Wilted Flower

Abducted

I woke up with the sun on my face and sat up, feeling a twinge in my neck. "Ow," I muttered, memories of last night flooding back. Anger bubbled up inside me as I got out of bed and walked down to the dining area. The smell of food wafted through the air, but as I turned the corner, I froze. Xavier was sitting at the table.

"Maya, good morning," he said, smirking at me. Fear kicked in, and I turned to leave, but Xavier appeared right in front of me. I flinched and backed up, terrified. My hands fell back, hitting the table, and I nearly lost my balance.

"Relax, Maya. I won't try anything. Besides, I'm not thirsty right now. You have nothing to worry about," Xavier said, his voice smooth and controlled.

I stood still, eyeing him warily, fearing he might try something despite his words.

"Maya, you need to eat to keep your health," he urged, gesturing to the table.

Reluctantly, I sat down, looking at the food on my plate and the cranberry juice beside it. "Why do I need to keep drinking cranberry juice?" I asked, glancing at Xavier.

"So your blood can taste good, for me of course," he replied nonchalantly.

"You're saying that I'm just supplying blood for you?"

"Exactly."

After finishing my breakfast with Xavier, I went to the garden to look at the flowers I had admired from my window. The wilted ones caught my eye, reminding me of myself. As I looked to my right, I saw something move. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to follow it. Suddenly, I felt a hand cover my mouth. I tried to fight against my unseen assailant, but it was useless. Darkness overtook me, and I blacked out.

Xavier's Perspective

Moving from shelf to shelf, I tried to take my mind off my thirst. The human in my house wasn't helping. Last night, I hadn't expected to drink from her so soon, but when she angered me, my thirst only grew stronger. I gave in, but what I didn't anticipate was how sweet her blood would taste. The maid had only given her cranberry juice that morning.

Her fear of me was oddly exciting. When she flinched, I couldn't help but relish it. Lost in thought, it took me hours to finish arranging my books. By the time I was done, it was already noon. I went to look for Maya on the fourth floor, but she wasn't there. I scanned the rest of the floors and the garden, but she was nowhere to be found.

I decided to ask my servants. "Where's Maya?"

"I... I don't know, sir. I saw her go to the garden, but she never came inside," one of them stammered.

Anger flared within me. I went to the phone and called a friend to have his witch track her down.

It was already dark when they arrived at the house. "She can only track with something of Maya's," Carlos said.

"I know. That's why I brought her hairbrush down," I replied.

"I found her," Scarlet, the witch, announced after a moment.

"Is there a way I could get to her tonight?" I asked urgently.

"Here, this compass can help you," Scarlet offered, handing me a small object.

I thanked them and headed outside, speeding through the woods with my vampiric abilities. Finally, I came to a dark house. The smell of human passed me, and I grew angrier as I caught the scent of blood – Maya's blood.

Maya's Perspective

I woke up to find myself tied to a chair in a dark space. Panic set in as I saw a dark figure approaching. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling. "What do you want?"

"Mmm... I want you to die. It's just that simple," a woman's voice replied. As she spoke, she stepped into the dim light, revealing long brown hair and a black dress. "I want to make Xavier suffer like I have."

"Look, I don't want anything to do with him, okay? Please let me go," I pleaded.

"Liar!" she screamed. "You care for him deep inside because you can see a little bit of yourself in him." As she yelled, I felt a knife cut my arm.

"Ow!" I cried out in pain.

"Or maybe you love that feeling of being scared, and supplying him with blood. Maybe that turns you on," she taunted.

"You've got it all wrong," I sobbed.

The knife slashed me twice more on the same arm.

"Liar!"

"Wait!"

"Now I'm going to kill you."

"Fine, you're right about all of it! Now let me go!" I shouted desperately.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. The woman ran, and Xavier appeared in front of me. "Untie me," I begged, wanting to be free.

As soon as I was released, I got up from the chair, pleading with Xavier not to go after her. I felt weak, blood dripping from my arm. I grabbed onto him as dizziness overcame me, and then I felt him sweep me off the floor. As I closed my eyes, all I could feel in that moment was a sense of safety while he carried me through the woods. Finally, I let sleep take over.

When I awakened, I saw an unfamiliar face. "She's awake," the woman said.

"See, what did I tell you, Xavier? Scarlet is to be trusted. She healed your human," a man's voice added.

I heard chatter going back and forth as I sat up. I scanned the room, my eyes finally landing on Xavier by the door. Relieved, I stared at him, and he stared back.

"Maya, you need to rest still," the woman next to me said, drawing my attention away from Xavier. "My name is Scarlet, by the way."

I was tired but managed a smile at her greeting. As I closed my eyes, I fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke again, I felt a hand on me. "Maya," Xavier called out. "You need to eat." I sat up, taking his advice, and reached for the tray next to the bed. As I began eating, I noticed Xavier staring at my neck, not my eyes. He must have fought his hunger that night to save me and ensure I was okay, especially when I was bleeding.

"You must be hungry," I stated.

"Don't talk. Just eat," he said in a soft tone.

I put the tray aside and got out of bed, walking towards Xavier and stopping in front of him. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm offering my blood to you," I said boldly.

"No, stop," he said, holding up his hand. "You need your strength, Maya."

"But you've already suffered enough, haven't you? Last ni-"

"Enough!" he yelled, standing up and moving closer to me. "Stop trying to make me feed from you."

I looked up at him, feeling scared but also realizing that I loved that feeling. "Why?" I asked, stepping closer and closing the space between us. I knew what I was doing was tempting and dangerous, but I didn't care.

The longer I stood there, the more I noticed his eyes changing and his hunger growing. Suddenly, he grabbed me and pinned me to the bed. As he turned my neck, I felt his teeth sink into me. I grasped the bed sheets, biting my lip and trying to stay awake by focusing on the pain.

When I turned to look at Xavier, I saw him slightly lifting his head and licking his lips. I panted, catching my breath, and our gazes met. I felt something I had never experienced before, and as I shifted slightly, I began to feel aroused underneath him. Panicking, I tried to push him off me, but he pinned me back to the bed and bit my neck again. I tried to suppress the sounds threatening to escape my mouth, but the feeling was too strong, and I let out a moan. With a final surge of strength, I managed to push Xavier off me.

To be continued...