The Vampire: The Life of Catherine Part 2

Chapter 11

The next night, throwing open the mansion front door, Catherine waltzed into the mansion just as the light brightened the dark sky. The housemaids and the mansions footmen Catherine had commandeered after murdering the mansions original owners, followed Catherine in a half running pace.

Catherine threw off the cloak covering her shoulders, then the long gloves that were up her arms, and removed the clips from her hair, letting her blonde hair fall long down her back. As the carriage pulled up to the mansion, Catherine felt the familiar tightness in her chest and blanket of warmth covering her body. She knew Arius was near. The clacks of her heeled shoes ricocheted off of the stone walls.

Coming face to face with the large wooden door of the library, Catherine threw it open and entered inside to see Arius crouched at the fireplace, feeding another dry log of wood into the flames. He wiped off his hands and turned to Catherine with a slanted smile. "I was wondering when ye'd be arriving." With the flick of her hand, Catherine sent the staff following her away.

Then Bartholomew, bowed his head and closed the door behind Catherine as he exited, giving the vampire's their privacy. "Breaking and entering again, are we?" said Catherine, moving into the library. "I noticed Amon hasn't shown his face in some time. Ye two wouldn't've had a fallin' out, would ye?" Catherine smirked. "You ask as if it were your business, Mr McMyler." She says to him. "It's a deep concern of mine." Arius held a hand over his unbeating heart. "It's a dangerous and cruel world out t'ere, and I'd hate for ye to be taken advantage of." He tells her with a smile.

"Because I am a woman?" She says sounding offended. "Precisely!" The slight arch of Catherine's brow rose. Arius shook his head. "Nay, Lady Catherine ye mistaken me. It's because ye're a fine lass." He tells her. "Oh, because I am a woman and pretty?" Her expression stoned over with annoyance, once again finding this vampire aggravating. Arius' dark eyes glistened with aroused excitement. "I like it when ye get mad, Cat. T'a way t'a flicker of t'a fire brings out yer soul, It's breathtakin'." He says to her

Catherine smirked and crossed over to the drink chart, pouring two glasses of the brown liquor in the decanter. "You are mistaken, Liam, I have no soul." Arius eyed her strangely, with a gliding smile across his face, as if he knew something Catherine did not and this annoyed the hell out of her. "T'at may be, but, ye're not immune," said Arius, earning a confused look from Catherine.

He stepped away from the fireplace, holding his hands behind his back. "Since becomin' a vampire, I don't feel much anymore. Most of t'a time, I feel angry. I'm angry at everyone in my past t'at gave up on me. I reckon, I did not give enough reason to put much stock in me, in the first place, but nonet'aless, I'm still wrecked wi' t'a thirst of revenge." Arius said as he slowly moved around her.

Catherine folded her arms across her chest, seemingly terribly bored with this conversation. Arius stopped moving around when he faced her directly. He stood tall, towering over her. Catherine stared at him, still unsure where this conversation was going. She wasn't sure what she wanted more, to punch that devilishly handsome look off of his face, kiss him, or toss him into the blazing fire.

Violence and fierce desire waged war in her dead unbeating heart. "Feelin' emotions other t'an anger and desire, I never had t'at luxury. Not even when I was alive, until ye." Arius admitted, stunning Catherine where she stood. "For t'a first time in my life, I feel somethin', Cat. At first, it confused me and t'an it angered me. I felt a rage t'at I never felt before. I didn't know how to express it, so I tried violence," said Arius, explaining their last encounter which ended in a fight.

"What I feel, it's only for ye. It's scary, and it's messy but, I don't t'ink I can be wit'out it. I can't be wit'out ye." Arius reached out his hand, cupping her cheek. "Liam, if this is one of your games." She says. "No, it's not." he said. "I know what it means now. I'm not angry at it." Catherine began to shake her head, realizing that he was very serious in his proclamation. Catherine was torn by what was more of a surprise to her, Arius' admittance of his feelings for her or her desperate desire to tell him that she understands and feels the same.