As the World Falls Down
Chapter 9
1884
She was still in his arms, limp and silent. Her heart had finally stopped. As he made his way down the beach, the spray of the waves bit at his ankles, biting and tearing at his nerves. Even still, he was almost numb to it. Allegra's head was pressed against his chest. Her face had gone pale, her once bright features gone. She was cold.
He barely registered the chill in the air as he padded into the cave, feet stepping on stone and rubble. It didn't bother him. He was numb to everything, but his heart. His heart, his would be cold dead heart, was a mass of heavy stone. It pained him with every step that he took. The faint thump-thump that thudded in his chest was like a bitter beating drum roll of death. It was like a final farewell.
Slowly, he came to a stop in front of the bed. His eyes trailed down. Allegra's body was still motionless, her chest neither rising nor falling. Her eyes weren't fluttering under her lids either. She was still as stone.
Swallowing, he laid her down on the mattress, her head falling ot the side against the pillow. His hand reached out, brushing her cheek. It was cold now, skin white and ghostly. Nothing was moving, not even the blood in her veins. It was this that stilled him momentarily, his mind tormenting him. He'd made a last ditch effort when he'd seen things starting to turn. Without thinking, he'd torn into his wrist, ripping it open. The open wound had been pressed to her mouth as she began to choke, gasping for air. She'd swallowed a bit of the blood in her mouth that had made its way up her throat. Theirs had mixed together, but he wasn't sure what had been swallowed. He'd even pressed a bit of fresh blood into his mouth with his own, pushing her to swallow.
She'd taken her last breath after that. It had been silent, eyes closing. He felt something well up inside of him, tearing at his heart. He didn't want things to end in such a way. She didn't deserve the fate that had been handed to her as a result of his negligence. He felt that he had been the one to bring this upon her. had he paid better attention, he would have known who was making their way down the beach. He'd ignored his senses, concentrating only on her and the sound of the waves. He'd been dismissive of everything else and it was all his fault.
David felt tears come to his eyes again as he knelt down beside the bed, running his hand along her arm. The skin no longer reacted to his touch the way that it had earlier that night. It made his stomach turn, a sour taste forming in his mouth.
"Damn it!" he hissed, pushing away from the bed momentarily.
He didn't like the emotions he was currently feeling. They were dangerous. Anger and grief were the most tearing emotions for a vampire to experience. It left them on edge and hostile. It made them more easily caught.
His mind went to the bodies that he'd left on the beach. They were torn to shreds, a gruesome mess. Max would kill him if he found out he'd left such a thing unattended. It wasn't safe. He almost didn't care though. So what, it would be a freak accident. No one cared about those idiots. The woman that had been with them had been innocent though. She was someone's daughter and she'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, there would be another missing persons report out, another poster, another child. It was all his doing and it'd been a result of his rage. She'd been the only one he hadn't torn to shreds, ending her life with the mere snap of the neck. He'd been conscious enough to at least do that.
Growling, he pulled at his hair. His eyes were red again, tears leaking out and staining the cold floor. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way. For hours, he sat hunched over, his head in his hands. He'd barely moved when the others had returned, merely telling them of the clean up that needed to be done. Like David, the group grew solemn at the knowledge of Allegra's death. Had they been there, things would have been even bloodier. They would have completely torn them limb from limb, biting and slowly draining them of life. They felt even worse though because they had the chance to stop things in their tracks. They could have prevented it all if they had stepped forward when they had seen the group, easily luring them away from prying eyes. They'd stayed though, keeping tabs on Allegra's mother. They'd already planned their torment, deciding to act it out the following night. Now, it would be even worse. Perhaps, they'd scare her to death instead of scaring her straight. Or perhaps they'd merely be rid of her and the memory all together now.
It was thoughts like these that ran through everyone's heads. It plagued them the entire night, none of them being able to truly sleep. After all, how could they? True, she hadn't fully been one of theirs, but they'd grown attached to her. For Paul, she was like the sister he never had, having been an only child in his human life. For Marko, she was the older sister he wished his had been. His had been dismissive in his human life, pushing him to the side like a piece of trash. For Dwayne, she'd been a taste of sweet memories. He'd grown up with three sisters. Two of them unfortunately had died of sickness on the reservation without medicine. His older sister, he'd watched as she withered away from grief. Allegra reminded him of the better times, one's filled with laughter and joy. She'd made him feel human again.
