Chapter 12

+ Lucy +

I ran.

I ran as fast as I could, dodging branches out of my way and trying not to trip on the uneven ground. The trees around made me feel trapped, as if the woods were sucking me in deeper but I couldn't turn around. Sweat beads formed at my hairline and as I ran in a puffy crimson red dress, the same colour of the dress I had worn at my mother's wedding, got stuck against a bush of thorns. I pulled at it, ripping away at it's silky cloth until the only thing that was left of it was rags. I continued in my desperate escape. I didn't know exactly what I was running away from, but my gut told me it was nothing good so I kept running.

Finally, I ran smack into a wall covered in ivy and all sorts of thick unkept vines of thorny plants. Slowly, these plants moved as if they had suddenly turned to life. They shifted and together formed a gate. I peered through it and in front of me I saw one of the most grotesque scenes I had ever laid eyes on.

Dead bodies everywhere. And the worst thing of all was that I recognised those people. And how couldn't I? Those dead people were Solange's parents and brothers. I shouted with all the remaining energy that I had in my body. I called out their names, begged them to wake up and tell me that this was a horrible joke. Not one of them did. Stakes had been driven through their hearts and some even had slit throats. I felt ashamed of myself as I realised that my biggest fear wasn't that they had died. I was ashamed to say so but right now I only cared that Nick wasn't in that group. I heard somebody yell a battle cry.

Nick! My head snapped up as suddenly Solange, hiding behind Nick appeared. A vampire I had never sean before appeared to be threatening them. He had shoulder length black hair which he kept in a ponytail and had the whitest skin one could imagine. It was practically translucent, making the bluish veins stand out. I shouted all sorts of profanities at him, but it seemed as if no one could hear me.

"You will never have her, Montmarte, at least not until I stand alive." I heard Nick say, sounding as if he could take on the whole world. Montmarte laughed a sick laughed that made all the hairs on my body stand up. "But that can be easily arranged." he slurred as a pair of unnaturally long canines extended. And in a motion too quick for my eyes to follow, Montmarte buried his fangs in Nick's throat. I shouted, begged and pleaded him to let him go. My throat felt as if it was on fire. I tried to get over the gate but it seemed as if my feet were glued to the forest floor. All I could do was watch as that vile vampire killed the man I loved. My heart ached as I fell to the ground. I wanted Montmarte to take me, kill me, turn me, drain me. He could do what the fuck he wanted with me as long as he left Nick and Sol alone.

"Lucy! Lucy!" I heard someone say. I woke up, gasping for air. My cheeks felt flushed and wet with the tears I had shed. Nick was standing above me, trying to shake me out of my hysterics. I knew that I was hyperventilating but I couldn't stop. Nick engulfed me in a hug and shushed me, telling me that everything was going to be alright. I nodded at his soothing words and eventually calmed down. I relaxed when I felt his lips at my forehead, kissing me softly.

'It was just a dream. It was not real.' I repeated to myself. Nick was right here, safe, with me.

The relieve that flooded me was so intense that I didn't think. I just acted. I turned around and crashed my lips to his. It was a passionate kiss, filled with need and despair. During those few brief moments when I thought he was really gone, I felt as if a part of me had died. As ridiculous as it sounds, in the dream I needed him, I loved him and now back in reality, I was confused.

But one thing was for sure. We shared something much deeper than just attraction. But right now, the latter dominated us. I let my relief flow through our kiss. I let his hands travel freely all over my body. I moaned in response making him kiss me harder. He straddled me on his body and switched our positions so that he could be on top of me. "Nick." i breathed as he put a trail of small butterfly kisses down my neck.

Some kind of realisation kicked through him as he tried to pull away from me, much to both our reluctance. "Lucy, I... I don't want to take advantage of you." I groaned in annoyance. I just wanted to feel his lips on mine, was it such a crime? I tried to reach up for his lips once more, but he was already getting off me. "Even I don't have that much restraint."

I looked away from him as I blushed like a freaking idiot. "I was just really happy that you're safe. That's all." I said dismissively. "I had a really bad dream, Nick. There was so much blood." I said as I rubbed my eyes, making sure that I was really awake.

"I know." he said quietly. I looked up at him questioningly. "What do you mean, you know?" I asked him skeptically. He looked away, nervously biting at his finger nails. "Dammit, Nick just answer me." I told him a little bit too roughly.

