Quicker, I thought to myself, my boots splashing through the puddles in the dark street. I was going to be late, and Father would fucking kill me if I was late for my own birthday party.
Last year's was a disaster.
I huffed, tightening the messenger bags straps so it would stop hitting me in the legs as I sprinted towards my house, able to see my breath in the cold air, the only illumination in the fog the old timey looking street lamps.
I glanced behind me at my name, my steps faltering, and then smashed into someone.
Couldn’t they see I was sprinting here?
I felt their hands steady me, and I looked up through my wet hair in annoyance. Laurent standing in front of me, his cold hands clasping my arms. He was like touching an ice berg, and about as cold hearted as one, too, though I found his nasty comments sort of enjoyable.
"What more do you want from me? I've already given you the sun ring," I huffed, gazing up at him through my dark lashes. I’d just left his wonderful little den of disgruntled vampires, I didn’t see why he was following me now.
"Well, you did leave rather abruptly," he chuckled at me, running his fingers through my tangled hair and trying to pat it back into decent shape; it always looked like some kind of wild birds nest. "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
"That's because Jersey tried to eat me again," I smacked his hand away from me. " And I'm getting tired of having to defend myself from your grunts. You want my help, you're gonna have to give me me a little more protection."
"I offered to change you," he chuckled at me, his lips suddenly close to my ear. "To let our blood into your veins and gift you with eternity, my sweet."
"Yeah, but then I would have to spend it with you," I snorted, shivering as he trailed his fingers down my neck, his blonde hair tangling in mine as he pressed his cold lips against my neck.
"Don't," I murmured, taking a step away from him.
Laurent was the leader of the vampires in our area, and I'd been friends with him for a couple years now. He'd been friends with my mother, and I'd sort of taken up the friendship when she'd died. I did favors for him occasionally, petty ones here and there, and he did the same for me.
I had to admit, the dark fascinated me, though if my father ever knew...
I didn't want to even think about that.
"Why do you keep telling me no?" he sighed, backing me up against the iron fence that ran along the popular parks exterior; I’d stumbled to a stop here, and if it had been day time the place would have been bustling with mothers and their children, athletic types who liked to run the trails, an occasional werewolf frisbee game --- not that I was judging. Werewolves smelled bad, but they made great bodyguards.
My eyes flicked upwards as Laurents fingers curled around my wrists, holding them tightly in his grasp. I sucked in a breath as he leaned closer to me, inhaling my scent.
"You smell nice, Seca," he breathed, brushing my dark hair over my shoulder. He tugged on my jacket, pulling it away from my throat. "Why don't you just skip the party and come back with me?"
"I can't miss my own party," I murmured, chuckling nervously.
Laurent could try all he wanted, I would never permit to a change.
"You're so stubborn," he chuckled, stepping away from me, his white irises glowing in the darkness. "Just like your mother. Happy birthday, Seca."
I looked down at the hand that suddenly hovered in front of my face, a small box in his palm. I hesitated, my grey eyes flicking to his before the box. I plucked it out of his palm and turned away from him, letting my hair separate us as I opened it.
"Laurent," I murmured, a little touched. It was a silver necklace with a small blue orb dangling off, smoke swirling in the center of it.
"I gave your mother a red one for her twenty - first birthday too," he murmured, tucking my hair behind my ear fondly. "Blue seemed more your style."
"You know me so well," I chuckled, feeling him move behind me. He brushed my hair out of the way as he pressed his lips against the back of my neck.
"Of course I do, love. Your blood tells me everything about you."
I sent him a disgruntled look as I took the orb out of the box, flicking the chain out. "Make yourself useful while you're standing there."
He chuckled, snapping the clasp on the necklace, and the orb fell against the swell of my breasts.
I looked down, twisting it between my fingers.
"Thank you, really. It's Beautiful."
"You're welcome, Seca. Now, don't you have a party to get too?"
