In My Veins

by Madden, C. A.

  He had me trapped in the corner of the elevator in-between Collin’s arms. I ducked out from under his arms and ran to the other side of the elevator. I started pressing the number so that it would go faster but I knew it would make no difference. I was trapped in this tiny dungeon until the door opens.

  He laughed and before I even had a chance to blink he had me against the wall. His hands were pressing my shoulders into the wall so I couldn’t move and my feet were dangling a foot above the floor. I tried to get myself to kick him so he would let go but my legs wouldn’t move.

  The elevator felt like it was extremely slow but I was thankful that he didn’t press stop. One more floor.

  He looked at me and smiled and I felt my heart drop as I noticed his teeth. They were sharp, extremely sharp.

  I looked back at his eyes and realized they had turned red. Redder than James’s eyes and way scarier. He was the monster. The monster that attacked me. Same messy dark hair, same fiery red eyes and same vicious teeth. At the realization I wanted to look away and find a way to get as far from him that I could in that tiny space but I couldn’t.

  Something happened to me and I couldn’t stop staring into them. I wanted to stop but I couldn’t. I was frozen in place. My muscles felt like jelly and my arms felt like they weighted a hundred pounds each.

  He brought his head closer to me, lowering it to my neck till I felt his lips touch my skin. I urged myself to open my mouth and scream as I felt him move his lips. Just as his fang graze my skin the elevator door slid open. Collin looked back at the door and the frozen trance I was in was gone. Taking this as an opportunity I bent my knee and jammed it up to his groin making him cringe away. Monster or not, that’s the best place to hit an attacker.

  Before he could straighten up and bite me. Someone pulled him off me and slammed him on the other side of the elevator. I fell on the floor in the process. I quickly forced myself to stand up just as the door closed again.

  I was back in the elevator with Collin and the person who saved me--- James.

  His hair was disheveled and a longer again too and even though he had his back to me I’m sure his eyes were bright red. He lifted Collin a few feet off the floor and punched him a couple times.

  Collin laughed making James angry as he pulled him away from the wall before slamming him back to it. I realized the elevator was going up. I pressed stop so that no one would see James like this and pressed the first floor button again.

  “What the hell do you want with her!?” James growled. It even scared me, but it was kind of hot.

  Collin smirked and looked back at me. He licked his lips giving me chills, “At first I just wanted to get rid of her… But now. Mmm,” He moaned, “I just had a little taste. She’s delicious.” He grinned at James and before he could do anything Collin pushed James against the wall next to me. James groaned painfully as his back crushed into the mirrored wall. The mirror shattered making me cringe in the other direction.

  Freaking out I wanted to help him but I’m not match to either of them.

  I looked at Collin’s arms, his sleeves were pulled up next to his elbows and his veins were popping out from the strength he was using on James.

  James always saves me I have to help him.

  I looked at James’s painful expression and he looked at me. I stared at his red eyes, which most would find creepy, but I found beautiful. I still saw the James I had met and learned to love, his inner monster and all.

  I smiled at James reassuringly as his eyes met with mine and before I could think twice I bit Collin’s exposed arm as hard as I could.

  Collin let go of James from the shock. They both looked at me surprised. I guess it would be weird, the vampire getting bitten. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at the irony.

  “What you can do it and I can’t?” I asked Collin as the elevator door finally opened again. James threw me over his shoulder and dashed us out of the building.

  ***

  I looked at him in shock as he rocketed through the freeway at high speed. Sometimes I wonder how he doesn’t have a ticket yet. And the way he carried me and brought me to his car was pretty…amazing. I liked my body even though I wished my hips were a tad bit smaller. I was curvy in all the right place. But I had given up the dreams of a guy being able to lift me after age sixteen. Unless I married a weight lifting pro or something, it was something I considered at a time for that sole purpose. I was surprised he carried me like I weighed no less than a pencil.