"I can't explain it, Lucy. I felt it. I knew you were scared and I felt it deep within me, the need to protect you. I was asleep downstairs but I woke up, only one thought clear in my head. You." he said gravely. I just stared at him, unable to answer.

"W-what does it mean?" I asked hesitantly. "I don't know. Stop asking me questions which you know I can't answer." he said roughly. My eyebrows furrowed. What could all this mean?

"Nick- all this started after you gave me your blood, right?" I asked. He nodded, seeming not too pleased about our situation. "Don't worry, Lucy. Whatever it is we'll get over it. Will is already working on it. Now, you should probably shower, no offence but you look like a mess; then we'll go tell him, perhaps it can help him narrow down some things." He said.

"None taken." I said sarcastically. "Anyways how am I supposed to shower if I don't have any clothes her, huh? You know that Sol is a light sleeper, we wouldn't be able to sneak in the room without her knowing." I asked him, refraining from adding "Checkmated, bitch" to that sentence. His eyebrows furrowed. "Guess I'll have to lend you something then." he said sounding no so happy about it. He went over to his closet and got me a pair of striped pyjama pants and a black shirt that looked at least three sizes too big for me. And to complete the mess and make this a dozen times more embarrassing for both of us, a black towel and a pair of black briefs lay underneath the pile. Well, I definitely couldn't stay in my pair of panties any longer. I needed to change fast. I nodded and without further words, went in the bathroom he shared with three of his brothers. I quickly attended to my bladder, realising just how much I was in need of water in my system. Next I removed my shirt and realising much to my horror that I hadn't been wearing a bra.

Deep breaths, I warned myself. I should just thank him that was alive, he had to do what he had to do. I continued removing my clothes feeling very much creeped that I was doing this in the boy's bathroom. This place had always been a taboo for me and Sol. When we were young, we both thought that boys were yucky so we never even dared to step in here and as we grew older and so did her brothers, we avoided this place for obvious reasons. I stepped in the shower and let the hot water pour over my hair and body. I tried to ignore the white line that would mark me forever. I would ignore it, just like I ignored the three white lines that ran along my back. I lathered my hand with the guys' shampoo. It smelled musky and manly but since I had no other option, I preferred the woodsy scent rather than the scent of sweat and dried blood. Plus, it reminded me of Nick's scent. Afterwords I washed my body with some shower gel and rinsed off, watching the white foam as it swirled all around the shower floor till it disappeared in the drain hole. I exited the shower and wrapped the towel around me, and after I was dry I wrapped it around my hair.

Awkwardly, I put on Nick's briefs. They felt comfortable enough and at least they weren't falling off, which was a bonus. I put on the shirt next, tying a knot at the bottom. I put on the pants which were terribly long for me. I turned the elastic till I could at least walk without tripping. I towel dried my hair for a few minutes and afterwards put the towel along with my dirty clothes in the laundry basket. When I exited, Nick gave me a good look over and burst out laughing.

"What?" I asked him in annoyance, trying to arrange the shirt. "Nothing, it's just that you look so strange with my clothes on." he finally said. "But don't worry, it's a good look on you." I rolled my eyes and didn't answer though I had a billion sarcastic responses ready for him. "Let's just go see your brother."

XXX

After we explained what happened with the dream, Will kept looking at us blankly, but his mined seemed far away.

"So?" I asked him, getting absolutely no response. After a while he looked up at us as if we had mutated. "Could it be?" he said more to himself that to us. "But it's not possible... to farfetched... centuries ago..." he trailed on, grabbing an old book that seemed as old as dust. "What is it?" Nick asked impatiently. I tried to peer over and try to understand but the book was in latin, I think.

"Vinculum Sanguinem" he whispered. Nick and I looked at each other and then back at Will.

"What does that mean?" I asked in a low voice.

Will looked at both of us with a very grave look. What had we gotten ourselves into? I entwined my fingers with Nick's. I couldn't hear this on my own if it was that bad.

"It means that you're blood bound. One of the most sacred, rare and forbidden bonds in our world."

XXX

And she drops the bomb! So what does it mean? What will it entitle? Why is this bond forbidden?

Tell me what you think :) You're in for a hell load of surprises

Until the next time, my lovelies :)