"Unfortunately" I sighed, turning to face him, my eyes drifting to his pale lips. He smiled, and his fangs glinted.
"You wanting a little nip before you go?"
I scowled at him; I hated it when he said it like that.
I knew I had a problem, or more like an addiction, to the vampire bite. I liked the euphoria it gave me, the high that made me just forget everything for a little while...
What can I say, I had issues.
I think he took my sigh for a yes.
Laurent turned, forcing me with him, and pressed me against the cold iron again, his lips searching out the vein in my throat hastily; witch blood was just as addictive to vampires as their bite was to everyone else. The magic in our blood made their cheeks flush like they were still alive, and I heard it gave them quite a thrill that almost made their heart beat.
I didn't know if all that was true, but Laurent sure got off on it.
"Be quick, I don't have a lot of time," I whispered, shrugging my shoulder so it would be easier for him to move my clothing out of the way
.
"Oh, darling, you know I like to take my time."
I felt his fangs sink into my neck, and I gasped, my fingers clenching in his jacket, my eyes closing as I felt the euphoria hit. I heard a moan escape my lips as my body went limp into his arms, enjoying every second of it.
I was addicted to the bite.
Which was one of the worst things a witch could do.
But I just couldn't help myself.
I could remember the first time Laurent had bitten me, just a quick nip to tease and frighten the silly little sixteen year old girl who'd just lost her mother and was wanting to know more of the darkness. He'd tried to scare me away, when in fact it had done the opposite, drawing me in.
My mother had been like this as well, Father always said that was why she'd died; she'd kept company with the low lifes of Downtown London, and it had gotten to her finally.
Still, she probably enjoyed every second of it.
I wasn't sure if Father knew of the relationship Laurent and my mother had had --- probably not. If he had known, he would have had Laurent hunted down for such a immoral thing.
Especially now that it had continued on to his daughter.
I wouldn't become intimate with Laurent, however, and I knew my mother hadn't either. That wasn't what our relationship was about; it was purely for the blood exchange, the euphoric high it gave the both of us, witch and vampire --- even the comedown was pleasant.
Well, except for the headaches and the occasional fainting spell.
I felt his fangs sink a little deeper into my throat, and I winced, my hand curling around his neck, able to feel him swallowing my blood, gulping it really.
"Laurent," I rasped, "slow down, th-thats too... too much..."
I was starting to feel weak.
He didn't respond, just pressed closer against me, the cold from the iron fence starting to seep through my jacket now.
"Laurent, stop!" I gasped, my eyes popping open, and I pressed against him. "Stop! Stop it!"
I felt his fingers tangle into my hair, forcing me to keep my head angled to the side, and I felt panic suddenly replace the euphoria I'd felt seconds ago.
He had never done this to me before!
I squirmed against him, trying to get my arms between us, but he was holding me so tightly I could barely move. My limbs were starting to feel weak, the tips of my fingers growing numb, and I knew this wasn't good, that I had to do something before, before....
Laurent went rigid, and I blinked my eyes a few times, the bright, bluish-white light making spots dance before them.
I felt his fangs abruptly pop out of my skin, and I gasped in pain, my shoulders immediately starting to hunch.
I slumped back against the fence as Laurent took a few steps from me, my blood black on his lips from the lack of light ... or maybe my vision was just going dark?
I blinked a couple more times, my hand rising to the wounds in my throat, blood still seeping outward since he hadn't touched them with his saliva.
"Seca." He stared at me a few seconds, a horrified look overcoming his face as he realized he hadn't been able to control himself. His dark eyes flickered from my face and then over, and I followed, seeing a man standing a few feet from us, his cane held tightly in his fingers.
"Naughty of you two, consorting like that in the middle of a busy street," the man frowned at the two of us. "Especially in this upscale neighborhood. Don't you have some slums you can do that in?"
He was starting to tip sideways.
Laurent caught me as I slipped heavily to the ground, the glowing streetlamps starting to look like distant stars.
This certainly wasn't good.