Unfortunately, they all knew the effect that she'd had on David. The man had fallen in love with her, for once, a true spark had made its way into his eyes. He'd become more lively, more attune to life. She'd brought humility back into his life. For once, the others had seen him smile. Not the fake, half assed shit that they were accustomed to, but a true smile. She'd brought life itself back to him.
It was for this reason why no one said a word about Allegra to him, merely letting him be. He'd deal with things in his own time. That much they knew.
T
Thump. The sound seemed to echo against the chill. The air felt stuffy. Sound was muffled, but the roar of the waves was still present somewhere. The comfort of a mattress, thin sheets pulled up and tucked in at the edges. A pillow. I was vaguely aware of it all as a haze rested over my mind.
The last thing that I remembered was the cold chill of the ocean air and David's face lingering above me. David. He'd watched as I choked, fear in his eyes. I'd never seen him so scared. The tears. I remembered the tears, the trail of red that leaked from his eyes and stained his face. I'd never seen him cry. He wasn't supposed to cry.
My mind paused for a moment. I had been shot. I no longer felt the pain though. How was that possible though? The bullet had gone right through me, tearing straight through my back as it punctured my left lung. Mark had shot me. He'd aimed at David, but turned at the last second and shot me instead. He'd shot me. He'd actually shot me.
Slowly, I peeled open my eyes, a hint of light hitting them. I flinched at the difference, closing them again momentarily, before pushing myself up. I couldn't understand what had happened. How was I even alive? Looking down, I glanced over my clothes, running a hand over my ribs. There wasn't any pain. Lifting my shirt, I realized that there wasn't even a scar. The blood was still there, proof that I'd been shot, but there was no wound.
"How?" I whispered, turning to look back around the cave.
David. I spotted him off to the side. He was seated in his wheel chair, a strained look on his face. Blood had dried in a trail from his eyes down. I hadn't imagined it. Tears of blood.
Quietly, I made my way toward him, my own eyes filling with tears. I was scared and confused. I didn't know what had happened to me or why I was even still breathing. The inability to breath had been all too real. I had died. I knew that, which is why this made no sense to me.
"David…" I whispered, sniffing as I reached my hand out.
I sat before him, kneeling on the ground. I gripped his pants in my hand as I bowed my head, shaking slightly. I just didn't understand it. I knew that I had died. I had been shot. Mark had shot me.
"David," I whispered, laying my head on his lap.
Tears spilled from my eyes and I watched as they stained his pants red. It wasn't natural.
With a groan, I watched as his face scrunched up, eyes finally peeling open. When they did, he froze, his mouth falling open and his eyes going wide. His mouth moved slightly, but no words came and before I knew it, his arms were around me.
T
He couldn't understand it. He'd been almost curtain that the blood he'd given her had been too late. The weight in his arms said otherwise as a tear slide from his eyes. He could feel the pain in his chest lift as he held her against him, her head pressed against his shoulder. She was shaking, tears running down her skin. Blood tears were spilling from her eyes.
"I thought…" he tried, swallowing as a lump formed in his throat.
He still found it hard to process what he was seeing. She was there in his arms and her body wasn't ice cold anymore. It wasn't as hot as it once was, but it wasn't freezing cold either. Her skin was paler, but it wasn't while. Her hair seemed softer even.
"You're alive…" he whispered, pulling her back slightly to stare into her eyes.
Her eyes were still the same green blue that he'd come to love so much. They seemed a bit brighter now, but they were still hers. To think, he'd nearly lost the privilege of seeing them forever..
"How?" she asked, her voice shaky.
David finally felt himself frown when he realized she had no clue as to what he'd done to her. She had no clue what she was now, what he'd turned her into. No doubt, she was horribly confused.
"Allegra," he sighed, brushing his thumb over her cheek.