  He still had his disheveled jet black hair, his eyes were still intense, almost glowing, and his fangs still showed when he’d occasionally sigh or cringe with his mouth open.

  “I’m so stupid!” he yelled and hit his steering wheel. I cringed waiting for the airbags to pop open but they didn’t, “I should have come upstairs with you!”

  He gripped onto his steering wheel and drove even faster. I’m surprised that his driving doesn’t scare me anymore but neither of us are immortal so I tried calming him down.

  “Baby… please calm down this is just as dangerous as being in the elevator with him…” I said calmly but I was getting scared.

  He glanced at me and looked back at the road from his rearview mirror. He slowed down the car and I let out a deep breath. He pulled over and parked in a busy shopping center, but left the car on.

  He took a deep breath then turned to face me as much as he could. Pulling my hair to the side with his left hand and touching my neck with his right. Gently brushing over where Collin had grazed with his fangs and frowned.

  “He almost hurt you…” he mumbled. “He did hurt you… I can’t believe he---”

  “But he didn’t. I’m fine James… he made it sound bigger than it was to get you angry. He was full of crap.”

  He looked at me and then back at my neck. He brought his face closer and I felt my heart beat go faster and my stomach twist with butterflies as his lips touched where Collin’s was a moment ago. He gently kissed my neck and bought his face to mine, gently kissing my lips.

  This was the first time he kissed me as a vampire. It was different, but the same. His lips were still the same perfect fullness and softness.

  He caressed my cheek with his hand and pulled away to start driving again.

  “You know… sometimes I thought you were lying to me when you said you weren’t afraid…” he said not looking at me. I looked at him confused but he kept his eyes on the road. I wasn’t even sure where were going. “Every time I’m near you I hear and feel your heart racing. Even before you knew that I was a monster, when we met at the sushi place, your heart was racing…”

  “You could hear my heart even then?”

  He nodded, “I always can. It’s natural to be afraid of me… humans are like animals too. We sense things we don’t realize. We know we’re in danger before we can process,” He continued, “When you first saw me your heart was racing like it was a moment ago with Collin…”

  I suddenly felt guilty for something I didn’t even know I was doing or could control. I started to speak but he didn’t let me deny it.

  “But when you started talking to me and you looked at me in my eyes… I noticed your heart was still racing. But you still gave me your number anyway. I always wondering why you were ignoring your fear…” he smiled, “But I just noticed the difference…”

  “What do you mean?”

  He shook his head with a bittersweet smile. He took my left hand and brought it to his lips kissing my knuckles, “Nothing. Just that I love you.”

  I smiled and felt the usual indescribable thrill I had when he said he loved me before, “I love you too James.”

  “I know…” he said sadly almost just as heartbreaking as his smile.

  “James… where are we going?” I asked trying to get him out of his zone. He looked around but didn’t answer me. Instead he pulled into a parking in front of a white gated apartment building.

  He headed out of the car and opened the door for me, “Come wi
th me…”

  He took my hand and I looked at him waiting for answers, “Where are we?”

  “My cousin’s. I need to talk to him.”

  “Cousin as in David or cousin as in Chris?” Please let it be Chris…

  He stopped midway and looked at my chest before taking his hand and placing it over my heart. I realized my heart was going fast again. He looked at me and smiled, “Don’t be scared of David he won’t hurt you. Especially now that we know for sure it wasn’t him. He’s all talk.”

  “David?” I whispered as if he could hear me. I tried to smile as we walked through the gate past the many doors. Attempting to take the doors as comfort that many people would be around if David wanted to attack me. Not that they’d be able to do anything if James couldn’t.

  We finally stopped at number twelve and James knocked the door with his free hand. I was thankful he didn’t let go of mine. He squeezed my hand as we waited, his way of reassuring me everything was going to be okay.

  The door opened to reveal a shirtless David. I felt my ears heat up at the sight of his tanned abs making them both look at me. He was beyond built. I realized they both probably sensed how I felt. I smiled mischievously and shrugged, a girl is allowed to look if the abs are there if guys can do it with boobs.

