The Vampires #1: Alaric and Faina

Chapter 2 (Faina): He Was Inside

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

I asked Alaric to give me a moment, and I felt myself drifting toward the master bedroom before I took a right turn because I didn't want to be anywhere near the bed we had shared.

When it had meant something.

My blood had turned sour weeks ago, and Alaric had not said a word. He'd simply turned to someone else.

Had shared.

Had meant.

Had turned.

Had not said.

Past tense. The saddest tense in the world when viewing it from what was to what is no longer.

I sat on the edge of the guest bed and looked at the floor. The doorknob rattled, drawing my eyes, but I had locked it, wondering if he'd come back after I had told him to leave. The anguish in my eyes had made him decide that giving me space to process his betrayal would be the wisest course, but deep down I'd known he'd come back before he even made it out to the car. Alaric wasn't one for space, and never had been since the night we first met.

I can't bear to be away from you, Faina.

Such a lie.

Asking him to give me a moment had given me just long enough to get to a room and lock the door.

"Stay out."

Worded in that particular, compelling voice that I had never before used on him, Alaric had no choice but to obey me. If I could manage to sleep, I'd need to remember to wake just as the sun rose and compel him to stay away from me again, otherwise, free from the compulsion, he'd burst in here and demand to talk. But I needed an entire day free from Alaric to plan and prepare...and to begin the process of dissolving our bond.

His fists hit the door as he bellowed my name, a strange experience to witness since vampires rarely lost their cool. However, despite his superhuman strength, he couldn't hit the door hard enough to break it down because of my words compelling him to stay out. Despite my sour blood, our bond still existed, giving me the power to compel him 

"Faina!"

Yell my name all you want. It won't do you any good. Better yet, bellow Daylin's name. I'm sure she'd be happy to answer you.

This was going to be a long night if he kept up the door pounding and yelling. Why he wasn't in his car heading over to Daylin's, I had no idea. Guilt? He shouldn't be guilty. He'd had no problem feeding from and fucking that bitch four times now in who knew how many days.

My blood had soured weeks ago, he'd said. Weeks ago. Two? Three? More? Our bond had been crumbling and he'd not told me, hadn't given me the dignity of a proper dissolution before turning to someone else.

Bang, bang, bang

"FAINA!"

Why call for me now, when it's too late, Alaric? When it no longer matters?

I considered what two words I would use to compel him as the sun rose. What I was doing to him was rare. As the donneuse, I had the ability to compel him to stop feeding. But I had never tried to control his behavior like this before. I wasn't sure any donneuse had, yet it seemed to be working.

Two words. Two words to save my life if he ever became so lost in my blood that he couldn't stop. The danger to my life was the only thing that could rouse me from the fugue I went into the very second his fangs pierced my skin. A state I would remain in until he removed his fangs. Unless he became lost in my blood, and I would be shocked awake with two words on my lips.