He wasn't sure how to tell her the truth. After all, how could he tell her that she was technically dead? She'd died in his arms and he'd been afraid that she was truly lost forever.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms back around her, pulling her close. He just wanted to feel her in his arms a while longer. That's all that he wanted. He wanted to know that he wasn't dreaming, that he wouldn't wake up in a few minutes only to realize that it'd been his imagination and that she truly was gone from the world. He couldn't bare that thought of it.
"David…" she whispered, her hand curling into his back.
He'd since put a shirt back on, his front now covered. He almost wished that he hadn't though as her hands dug in even further, gripping the shirt almost painfully.
She was shaking, shoulders twitching as she tried not to cry. It didn't seem to do her much good though, the entire shoulder of his shirt becoming stained. He didn't really mind so much, staring off at the end of the cave. The others weren't awake yet, still fast asleep on the ceiling. It was still light out, even though it was closer to sun down due to how much light was shining in. he was actually surprised that he even woke up. He was even more surprised that she was awake. After all that she'd been through, he was almost sure that she'd be asleep for the next couple days at least.
"Allegra," he started, pausing as he held his breath.
This was the part that he'd been dreading. The truth.
"Allegra," he sighed, finally pulling her back enough so that he could look her in the eyes. "I need you to tell me what you remember," he said, stroking her face.
He'd admit, he was fishing. He was fishing so that he knew how far to take things. He wanted to know that her reaction wasn't a terrible one. He needed to know if he'd have to restrain her, lest she run and burn in the sun., he'd seen it happen once and it wasn't something that he wanted to see again.
"I…" she opened her mouth to continue, closing it and opening again. "We were on the beach."
He nodded his head, listening closely as she spoke.
"Tom and Mark," she stopped, tears biting at the edge of her eyes. "They…he…"
She couldn't seem to form the words, her head coming to rest against his chest.
"He…he shot me," it came out as a whisper.
There. There it was. He watched as her face scrunched up momentarily.
"And you…"
David froze, waiting. He needed to hear this, despite how much it scared him. He needed this to happen.
"You killed them…didn't you?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes trailed back to him, a look of hesitation in her eyes. No doubt, despite her plight, she'd still seen him. She heard him, that much was obvious. After a moment, he realized that she'd seen him as well.
Her fingers curled into his arms as he nodded, his ears picking up a sharp intake of breath. He'd known already what part of her reaction would be.
"Please, Allegra, I can explain," he said quickly, standing as she pulled away from him.
She took a couple of steps backwards, but she didn't run, allowing David to relax a bit. It was going okay so far.
"What are you?" she asked again, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I'm the same as you," he told her, carefully taking a step toward her.
"Liar!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes. "What I saw said otherwise."
He paused again, swallowing thickly. What could he possibly say to make her understand?
"Allegra," he sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. "I've been around the block a few times," he told her, watching as her face scrunched up in confusion. "I was born in 1884."
T
1884? He'd just said 1884. Not 1964 or 1954. Not 19 anything. It was 1884. 1884.
"My family died in 1906," he told me, slowly stepping back and taking a seat in his throne of a wheel chair again.
There it was. The year 1906.
"We were here, on vacation in this very spot, this very hotel," he started, his head in his hands. "The rope snapped when it hit."
Rope? What rope was he talking about?
"I pulled their bodies from the elevator shaft a few day later."
His voice was quiet as he spoke, finding myself frozen in place. It wasn't even a matter of his birth at this point as he sat there talking about his family.
"They'd been crushed inside, part of it having caved when it crashed. I don't even know if they had time to realize it."
I was silent. How could I not be?
"I spent days sifting through the rubble trying to find them," he told me, finally looking up at me. "Gabriel hadn't even started school yet."
My mouth was dry. I couldn't even form the words. What could I even say? Sorry? Wish I could have been here 80 years ago? I had no clue what to say.
"Sometimes, I wish Max would have just left me to die that day."
Die? He wishes he had died.
I felt my heart beat, a painful ache in my chest. I thought back to the first time we'd met. He'd saved me, him and his brothers, from Tom and his lackeys. Both brothers were gone now though. He didn't even know me from Eve and yet he'd come forward willingly to help pull me out of my troubles. Yes, he'd scared the shit out of me with his bike, but he'd still helped me and then taken me home. He'd helped me and I hadn't even asked for it or his attentions. I hadn't asked for any of it.
