Hexed and Bitten

Chapter 3

Shaking off the spiraling thoughts, she slipped out of bed. She needed a scalding shower to wash away the panic clinging to her skin.

Under the hot spray, her muscles slowly unknotted. Feeling somewhat recentered, she dried off and crawled back under the covers, desperate for actual rest. But the moment her eyelids heavy, the image of her sister’s bloodied face flashed behind her eyes.

Sleep was off the table.

Leaving her sleeping cat in bed, she padded out to the kitchen, brewed a dark cup of coffee, and stepped onto the balcony. Was this reluctance to sleep part of her vampire nature taking over? Unlike traditional vampires who slept by day and hunted by night, Arabella ran her shop during the daylight without issue, she didn't need protected spell-bound jewelry like others to freely walk during the day thanks to the magic that ran through her veins before she was turned. Lately, though, sleep felt like a battle. Was her body shifting toward traditional vampiric rhythms, or was it just stress?

She wished she had the coven around to ask. But that was a door long closed.

Her phone hummed on the small balcony table, breaking her spiraling thoughts. David’s smiling face lit up the screen.

Brows furrowed, she picked up. “Hello?”

“Hey. What are you doing up so late?”

“Says the man calling me at three in the morning.”

“Good point,” he chuckled. The sound was oddly soothing against her frazzled nerves. “I couldn’t sleep and... well, I wanted to talk.”

The slight hesitation in his voice was unusual. He was normally brimming with cocky confidence, yet right now he sounded almost vulnerable.

“Okay...” She smiled, finding his rare shyness surprisingly endearing.

“Have you ever felt like you just don’t fit in?” he asked softly. “Like you’re always on the outside looking in?”

“Wow, okay. Someone’s spiraling over there,” she teased.

His deep-timbered laugh rang from the phone, the sound rolling over her leaving shivers in its wake. How did he have such an odd effect on her? He was just human, a mortal, mundane, and yet he had a rather odd effect on her. “Sorry, sometimes when I can’t sleep, I overthink my entire life.”

“I get it.” Arabella leaned against the balcony railing, gazing out into the quiet street. “You know what helps with overthinking?”

“No, what?”

“Sex.”

“Are you suggesting I come over?” The cocky edge slipped back into his tone, the arrogance back on display. She knew it was an act, a mask he wore like so many to hide how he really felt, to protect what he truly was deep down.

“No. But you could pick me up, and we could go have a little fun.”

Within minutes, his headlights cut through the dark street. Laughing softly, Arabella hurried downstairs and slid into the passenger seat. They sped off into the night, David eager to find a secluded spot. She loved this reckless side of him, his adventurous streak was a welcome distraction. As much as he seemed guarded and cautious, there were moments like this when she got to see another side of him, a wild, freer side of him.

Pulling deep into the forest area he parked. Before he could react, she was climbing onto his lap. He grabbed at her shirt, yanking it over her head revealing her bare breasts. "Fuck." He groaned cupping her breasts in each hand.

Moaning she reached down making quick working of his button and zipper, freeing his thick shaft. Looking down at it she licked her lips a hunger to lower down to her knees and take him in her mouth almost overwhelming, but she knew it wasn't what he needed or what she truly needed. Lifting herself up she aligned him at her entrance and, without hesitation, she sat down his shaft spreading her in that way that walked a fine line between pleasure and pain. Both of them moaned loudly as he filled her completely. No more talking, no more memories or pain, just this, just him.

“That was amazing,” David murmured a while later, pulling up in front of her shop.

“It always is.” Arabella leaned across the console, brushing a sweet kiss against his cheek. “Thanks for the ride.” She winked playfully, unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching for the door handle.

“Ari, wait.” David’s hand caught her forearm, halting her. “Look... I know we agreed to keep things casual, but...”

“David,” she interrupted gently, pressing a finger to his lips to stall his rambling. “I like you. A lot. But I can’t give you more than this. If casual doesn't work for you, maybe we should stop before anyone gets hurt.”

She hated the thought of hurting him, but nipping it in the bud now was better than letting his feelings deepen into something dangerous. The only way a mortal could stay with her forever was if she turned him, and she had sworn never to curse another soul with vampirism.

“Wait, Ari,” his grip tightened slightly. “I don’t want to stop. I just... wanted to see if you’d consider going on a real date this Friday.”

“David...” She sighed, looking at his hopeful expression. Everything in her screamed to say no and make a clean break, yet when she opened her mouth, the wrong word tumbled out. “Okay.”

“Okay?” He blinked, caught off guard by her sudden surrender.

