Page 93 of Stalked

It got me thinking,how many vampires were like Silas?

He wasn’t the first vampire who disliked being undead, but how common was it for a vampire to feel that way? Kyoko came strolling around the corner with her head held high, flaunting her superiority over us, silencing the room. She was tiny, but she wasn’t someone to mess with, not while our powers were concealed.

“Akasha, let’s go,” Kyoko said. “We need to get you ready.”

She led me into my room. I glanced at the clock; it had been a little over twelve hours since they trapped me inside the lair. It was almost sunset.

After she left, I washed my skin in the shower until it turned raw, trying to scrub off any trace of those monsters from my body. I didn’t even try to fight this time. If Kyoko wanted me to put on rose-colored lipstick, I would do it. I brushed on light bronze eyeshadow and heavy mascara, remembering Maurice’s warning to be presentable. I then slipped on a beautiful blood-red, formal gown that, again, I wasn’t allowed to protest. The symbolic choice of colors didn’t go unnoticed. Kyoko instructed me to wear my hair in a high bun, so it didn’t impede Maurice from drinking from my neck.

When I was done getting ready, I heard a knock at the door. Kyoko said she would take me to the ballroom at eight. It was seven forty-five, so she was early. When I answered the door, it was Colin standing in a sleek black suit. The first thought that crossed my mind was that there was a slight change of plans, and Colin would be the one escorting me to the ballroom, but when his fangs protruded, and his lips curled, I realized he was only there for one thing. My blood.

Fight for your life, Mercy. Don’t give up. Fight.

He grabbed me firmly by the shoulders and pushed me down onto the bed. I screamed while kicking frantically at him, my nails digging deep into his cold flesh. I turned to the left, looking toward the nightstand for anything I could use as a weapon. The only thing my fingers could reach was the alarm clock. After I yanked it from the cord, I slammed it hard across his head, but of course, being a vampire, he barely flinched. That only fueled his animalistic rage, and he slapped me firmly across the face. It stung, but it didn’t stop me from fighting.

“Get the fuck off me!” I screamed again, hoping someone would hear me. “Maurice will kill you!” Colin was too strong.

“I just want a taste of your blood,” he hissed. “I just need a few drops.” Colin licked his lips, and I turned away, desperately trying to choke back the bile in my throat. He gripped my jaw, pulling my face back straight, so I’d look back at him. “I’d like you to look me in the eyes when I take from you,” he said. “Fucking whore!”

I’m going to be sick.

“Maurice would never allow that, Colin. Please don’t do this,” I cried out again.

“I could smell your blood from outside the door.” Colin leaned in closer to my neck. I froze. “Why should my brother get to walk in the daylight while the rest of us suffer in eternal darkness?” He snarled, gripping my wrist tightly. He squeezed so hard I felt my wrist pop. “He’ll allow that piece of shit Roland to drink from you, but not his own fucking brother.”

Fight, dammit. Fight!

I lifted my leg, ready to knee him in the groin, but Colin bit down on my neck. The pain was so excruciating, my body began to tremble. It wasn’t as easy to relax that time, so my struggle worsened the pain. I closed my eyes and thought about Dorian. It was the only way to get through the experience. The pain started to subside, and all I could feel was blood being drained from my body. Colin released me after a minute and climbed off the bed. I stayed on the mattress, looking up at the ceiling as tears stung painfully in my eyes.

I waited for him to lick his lips as Roland did, but his reaction was unexpected. Colin sat there for a few minutes with a blank stare, blinking rapidly.

What the hell is wrong with him?

He squinted and opened his eyes as wide as he could before rushing to the bathroom and puking all the blood he had stolen from me. A moment later, I heard him spit the last remaining blood from his mouth onto the floor. When he exited the bathroom, he just stood there and glowered at me. I climbed off the bed and stood in my fighting stance, ready for him to strike.

He’s not going to touch me again.

“Your blood is disgusting,” he whined. Colin turned toward the door and ran out faster than he had entered. I relaxed my stance.

Disgusting?

Kyoko had said the taste of a witch’s blood was like no other, especially the blood from Spirit. I ran into the bathroom to look at the two wounds on my neck that I expected to already be closing up. Yet, my eyes immediately drew to the bathroom floor, covered in my blood.

Fuck. I have to clean this up, or they’ll know.

There was no way I could tell Maurice what had happened. He would think I gave myself to Colin, and then he might punishmefor it. It would have to be my secret, and I prayed he wouldn’t notice Colin going out in the daylight before I escaped from there.

He did throw it up, though. Is there enough of my blood in his system for the daylight powers to even work? Or I might get lucky, and he’ll simply burst into flames.

After I cleaned the dried blood from my neck and chest, I started wiping down the bathroom floor and the toilet as much as possible. I gathered up the bed sheets stained with blood and hid them in the closet. Once the comforter was neatly made over the mattress to cover up the missing sheets, I sat quietly on the bed, trying to compose myself before Kyoko came for me.

A knock at the door startled me, and when Kyoko entered, her eyes immediately targeted the bathroom. She sniffed the air.

“Akasha, what happened?” Instantly, I realized I should have cleaned up better.

“I was touching up my makeup and dropped the powder compact, and the mirror broke. I cut my fingers on the broken glass while cleaning it up.”

She looked at me suspiciously before saying, “Let’s go. Maurice is ready for you.”

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