just as Uncle Vlad stepped into the house with Clawrk.
Clawrk met my eyes, and then they flickered over to Valentine. I saw the wheels turning in his head as he tried to connect a name to a face, and trying to process what was happening all at once.
"Draculaura?" Uncle Vlad stepped forwards, his back straightening. His eyes were on Valentine instead of me. He wasn't sure what was happening either. I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"Where's Clawd?" Clawrk asked, ignoring Valentine and walking up behind Uncle Vlad.
"That dog?" Valentine adjusted his suit and jabbed a thumb towards the hallway.
"That dog?" Clawrk repeated, and growled. "Boy, you better learn some manners-"
"Why? You are hundreds of years younger than me, and besides you are just a mangy canine who should learn its place," Valentine sneered, and then looked Clawrk up and down. Clawd came barreling out of the library, Bram trying to stop him until he noticed the situation in the foyer. They both stopped, but Valentine looked at Clawd and then turned back to Clawrk, "I suppose you are the one who impregnated some unfortunate woman with that mongrel?"
Clawrk launched forwards faster than I had ever seen him move, and slammed his fist straight into Valentine's mouth. He flew back, stumbled on the stairs and fell down. Clawrk pulled me away from Valentine, and dragged me back to my Uncle. I felt much like an object, being dragged back and forth like this.
I saw Clawd's look of surprise at his father's outright violence and anger.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Clawrk demanded, his voice barely containing his anger. "You come into my territory, you insult my family, and you hurt your princess? Someone better give me a reason why you are here, and they better give it fast."
"He's invited to Dracula's wedding," Gory blurted out, "He's Draculaura's mate, Valentine."
"We broke up," I muttered quietly, feeling extremely uncomfortable with the situation and being put on the spot like this. Clawrk looked between me and Valentine, before jabbing a thumb towards him.
"He's the romantic lover in America?" he whispered in Romanian. I gave a slight nod and Clawrk snorted. "You could do better."
"Close your mouth," Valentine demanded, standing back up, blood dripping from a cut on his lip. My head swam.
Clawrk's eyebrow rose and he stepped forwards. "Why don't you make me?"
I grabbed Clawrk's arm before anything could escalate. There was nothing more dangerous than threatening an Alpha, and I knew there would be blood shed if the situation was quelled quickly . "Let me talk to him," I whispered back in Romanian, "Give me ten minutes."
Uncle Vlad looked at Valentine, "Hear that? You have ten minutes to speak with my niece. Once she says she's done, you are to leave my house. Or I will let Dracula know how you treated his daughter."
I stared up at Valentine who look like he was about to start foaming at the mouth. Though, he collected himself and smoothed out his jacket. There were no words passed between the males, but Valentine took my hand instead of my arm this time and led me up the stairs. More gently this time. I glanced back; Uncle Vlad was waving towards the library.
The moment we turned down the hallway, Valentine dropped my hand like it was a hot coal and returned his grip to my upper arm. He shoved me into my room before walking in. I stood tall, and smoothed out my skirt. The door closed with a click behind him and it went dead silent in the room. No words passed between us. Not a single thing was said. His eyes were dark and cold as he stared down at me. The look I saw my father give his wives whenever they 'teased' about killing me.
He moved forwards until I was forced to crane my neck to look up at him. Still nothing was said. His fingers reached up and took a hold of my jaw, and then in one quick movement he leaned down and sank his fangs into my neck. My eyes widened and I froze. This had never happened before. I had never had a vampire even try to take blood from me. It was unheard of. Of course there were love bites, where they bite, but never took blood. He was drinking. I could feel my blood leaving my body.
When the confusion and shock wore off, I felt his hands trailing down my back and over my hips. I knew what he wanted. I pushed him away roughly, feeling the sharp pain as his teeth tore from my skin. My fingers flew to my neck and I hissed at him. His eyes darkened and he advanced forwards. I shook my head and walked backwards.
Blood was dripping down my arm and confusion swept over me once again. Why was I bleeding? I should've healed by now. I bumped into my vanity and pulled my hand away. Dark blood covered my hand and I started to feel woozy. "W-What?"
"Vampire bites don't heal very nicely," Valentine said, and with his southern accent any other time I would've blushed because of how sexual that sounded. His hands grabbed my hips and pressed me against the vanity so I was trapped. "Marking you as mine. You are mine, aren't you?" his anger seemed to seep away and was just replaced with lust. Any other time I would've called it love, but I knew what he was after, and he wouldn't get it. "Draculaura," his fingers dug slightly into my hips, "You. Are. Mine."
"No!" I snapped, pushing him away, scared of him "Didn't you get my email? We are done. I-I don't love you anymore!"
He let go of me immediately and stalked away. Without his support I crumpled to my knees, and clutched my head. I didn't know if I was being woozy from the sight and scent blood or the fact that I was losing it. "It's the fucking werewolf," Valentine threw his jacket at the door and growled. "You're lust for him will die after we go back to Romania. It'll die off before your father's marriage. We are going together after all. Once he sees that you are mine," he pointed at himself and looked back at me. "He'll get the message."
"I'm going with him, he asked me, and I said yes. We are through, Valentine," I muttered, pulling myself back up by the chair. His eyes snapped to me and he walked forwards and grabbed my shoulder.
