Blood and Apples

Hangover

    My eyes focused on a fenimine figure sitting on my chest when I awoke. I had a splitting headache and my throat was parched. I tried to shove the woman off but found my arms were tied down. Oh, great. The woman's scarlet gaze narrowed at me,

   "I'm sorry, I took too much." She said, sadly.

    "Snow. Please get off of Mason." Mr Thomas sighed.

    With a flurry of navy skirts, she launched herself off, landing beside the bed.

       "She tracked you down, almost drained you of blood and then she dragged your sorry arse back here. I tried to warn you. Luckily, Snow knows your blood type so I had to restrain you while your blood levels went back up." He said these things as he unhooked me and unlatched the leather cuffs.

    I sat up slowly, my thoughts spinning. Mr Thomas quietly handed me a glass of water.

    "Oh, another thing, Mason. I've taken the liberty of cancelling your studying. You'll be working with me from now on." Mr Thomas smiled rather smugly.

      My tongue was tied and I had nothing to say. It was my own damn fault I got tangled up with this. I stared mournfully into my glass. Mr Thomas left and shut the door quietly behind him. I set the glass down and moved out of the bed. I walked with swaying steps toward Snow.

   "You got me into this mess, miss." I growled.

     Snow backed against the window, fangs bared.

   "It wasn't my fault you got attracted to me. How was I supposed to know that you'd be the one to wake me?" She hissed.

    Up close, Snow was not a flawless beauty as I imagined. She had a thin scar that ran from her hair line to her nose. I suddenly found that I quite liked her. My eyes went wide with that thought. No, she was a vampire, a being far older than I. 

   "By the way, your blood restored me to life and vigor once more. I thank you, Mason James."

        Her fingers reached out to the bite marks on my neck but I flinched and moved away. She dropped the arm and turned around. 

   "Could you help me?" She asked, her sweetness back on.

     "With what?"  

      She said nothing and gestured to the laces on her dress. I gulped,

     "I can't do that."

    "Why not? Did I not appease to you in the alley way? From your body language, you most..." I cut her off.

   I sucked in a breath and reached for the ties that held her dress together. The knots were stiff and I worked carefully to loosen them.

    "In case you hadn't noticed, my gown is covered in your blood. I got excited because I hadn't eaten in centuries." She mused.

   I reached the bottom of the bodice. She turned around, thanked me and headed for the bathroom across the room. I heard the lock click into place. I sighed and sank to the carpet. What was I supposed to do now? Was I going to blindly follow an old man into battle with vampires? And what about Snow? She had woken in a completely different century with no clue on how to act like today's society. I had almost forgotten that I had awoken her. Urgh, in that fairy tale the princess had fallen for the prince who woke her. There was no way in hell that I was doing that. I was almost certain she did not acknowledge me very much. In fact I think she tolerated me from how she acted. To her, I was her personal blood bag, keeping herself fed until she could find someone else.

   I turned to my bag and shoes laying at the end of the bed. If I left now, I could clear things up with my professors and get back to studying. But I got distracted as the bathroom door opened. I had been busily tying my shoes when I saw a pair of bare feet standing in front of me.

    "What are you doing?" Snow asked.

   "I'm leaving. I hope never to see you again." I said, grumpily.

       I stood up too quickly making my head swim. Snow gave a small cry as I landed on her. I felt bare skin and roughness of the towel. Then I landed heavily against the opposite wall. I saw her horrified face as she yanked the towel back into place. If she could blush, she'd be as red as a tomato.

    "A man does not grope a young lady without her permission, Mason James" she hissed.

       "I'm truly sorry." I swallowed.

        "Sorry is not good enough." 

     Oh, I sincerely hoped I hadn't made an enemy of hers. I watched her retreating form from the corner of my eye. I then buried my face in my hands completely embarrassed.