Fanged earth

Chapter 19: Find him

"Blane will not listen to any of this, you have stolen her away from him." Daniel, Dede's brother stated across the crowded room. He had been one of the loudest in the room for the past few hours. "Phillip you should go speak with him, tell him we want to speak peacefully." He stood up, "take her with you." I subconsciously tightened my grip on Vlad's arm.
"It's your choice," Vlad said to me. "I won't force you to do anything."
"I'll go, he won't hurt me."  All the vampires in the room stared at me, hunger in their eyes. Phillip was the only one not staring at me. He hadn't spoken a word since they had started.
Phillip stood up and walked over to Vlad and I, "I'm not taking her till she is fully recovered." He then left the room. The vampires erupted into yelling and shouting. I yawned as exhaustion caught up to me.
Vlad and I left the room and he once again lifted me up into his arms. He carried me back to his room placing me carefully on the bed. "Do you want anything before you sleep?" He asked sitting beside me.
"No, I'm good." He stroked my hair tucking loose strands behind my ear. "How much of the world have you taken over?"
"Basically everywhere between here and the U.K. I promise to work out giving it all back but I'm not sure how the others will react. They have waited centuries to rule the world." His body suddenly tensed up and he growled, "I have to go." Up and gone.

I ran out into the forest wanting as much distance between Jacinta and I. I couldn't let her see him not again. Never again.
"Shit she smelled good," my head exploded with his voice.
"Shut up!" I yelled as his ghostly figure emerged. He was the beast. The dark things inside me. He had been in control that night, the forest still scared by the event.
"Oh come on, if I could smell it so could you." He hissed pacing round me. "All you have to do is bite her once then she's all ours."
"No," I was shaking with anger. If I wasn't careful he'd gain full control again. "I love her I could never hurt her, but you keep hurting her. I want you out of me."
"Stop being weak like your brother, take her before he does." Like smoke he floated around me, twisting his way through my hair. He then appeared full formed in front of me inches away. "Remember what it felt like to take the unborn baby away, this will be even better."
"You liked that not me. I will win her fairly or not at all," I said standing my ground. I needed to regain control.
Taking a deep breath he disappeared whispering "one little bite." I shivered and looked up to the castle. On top of the cliff watching over the Transylvanian forest.

I looked out of the window, bored and feeling sore. My hand traced the barely there scars left behind from my first pregnancy. I remembered the dream and the little boy who had called me 'mommy'. He had been beautiful.
Vlad's room was on the side of the castle that looked over the forest. I could see where the flames months before had ripped through. It had left a strange almost beautiful scar on the landscape. The breeze was wonderful as his room was really stuffy and the day had been overwhelming.
I went back to the bed and lay down, curling up into a ball. Part of me just wanted to sleep forever. I didn't know whose arms I wanted to wake up in and thinking about either of them made me feel like I was betraying the other.
I instead thought of Titan. The poor stallion had been left all alone. Maybe he was ok. Maybe he had got out and was running around trying to find me or maybe he was happy he wasn't being pestered.
The door creaked open and I watched Phillip come in. He had a too serious look on his face so I rolled over to face the window. I felt him sit on the bed behind me. He let out a big sigh before he coughed a little.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine," I said with a snappy tone.
"Would you like to see Blane now?" Even before he asked I didn't know if I did. Being here with Vlad even for the short time it had been, had made me rethink everything. Re-feel everything.
"I don't know," I said thoughtfully. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and crossed my legs. "When I woke up I thought all I wanted was to get back to him but I don't know now. Surely I'd know?"
"I guess it's the mate thing. Look Blane at least needs to see you alive and then he might stop trying to kill anyone who comes near him." I nodded seeing the logic but it was all I was seeing. "Come on then." Phillip put his hand out and lifted me up off the bed as he stood up.
Thankfully unlike Vlad he didn't insist on carrying me through the castle. We walked past a lot of old paintings and tapestries of bloody battles. A few were of Vlad and Blane's family dressed in all their finery.
We finally reached the courtyard that led to the gates and exist of the castle grounds. Here Phillip became a wolf and motioned for me to get on his back. I climbed up gripping his extremely soft fur. It kept slipping out of my hands. Then he took off out in to the deepest part of the forest. Every now and again he would stop and sniff the air, pace a little then gallop off again.
Eventually we came to a camp where he stopped and I got down. I was suddenly enveloped in Blane's arms. It was only then I knew I'd missed him.
I squeezed back as he lifted me in his arms, I then buried my head in his chest. He carried me past a fire and into a tent. I didn't want to let go ever again.