David had stayed with me through the bullshit, an open ear, and open shoulder. He never had to be asked. He just did. He'd taken me home from the hospital and stayed with me. He'd kept me safe and warm. He'd put a smile on my face.
"David…" I whispered, any previous thoughts of self preservation or hesitations being thrown out the window at this point.
I dropped to my knees in front of him, placing my hands on his neck. I felt the edge of my eyes water for a moment and my mind became sober.
"I'm glad that you're here," I told him, biting my lip as I let my fingers skim his jaw.
I still wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but I was glad that he was 'here'. He was important, despite how he might feel about himself at times. No one could ever take his place.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I never should have dragged you into this shit," he bit out, pulling at his hair again.
"David," I sighed, pressing my forehead to his. "I put myself here," I told him. "I put myself here by caving and going out with Mark to begin with. It still would have happened even without you."
I paused then, thinking things over.
"You're the only reason I'm still here," I whispered, realization smacking me in the face like a brick. "I don't know how, but without you, I'd be dead right now."
I think things finally started to sink in after I verbalized it. Somehow, I knew I hadn't made it out alive. It wasn't possible. Not without something or some sort of scar or wound left behind.
"I'm dead…aren't I?" I finally asked.
I watched as he flinched, lips pulling into a line. Some how, I knew the truth. I knew what the answer was. I never would have survived that shot through the back. Blood had already built up in my lungs. I was choking on it. All I could taste was blood.
"Allegra…" he tried.
His eyes were blurring, red seeping from the corners.
"I didn't have a choice," he breathed out. "I couldn't…"
He paused again, looking me in the eyes.
"I couldn't lose you," he finally confessed.
My mouth went dry, tongue catching in my throat. I wondered if I had heard right. Had he truly been afraid of losing me? Surely, if he was as old as he said he was, which was still hard to believe, I was sure that someone like me was a dime a dozen. There were plenty of young girls out there. What made a difference without me? I realize that it was stupid thinking, but I couldn't' help it. I'd gone for so long, thinking just that, that I wasn't worth a grain of salt to anyone and then he'd come along and made me feel special. He'd made me feel wanted.
"After all these years, I didn't want to be alone again."
His hands gripped mine as he spoke, holding them tightly. He didn't want to be alone.
T
Eventually, David had explained to me what had happened. He'd explained the nature of his being, brothers included. This had all been after we'd gone back to sleep. The sun was just too draining.
David had given me a little spiel about how I'd never grow old or die. All I'd have to do was feed and I could be with him forever. Forever was an odd concept for me as I knew that nothing ever truly lasted forever in this world. There were too many undetermined factures in the mess of everything. Too many pieces.
Still, forever? He'd almost joked about the never growing old, relaxing a bit when he realized that I wasn't going to have a mental breakdown or anything. In fact, it was almost funny when the guys realized that I was up and moving around. They seemed leery, like they were walking on egg shells. I was tempted to use it to my advantage and scare the shit out of them, especially Paul. It would be all too easy to mess with him.
As the night wore on, I found myself thinking things over a bit more. Like everything else, when I had a question, it was answered. We'd went over the typical vampire myths, crossing off what was truth and fiction.
Garlic, one of my more enjoyable cooking tid bits had no effect on vampires at all, much to my relief. Sunlight, as I would grow to realize was fatal to us. Us. It was an us now.
In all these years, there's never truly been an us. An us would mean that something actually had to have a togetherness of sorts. It meant that there had to be some semblance of unity. There's only ever been me though. Me. Just me. I'd been alone, without anyone. My mother wasn't a part of an us. David, Paul, Dwayne, and Marko. They were all together. They were vampires and now, so was I.
"How am I going to explain this to Aaron?" I groaned, running a hand through my hair.
I had no clue how I was going to keep my other jobs. What about the day time hours? I had errands to make, things to do. How was I going to do anything?
"There's nothing you can do," Dwayne said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "No one can know about this."
"He's right," David nodded, leaning back into the couch.
My head was laid in his lap, legs sprawled a top the cushions. We'd been like that for the last hour, sitting and doing nothing. It was like he was deliberately letting me work thorugh things in my head. I dind't mind though. In fact, it was rather appreciated. Everything that had happened was just too much to take in at one time. My mind was riddled with thoughts.
