Fighting to Feel

Chapter 1-Fighting to Feel

The loud sound of fists connecting with bone was sickening. I felt the ground shake as the short stalky man fell down with a muted thud, knocked out cold. I could smell the stench of beer, sweat and animosity in the air. No one seemed to notice the tiny girl weaving her way through the rowdy crowd.

People were yelling in a different language and I watched as the victor in the fight knelt down over his opponent, smiling. I rolled my eyes, boys and their ego. I tried to side step a drunken man walking unstably through the crowd. He lost his footing and tripped on his own foot, I tried to catch him and ended up getting beer all over my jacket. I grumbled silently as I felt the beer seep through my jacket and onto my top. I settled the drunken man on a nearby wooden bench hoping that he stays there until he sobers up.

I took off my jacket hoping that it would dry faster that way. As soon as I took my arms out of the sleeves a few catcalls erupted from the mass of people. I gave everyone the best view of my disfigured face, the catcalls ended immediately and their sly grins turned into grimaces. I shrug my sopping jacket back on. The crowd started up a chant and I felt encased as everyone gathered closer to the fight in anticipation. I elbowed and squeezed my way to the front to see what was happening and to get some semi-fresh air into my deprived lungs.

What I saw wasn’t what I expected at all. My stomach dropped at the sight in front of me. The once unconscious man was struggling against his opponent as he tried to choke him. The mats that were spread around as a make shift fighting area were slick with sweat and blood making it hard for either man to get an advantage on the other.

I watched with sick fascination as the big burly man with eyes that blazed like halos grabbed onto the smaller mans neck and curled his fingers. I watched the life slowly leave his eyes as the burly man clenched his hand around his throat with more strength then I’ve ever seen.

This wasn’t the type of fighting I wanted to get myself into. Suddenly the place felt too crowded, too noisy and definitely too dangerous. I elbowed my way through the crowd needing to get away from this wretched place, realizing too late that what the flyer had published had been all too true. A fight to the death was what it said and it is definitely what you got. I didn’t want to die like that.

An icy hand gripped my soaked jacket and yanked me back, almost making me lose my balance. I whipped around to get a better look at the punk and regretted it immediately. The icy hand was attached to a tall, lean pale looking man that had eyes at bottomless as the oceans abyss.

He smiled slowly. “Look what I’ve found wondering into this hell hole at this time of night. How lovely.” His hand traveled up my arm and his finger slid under my chin.

Under normal circumstances I would have already broken his finger but something held me back. I could hear some people whispering around me and I heard bits of it here and there.

“What is a human doing here?” “…Been a fool to come here…”

Yeah I was a fool to come here, but human? Last time I checked that’s what I was. An ugly scarred human, but one none the less.

For a man, he had very long sharp nails that resembled talons. And his talons were gently probing the skin under my chin. “It’s my lucky night, a meal and a snack tonight.”

He bent down and brought his repulsive face closer to mine. In actuality his face was far from repulsive, it was quite the opposite. If I was into the lanky, blond hair, blue eyed, pale type then he would be good looking. But his demeanor threw me off and I didn’t like it one bit. I tensed as I felt his cool breath seep through my clothing.

“Your pulse is beating so fast, its music to my ears.” My mind was screaming at me to get the hell out of here but my feet and eyes were glued to the ground.

“Leave her be Cassio, you know Aliah will want to see her first.” The voice was quiet but it held enough power to stop Cassio in his tracks.

“This is none of your business guardian.” Cassio hissed. I heard malice in his voice but he stepped aside.

“I suggest you learn your place vampire, and quick. Before I end you right here and now.” His voice cut through the air, silencing the conversations and laughter around us.

Dusty boots appeared in my vision and I decided that it was safe to look up. I was expecting another pale “vampire” to be standing in front of me but what I got was a normal looking guy that didn’t look strong enough to take on Cassio.

He had on a faded blue button down shirt that seemed a little too tight around the arms, black jeans that were slightly rumpled and boots that looked scuffed and worn. His clothes may have looked old and dirty but his face looked like something cut out from magazines. I immediately put up my guard and glared at him. He was beautiful. His honey colored hair and light brown eyes made his bronzed skin glow under the dingy lights in the pub. He’s the type of guy that would normally hit on me until they saw my entire face and then laugh at me while I tried to ignore the sting of embarrassment.

He didn’t notice me analyzing him because he was too busy staring down Cassio. Once he turned to me I gave him the full view of my scars. He didn’t even flinch.

“You. Come with me.” And with that he turned around and walked away from me, the crowd parting for him.

Was he insane? I couldn’t stand one more second in this place. If he was dumb enough to turn his back to me that was his fault. I walked with hurried steps to the entrance.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I stopped and turned my head toward the voice. A middle-aged man with laugh lines around his eyes looked back at me.

“Watch me.”

“No, miss I don’t think you understand. You can’t. Not anymore. The guardian has already summoned his mistress.” His voice sounded urgent. I looked back at him and his eyes pleaded with me.

“Why do you care? I’ll be out of here before she can come back. Please just let me go.” I begged him.

“I-” 

“I am not going to ask you again. Come with me now. My mistress demands it.” His eyes blaze with the command. I immediately bristle at his tone.

“You didn’t ask me at all. You can’t just order me around. I am not going anywhere with you so. Back. Off.” My temper flared.

For a second he looked taken aback and then he smiled. I would be blind not to have been affected by his smile. It wasn’t a nice smile. His smile held looked cold, only finding humor in the most morbid things. I wasn’t angry anymore, I was scared.

This wasn’t a pub. It was a death sentence. I seemed to be the only normal person here. Pardon me; I was the only person here. I seemed to be surrounded by creatures that only existed in stories and movies.

“I-If I follow you will you release me after?” My anger dissipated slowly as he stood before me gazing at me with amusement.

“If she’s in the mood.” He said darkly. “Now if you will please follow me, I’d greatly appreciate it.”

As the guardian said this the middle aged man that looked like the bartender started to laugh until tears started to slip out of his eyes. “I…cannot believe…a little girl made you say please!” he said in between his fits of laughter.

The guardian took this well, “Shut up Jameson. If I didn’t get free drinks from you I’d have stuffed you in those dirty old mats of yours to suffocate and die a lonely old wolf. ”

Jameson just laughed off this threat. “Come now Logan, we’ve become friends. You wouldn’t let me die without finding myself a mate would you?”

So the guardians name was Logan. I would have thought it would have been something more…strange.

Logan’s odd sense of humor seemed to dim at this comment. “Of course not Jameson. I wouldn’t deny a friend what I cannot have for myself.”

Jameson's smile turned into a slight frown and he looked at me then Logan. “Don’t lose hope Logan.”

The hidden meaning behind all of their conversation was making me interested to know what happened to Logan. He started to walk away then and I made the worst and best decision of my life. I followed him to meet his mistress. Aliah.