“Oh wait, no, I can’t,” she quickly corrected herself, remembering. “I promised I’d go out with Vivianne.” Thank goodness, she thought. She could kiss Vivianne for dragging her into weekend plans.

“Viv talked you into going out?” A strange flick of emotion crossed his features, almost like suspicion, before vanishing into a smooth smile.

Arabella brushed it off. He was probably just tired; why would he be suspicious of his own sister?

“Yeah,” Arabella chuckled. “I’ve been dodging her for weeks. Since it’s Halloween, I finally caved and agreed to go to that party Jerry’s throwing.”

“Oh! Well, I was invited to that too. Maybe I can pick you up and we can go together?”

“Okay.”

Why did she keep saying okay?! She had just squeezed out of a solo date, only to walk right back into a double-layered mess. What was wrong with her tonight?

“Great.” David’s eyes brightened with genuine excitement. “I’ll see you Friday, then.”

Nodding briskly, Arabella kept her lips tightly sealed, terrified of what else might slip out. Slipping her wrist from his grip, she darted out of the car and into the safety of her building, needing to put as much distance between them as possible before her mouth ruined her life any further.

Stepping back into her loft, the door shut with a soft thud, her back leaning against it as she let out an irritated sigh. Leaning her head back, she took a moment to try to recenter herself and the stupidity that just happened.

“Jinx, I’m an i***t,” she grumbled as she leaned on the door, beating herself up. She didn’t hear the usual jingle of his collar or the meow that she always assumed was him agreeing with her. “Jinx?” She called again but still no answer or her furry pal padding her way.

Pushing off the door she walked further into the living area to find Jinx outside on the balcony, his fur puffed up back rigid as he looked down at something in the dark.

“How did you get out here?” She asked as she stepped out onto the balcony but still Jinx ignored her a low growling sound vibrating from his chest, his green eyes locked into the distance, but when Arabella looked out there was nothing there and with her inhuman sight she would have spotted if anything was truly there. “Hey, Jinx it’s okay,” Reaching out she gently brushed down his puffed fur. The contact of her hand seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. Turning he blinked up at her and gone was the agitated angry cat and in his place the loveable furball she adored. “It’s okay buddy, let’s get back inside we have to get ready for work.” She cooed scooping him into her arms, but as she turned her back walking into the loft Jinx looked out his eyes squinting into slits, his lip curling up showing his fangs as if to tell whatever he seemed to be seeing back off.

Tuesday and Wednesday rolled by alarmingly fast. Arabella couldn’t seem to focus on work like she normally could. The dreams kept replaying in her mind: the odd look on David’s face and the strange way she had found Jinx on the balcony.

Something deep in her gut told her something weird was going on, but what? What could it possibly be, other than her overthinking everything in her life? She finally had a mundane life and couldn’t seem to stop and truly enjoy it, instead trying to find something wrong with it.

Was there something wrong, or was she self-sabotaging? She needed to add some more self-help books to her shop; that way, next time she was having some sort of midlife crisis, she could use one. Though, how could a vampire have a midlife crisis when they were immortal? Well, for the most part, they were. Hard to kill, but it wasn’t impossible.

“Ari?” Vivianne’s voice broke through her chaotic mind.

“Hmm?” She hummed, blinking out of her haze to see Vivianne looking at her with an odd expression on her face.

“So… I heard you're ditching me to go to the party with David?” She raised an accusing brow.

“No... Well, kind of, I guess. But honestly, Viv, I don’t know what happened. It was like word vomit coming out of my mouth.”

“You've got it bad, girl,” Vivianne grinned.

“I do not!” She stuck out her bottom lip like a child, making Vivianne chuckle and shake her head.

“Okay, fine, I take it back,” she held up her hands playfully. “But can you at least go to the party with me?”

“Yes,” Arabella smiled. That was an easy yes. She actually wanted to go with her. “But can you break it to your brother?” She was too scared to do it herself, given how she had behaved the last time they were together.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s my pleasure.” A sinister grin spread across Vivianne’s face.

Something about it unsettled her, but as she blinked, the look was gone, replaced by a friendly smile as Vivianne reached over and stole one of the suckers Arabella always put out for customers to take for free.

Shaking her head, Arabella couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend's antics. She constantly snuck suckers throughout the day, thinking Arabella hadn’t caught her. Honestly, she didn’t care that she was sneaking lollipops; she knew Vivianne was a bit of a sugar addict and had a hard time saying no to her best friend. Did that make her an enabler? Maybe, but she found it rather amusing.

Still, something niggled deep in her gut, that odd look David had given her, and now Vivianne. Was she truly overthinking things, or was her intuition trying to warn her? And if so, what was it warning her about?