"But I can't just not go to work," I told him. " I mean, how am I supposed to explain it? I'll lose my job."
David sighed as he looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes as his brows kitted together.
"We don't exactly get to have normal lives after the big bite chica," Paul pointed out, coming over and sitting on my legs.
"Get off," I narrowed, finding the pressure annoying and rather uncomfortable.
"Ah…but I thought we could cuddle," he grinned, before flopping over on top of me.
"Paul!" I groaned, shoving at him. "Get the hell off of me!"
All he did was laugh, pulling at my cheeks and rubbing his face against my chest.
"Get off!" I growled.
I could feel my face contort in anger and embarrassment, eyes narrowing. There was a firmness pressing at my lips as they drew back. Paul jumped in surprise, tumbling off of the couch and onto the floor, but not before accidentally kneeing me in the ribs.
"Damn, chica!" he exclaimed, blinking as he looked me over.
David had taken this time to look back at me, a small smirk forming on his face. What ever it was, he found it amusing.
"I find it sexy," he chuckled, brushing a finger over my cheek, my brows furrowing in confusion.
"The hell are you two talking about?" I asked, pushing myself up off of David's lap so that I could sit up.
An object was tossed David's way a moment later, said vampire catching it with ease. I heard the click and then he was shoving something in my face. It took me a few moments to realize what the thing was that was staring back at me.
My lips parted as I stared on, speechless and mute. Eyes of red stared back at me, glowing like glaring embers. They were surrounded by the harshness of my brows, sharp and pointed, cheek bones pressing at my skin. My entire face had tightened like hide on a drum, specks of white shining back at me. The pressure at my lips, I found that it was a pair of fangs, the pointed canines glaring back menacingly for all to see.
"Holy shit…" I breathed out, slowly raising a hand to my lips.
I flinched when I managed to prick my finger, drawing blood and watching as it dripped from my finger. Its like I'd pricked it with a needle.
David took hold of my hand, gripping it in his own, guiding it to his lips. I was without words as his lips wrapped around my finger, sucking lightly at the tip. It was the most sensual thing that I'd felt for a while, feeling a spark of heat rushing to my face, his eyes on mine.
"You should learn to be more careful," he whispered, pressing his lips to the tip of my finger once more, his tongue reaching forward and lapping at it for a second.
My ears were practically burning now and I found myself glaring at him in irritation as the others laughed. It was entertainment for them. Personally, I didn't find it very funny though, pushing away and finally standing up. I made my way outside, away from all of them.
The air felt different as I stepped outside, the rush of the ocean spray coming to meet me. It was a welcomed relief, feeling its cold caress touch my face with its scattered reach. The salt seemed to stick to my face as I let my tongue dart out to lick it away, tasting it. I realized how odd a sensation it was, the taste coming across a little stronger than I was used to. It was a mixture of salted spray, day old sweat, and blood. I nearly froze when I realized it, feeling oddly terrified at the fact that I could pinpoint it.
As I stood there, I inhaled deeply. I could smell the old pine of the walk, the sand beneath me, and the stench of smoke from the cave, a mix of cigarettes and dope. The latter of the two was Paul's doing, the former being David. He was smoking. I rarely ever saw him smoke. Then again, I normally didn't spend the whole 'day' with him either. In fact, normally, I'd be in bed right now as I knew that it had to be somewhere between two and three o'clock in the morning. Oddly enough, I wasn't that tired. In fact, I wasn't tired at all.
Standing there feeling the spray, my mind wandered again. The sight before me was beautiful, but what about the sun set or the sunrise. I'd never be able to truly see the sun again or feel its warm rays on my face. I'd never feel its warmth again. It was sad really, I actually enjoyed laying on the sun every now and then, falling asleep and waking up with a tan. I didn't do it very often, but it'd been enjoyable nonetheless.
"This sucks," I muttered, groaning as I felt my stomach turn.
I was tempted to just walk into town and get something, but I remembered almost too late that my clothes were still bloodied up. Out of irritation, I pulled my shirt off, tearing it to shreds. I was irritated at this point, feeling my face contorting again. It was frustrating. I was never this restless or irritable and it was driving me crazy. Maybe it was the stress?