  “Mind putting a shirt on?” James demanded more than requested.

  “Do I need to remind you that you came to my home.” He said with a smirk as he opened the door wide enough for us to walk in. James dragged me into the almost empty living room. Besides the flat screen, small sofa, and a few weight lifting stuff that was it, it looked like it was just moved into. I wasn’t as surprised as I should be that David didn’t have that much furniture. He seemed like the type of guy that just didn’t care.

  David came back with a shirt on and glared at James, “What are you two doing here? And like that.” He said as he looked at James up and down making me look too. I had not realized he was still red eyed and vampirey. His shirt was ripped up too and he definitely looked like he just kicked ass moments ago. “Ready to finish her up and brought her here to share?”

  Wide eyed I stepped behind James. I knew he hated me.

  James angrily whispered something I couldn’t hear making David laugh. James started speaking a different language to David that I didn’t understand. I had never even heard the language before and I thought it was so pretty until I got frustrated from not understanding it.

  After a few moments it sounded like James was asking about something and looked stressed out. I wanted to know what it was so I could comfort him. They weren’t arguing so I knew it wasn’t about him. They occasionally looked at me, and it was obvious they were talking about me which was even more annoying.

  I cleared my throat trying to get their attention. But they didn’t pay attention. I did it again but louder and finally got them both to look at me, “English please?”

  “Fine… I’ll do it.” David said and looked at me. “You better be worth this. I swear if you do to James what my ex did to me, I’ll come and take all your blood myself.”

  “David.” James warned him.

  He rolled his eyes and went back in his room and I made James turn around. “What was that about?”

  “I was asking him for help. He’s going to stay with us at my house.”

  “Wait… what?” I didn’t feel comfortable being in the same room with him for five minutes. Living with him I would probably go insane from paranoia.

  “It’s safer.” He said simply then got closer, “Baby please trust me. I will never let anything bad happen to you…” he said as he caressed my cheek. I pressed my face into his hand and was about to pull him forward but was interrupted by David.

  “Please don’t be lovey dovey while I’m staying at your place.” David groaned. He had a duffle bag and had his dark blonde hair styled to bad boy perfection. It looked longer than the last time I saw him. “Want to sit around for a bit? I’m sure you’d scare my neighbors with that look…” He said to James.

  James frowned and sat on the couch. I sat close by him and avoided any eye contact with David. James put his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

  James was focusing on the swirls in the wooden floors and I looked up at David who was leaning against the wall across from us. He looked sad as he watched us. We made eye contact and I quickly broke it by looking at my hand that James was holding.

  He looked so sad as he waited to change back. I tried to talk to him to get his mind off of things, hoping that would help bring him back. I asked him about the language they were speaking and he told me it was Scottish Gaelic. He said his father’s side makes sure they all know it so that they could talk to each other if necessary.

  After a little over an hour, James was finally back to himself. His change was in the blink of an eye that it wasn’t even noticeable till we realized he was back to normal.

  “Took you long enough…” David said making James narrow his eyes at him. “I thought you two ‘loved’ each other and all that stuff. Why aren’t you permanently normal yet?”

  James ruffled his hair and groaned, “I don’t know…”

  “You need a drink man.” David said, “Let’s go…call up Daniel too.”

  I looked at James and he looked extremely stressed and exhausted. I never condone drinking, but he’s a guy, it might help him to hang out with his guy friends and let loose a little.

  I nudged him, “Go… you’re starting to stress me out too. You look exhausted...”

  “I’m not leaving you alone. And we were supposed to go to your parent’s house and mine too…” He demanded.

  “She can come with us and bring a friend.”

  “Yeah… you haven’t been out for fun in a long time…” I said and brushed his now messy hair away from his eyes with my fingers. “We can go to our parent’s house another time.”

