The Kiss of Death

Chapter 4

Will's POV:

In all my 183 years on this Earth, I've been considered a man of great privilege. I've been given a position of power and with that comes gobs of money and property, pretty much anything that I could ever want. More than enough to get by for the entirety of my lifetime, which just happens to be eternity, unless something untoward were to occur. I never even had to ask, it was always just granted. It's my birthright, having been birthed into one of only two pureblooded families left in existence. It's a gift, and a curse.

My life has been great. Everyone should think that with such extraordinary circumstances that I would be content, happy even. And I have been... Until just recently. I know what you're thinking; 'What a very entitled, self-centered, pompous fool you must be. What could be missing? What could you ever want for?' Try to understand, having never gone without, I could never truly know the struggles that those below my status must endure. But I'm not thick-headed or blind. I do see the poverty that surrounds me, the living conditions of those lowest in our society. I see the way that we herd humans and treat them like cattle.

It's impossible for someone of my status, who should think nothing of those around me, to have much accomplished in the favor of those humans or even lower-class vampires that live in such slums. I should not think of it. I should shrug my shoulders and feign ignorance. I know the difference between right and wrong just like anyone else. I know that I should consider them animals just as the rest of the vampire race chooses to see them, but I cannot. Not anymore. Not now that I've found her. My soulmate.

When I was a child, I didn't think much of the soulmate principle. I knew the odds were stacked against me ever happening across mine so I tried not to imagine it. But when I had thought of it, never in my wildest imaginings had I ever considered this.

I'm not sure what brought us back into the suite and out of the golden light that filled our minds, but I notice the feeling of slowly coming back into my body, drifting peacefully back down to Earth. At some point, I must have stopped drinking and pulled away from her throat, though it was unconsciously done, and I note as well that I must keep an eye on her since I have no way of knowing how much blood I may have stolen from her. I hope I haven't made her ill.

We continue to hold onto each other just like we had before when our minds had been bridged. Although I realize now that we had slid down the wall with my back to it, her slight form resting in my lap, our bodies intertwined in our efforts to remain close.

I squeeze my eyes shut, holding tight to the girl in my arms as I contemplate the next 100 years and the struggles that are sure to come if I attempt to keep holding her for even half of that time. It is extremely uncommon for any noble to keep a human pet for more than a decade. The blood ages with the human and the rich flavor tends to dilute over time, plus no one really wants to feed off of an eighty-year-old, so usually they're discarded after roughly five years or so. The only other reason to keep a human pet for longer is for free labor or s*x. Still no longer than five years, and I'll already have other nobles within my circle shooting off questions at me like bullets from a firing squad.

My attention is drawn away from my thoughts as the girl shifts in my arms, her arms loosening their grip now on the front of my shirt as she turns her face into my neck and takes a deep, shaky breath. I open my eyes and tilt my head just enough to peak down at her but choose to say nothing and wait for her to speak. As I do, I lightly brush my fingers through her hair and try to entertain more peaceful musings, careful not to disturb her as she attempts to collect herself after a bout of crying. Her hair really is beautiful, I note as I focus in on the long strands.

Dark brown, almost black actually, but with a hint of red only those with the eyes of a predator could probably see. I take a curl in my hand, rubbing the fine strands between my fingers, admiring the way the waves frame her face and wind down her back. And her eyes. I close my eyes again and try to pull up an image of those forest green eyes. Again, my vision allows me to pick up on the mixed specks of ocean blue and warm golden brown that are sprinkled throughout the green. They remind me of the first dew of the morning, or a forest of pines just after a heavy rain. I can almost smell the pine mixing pleasantly with the fresh sweetness the air usually has when the rain stops, when the earth is left still and shimmering, the droplets clinging to the branches and bushes.

I find myself wanting to spend every moment that I can in her company, admiring her beauty and discovering more about her. I want to know every wish and desire, every thought and every secret. I stop suddenly as she stiffens in my arms again and I realize that I know nothing about this woman. Here she has seen into my mind and soul, viewed visions of my past, and yet I could not recall even her name. I was so busy trying to shut her away that I never took the time to learn much about her while I had the chance. I'm shocked I never even bothered to ask until now. I should know her name. Suddenly nothing else matters.

"You never mentioned it... What is your name?" I whisper, not wanting to break into the silence that we'd been so comfortable sitting in for quite some time but still desperate to hear her answer.

