Vampyre Bite

Chapter One

I don't know where I am. And no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to remember how I got here. All I know is that it's cold and completely dark. Pitch black nothingness drapes herself over me like a thick blanket while her icy fingers dance along my spine. Every breath I take sends a white hot pain shooting through my body. Every shaky movement I make causes my ribcage to echo with a pain so great it made me nauseous. No matter how hard I strain my eyes or how many times I try to blink the darkness away, I'm still forever submerged in a pitch black ocean of nothing. The pain in my body persists, even when I hold perfectly still. My eyes sting with the tears that were clawing at my eyes and I almost let them escape. But, even though I want so desperate to break down into uncontrollable sobs, I refuse to let that weakness show. I try once more to move and scream in agony as every bone in my body felt as if they were being broken into tiny fragments.
"The only way out of this god forsaken nightmare is sleep." I mutter despairingly to myself. I squeeze my eyes shut and beg for sleep to take me from this place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stand in what looks to be a forest. Tall trees all but disappear into the dark sky above me. I look all around me and thin tendrils of fog start to peek through the trees. A piercing howl shatters through the silence and drops me to my knees. I dig desperately at my ears, trying to escape the blood chilling sound. I try to hear nothing but my rushing blood and my rapid, panicked heartbeat but my eardrums vibrate so hard they feel like they may bleed at any second. The high pitched howl drags me onto my side and I curl into myself. In agony, I start to scream along with the haunting call. The howl is so much louder and closer that I almost start to believe that it's coming from within my head. I writhe in pain as it continues to grow in volume and pitch.

Just when I was sure my ears couldn't take anymore and I was about to pierce my own ear drums to keep from hearing it, it stopped. Eerie silence hung in the air as my breathing slowed to slight gasps. My ears rang and when I open my eyes, everything was still. As I came to my senses, my heartbeat finally slowed and I was no longer afraid of an imminent heart attack. I roll onto my hands and knees and look up when I felt hot breath on my neck. As my eyes travel up, I take in massive paws that could easily be the size of my face and thick black fur that covered taut, rippling muscles. Dripping fangs snarl at me from an angry, hungry mouth and my eyes lock onto glowing green eyes. Eyes that are familiar to my heart but my mind refuses to stand down. My hand grips the smooth leather binding of the blade I carry at my thigh and my body tenses as I prepare to plunge it in between the beast's shoulder blades.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And I lunge. My adrenaline courses through me and the serrated blade goes right into its target. The animal screeches and tosses me aside like a doll. I hit a tree and fall to the ground, watching as it writhes and twists, trying desperately to dislodge my blade from its body. I close my eyes and push myself into a more upright position. By the time my eyes move to where the beast stood, a man had taken its place. Purple blood trickling down his back and my blade in his hand. Viking tattoos are gracefully etched into his flawless skin. Thick, raven black hair tumbles in waves across his shoulders and taught, ripcord muscles travel throughout his whole body. He rises from his knees and slowly turns to face me with a familiar smirk playing on his perfect lips.

"Now is that how you greet all your lovers? Or am I just special." His deep, husky voice with the tilt of a Scottish accent rolled over the small clearing.

"Draax please. It's just a scratch. It's probably healed by now anyways." I laughed and pushed myself into a standing position. As we walked to each other, I got lost in his eyes. A deep green, with golden specks like sunrise peeking through the summer trees.

"Yes well, scratch or not, I'll have to bite you for that, Bellyn. Or should I say, Your Highness." He said with a deep bow. Before he rose, he smiled up at me with an impish grin. "Your training has paid off. You're getting faster, and much stronger." As he stood, I walked into his arms and drank in his scent, sweet like the earth after rain. I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, laying on his collar.

"Ah not quite yet, my love. I don't wear that title until tomorrow after we are to be wed." I placed a small, teasing kiss on his jaw as I nuzzled back into his neck.

"I've been counting down the seconds, dearest. After tomorrow, you will be Bellyn, First of the Seventh Isle, Empress of the Vikings of Raznia. And the woman who will rule by me till the end of our days."

"Oh, my love. The hour of our wedding can not come soon enough. If only we didn't have to wait." I groaned.

"You know that we had to, darling. There have been rumors that the Vampyre Queen has been raising her army. We couldn't risk it. We couldn't risk you. Your powers are far too strong and you don't yet have complete control of them. We needed to wait until we knew she wasn't looking for you." He put a finger under my chin and gently tilted my lips to his. "I love you, Bellyn."

I spoke my love with the movement of my mouth. Kissing him so deeply that it felt as if I may drown in his touch.

And that's when my heart was torn from my chest right in front of me.