The Vampire's Prey

chapter 22

Today we both walked to my little cottage and it would be a big lie to say that I never missed it. It felt great to be home especially to see all those black roses, most of which had died due to no one taking care of them anymore. But I also hated this place as too many bad memories were associated with it and it made me fear that my past evil self might just return by coming here.
"Let's take the roses first, whichever are still not dead, that is," I say as I sadly gaze at my garden that was dying especially due to winter nearing.
Me and Aden worked hard that day to pull out every living rose plant from the root and carefully take them to the mansion in baskets. Once we returned we planted them around the entrance gardens of the mansion together.
Then as the sun lowered, we both, after lunch and rest, went back to the cottage to take any of my belongings that I needed from there. There was nothing large, just a collection of valuables that I had hidden about my house. Once we had that I think we'll call it a day.

Then as we journeyed back to the mansion something or rather someone came in our way. The moment he came to light I froze like a rabbit who had lost all hope in escaping from its predator. Aden didn't notice for a while, its a vampire's weakness actually, they depend on the scent of blood to much that they forget that vampires cannot smell each other. It is very easy for vampires to sneak on vampires. But when he did, his grip on my wrist tightened with rage without being aware of it. I was stunned just by the sight of him...the other vampire...
His gleaming seductive red eyes looked deeply into mine and he smirked. The bad memories resurfaced and I looked away instantly, almost like flinching at the sight of him.
"Move out of our path," Aden ordered in a low growl like angry voice.
"You're still with him, are you now," he spoke calmly to me whilst ignoring Aden. I cowered behind Aden, not daring to look at this other vampire. "I was hoping you'd run away from him again and come to me instead. I'm sure you can't deny I treated you much better than him."
"I said move it," Aden yelled wrathfully.
"Make me," the other vampire said with a smirk once he finally acknowledged Aden's presence, provoking a reaction from him but I instantly grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold him back.
"Don't, just ignore him and keep going," I whispered to Aden.
His jaw tightened, he seemed to have hated going away without a fight but eventually he nodded and we tried to take a detour and keep walking.
"You know its wrong to keep a witch," the other vampire yelled teasingly from behind us, "you could get in big trouble if word goes out of the forbidden treasure you keep." Aden was now pacing faster away from him, clearly not liking whatever the vampire went yelling on about. "Its not nice to not share with your own kind...in fact I think its a seriously punishable crime!"

Once we were back at the mansion, Aden slammed the doors shut in attempt to take his rage out on the huge front entrance doors. I was startled and afraid to say the wrong thing. Unsure of what to do, I decided to step back and give him some space for a while. He seemed so angry, breathing hard and all, I was sure he would break things down or something like that but instead he suddenly went weak and fell on his knees trembling. He gripped his hair in a way that suggested he had some kind of headaches.
Seeing him collapse like that, I instantly ran to his aid. I sat in front of him and that's when I went in shock to see heavy tears dripping from his face.
"Aden what's wrong," I asked in a cautiously soft voice.
"I messed up," he said weakly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I was selfish and irrational."
"About what?"
"I should have known..."
"Aden please, you are making me worried, what are you saying, you're scaring me."
"I should have never done this to you..."
"Done what? What, Aden, what?"
"I should have never made you my prey," he cried out. His raspy voice echoing all around the empty mansion corridors. "They'll come for you," he continued in a whisper, "he'll tell them and they'll come for you. I put you in danger, I'm sorry."
"I don't understand..."
"Its what he said, I knew it yet always ignored it. Its forbidden for a witch to be turned into a vampire's:s prey because her blood remains eternal no matter how many times its drunk. But this ruins the cycle of vampires because if we just feed off of one person forever who never even turns into a vampire then more vampires will not be created. It is for this reason that it was said that if a vampire gets his hand on a witch, he cannot keep her, she must be shared with all vampires," he explained.
"So...now that the other vampire knows of me...you think he'll tell others and they'll all take me?"
"No, he won't tell others, he'll go straight to the king of vampires."