"I am so sorry!" he gasped, helping me sit up, and I noticed the other guy was now crouching down beside us, his brows furrowed. "That has --- that shouldn't have happened! I've never lost control like that!"
"It's... it's..." I couldn't even speak.
"What are you, newly turned?" The man scoffed at Laurent, and I glanced at his hands as he started to tug on the tips of his fancy black gloves, revealing his pale skin, covered in black tattoos that spoke of a darker magic, magic that was frowned upon. "Haven't you learned to control your bloodlust?"
"Don't berate me, sir," Laurent glowered. "This isn't any of your concern."
"Well, it seems to me like you drank so much of her essence she can't even speak, so I do believe it is my concern. If I hadn't come by, she'd probably be a bloodless flesh bag, now wouldn't she?" I felt his fingers suddenly brush my cheek, and it was like ice touching my skin, so cold I was afraid it would give me frostbite.
I gazed at him dumbly, feeling like there was a heavy weight across my mind, shutting me down completely until I could barely form a thought of my own.
The man frowned at me, and he forcefully tilted my head to the side, gazing at the still-bleeding wounds against my neck.
"Hmph. Are you in control of yourself where her wounds can be dealt with?"
Laurent glared at him, and then turned to me, his eyes hesitant before he leaned forward, brushing my now sticky hair away from my neck. I felt his lips press lightly against my skin, and then his tongue was darting out across the two bite marks, stopping the bleeding and healing them enough where they wouldn't be noticed unless you knew what to look for.
"You'll be okay," the other man said, and I felt him pat my arm. "A little loopy for a few hours, but okay nontheless. Just don't make any stupid decisions like this again, hmm?"
He obviously had no idea who I was.
I always made stupid decisions.
"I trust you can get her to where she needs to be, vampire. I've other matters to attend to that require my attention, a lot more important then making sure a blood junkie finds her way home."
"She's not a blood junkie, warlock," Laurent snapped, and I felt his hands clench against the material of my clothing, his eyes flaring angrily. "Don't speak of her that way!"
"I'm sure." The man didn't look impressed.
He was really quite tall when he stood, it only enhanced because I was still on the ground. He wore a top hat, long, ink-colored hair falling and framing his face on either side, almost reaching past the collar of his shirt, which appeaerd to be black as well. He was dressed very fancy, his dark cloak reaching his ankles, just above the polished boots he wore. His eyes were dark, from what I could see, made even darker by the kohl that surrounded his eyes.
He wasn't bad to look at, though.
And it was nice of him to stop and make sure Laurent didn't kill me.
Most others who roamed this neighborhood would have scoffed and just let it happen, saying the blood junkies and whores deserved what they got for getting addicted to a vampire bite. If there happened to be a corpse the next morning, so be it, it was probably just one of the lower folk.
That's how they would have thought about it, at least.
I flexed my fingers, realizing I had feeling back in them, and looked down at my hands, shifting my body as I become more aware that I was sitting in a puddle.
"Come, love, let's get you home," Laurent murmured, slipping his arms beneath mine as he forced me to rise to unsteady legs. He kept his grip tight on me as he situated my clothing, flicking the collar of my shirt up to hide the wounds and any leftover blood. "I really am sorry."
"It's.... it's okay," I managed, my body waving back and forth, and I felt so loopy. I leaned heavily on him as he turned, and he forced me to walk the sidewalk with him, his cloak curling around my shoulders to try to help fight the chill.
"I'm so sorry," Laurent repeated, looking unhappy as we walked. "I never... I don't know what happened."
I was more worried about how late I was.
Father was absolutely going to kill me for being late to my own birthday party. In fact, he might literally curse me amidst the entire crowd when I finally appeared, just to make a point about punctuality.
I was more worried about that then I was the fact Laurent had almost killed me.
"Where... where did that man go?" I mumbled, looking around as we walked, realizing he wasn't anywhere to be found.
"I dont know, love. It doesnt matter."
