tiny vile hidden there came off, exposing the sharp point of a needle. Knowing hesitation would only make it more difficult, Bastien pulled his hand out of his pocket, and in one swift motion, stabbed the tiny needle into the soft flesh of her bare arm, holding onto her long enough for all of the serum to be injected.
“Ow!” she cried out, swatting his hand away. “What was that?”
He shook his head, slipping the empty vile back into his pocket. “Sorry, Baby. I’m really sorry. Had to do it.” And the strange thing was, he really was sorry.
It took only seconds for the drug to begin taking effect. Liv slumped back against the seat as if she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. “What the fuck did you do to me you bastard? What…” Her hair fell over onto one shoulder as her eyes fluttered closed, and Bastien let out a sigh. He had probably just killed any trust she might have had in him, though why that mattered to him, he had no idea. She was just a human female, and he was only doing his job. If he found himself inexplicably attracted to her, that was his own damn problem, and not an excuse that was going to fly if he didn’t follow procedure and knock her out before taking her in to headquarters. The Guild hadn’t remained hidden from humankind for so long by being lax about rules, and he knew it as well as anyone.
F ifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the driveway of Guild Headquarters, Glasgow, an unassuming row house near the center of town, in a neighborhood where people kept their doors tightly locked and their business to themselves. He parked the car in the big garage under the building, then went around to get the female. He lifted her gently, and then kicked the car door shut. She weighed almost nothing, and she felt so small and fragile in his arms, but the feel of her was almost familiar , though he was sure he’d never seen her before.
He stood there for what must have been a full minute, just looking down at her face. Her skin was lovely, a flawless slightly tanned ivory that looked as smooth and soft as silk. Her long, dark lashes formed perfect half-moons just above her cheekbones, and her lips were full and rosy-pink. Some long buried emotion stirred deep in his soul, and so he quickly turned and went into the house. Emotions only caused him pain, and it was far better to keep them buried, if he could help it.
Not knowing what else to do, Bastien brought the female into the communal living room and lay her down on the couch. Before long he was pacing back and forth in front of her, like some sort of deranged tiger, trying to figure out what it was about this female that had triggered such a disconcerting reaction in him. Even now, he wanted her… literally ached to pull her into his arms… a stranger, and a human ! In two hundred years, not a single female, human or otherwise, had so much as turned his head, so what the fuck was happening here?
Erath came in, took one look at Bastien, took note of the unconscious female on the couch, and dropped down into a big, upholstered chair, kicking his legs out in front of him and crossing his arms over his chest. “What the fuck, bro?”
Bastien stopped pacing and forced himself to sit in another one of the large comfy chairs. He crossed his arms and shook his head a little, finding it quite unsettling that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the small form slumped across the sofa. “She was being attacked by a Vamp. I tried but I can’t wipe her mind. Had to bring her here.” He shrugged, trying for indifference.
Erath leaned forward to take a closer look at her. “Really? That sucks. I can try, if you want. I’d have to wake her up though. Did you drug her, or just knock her out?”
Some sort of crazy, long-buried protective instinct
“Ow!” she cried out, swatting his hand away. “What was that?”
He shook his head, slipping the empty vile back into his pocket. “Sorry, Baby. I’m really sorry. Had to do it.” And the strange thing was, he really was sorry.
It took only seconds for the drug to begin taking effect. Liv slumped back against the seat as if she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. “What the fuck did you do to me you bastard? What…” Her hair fell over onto one shoulder as her eyes fluttered closed, and Bastien let out a sigh. He had probably just killed any trust she might have had in him, though why that mattered to him, he had no idea. She was just a human female, and he was only doing his job. If he found himself inexplicably attracted to her, that was his own damn problem, and not an excuse that was going to fly if he didn’t follow procedure and knock her out before taking her in to headquarters. The Guild hadn’t remained hidden from humankind for so long by being lax about rules, and he knew it as well as anyone.
F ifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the driveway of Guild Headquarters, Glasgow, an unassuming row house near the center of town, in a neighborhood where people kept their doors tightly locked and their business to themselves. He parked the car in the big garage under the building, then went around to get the female. He lifted her gently, and then kicked the car door shut. She weighed almost nothing, and she felt so small and fragile in his arms, but the feel of her was almost familiar , though he was sure he’d never seen her before.
He stood there for what must have been a full minute, just looking down at her face. Her skin was lovely, a flawless slightly tanned ivory that looked as smooth and soft as silk. Her long, dark lashes formed perfect half-moons just above her cheekbones, and her lips were full and rosy-pink. Some long buried emotion stirred deep in his soul, and so he quickly turned and went into the house. Emotions only caused him pain, and it was far better to keep them buried, if he could help it.
Not knowing what else to do, Bastien brought the female into the communal living room and lay her down on the couch. Before long he was pacing back and forth in front of her, like some sort of deranged tiger, trying to figure out what it was about this female that had triggered such a disconcerting reaction in him. Even now, he wanted her… literally ached to pull her into his arms… a stranger, and a human ! In two hundred years, not a single female, human or otherwise, had so much as turned his head, so what the fuck was happening here?
Erath came in, took one look at Bastien, took note of the unconscious female on the couch, and dropped down into a big, upholstered chair, kicking his legs out in front of him and crossing his arms over his chest. “What the fuck, bro?”
Bastien stopped pacing and forced himself to sit in another one of the large comfy chairs. He crossed his arms and shook his head a little, finding it quite unsettling that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the small form slumped across the sofa. “She was being attacked by a Vamp. I tried but I can’t wipe her mind. Had to bring her here.” He shrugged, trying for indifference.
Erath leaned forward to take a closer look at her. “Really? That sucks. I can try, if you want. I’d have to wake her up though. Did you drug her, or just knock her out?”
Some sort of crazy, long-buried protective instinct
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