Within The Shadows (6 page)

Laughing, I
could not help but to feel completely in love with him. It was
early September, the beginning of our final year of school, and
life truly could not get any better. Marc was always very
spontaneous with his gestures of love, and tonight was no
exception.

“
I’m not.” I giggled like a little girl.

One final
step, and we stood still. The excitement got the best of me, and I
slowly opened my eyes.

“
Oh, Marc!” I said in amazement.

The Porter & Frye
, the most
luxurious restaurant in town, was empty except for two waiters who
smiled exuberantly as Marc led me to a table laid out with rose
petals. Candles were lit, and filled the empty tables around us. It
was utterly romantic, and I melted into his arms.

“
I love you
so much,” I whispered as I tenderly kissed him.

“
Easy,
tiger,” he teased.

“
So, why all of this? Not that I’m complaining.”

“
Can’t a guy
do something for the woman he loves without there being an ulterior
motive?”

“
Well, you tell me.” I folded my arms, and waited for his
perfect smile to spread across his face.

I could not
stop smiling. I swear my jaw ached, but it was impossible to stop.
A waiter approached, and handed us a menu.

“
Okay, here’s the thing. We’re approaching the end of an
era. You know, school and all, and I don’t want us to forget about
the reasons we’re together. It’s you, and it’s always been you, and
I refuse to let you forget that for a second. You’re my girl, G,
and nothing is going to change that. Plus, my dad was owed a
favour, and pulled a few strings.” He playfully winked at
me.

Marc had a
way with words, and as we laughed, my heart felt as if it was ready
to burst with the incredible feelings I had towards him. I was
completely in love with him.

I found it
hard to resist. I was his. The hottest guy at school was mine, and
nothing would get in the way of that.

Ever.

* * *

The agony I
felt was unbearable. My head spun in circles, and I found it hard
not to wail. I saw Alex’s face as he sat by my side, the frown on
his brow giving away his worry.

“
She needs to feed.” Atarah directed Afanas to the
table.

He bowed his
head, and was gone in a flash, returning with a dagger in his hand
that he held out to Alex.

“
Can we at least have some privacy this time?” His voice
broke as he spoke to his mother.

“
Of course,
if that is your will.”

Atarah
raised her hand to Alex’s face, and stroked his chin. He closed his
eyes, and soon she and Afanas were gone, leaving Alex alone with
me.

I sat up,
trying not to lose my balance. My head was still light from the
emptiness. With the dagger in his hand, he cut deeply into his
neck, leaving a stream of thick scarlet flowing from the wound. The
aroma was tantalizing, and I could not resist.

Swiftly, I
was on top of him, straddling his lap. I licked the line of blood,
and desire burned deep within us. He pulled me closer to him, his
hands firmly placed on my back. My mouth opened wider, and with
voracity, I drank.

I could feel
Alex’s excitement as it swept through him, his blood awakening
every cell in my body. The mutual lust we shared was something I
had never experienced before. It made the transition all the more
easier.

If fate had
played a part in this, then maybe I would adjust. Given time, I
would learn to accept my role in my new life.

Maybe.

Chapter
Five

MY HEAD
WAS
still spinning from the rush when a
tall man with dark short hair came to my side. He looked down at
Alex and me. He did not speak. He stared until his attention was
stirred by Atarah’s arrival. She looked angelical, her beauty like
nothing I had ever seen before. Her deep brown eyes held the same
allure as Alex’s, and I found it hard not to gasp when they changed
momentarily, a deep red flushing away the charisma.

I felt as
though I was part of a freak show with the blood fresh on my lips
leaving me exposed. Anger welled up inside me, and I wanted to
scream. I did not understand the constant intrusions. So much was
happening so fast, and I wanted to slow down.

Alex wiped
his neck as he stood up, and reached for my hand, helping me to my
feet. I looked at him, waiting for some kind of explanation, only
to be faced with silence.

Atarah broke
the obvious tension. “Do not be alarmed by Leonid’s presence. He
was eager to meet you, Giselle.”

I looked at
the large man standing in front of me. His eyes were unlike Alex’s.
They were cold and mean. He was undoubtedly beautiful. His
well-formed body and his face were picture perfect. I never
imagined Alex’s father to be so young and attractive. I blushed at
my thoughts, convinced that everyone would know what I was
thinking.

“
Father,”
Alex said through gritted teeth.

“
Alexander, I believe there is much excitement surrounding
your new mate. However, I’m concerned that you have been neglecting
your own well-being by allowing her to feed so ravenously from
you.”

Leonid eyed
me
with disapproval, and I wanted to curl
up, and cry like a baby. There was something disconcerting about
his presence, and it didn’t help the already tense
situation.

“
Father, it was I who insisted that she feed from me. I do
not like the thought of her relying on other sources. I am fine,”
Alex snapped back.

“
I think you misunderstand me. I forbid you to be her only
source. You have a glamorised vision that the pair of you can feed
off of each other without consequences.” He paced back and forth,
his eyes darkening with anger.

Alex walked
past his mother with clenched fists. “You cannot forbid something
that is already at work. I can feel our bond strengthening. By the
next full moon, Giselle will have completed the third phase, and
will be my mate. We will share the blood oath, and we will be
equals!” Alex smiled at me, his fangs glistening in the dimly lit
room.

Leonid
laughed raucously. “Son, you have much to learn. She is a new breed
of vampire, one whose heart still beats. She, unlike you, cannot
withstand the blood loss. Remember, she is unaware of her true
desires. Spiritual vampires desire the life energy of their
victims. The blood is just a bonus. You risk much more than your
own existence. Her creation is for the future of our kind, not just
as your soul mate. You will do as I say. That is my final word on
the matter.” He finished, momentarily glancing over at me as he
left the room.

