By the time the sun had set, my temper had settled.
Lucien never came back, and through the bond and my new keen senses, I could tell that he wasn’t in his apartment across the hall.
My throat was still burning, the need for blood intensified with every second that passed. I stared at the ice box across from me, unable to bring myself to open it. Somehow, I felt that if I drank from the bags, I would be letting go of the last shred of humanity still left in me.
I got up, opening my curtains and enjoying the dark night ahead. I had always loved the nighttime, a unique sense of peace settling in my soul every time the sun set. I sighed, taking in the view ahead of me.
“This is my life now, an eternity of night,” I whispered to the empty house. I expected that statement to hurt, to revive the sense of sadness I had just managed to quell, but it never came. Despite my previous outburst, a sense of calmness washed over me now as I thought about the future. A lone tear escaped my eye, and I wiped it away quickly. I was in pain, that much was obvious, but so was Lucien. I clutched my chest, allowing the bond to connect me to him. Within seconds, foreign emotions hit me like a train, almost bringing me to my knees. Guilt, doubt, fear, sorrow. My Fated was suffering, and I couldn’t help but think that it was my fault.
I sat back down, fingers dancing over the ice box.
“If I was in his place, would I have done the same thing?” The answer was instantaneous, a resounding yes ringing through my mind. Lucien was a 200-year-old vampire who had waited his entire life for his Fated. For the woman he would spend eternity with. For me. Then an old friend turned enemy came along right after he found me, took me from him, and killed me right in front of his eyes. Was he supposed to do nothing? Would I have felt better if he had just let me die in his arms instead of saving me the only way he knew how? What would have happened to him if I was gone? Would he have died too? The thought made my chest cave in, and I choked down another sob. I was done crying, I had spent the whole day crying and ruminating in my own misery that I neglected the fact that my Fated was in much worse shape.
“I would have saved him too.”
The realization sent me flying to my front door, but just as I was about to open it, Lucien’s words rang through my ears. You need to feed, he had said. If I walked out now, without drinking the blood he left for me, I would be putting so many people in danger. I had no idea how much strength or energy this new body held, but I knew that if I could smell the blood in that box, out there in a crowded city, I would be a ticking Bomb. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, and I would never forgive myself if I killed someone just because I was too stubborn.
I turned around, standing right in front of my coffee table. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I flung the box open and stared at the contents. 10 blood bags of various types were stacked neatly inside, waiting for me. Did Lucien think I needed that many? Was I going to drink them all? I was so new at this, so confused, that I regretted kicking him out earlier. He could have been here for me, if I had let him.
I grabbed a bag, the cold liquid sloshing around it sending my senses into a frenzy. Before I knew what I was doing, I had already torn through it, emptying the contexts into my parched throat. It was empty within seconds, the next bag already halfway through my system.
By the time I had come to my senses, five bags were drained, lying around my living room floor. I licked my lips, basking in the newfound energy that coursed through my veins. I felt euphoric, my body buzzing with excitement and my mind clearer than it ever was. Determined to make this better, I headed back to my bedroom. I quickly changed my clothes, brushed my hair, and stood in front of my mirror once more. My eyes were back to green now that I have fed, specks of gold dancing in my irises. My hair looked beautiful, my skin was glowing, and my reflection was no longer a stranger. I didn’t dwell on the sudden change, I had better things to do. A quick whiff of my perfume informed me that I would never be wearing any fragrance again, my nose burning with the strong smell. Grabbing my shoes and coat, I put them on, leaving my apartment within minutes.
YOU ARE READING
Fated
Fantasy"Lucien kissed me as if he was starving, as if he was desperate, as if he was a sinner, and my lips held the keys to his salvation. His hands snaked under his coat, exploring my body like he was on a mission, like my skin had the answer to all of hi...
