Page 4 of Blood Ties
There was a pregnant pause before Shawn spoke in a disbelieving tone. “What!?”
“My fucking mother has been lying to me,to everyone,for years!” I shook my head and began pacing. “Not half human.” I pointed to myself with sarcasm ringing in my voice.
“But Gaby, you walk in the sunlight. You can’t be full vampire.” He spoke to me like I was a child. Almost as if he was trying to explain that the monster under the bed was a ridiculous notion.
“See that’s where you’re wrong Shawn,” I pointed at him, but continued pacing across the bathroom. “I am more vampire than my mother or even Anton. How else do you think I took him out?”
“What are you saying? You’remorevampire...? I don’t understand.”
“That’s funny ‘cause neither did I when she told me,” I laughed in a humorless way. “My blood,” I emphasized, “is less human than theirs is. They were all bitten, I wasn’t.”
“Again Gaby, not making any sense. We’ve met vampires that were born. They are exactly like ones that were bitten.” I could hear he was getting annoyed.
“Yeah, but was their father the first, the original, the father of the entire race?” I demanded, plopping back on the top of the toilet lid.
“What?”
“Yup, apparently my daddy isThe First Vampire.From him the entire vampire race came into being and you’re looking at a vampire with a direct blood tie to him.”
“Well… Fuck!”
“Yup.”
He shook his head, “Okay, all that aside. Grayson?”
I closed my eyes, feeling my remorse turn to actual pain over what I had done. “I know it was wrong and I wish I could say I did it because he was unable to reply, but he could, I just didn’t wait to hear his answer. I was scared to lose him.” I shook my head trying to clear the shame that was weighing down on me. “If this isn’t something he wants, I’ll help him end it even if it kills me to do it. The choice should have been his in the first place. Not mine.” I looked up and saw Shawn’s outrage replaced with empathy. He cleared his throat then nodded. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a shower. I don’t know whose blood I’m wearing, but I want it off.”
“Okay Gabs.” Shawn walked over and moved to hug me, then thought better of it. Instead he placed his hand on my shoulder where Chris’s shirt covered me. “I’m glad you’re safe.” His expression changed to stern once more. “But don’t you ever scare me like that again or, original blood or not, I’ll kick your ass.” I smiled and nodded.
Shawn left me and being unable to sit in my blood caked clothes anymore, I decided that a shower did sound absolutely heavenly. I began peeling off my ruined clothing realizing that everything down to my bra and panties would need to be destroyed, not that I wanted to keep anything even if it was salvageable. The memories would haunt me enough.
Blood had soaked through my clothes. When it dried the fabric seemed to have glued to my skin. With some effort, I removed every last stitch. Turning on the shower, I set the water as hot as it would go, needing something to help with my achy muscles from blood deprivation. Stepping in, I watched as the water began to run crimson. I stood there under the beating head letting the hot water knead my tired muscles. I was lost in my own relaxing paradise when I heard the door groan open.
“Shawn, please. I really just want to enjoy my shower in peace,” I murmured not bothering to look up.
“It’s me.” I jolted in my steamy haven at the sound of Grayson’s voice. Having him surprise me made me wonder about our mating bond. Was it just because of how exhausted I was or when he died, even though temporarily, had our mating bond been damaged in some way? “Shawn and Chris left.” I opened the glass door, peeking around it; all the while tendrils of steam flourished out and around Grayson. I saw him standing there still enveloped in dry blood that had turned a rusty brown. His presence promptly made the room feel smaller.
“Hey…” I uttered timidly. He looked cautiously to the ground. He seemed nervous for some reason. “Oh my god…” Realization hit me. “You probably want a shower and I’m in here soaking up all the hot water.” I shook my head feeling idiotic for not thinking of him sitting out there caked in dried blood. “Just hand me a towel and I’ll get out of your way.”
“Or… I could join you,” he mumbled shyly while focusing intently on something on the floor.
Oh.
“Uhh…” After a drawn out pause, I finally whispered, “Okay,” feeling uncommonly nervous, like I had the first night we’d been together. I didn’t know why. We had been together many times since that first time, but things felt different now. It felt new, raw. In a way, I suppose it was. I had only ever been with a human. It was my first time with a vampire.
I watched, transfixed, as Grayson stripped off all his clothes until he stood gloriously in the nude. His red tinged skin was the only sign of his earlier injuries that had all healed, leaving behind not even a scar. His body was back to its original perfection, if not better. I stepped back allowing him to enter the shower. The water began to run red once more as it beaded off the sharp planes of his well defined body. He didn’t flinch under the heat. I met his gaze and we both just stood there locked in a trance. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what it meant. I knew what I hoped it meant, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions or make anymore bad choices.
Grayson’s hand lifted, cupping my cheek. Finding comfort in the small gesture, I closed my eyes leaning into him. I loved the way his skin felt against mine, but it also caused something in my blood to stir.
“I would have asked you,” he stated. My eyes shot open, uncertain I heard him correctly. “If you had waited for me to respond? I would have asked you to change me. I wouldn’t want to live without you either.” I felt the first tear stream down my face. I should have felt relieved, but I didn’t. He couldn’t understand how much those words meant to me. “I don’t hate you for making the decision, Gabriella. I would have made the same one.”
I shook my head wanting to believe his words, but Grayson was a vampire now. My vampire. I sired him and that made him my responsibility. Nature had a way of making sure that fledgling wanted and needed their sires.
“Grayson…” I then reminded him of an earlier conversation we had had. He was bound to me and I would never know his true feelings until I released him, and that was something I could not do. Not yet. He needed time to adjust to being who he was now.
“Then release me.”
I looked at him, confusion contouring my already broken expression. “It’s not that simple.”