I could feel
Alex’s anger as he flipped the table over. In all the time I had
known him, I had never seen so much rage. He scared me. This was
not the boy I had considered to be my best friend;
this
was
something else. Standing with my back against the wall, I did not
dare to move. I simply watched as he tore the room
apart.

Atarah
turned her back on him, and looked me in the eye. “It’s times like
this when you realise the animal still lurks deep within one’s
heart. He does not command the experience to control his raw
emotions. He is young, like you, and has yet to learn that things
cannot be rushed. You will do as Leonid instructed, but if you were
to, let’s say, offer yourself to Alexander, he might see things
differently. Your blood might rationalize his displeasure,” she
whispered as she placed a finger over her lips.

Choking on
my own saliva, I swallowed hard.
Offer myself to Alex
? God, I did
not want to use some dagger to cut myself or, worse, let him bite
me. Hell, I didn’t want to see my own blood. It grossed me
out.

Leaving the
room, Atarah looked back at me, and winked. The moment felt
surreal. I could not believe she wanted me to ignore Leonid’s
orders, and let Alex feed from me.

Crap
!

Alex was
still breathing hard as I approached him.
His eyes were a deep red colour, and his hair was wet with
sweat. “Alex . . .” I started, my voice shaking. “Please stop.
You’re kinda scaring the hell out of me, and . . .”

“
Giselle, please, just don’t!”

He hurried
out of the room.
I ran after him into the
cool air. Sunrise was approaching, and the blue haze of morning was
mixed with orange. I did not know if it was possible for me to be
outside, and then I remembered,
Alex never shied away from the sun back home.
I thought vampires were afraid of the
sunlight?

A tinge of
excitement ran through me as I called after him.
“Alex, wait.”

Ignoring me, he walked faster,
all the while clenching his fists.

“
Alex, would you cut this out? I’m tired, and I haven’t got
a clue as to what the hell is happening here. Please!”

He stopped,
and turned to face me. “Giselle, I’m afraid my father is right. You
cannot rely on me. You’re not strong enough to withstand the blood
loss.”

“
Hold up. You said we’d feed only off of each other. Why the
sudden change of heart?”

“
Because I was being selfish. I wanted you to myself, and I
was wrong.” His voice saddened, but his eyes remained glazed and
cold.

“
I don’t get it. I mean, all that stuff you said earlier,
was that just bullshit?”

“
Of course not. We will be bound by blood. But Giselle, I’m
not sure I’ve explained what will become of us.”

“
Then tell
me, please!”

The morning
light began to shine through the canopy of the trees, its amber
glow a welcome sight. Birds began to sporadically sing their
morning song, and for a split second, it was a beautiful sight. We
sat amongst the trees, the beam of light illuminating Alex’s pale
skin.

“
For centuries, vampires have co-existed with different
lairs, each one abiding by ancient rules. Unfortunately, my family
have been subjected to centuries of disrespect and violence. The
Nelapsi, our mother herd, was responsible for sowing the seeds of
chaos amongst our people, resulting in a revolt amongst the elders.
Many chose different paths. Others abdicated their birthright. Do
you follow?”

I nodded my
head, a little confused, but none-the-less interested.

“
The elders believe that a child born from the union of a
male vampire and female human will result in a change of heart
among the Kindred. It would dispel any rumour concerning our
attitude towards humans. We are
not
our
ancestors.”

“
Err, how can I . . . I mean, I’m not ready for babies,
never mind life as a vampire-come-human. I mean, how can we? You’re
like soulless, right?” I asked, frustrated.

“
Yes, I’m soulless, and slightly different, but all my ‘boy
bits’ work exactly like any other guy out there.”

Oh
, my
God
!
We were actually having this conversation!

“
If that’s
the case, why did you bite me in the first place?”

“
Because if you were to carry my child, you would need the
sustenance of another source. Your human body alone would not be
enough for the unborn. My venom was enough to kick-start the
transition, and nothing more.”

“
Oh, great, so I’m to be some kind of glorified
incubator?”

Alex knelt
in front of me, not giving me time to respond. “Giselle, you are
much more than that. You are everything to me, and I only wish you
could feel the same way. I know you will never love me the way you
loved Marc, but given time, I believe you can learn to offer me
something in return.”

“
Alex, I can’t see me doing this. I don’t know how I’m meant
to understand any of this. I’m just an ordinary girl with simple
dreams. This life . . . it’s wrong.”

“
You have no other choice. We are obligated to produce, and
that is something that cannot be changed.”

Sometimes,
when I get angry, I feel the urge to scream and yell like some
crazed woman from one of those Hammer horror movies. Now was one of
those times.

Not holding
back, I punched him hard in the face. I had caught him off guard,
and he fell back slightly, but I was really no match for him. In
seconds, he had me defeated. I lay on the ground with his heavy
torso across mine, his face inches from my own. I refused to look
him in the eye.

“
If you’re
going to bite me, just get it over with,” I provoked him through
gritted teeth.

Alex moved
his face closer to mine, placing his free hand on my throat. He
tightened his grip, and kissed me firmly on the lips. I tried not
to respond, but temptation got the better of me. I found myself
drowning in the warmth of his kiss, the air between us becoming
thinner, and something more intense took over my body. I pulled him
closer to me, drawing my leg up against his thigh. I could feel
every inch of his body pressing against mine. I was so turned on
that I forgot about my anger, and let myself go. Running my fingers
through his hair, my tongue passionately caressed his lips, and my
nails ran roughly down his bare back.