Page 7 of Midnight Prince
Benedict
“What should I do?” she asked. She moved a little closer now, her eyes roaming over the damage to my body. Seeing where I had healed and to my arm, where I knew I wouldn’t heal. And as much as I tried, I couldn’t get my fangs to retract. I knew she was scared of me; this was why I never dated humans. And why I hadn’t gotten close to anyone in a very long time.
This didn’t go the way I hoped for. I was hoping for more time with her, slowly ease her into the world I live in. Have her smile and understand who I was, that I wasn’t just some blood-sucking vampire. That I was once human. I still had the same feelings… just heightened.
If I was lucky, seven days was all I would get with her. Just to be in the same room as her already felt like it wasn’t enough time. I could tell she was frightened. I had just dropped the “I’m a vampire” thing on her and she was taking it better than I thought, but nowhere near what I dreamed of.
“Do you have a room, one that light doesn’t get into it? Like the basement?”
She stood and looked behind her to an open door.
“The basement is not suitable. But I have been using the dining room as my bedroom, and I nailed a black curtain in there just last week.” She glanced around the room, then back to me.
“Vampires can’t go out in the sun… that’s a real thing?” She cocked her head slightly, waiting for me to answer. I nodded and she smiled. Hazel smiled at me and I felt like I won the best prize in the world.
“I had been up most nights, the wolves were scaring me, so I have been sleeping mostly during the day. I nailed it on to keep the light out.” She laughed, but it was one filled with nerves. “Maybe I was preparing for you?”
I tried to smile and stop her racing heart, but it must have come out scarier than I had wanted as it started racing faster.Fuck.
“I will not hurt you or cause you harm. I promise you this, Hazel. That is the last thing I want to do. Can I stay in your room, at least for the day? I will call my friend Galen. He will come for me, and you can forget all this. Forget about me.”
She took a step back and opened her mouth to say something but popped it shut again just as fast. She nodded and opened the door to her room. I pulled my shirt off, well, what was left of it. I looked down to my feet. I had one shoe on; I must have lost the other outside. Ah… didn’t matter now. I did good. I have had a good long life. If this was the way I had to go, I would do it over again to protect Hazel. I would have to ask Galen to protect her from now on.
“Ben?” I could sense Hazel in the room with me. “Ben?” I felt cold and sick. I had never felt sick as a vampire. It was the venom. My stomach rolled and I dry heaved. Nothing came out. I could smell Hazel’s blood pumping through her veins. I wanted it, needed it.Just a little closer…
My eyes flashed open. “Hazel, stand back.” I heard her sharp intake of breath and I opened my eyes. What time was it? I felt like I hadn’t rested at all.
“The venom, it is making me sick. I don’t want to hurt you and I am feeling unlike myself. I need to call my friend Galen. He will come.” I reached into my pants pocket. Trying to find my phone, it wasn’t there.Fuck. This was bad. Hazel didn’t move from where she was standing.
“Did you want some water, maybe an aspirin?” I froze, her voice was so sweet, so beautiful and she was offering me water and aspirin as if I was a human. I couldn’t help but smile. And did I want that? Yes. Yes, I did. Even though I knew I couldn’t have it. I still wanted it. And it would help me when she leaves to retrieve it. I could get my mind under control.
“Yes, please, that would be lovely. Would I be able to borrow your phone? I seem to have lost mine.”
Without hesitation she reached back into her jeans pocket, pulled out a black iPhone and handed it over to me. Her fingers lingering for a second longer than needed.
“Thank you, I will make a call now.” This was so unfair. Why the fuck was I dying now? Why couldn’t I have had another thirty or forty years with Hazel?
I dialed the number for Galen, but it went straight to voicemail. That was unusual. Even though it was spring break; he didn’t take holidays. I left a message asking for him to call me back on this number. Then I quickly texted him too, telling him it was urgent and that I needed his help now. I couldn’t protect Hazel on my own from the pack, and now I was worried I would need to protect her from myself. She returned with a glass of water and two aspirin. I reached my cupped hand out and she dropped them in. I passed her phone back.
“I left a message for him, he didn’t answer. I told him to call me back on your number, I hope that’s okay.” She nodded but didn’t say anything else, although I could see her mind ticking over with a million questions. I tried to sit up as she handed me the water. I looked down to the bite; it was nasty. My flesh there was open and angry. The wound would not heal. I knew that, but to see it… was just a reminder I was on a limited timeline now.
“Um… Did you want me to drive you home?”
Home. Alone.
It just hit me then… I would die alone.
