Slayer [vampire+vampire hunter]

Slayer 13

"Alexis...I love you...I really do love you...I'm so sorry...Forgive me..."

I stroked a hand over his forehead with another sigh, propping my chin up with my other hand. Discovering him asleep at my side during the middle of the night had done nothing good for my already frayed nerves, but I had the sense he desperately needed the companionship, to be near someone else...especially me. And, truth to be told, I didn't...really mind sleeping in the same bed as him. That was all that was happening. I'd gone to sleep in his arms, exhausted from losing all the blood, and my body needed a chance to regain its strength...

Reaching out to smooth out the pucker between his eyebrows, I pressed a kiss to his cheekbone, trying to soothe him enough that his frantic murmur could stop, willing for the touch to filter into his unconsciousness and dispel his unnecessary fears. And he said he loved me, even if he was still definitely and completely asleep. "I love you too," I whispered tentatively, watching as his body seemed to melt slightly back into the bed, his breathing deepening. I exhaled in relief as his restlessness faded away.

"Huh," a vaguely familiar voice said.

I jumped and twisted hurriedly in a sitting position to see who it was at the doorway.

Zian leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at us. I blushed reflexively, picturing the image-Xavier and I in bed, him asleep, me with puncture wounds in my neck...Not good.

"Looks like he finally got you," he remarked. "I was wondering why he hadn't done it yet." He slunk into the room with the whisper-quiet gait of a jungle cat, and I held still, tensing, ready for an attack.

"I don't know either," I said in a low, defensive voice.

Zian made a face. "It's because of how he feels about you, how he loves you."

I thought back to his frenetic mumblings. "I guess so."

"But you, do you love him too?" he asked, stretching languidly.

"What's it to you?" I replied, still distrustful of him.

He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "I don't know, maybe it's because if you don't want him, he could want someone else, and maybe that someone else is someone I want-I don't know, do I!?" he said angrily, his voice rising with each word.

"Quiet down!" I hissed, glancing at Xavier, who was still sleeping beside me. He stirred slightly but went back into unconsciousness easily.

Zian's face turned chagrined. "Damn, and I thought I could've handled it," he scowled to himself. "This is frustrating."

This time it was my turn to speculate. "Who do you want that wants Xavier?" I hissed, suddenly possessive, reaching out to grasp his fingers in mine under the blankets, a movement the other vampire couldn't have missed.

"Xeona..." His voice seemed to wrap around the word and taste it, luxuriate in it, bask in the sheer delight of just uttering it. Despite all he had ever done, to me or anyone else, he truly loved her.

I just couldn't see the attraction.

I knew her; she'd come to visit more than often, and every time, I was certain she would be all over Xavier, throwing her barely concealed body at him. She definitely knew how to piss me off by offhanded remarks, but I had better control than to snap back. I'd had more than enough fantasies involving causing her agonizing death.

He must have read the revulsion on my face, because he sighed and sat down at Xavier's desk, wheeling the chair around to face me. "I knew her before she became...like how you know her. We were childhood friends, like you and that slayer...Cailler." I startled at Cai's name, but he forged ahead. "She was sweet, she was funny, she was beautiful. She was everything I could've ever wanted. But then slayers came and killed her family, and she turned bitter and angry. She wants power, enough to wipe out the entire human race, and Xavier has that, so she wants him. And I don't, so she'll never look at me again..."

His voice was miserable, but I could only register how Xeona's life story sounded oddly like...mine. Family killed. Fighting hard for revenge. We'd chosen opposite paths, but yet-the same. I understood her, the way Zian probably knew Cai. The only thing was Cai could've never fallen for me. The very prospect of that was laughable.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "And I do. I love Xavier, Zian. I never thought I could, and I never wanted to because I'm scared to lose yet another person I love, but I couldn't help it. I love him."

"Yet another person you love?" Zian asked in surprise.

I gave him a slightly pained smile. "My life is like Xeona's. I'm a slayer. My family was killed by vampires-my parents, my brother, my sister. They're gone forever, and I swore I'd avenge their deaths. I've been trying to wipe out all of your kind, but then I met Xavier. Well, I tried to kill him the first time we met. He offered to help me get revenge, so I went with him, and...we fell in love."

Zian's jaw had dropped. "He said he'd help you kill your family's killers?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes..." I was beginning to worry he'd never be able to close his mouth again and we'd have to dump blood down his throat directly.

"But that's insane!" he burst out.

"How?"

"He could lose his Lord title that he fought so hard for, he could lose his reputation, he could lose his life, even! What was he thinking!?" Zian ranted, standing and pacing in agitation. I realized despite how he felt about everything with Xeona, Zian still admired his older brother for his strength and ability.

"What? What is it?" I insisted.

Zian lifted his horror-filled eyes to meet mine. "He consented to help you destroy the strongest vampire in all existence-his own grandfather and the very first Lord. The one responsible for your family's death. The one who saved Xavier's own life."

--

i dont know how many of you saw my message to my fans, but ill just go over it again:

my computer got taken away (my parents...well...long story :\\) so i wont be able to be online, like, at all. im pretending to study now to post this! D:

who knows when i can earn it back, so youll have to be content with this chapter--HEY I POSTED TWO TODAY RIGHT DDDDDD:

please vote, comment, like, whatever, to get me higher on whats hot, and i promise two more chapters when i do get backk :( the times i can think to upload, i wont have the story to put up, how much does that suck! :(((

ill miss you all...please DO NOT STOP THE ACTIVITY when im finally getting fans and reads, i have to go...what kind of karma is that D:

so pleaseeeeeeee get me up higher on whats hot and pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE THIS STORY ON YOUR OWN STORIES!<3 [of course, all of this goes if you think i deserve it lol]

aiyaaaa... ill do my best to get my compy back D8 </3

love you all!