Pushing off from my spot, I made my way back into the cave. I didn't see my jacket lying around, so I grabbed the first one I saw. It just so happened to be Paul's, but I didn't care.
"Hey now!" he exclaimed, leaping forward. "That's…"
He stopped when he saw my state of undress, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Problem?" I asked, raising a brow in question.
He shook his head, letting me pass. He was smarter than I gave him credit for.
T
They sat there, watching as she left. Paul was still in shock, eyes trailing in the direction that she'd disappeared to. To say that they were surprised was an understatement. They'd been shocked, watching as she walked in without a shirt. It wasn't like her to walk around like that, but she seemed to have thrown her reservations out the window in that regard.
Granted, David had to admit, she didn't look bad, walking around in her black laced bra. It was rather sexy to be honest. By the silent chatter, the others seemed to be in agreement.
"Paul!" David snapped, pulling him out of his stupor.
Said blonde turned in his direction, giving him a questioning look.
"What the hell?" Paul asked.
The question was directed at Allegra, the only other brunette in the bunch.
"Since when does she…" he gestured to his front, referring to the lack of clothing.
"I don't know," David shrugged, pushing himself up from the couch.
He didn't know if it was such a good idea, having her wandering around on her own. It was already around 3:30 at this point and he didn't want her staying out longer than necessary. She wasn't used to having to worry about the sun coming up as it tried frying her to a crisp.
Closing his eyes, David tried to concentrate, zeroing in on where she was. They were connected now. When he'd given her his blood instead of Max's, his sire, a bond had been made between the two that had now bound them together. In fact, he was glad that it was his blood instead of Max's. it meant they were closer and that Max had no sway over her since David was her sire and not him. Max wouldn't be able to get into her head like David could and he found it to be a blessing. As a new born, there was no way in hell that she would have been able to fit off Max's mental advances.
"Why don't the rest of you get something to eat before the sun comes up?" David suggested. "I'll go find her."
The others nodded, leaving the cave as David followed behind. He knew where she was, wandering aimlessly around the area. When he'd found her, she was eating, trying to quench the new found hunger in her stomach. She had absolutely no clue what it trul was, merely shoving food in her mouth as her stomach churned painfully. No doubt, she would be sick soon, throwing up all that she had eaten. She didn't know any better though, leaving him to sympathize with her as he'd been in her shoes once before. Yes, he'd been there long ago.
T
No matter what I did, it was still there, that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd tried a burger, fries, Chinese, chips, fruit, bread, anything I could think of. All it did was make things worse, that terrible feeling trailing at the back of my throat. It burned and I felt myself hunching over as my eyes watered, before emptying my stomach onto the ground.
I found myself hugging my stomach, trying to will the pain away that resided there. It wouldn't work and I gagged, heaving painfully. It continued until all that was left was dry heaves and the constricting of my throat.
"Hey, you alright?"
I looked up in the direction of the voice. I was shocked when I realized who it was.
"Allegra?"
It was Mitch. His brows furrowed as he looked me over, eyes straying momentarily as he realized that fact that I was missing a shirt.
"I… What happened?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
I went to nodded, heaving as he stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"You don't look so good."
"I feel sick," I muttered, pulling my eyes away from the ground in front of me and bowing my head.
He sat down beside me, carefully taking my hands in his. He nearly flinched when our skin made contact.
"You're freezing!" he exclaimed, a frown forming on his face as he rubbed my hands between his.
I didn't know what to do or how to explain it to him. My throat just felt so raw, the remnants of acid burning away at it and leaving a even more bitter taste in my mouth than the food had.
"I… I haven't' been feeling well the last couple of days," I told him. "What are you doing out here anyway?" I asked, realizing what time it must have been.
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd go for a run," he told me, gesturing to the running shoes that he was wearing.
I nodded my head, closing my eyes as I took in a deep breath. I paused, brows furrowing.
"Do you smell that?" I asked, looking around.
"Smell what?" he asked, confusion now etched on his face.
"That smell…"
I frowned, standing up from my spot. I tried to think of what kind of food place could still be open that would smell so good. It was almost tormenting.