"You are my mate. Therefore, sugar, we are going to your fathers wedding together," he lifted me up and took me into the bathroom. "Now, all that blood is ruining your dress," he kicked the door behind him and placed me on the counter.
"No," I shook my head, his eyebrow raised as he plugged the bath.
"No? Would you rather take a shower, love?"
"I am not going with you," I slid off the counter. "I can clean myself up, you can leave," I turned my back on him and stared at myself in the mirror. Ignoring him completely. I checked the two holes on my neck that still weren't healing. His hands ran up my arms and onto my neck, he pressed his lips against the bite mark and then bit me again.
"Baby, you are going to regret going with that dog," he whispered before leaving the bathroom. My fingers gripped the countertop as my head spun again.
What happened to him? Why wasn't he the kind guy I remembered?
I cried out in Romanian. Not remembering what I said, before I collapsed and hit my elbow against the ground. I laid there. Hearing the bathtub fill up with water. My eyes fluttered as I continued to lose blood. Weakening. Muscles relaxing and eyes closing. Was I dying? Did he plan this? I couldn't. He was...
I blacked out, feeling cold and alone on the tile floors.
When my sense started coming back to me, I tasted blood. Screams ripped through me, and I struggled. Was I killing someone? Had I not died and gone into blood lust instead? The blood stopped and the blackness returned. A calming noise flowed through my ears and warmth surrounded me. The blood returned and I screamed. Though no longer was I able to reel away from the source. Terror washed through me. I was draining someone. I was killing someone. I thrashed but the warmth strengthened and I couldn't do anything.
The darkness and pain in my abdomen faded. I curled into the warmth and whimpered.
When I woke, my Uncle was staring down at me in concern. I was lying on my bed. It was just a dream. Nothing more than a dream. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. When I went to close my eyes again, feeling exhausted, I tasted blood on my lips and retched. Someone managed to get a bucket up in time, and I clutched it. Emptying the contents of my stomach.
"Why did you think it was a good idea to feed her blood?" my uncle asked whoever else was in the room, "It might work for a bit, but her body rejects it."
It wasn't a dream.
My hand flew to my neck and I felt faint scars from where I was bite. The warmth was still wrapped around me and I looked around. Clawd, Bram, and Gory were sitting on armchairs, all asleep. Clawrk stood on the opposite side of my bed, arms crossed and staring darkly at my Uncle. As if blaming him for what happened? My Uncle quickly noticed that I had fully awakened and shone a light in my eyes. I flinched and looked away.
"You know what happened," Uncle Vlad said, as he did a few more checks. "You flew down here, red eyes and blood flowing from your neck. Everyone was confused, and you tried to attack Valentine, but then you pulled away once you bit him. Almost like you realized what you were doing. Everyone was for sedating you and forcing you to drink blood from a bag, but Clawd here stepped forwards. Pressed his wrist to your mouth and made you drink." I stared at him before wetting my lips and glancing at Clawd. Still asleep. "He didn't fall asleep because you drank too much, you didn't drink that much. Barely any, but then you fell asleep in his arms. He's chivalrous. Don't know how your father would've reacted though..."
"Where is Valentine?" I whispered, looking at Clawrk. My Uncle made a noise.
"He came down, and said that you guys talked things out, and that everything was a big misunderstanding. Though, he wouldn't say more about it. He was very worried about you. Elizzabat convinced him to go back to the hotel they are staying at, he kept picking fights with Clawd and Clawrk, getting on even my nerves. Elizzabat eventually managed to drag him out and take her to the hotel herself. Where she's been making sure he stays there," Uncle Vlad was somber, and he sat down on the bed, "What happened?"
I looked away from him. I doubt he would've believed me. Maybe he would say he did, but I doubt he would've actually. He probably thought some rouge vampire broke into the bathroom and bit me. I sat up and my vision blacked out momentarily. My Uncle placed his hand on my shoulder and sighed, hooking up a blood bag to my arm.
When I didn't say anything, he met Clawrk's gaze and then said, "Draculaura, if you don't want to talk to me about it, don't. Tell someone though; sometimes you are too close to the danger to notice. Others will help you." I nodded and he stood up, "I believe you are in good hands, werewolves I trust more than vampires right now. This is why Clawrk has been informed not to let anyone but myself and your father into this room."
Once again I nodded and he smiled slightly then turned and left the room. Clawrk looked over his shoulder at the sleeping kids, before he sat down on the bed. "What happened?"
"I…I don't want to talk about it," I admitted quietly, "I can – I can deal with it."
Clawrk frowned but nodded, accepting my choice. I settled into my bed, and closed my eyes. Willing myself to sleep through to the next day so I could forget this all happened. Though immediately they opened. I felt safe, but I didn't like it. It almost felt too safe. My body was relaxed, but my mind kept scaring me. Replaying that dream from weeks ago. Replaying it and replaying it. Different parts. Mostly the fighting parts. Then it settled onto the better portion of the dream and I relaxed finally.
My head lolled to the side and I sighed softly. When I breathed in I froze. That scent. The taste of blood that lingered in my mouth. Was so familiar but so foreign at the same time. However, I was probably just high from the blood and my eyes drifted shut. It was nothing.
A/N: Woo! Some backstory filtering in here. Remember to check out the prequel to this story called Humble Beginnings, and don't forget to drop a review down below~!