  We finally convinced him to go but compromised that we went to Lucianna’s Pub. He felt more at ease in a place he knew well. Tiffany made it and so did Daniel.

  I sat with Tiffany and chatted with her as James talked with the guys. His arm was around my waist the whole time a mixture of protectiveness and adoration. Tiffany whispered to me about Daniel and I felt bad that I knew James and David could hear her. But it wasn’t my secret curse to tell. Daniel wasn’t hearing the thoughts so it didn’t bother me too much.

  “So… how are things with you and James? He’s still hogging you.” She whispered to me, “But girl, I don’t blame you. When he stood up to get the drinks, those jeans look a-ma-zing on his butt. Ask him what he does.”

  David laughed and I tried to hold back the laugh too. I looked at James and he couldn’t hide his big grin.

  “What’s so funny?” Tiffany asked.

  “Nothing…” I said embarrassed. James kissed my cheek to add onto my awkward blushing. Getting an irritating poke in my eye I groaned, “My eye’s getting watery… I think I got an eyelash in it or something.” I mumbled standing up. “I’ll be back.”

  James grabbed my arm and shook his head, “I don’t want you going alone.” he whispered.

  “I’ll be fine… I’m a big girl.” I kissed him and escaped his grip since he couldn’t do much in public. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked into the restroom. I’m sure if it was socially acceptable or if he didn’t own this restaurant he would come after me.

  After freeing my eye of its eyelash misery I finally made my way out of the restroom. I knew James was probably worried way more than necessary so I tried to hurry out. I felt someone grab my arm and I was assuming it was someone I knew until I saw him. A random guy in his late twenties.

  “Hey baby.” He slurred, clearly drunk, “You here alone?”

  “I came with my boyfriend.” I snapped at him and tried to pull my arm away.

  “How about you leave with me.”

  “Leave me alone…” I said annoyed.

  My eyes met with James’s and I was thankful he was comi
ng towards us.

  “Come on baby girl, gimmie your number.” He slurred as we played tug of war with my arm.

  James stepped in-between us and pulled his hand off me. “She asked you to leave her alone didn’t she?”

  “Who do you think you are man?” he said, “I found the fine piece of ass first.”

  James grabbed the guy by his neck and laughed, “She came with me you idiot. She’s my… girlfriend. Apologize to her.” He demanded.

  “For what!” He choked.

  “For harassing her and referring to her as ‘a piece of ass’. Apologize asshole.”

  “I’m fucking sorry.” He said as James dangled a good few inches off the floor.

  I grabbed James’s arm, “Baby it’s okay, let’s just go…” I whispered.

  “Say you are sorry, and mean it.” James said through his teeth. His eyes flashed red and the guy noticed.

  He looked at me and looked like he was going to pee his pants, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  James clenched his fist, holding himself back. I could tell he was tempted to punch this guy. And as much of an idiot he was, he didn’t deserve to be under James’s wrath at the moment. And the more the guy looked at me the more anger radiated off of James.

  I pulled him back and he finally gave in. He followed me back towards the table staying close behind so no one would have a view of my ‘behind’.

  “Baby look at me.” I said turning around and making him face me before we reached the table. “Take a deep breath.”

  Confused he did as I said. I stared into his eyes and slowly got on my tiptoes, regardless of my stilettos I was still short next to James, and pressed my lips to his. “Your fangs are showing baby.” I whispered against his lips.

  His eyes shot open and he looked in panic, “It’s not obvious.” I assured him and pecked his lips with a quick kiss. “But I think the guy noticed your eyes. You need to calm yourself down.”

  We went back to the table quietly. James looked down, avoiding any eye contact with the people who saw the fight between the two. David looked at us, sensing we were stressed out still. I’m sure he could probably hear what went on anyway. I’m sure he could ‘sense’ David’s teeth too. I had no idea what they could and couldn’t do and I wasn’t even going to try to figure it all out.