She sniffles lightly and rubs her nose, pulling away just enough to look up at me with her blood-shot eyes and tear-stained face. "El." She says simply. "Short for Eleanor. My mother has a thing for ancient names. My sister's name is Edith but I call her Ed." She tacks on the last bit about her sister nervously, as if she is still hesitant to mention her but thinks the information necessary to win whatever battle she seems to think may have ensued over her name. Surely she knows she can trust me by now, she's seen into my thoughts after all. I smile slowly, delighted at having found out her name but at also noting the stubborn yet highly competitive nature she seems to possess. I can use that to rile her up in the future, which I already know will be a favorite pastime of mine.

"Eleanor." I try the name out on my tongue and find that it passes easily from my lips. It is an old name but somehow it fits her perfectly. Maybe she's an old soul. Of course, she'd have to have something in common with me or we would be completely wrong for each other. "Do you have a middle name?" I pester her for more information, wiggling my eyebrows at her playfully. She winces exaggeratedly and looks away, blushing a slight shade of pink. God, she's beautiful. I'd kill to keep that sweet blush on her face for a few seconds longer. Plus, it's nice to see some color return to her face after losing so much blood. Maybe she is okay after all.

"Ainsley." She mutters almost inaudibly. Too bad I'm a vampire because if it were human ears listening they might have missed it altogether, it was mumbled so softly. As if she finally decided to be unembarrassed by the admission, she speaks again, much louder this time, looking me in the eyes now as if challenging me to say something about her name. "Eleanor Ainsley Copper. I know its a mouthful."

"It's beautiful. It is very different for modern times but I like it. It suits you incredibly well." I pause to enjoy the second blush to rise to her cheeks during this conversation. "You should hear mine, I'm sure it will put your mind at ease. I'm almost positive that you know my name by now, but it seems only fair to level the playing field. It's William Thatcher Bexley Collins." I grin widely, watching her face as she digests that information.

"Your name is much longer and way more embarrassing." She giggles lightly once, wiping her face with her sleeve and moving away from me completely as she tries to stand on shaky feet. I rise inhumanly fast and hold my hands out to steady her as she reaches out to keep her balance. She flinches only a little at my speed before smiling her thanks at me as she walks toward the couch once again and takes a seat, reaching one hand up to her neck to check her wound. She winces softly and gingerly feels around the edges of the bite, then lowers her hand to check for fresh blood.

I frown and make my way to the couch as well. "I'm sorry I hurt you." I mumble, reaching for the med-kit from earlier to do yet another round of treatment for yet another wound that was inflicted since she's been in my care. "I forgot myself in the heat of the moment and wanted only to show you the monster you seem to think I am. I promise, usually I'm much gentler when I need to eat. You won't be a meal of mine again, so there's no need to worry regardless." I continue as I head to the bathroom for another wet cloth to clean her skin.

On my way back to the couch, I notice that she is staring out the window again, seeming to hear me but not really listening. That's okay, I've got a task at hand anyway and I should concentrate on that to make sure she heals properly. I hate the thought of any scars marring her fair, creamy skin. And a lot has happened in such a short time, I can't blame her for needing a moment. So I start by cleaning the blood from her neck and shoulder, folding the cloth several times for a cleaner edge. Then I take the antibacterial cream and apply it gingerly to the bite mark, leaving nothing uncovered, and finish it off by sticking a bandage over the mark to keep any impurities out. Satisfied that I'd done the job, I nod once and begin to clean up after myself.

I glance at El out of the corner of my eye as I do, waiting for a movement or a sound to alert me that she is back in the present with me again. As I finish cleaning up my mess and discarding the bloody cloth in the hamper in the bathroom, Eleanor finally looks back at me with a forlorn look on her face. "William."

My steps falter for a heartbeat as I walk back from the bathroom to the couch, nervous at the direction her thoughts may have taken her. I can already feel the argument coming as I study her face. "Will." I correct automatically.

"Will." She nods once, never breaking eye contact, as I continue forward and sit beside her on the couch, taking her hand in mine because I can't stand the distance between us. I glance down at our hands, hoping that our proximity would keep me calm during this conversation. I play with her fingers subconsciously, watching her face and waiting for her to speak her mind. She peers down at our hands, her brow furrowing.

"Will, I have to leave here." She pauses as I open my mouth to object and holds a hand up to stop me before continuing her explanation. "My sister is out in those woods, waiting for me to come back for her. She'll never make it on her own out there. Not at night. She must be so cold and hungry and scared. I have to help her get to the city of light. I have to help her find our parents. It's my job. She's my responsibility." She stammers and pulls her hand away from mine.