"You can't tell me you don't smell that," I whined.
I sniffed again, closing my eyes momentarily as I tried to pinpoint it. It was blanketing the air with its scent. The smell itself made my stomach gurgle with hunger. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, driving me forward.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mitch asked.
He reached forward, carefully taking hold of my shoulders and pulling me to him.
"Are you sure no one slipped you anything?"
His question was a valid one, but unneeded as I knew otherwise. It wasn't due to some narcotic, unfortunately. I think that I could have handled that better than what I was going through right now.
"Allegra."
His hands were on my face now, eyes snapping to attention. I felt my body jolt for a moment. My eyes watered as I realized something. His skin was so close to my nose. The smell, it was coming from…
"No…" I whispered.
"Huh?"
Confusion was written across his face as he looked me over.
"No!"
I pushed away from him, fear coursing through me. I didn't understand it. Why was it coming from him? Why did he smell so… Delicious? This was a person, not a piece of meat!
I covered my face with my hands as I backed away. It was happening again. I could feel my face contorting painfully. Something was pressing at my gums. I felt tears roll down my face.
"Allegra?" Mitch's voice was laced with worry, footsteps striding closer.
"Don't, please?" I begged, backing away even further.
I didn't want him near me. I didn't want something to happen where I might hurt him. Somehow, I knew what I was feeling and it scared the shit out of me. I didn't want this. Damn it!
"Just let me help you," he tried again, backing me up against the wall. "I won't hurt you," he promised.
I didn't really know how it happened, but the second his warm hand touched my shoulder, I lashed out.
"Don't touch me!" I hissed.
My nails caught his arms as I shoved him away from me, sending him flying several feet away and into the bench. I watched as he flipped, a groan escaping him as he moaned in pain. I was pretty sure that I heard a rib or tow snap, my eyes going wide. All I could do was run, so I ran. I ran and I didn't look back.
T
He almost felt bad as he snapped the kids neck. It was a waste really, but he found that he wasn't hungry. He couldn't let him live after what had happened with Allegra though. No, it would have put her at risk. That was something that he couldn't let happen.
David did feel bad about one thing though as he walked the streets in the shadows. He regretted leaving her on her own, letting her going without staying by her side. It was obvious how scared she was now after realizing what she'd nearly allowed herself to do. Things were coming to her slowly and those were always the worst.
He remembered the first time that he truly realized what he was. At the start of the 1900's, no one knew the difference. He'd been down in the dumps and at the time, there was no reason for people to be cautious when approaching others. Some guy had been out with his young wife when they found him.
David had been hunched against the wall, still grieving over his family. A lot of people were doing the same thing, so they didn't think anything else of it. They were merely the unfortunate ones to approach him.
He could still remember the screams as he tore them apart, his rage getting the better of him. He didn't have a handle on himself yet and he lashed out easily, gripping the man by the throat as he sank his teeth into him. His wife had screamed, but he'd dragged her back by the ankles. In the end, she met the same bloody fate as her husband. The two were innocent that night, but it hadn't been enough to save them.
He remember the look on Max's face when he found him. He'd cleaned the boy's mess up, a look of pride on his face as he did so. It had been a disturbing concept, the prideful look on the elder man's face. David felt no pride in what he had done. Eventually, he came to accept it, but he'd felt no pride. Over the years, the hunt had become second nature to him and he didn't bat an eye at the sight of blood or death. Allegra didn't have that luxury though as a new born nor with her personality in general. It wasn't exactly in her nature to be so violent.
He was almost surprised when he found her sitting on the porch of her house. She had her head in her hands, tears cascading down her face. Next door, the dog was barking. He didn't leave the stoop though.
David let his feet carry him toward her, the crunch beneath his boots the only sound he made. She didn't even seem to register the sound as she sat there crying, scared out of her mind. He hadn't wanted this for her, not after all the time he'd spent with her. He didn't want her to feel the same pain and fear that he had felt upon turning.
"Allegra," he whispered.
He was seated beside her now, legs spread slightly as his back pressed against the post of the porch. She nearly lashed out when he place his arms around her, holding her tight. He let her struggle, but he didn't let go. It was something that he had to let her run through. It was the pain, the fear, the anxiety, the torment. It was all of them built up in one as she screamed at him, his hand pressing against her mouth in an attempt to quiet her.
