Page 23 of Marked for Sin

“Yesterday we had my father’s funeral. It hurts horribly to know I will never get to see him again,” I admitted. I didn’t know what came over me or why I felt like I could open up to a vampire, but there was something different about Lust. He showed me that today when he saved me.

If he was heartless, he would have let me die. But he didn’t. That had to mean something. My heart wanted it to mean something. Lust saved me from that other vampire. The fear that coursed through me while I was laying there, preparing myself for death still lingered in my mind. I really thought I was going to die.

Lust stared at the river in the distance and didn't utter a word, only grabbed my hand in a show of comfort. Was this affection? It was almosthuman. It was unlike him to not talk about himself and how great he was, this was a different version of him I hadn't seen before.

“Thank you for saving me, Lust, but just so you know, I would have figured something out.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself. It was uncomfortable being this vulnerable in front of a stranger when I was always taught to be strong and to stand on my own. My sharp attitude was just a byproduct of how hard I had grown to be over the years of relying solely on myself.

Anger flashed across Lust’s face before he scolded me coldly. “You would have been killed and drained dry, that vampire could have been a reject and an outcast so there is no telling how long it had been since he had eaten. You're lucky I got there in time,” he growled.

It almost sounds like he actually had feelings. Maybe he wasn't the dick I thought he was. Despite the tone of his voice, I leaned up against his shoulder and rested my head against him once more. Slowly, he rubbed his hand through my hair.

“So why did you save me back there?” I had to know. Maybe he was in a vulnerable moment just like I was.

“Because I want to fuck you while you’re alive not while you’re a vampire. Vampire pussy is cold. I want to come in you while it's warm,” he purred, licking his lips while he looked directly at my pussy.

There’s the asshole I remember.No matter his attempt to be callous, I knew it was an act, the same way my sass came out when I became defensive. We were more alike than we realized.

I crossed my legs so he could stop staring at me with hunger.

My attitude came boiling out to match his. “Every fucking time I let my guard down, you open your big fucking mouth. Just shut up Lust.”

He was unbelievable. I leaned away from him and stopped talking.

He looked incredulous and I stifled a knowing laugh.

“Did I say something wrong? Why are you acting like you're mad?” he asked, oblivious to the fact he was an absolute dick most of the time.

I looked at him dubiously. I couldn’t believe I was almost falling for the guy. We were two very messed up people. Beings. Were vampires people? That thought slapped me in the face, reminding me of the forbidden nature of our relationship. Father would have been disappointed in me.

I immediately sat up and willed myself to my bike. “I'm headed home. You don't have to follow me, I will be fine,” I snapped, annoyed that my little relaxation time turned intothis, feeling like I was constantly doing something I wasn’t supposed to.

“I just told you the truth, what else do you want from me? You want me to lie?” he retorted. He stood up with his hands out, palm opened and looking completely confused as to why I was upset.

He really didn’t know how to stop, did he? That prick was always saying exactly what I didn't want to hear.

“Goodbye, Lust.” I mounted my bike and drove off, shifting gears angrily as I accelerated to get as far away as possible from him.

I hate him. He goes from saving me from a blood thirsty vampire to saying he did it because he wanted to fuck me while I was alive and not dead. Who the fuck says that? My dad just died, my boyfriend is an idiot, there's a horny vampire that won't leave me alone and my religion is shit. Boy, is my life grand.

I shifted my bike and hit a straightaway as hard as I could as I rode without a care in the world, leaving all my troubles in the air. There was nothing anyone could do, my life was fucked. I finally made my way back to the compound where Angela and Gabriele were waiting. As I pulled over and kicked down my kickstand, they both noticed the makeshift bandage around my boot and ran to assist me.

“I’m fine!” I barked.

There was pain in my ankle, pain in my heart.At least something matched, I laughed to myself. Everything inside me wanted to die. What was keeping me here? I was tired of trying to please everyone. Being a good girl had gotten me nothing but an idiot who was my boyfriend and two dead parents. I just wanted to feel free.

…But I couldn’t even do that because every time I was with Lust, I felt guilty over our budding relationship. Who made these stupid laws anyway?

Angela, ignoring my thorny mood, helped me inside. Where Gabriel went off to, I had no clue. We walked through the compound. The uneven ground made the walk a difficult one. She helped me up onto the sidewalk and up the stairs to my small room.

We entered my apartment and I let out a sigh. It was a welcoming sight. My front room had a mismatched couch and chair set and a small table with the books I had gathered from abandoned buildings. Angela helped me to my couch. She then removed the bandage and helped me soak my foot which made it feel much better.

Feeling guilty over how I snapped at her, I remained quiet and allowed her to give me some medicine for the pain. She stayed with me quietly on the couch until I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lust

That human was so strange. Every time I told her the truth, she got mad at me. Wasn’t that what she wanted to hear? The truth? Even after I saved her from that freak, it would have been nice to just understand what the fuck she wanted from me. Didn’t I deserve a reward? I was trying to make it clear to her what I wanted so that there would be no confusion.

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