Chapter 3—assault
I rubbed my eyes angrily, trembling at the unexpected cold—had the AC been set to turn on at a certain time? I wanted my blanket, but sleep pulled me down to the sofa. Suddenly, I felt something icy and smooth on the inside of my naked leg. I blinked and looked down to see a wind-swept mess of inky black hair between my legs and I screamed as I realized that he was here—and kissing the inside of my thigh. I kicked and wiggled and vainly tried to rip from his grasp, but he sighed softly against my flesh.
“I wasn’t going to hurt you,” he murmured softly, kissing down my calf, “I’m just thirsty, and the blood here…” he inhaled and I realized with an abrupt thud of my heart that his lips were at pressure points; he was poised to strike at my artery at any second, any wrong move. My life was in the palm of his hand, and I froze in horror, the chill of his hands sliding up my legs. I felt numb.
“You smell so sweet,” he continued, “I just wanted to see that you got home safely, but when I saw you lying here, half naked and soft…” he smiled wistfully and sighed again. “I just wanted to smell. But…you’re soft and tender…”
“I get that I’m soft. Travista, just kill me already. I can’t take it anymore.” I began to cry again, miserable with my memories and now the threat of losing the only valuable thing besides my life that I had—and that was in danger now too. He moved so swiftly I couldn’t see him; suddenly he was across the room, eyes wide and in that terrified mode that I’d seen earlier today when I’d lied that I didn’t want him—it seemed that he couldn’t control himself when placed in threat of my rejection or when I called him out on the possibility of my death.
“No, Alice, I can’t do that.” He whispered, against the wall, palms pressed white against the funeral-home like wallpaper. He looked like he was a police suspect for murder, and his guilty conscience was eating him alive.
“Sure you can. All you gotta do is take your hand on my throat and press a little bit and my neck will snap, just like that…” I demonstrated on an imaginary throat, almost feeling his icy hand on my skin.
“STOP THAT! ALICE, I WON’T!” he shouted, eyes wide and he bit his lip, terrified of whatever I was saying. Had I found his weakness? Perhaps I could use this to my advantage. I slid to the floor and looked at him in earnest, my eyes as wide as his and I clasped my hands to my breast.
“Please. Please, Nympori. I can’t take this. My dad doesn’t love me—I haven’t even seen him in twelve years. Nobody came to pick me up. I can’t speak the language, I’m over thirty thousand miles away from my closest friend and I’m sick of it. Just kill me.” I begged, and I didn’t even care if he did. When I spoke it, I felt like I WANTED to die. My lonely, boring life suddenly seemed worthless, and I didn’t care if he stole it from my veins or not. I was downright miserable. He slid to the floor, horror etched into his gorgeous marble face, his midnight black hair all over the place.
“No, no, no! Please, Alice, don’t do that! Don’t beg me like that. Alice…Alice I won’t kill you. Alice you’re too precious to lose! We need you. My vampire brethren…my kind! We need you more than anything else, please Alice!” he whispered urgently. “I’ll take you away from this place—I’ll do anything you want, I’ll obey your every command! Just please, don’t ask for death! I can’t…I’m…I will not kill royalty!” I was lost in his words, and befuddled when he said ‘royalty’, but I kept my façade. I really didn’t need this stupid life anymore. I wanted to die now, and I started to cry when he swore to damn me to this miserable existence.
“Please…Nympori, don’t torture me like this! I don’t know what you mean by royalty, but if you have and ounce of care for me, you’ll just kill me! If you don’t, I’ll do it myself!” I stood up angrily and he tackled me to the floor, panting and out of breath, the most heartbreaking expression on that blasted angelic face of his. I wondered if vampires could cry.
“Say the word and I’ll take you to a place where everyone loves and wants you. I will not kill you, Alice, and I’m sorry I offended. I was only trying to have a little fun. I swear, I won’t hurt you.” He whispered, amethyst flooding my senses again and I unwittingly threw my arms around his neck and drew him close. He had a musky, unreasonably delicious scent about him, and my mouth watered. I whispered in his ear, my breath shaky and my lips trembling. I couldn’t believe how good it felt to have my arms around him.
“Nympori…it wouldn’t have to hurt.” He sighed dreamily against my skin and laid me down on the couch, his cool, handsome body against every line of my meager, drab, human one. I almost shied away, but my normal self-conscience habits seemed silly and pointless when he lay on top of me like this. His lips brushed my throat as he spoke and I shivered as I felt his fangs graze my flesh. I could feel my blood boil and sing for him as he pulled my arms behind my head and dragged his lips to my collarbone. I wondered exactly what was going to happen with this handsome vampire I barely knew, but his voice was all I could focus on at the moment.
“Alice, I won’t kill you. I’d die if anything were to happen to you. We need you. I’ll explain everything in due time, but I’ll only leave you alone on one condition.” He pressed me into the cushion and looked at me with serious eyes, and I pulled him closer, again unwittingly. He smiled warmly and moved his hips a little. My heart trembled joyfully and I scowled as I realized he could hear it.
“I’ll leave you alone if you promise me that you’ll be good and refrain from hurting yourself. Promise?” he chuckled as I grimaced and pulled my knee up and tried vainly to push him away with my leg. He moved back a little to laugh wonderingly as he raked his gaze down my body.
“No, I don’t promise anything!”
“You’re flexible, aren’t you?”
“Off topic, aren’t you?” I hissed, blushing. He sat up and I scooted away from him, crossing my legs and arms in front of me, like I was guarding against him and his power to make me do and feel such odd things. He chuckled.
“You caught me off guard. Promise you’ll be good, or I’ll hold you down again. I don’t mind—I could hold you all night.” He teased impishly. I almost laughed, but I threw a couch pillow at him instead.
“Apologize for assaulting me and I’ll promise not to hurt myself tonight.” I vowed slowly, careful not to look up into his violet eyes lest I be enchanted again. He straightened up and stood up in the shadows and bowed deeply, looking proper and very much like a vampire. He was…glowing almost, in the eerie moonlight. The mood of the room shifted so abruptly to that of a crypt that goose bumps rose on my arms and with a low, hauntingly seductive purr, he vowed to me.
“I am terribly sorry, Miss Yei. I shall never assault you again. I am your humble servant; forgive my incompetence.” And with a quick, flawless smile, he disappeared. His ghostly laugh hung in the air as he reminded me of my end, though I was lost in his vow still to actually listen.
“Miss Alice, I implore that you keep your word…stay safe tonight and sweet dreams.”
Lunas Aura Community Member 
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