"It's alright," he told her, pinning her arms at her sides.
Her face was one of fury, bright red eyes shining back at him in the dark. Her fangs were bared, saliva dripping like venom.
"Allegra!" he grunted, pressing his chin into the side of her neck as he tried to still her movements further. "You need to calm yourself," he instructed.
When she continued to ignore him, he found himself getting frustrated. She just didn't have the same level of control as he didn't. It was something that she would have for at least another five to ten years. Grunting, he narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth and sinking his teeth into her shoulder. The act itself stilled her almost immediately, boding going stock still as she whimpered. He knew that the action was cruel and unfair, but he didn't' have a choice. He knew it was a low move as her sire, but he felt he had to do it to get her to stop and calm down.
Slowly, he removed his fangs from her shoulder, drawing back enough to look her over. Her face had softened, the sharpness of her jaw fading. There was still a flicker of red in her eyes though, the tell tale sign of her vampirism.
"You need to learn to calm yourself," he told her, carefully turning her around to face him. "You're not alone in this," he promised, his hand trailing along her neck to her bleeding shoulder.
He knew that it wouldn't bleed for very long as a vampire. In fact, he could already see it trying to heal. He still found it strange though, how with that one bite he'd managed to subdue her. as a Sire, by biting into her like he had, it had released a certain amount of endorphins, calming like one would by scruffing a ferret.
"I know its hard, but we'll get through this… I promise."
T
My head was a bit fussy as I sat there. My muscles were no longer taut, the flesh now relaxed. When his teeth had bit into my shoulder, I'd flinched; feeling the shock of pain that went through me. Oddly enough, it only lasted for a few moments until the pain faded. Instead, I was left feeling something else. It was almost intimate in nature, something welling in the pit of my stomach. I had to stop myself form groaning as he pulled his fangs from my shoulder, closing my eyes momentarily.
"You need to learn to calm yourself," he told me, turning me around so that I could face him properly. "You're not alone in this."
His voice was firm as his fingers trailed along the side of my neck to my shoulder. The touch itself was soft and comforting, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake.
"I know its hard, but we'll get through this."
His hand pressed against my cheek, eyes trained with mine.
"I promise."
I nodded my head slowly, eyes welling up again. It wasn't that I didn't believe him. I just felt so out of place right now, so out of control and scattered. My senses were in a thousand different places at once and I couldn't seem to consolidate them on my own.
"David," I whispered, eyes burning. "I… I almost…"
I watched as he nodded his head in understanding, the look on his face almost hesitant as he looked ready to speak. He was stalling.
"David?"
I bit down on my lip, brow furrowing.
"I took care of it," he said slowly, his fingers curling at the base of my neck.
I felt myself shudder as I realized what that meant. Once again, I found myself crying, my body falling against him as I held tightly to his trench coat. If I'd just been able to control myself then he wouldn't have had to gotten involved. I knew exactly why he'd had to step forward. I wasn't stupid. He'd cleaned up my mess. On one was allowed to know the truth about us. It was just too dangerous.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, running a hand through my hair.
I shook my head as I buried it against him, shoulder shaking. I hated feeling like this, so miserable and uncollected. I was a disheveled mess.
"Allegra, the sun will be up soon," he said softly, pulling me back slightly so that he could look at me. "Why don't we head back, okay?"
After a moment, I nodded my head, sniffing painfully as I tried to rid myself of the tears. No doubt, my face was completely stained at this point. I didn't know how he could even look at me at the moment. As though sensing my thoughts, he gripped my face between his hands.
"You're beautiful, no matter what," he told me, pressing his forehead to mine.
"How…"
I was silenced as he pressed his lips to mine, eyes closing. The gesture was sweet and endearing. It set me aflame, my emotions trying to reach another high. When he pulled away, he had a smirk set on his lips.
"Come on."
Alright everyone, that was chapter 9! I really hope that you all liked it. I'm currently on a mission trip for the week so I'm surprised I managed enough reception for an update. Anyway, please REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. I could REALLY use the feedback to keep me going. Again, thanks to my loyal readers and happy readings!