him. He moved to the side—one swift, graceful movement. My fist brushed past him, missing him by inches. I reared back and charged, jumping higher, swinging faster, and crunching his face while still in midair. He fell to the side and then dropped to the floor, face down, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t grinning anymore. Good. I was already feeling better.
He pushed up off the floor and was on me. I never even saw him coming. I fell backwards and he rode me down, all the way to the floor. I broke his fall. He landed on my chest—hard. Good thing I didn’t breathe anymore or the wind would’ve been knocked out of me. He straddled my waist and held my wrists above my head. The edge of the Oriental rug was rough, scratchy on the back of my palms. I wriggled and squirmed, trying to escape him, but he sat like a big boulder on top of me. I was trapped, couldn’t even budge an inch.
His hair swept over his face like black velvet drapes. His eyes glowed fiercely, hot like bright red embers. He snarled and growled, deep and guttural, fangs fully exposed. “You will never make accusations about Meredith again!” he roared, voice rumbling like thunder. “Do you hear me? Do you understand me, Abigail? You are a new vampire! You have barely been exposed to this world! You know nothing more than what I have told you tonight. Decades ago, clubs with blood donors did not even exist. Vampires did what they had to do to survive. We die without blood! There is no other way for us to eat. There is no other way for us to live! Meredith preferred to do it the way we always did even after the blood donors became more popular. Yes, I would have tried a blood donor much sooner if it was not for her need to continue killing. That was how great my love for her was. That is how great my love for you now is!”
His head lowered closer to me, eyes softening, and the muscles in his face relaxed. No! He was going to kiss me. I pulled and tugged, trying to pry my wrists out of his hands, but I couldn’t. His lips trailed closer, too close. I couldn’t get away. I kicked my legs but he just straddled me tighter. His lips kept coming. I gasped, jerked my head to the side. His lips landed on my cheek—soft, wet, repulsive. I saw the middle-aged woman lying on the floor across the room. Maybe she could help me? “Help me!” I screamed at her. “Help me, please!”
Bronx’s lips were next to my ear, close, almost touching. “That woman cannot help you,” he whispered. “You do not even need any help. I have given you salvation from yourself. I only request your love in return.”
I ignored him and kept staring over at the middle-aged woman. “P-please. P-please. H-help me.”
“That woman cannot hear you. She is unaware of anything around her.” His lips brushed my cheek in a back and forth motion, and then they returned to my ear. He licked my earlobe.
I swallowed, trying to get the lumps out of my throat. “Please don’t.” My voice was desperate, afraid.
“I will not hurt you. There is no reason for you to fear me.”
“You won’t hurt me? Look what you’ve already done to me!”
“Yes. Look at what I have done to you. This was meant to be. You are mine, Abigail. Always!” In a flash he was off me and across the room.
“But I don’t love you,” I screamed after him. “I’ll never love you! I hate you for what you’ve done to me!”
“You may not love me now, but eventually you will. You need some time to adjust to your new life. We have nothing but time now. Each day that passes, the bond between us will grow. Countless days will be spent together, learning about each other. I will wait for you to feel for me as I now feel for you.” He stretched each word out, making it last. Then he was gone. I was alone. It didn’t feel as good as I’d thought it would.
5
Adjusting
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS went by quickly as I learned more about my new life. We didn’t sleep in
He pushed up off the floor and was on me. I never even saw him coming. I fell backwards and he rode me down, all the way to the floor. I broke his fall. He landed on my chest—hard. Good thing I didn’t breathe anymore or the wind would’ve been knocked out of me. He straddled my waist and held my wrists above my head. The edge of the Oriental rug was rough, scratchy on the back of my palms. I wriggled and squirmed, trying to escape him, but he sat like a big boulder on top of me. I was trapped, couldn’t even budge an inch.
His hair swept over his face like black velvet drapes. His eyes glowed fiercely, hot like bright red embers. He snarled and growled, deep and guttural, fangs fully exposed. “You will never make accusations about Meredith again!” he roared, voice rumbling like thunder. “Do you hear me? Do you understand me, Abigail? You are a new vampire! You have barely been exposed to this world! You know nothing more than what I have told you tonight. Decades ago, clubs with blood donors did not even exist. Vampires did what they had to do to survive. We die without blood! There is no other way for us to eat. There is no other way for us to live! Meredith preferred to do it the way we always did even after the blood donors became more popular. Yes, I would have tried a blood donor much sooner if it was not for her need to continue killing. That was how great my love for her was. That is how great my love for you now is!”
His head lowered closer to me, eyes softening, and the muscles in his face relaxed. No! He was going to kiss me. I pulled and tugged, trying to pry my wrists out of his hands, but I couldn’t. His lips trailed closer, too close. I couldn’t get away. I kicked my legs but he just straddled me tighter. His lips kept coming. I gasped, jerked my head to the side. His lips landed on my cheek—soft, wet, repulsive. I saw the middle-aged woman lying on the floor across the room. Maybe she could help me? “Help me!” I screamed at her. “Help me, please!”
Bronx’s lips were next to my ear, close, almost touching. “That woman cannot help you,” he whispered. “You do not even need any help. I have given you salvation from yourself. I only request your love in return.”
I ignored him and kept staring over at the middle-aged woman. “P-please. P-please. H-help me.”
“That woman cannot hear you. She is unaware of anything around her.” His lips brushed my cheek in a back and forth motion, and then they returned to my ear. He licked my earlobe.
I swallowed, trying to get the lumps out of my throat. “Please don’t.” My voice was desperate, afraid.
“I will not hurt you. There is no reason for you to fear me.”
“You won’t hurt me? Look what you’ve already done to me!”
“Yes. Look at what I have done to you. This was meant to be. You are mine, Abigail. Always!” In a flash he was off me and across the room.
“But I don’t love you,” I screamed after him. “I’ll never love you! I hate you for what you’ve done to me!”
“You may not love me now, but eventually you will. You need some time to adjust to your new life. We have nothing but time now. Each day that passes, the bond between us will grow. Countless days will be spent together, learning about each other. I will wait for you to feel for me as I now feel for you.” He stretched each word out, making it last. Then he was gone. I was alone. It didn’t feel as good as I’d thought it would.
5
Adjusting
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS went by quickly as I learned more about my new life. We didn’t sleep in
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