I swipe the hair out of my eyes with shaking fingers and shake my head. "Out of the question. You're not going anywhere, Eleanor. It's not safe for you right now. It's not safe for a human to wander around at night, you know that. I can't protect you out there without raising questions about us." I stand up and walk towards the bed, mentally exhausted at the turn of events from this evening. My head is so full, I can feel it starting to pound and I lift my hands to rub my temples in an attempt to ease the pain. I sit on the bed and look across the room at her, thinking of what I can do to ease her troubled mind as she begins her argument.

"I haven't needed your protection this far and I don't need it now. This soul bond thing changes nothing for me. I'm not a possession, I'm a person. I'm a person with a life and a family to get back to. I will not leave her alone. I can't have a life with you anyway. You know as well as I do that there's no hope for us. I'm going." She states firmly, standing as well and stomping towards the door, brandishing her words at me like a weapon, probably hoping it would keep me from stopping her. As if. Using my incredible speed, I dash to the door before she can reach it and glare at her just as she reaches it and me.

"You're not going. I will not allow you to put yourself at risk." I raise my voice back at her and watch her as she huffs and shoves her hands into my shoulders in an attempt to push me out of her way. Surely she knew that wouldn't work. I roll my eyes, completely unfazed. "Stop. Your efforts are laughable, Eleanor, stop. Enough!" I grunt as she shoves and punches at my arms and chest, then grab hold of her wrists to keep her from hitting me again. "Listen to me El, give me tonight to think on it and I'll come up with something that we can both be comfortable with. You know I can't let you go and I know that you're desperate or you wouldn't have reacted so harshly to my refusal. Perhaps you and I can both go and retrieve her. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? But that's too late! She might well be on her way back to the last city already. I might struggle to catch up with her as it is. Not to mention, the night is crawling with vampires and without me there to protect her, she could be killed. Please Will, I have to go now. Please. I can't risk my sister's life." She pleads with her eyes and I can already see a sheen of tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

I purse my lips as I think, watching as a single tear slides down her cheek before I catch it with my thumb and swipe it away. Leaving my hand against her cheek, I peer into her eyes and sigh. "You've lost more blood than you think, I know, because of the bluish tint to your skin and the slight change in the beat of your heart. You can't make it out of town, through the woods to your sister, and back here on your own in this state. You'll pass out or make yourself ill with any attempt you make now. Your body needs time to heal and replenish the blood that was lost. I promise you we will go tomorrow to look for your sister. Please let that be enough for now."

I can see the fire in her eyes and the argument on her lips seconds before she opens her mouth, but no sound comes out before she closes it again. I use the opportunity to try to sell her on my idea. "It wouldn't be unusual for me to collect another pet. Nobles and royals especially, often keep several humans on hand to feed from or use for other purposes. I could help you find her and keep her with us. She'd be safe. Then, when the time is right, I can plan a trip in the direction that you'll need to go to find your parents and give you the opportunity to slip her into the city. I can help you but only if you let me." I stop and study her face as she pauses, seemingly to think about striking a deal. "I only ask for one thing in return."

She arches one eyebrow and then furrows them immediately after, obviously curious about my request. "What? That I wait for the night?" She questions me, tugging lightly on her hands in an attempt to free herself. Noting that she's calmed down quite a bit, I release her and watch as she rubs her wrists instinctively.

I bob my head from side to side and struggle to hold back my grin. "Well, yes to that, but I have another favor to ask." I place my hands on her arms, gently rubbing her shoulders in a comforting gesture. "I need some time. I have to find a way to keep you with me. I want more than five years. I want a lifetime. I know it sounds stupid and I know you think there's no way, but you have to let me try to find one. Please. Stay with me." I whisper, desperation making my voice hoarse as I lean toward her, resting my head against hers and looking into her eyes, searching for the answer I hope she'll give me. "Let me hold onto you as long as I can. I can keep you safe and I promise I'll do everything I can to keep you happy. Just... Please." I close my eyes, releasing an uneasy breath as my lips inch closer to hers.

I can feel her breath heat my face as she responds. "This can't work, Will." She whispers, wrapping her arms around my neck and tangling her fingers into my hair. "But if you help me find my sister," She starts, "If you help me keep her safe, then I'll stay. But I can't make promises of how long." She stops and closes her eyes tightly, nerves seeming to raise the color in her cheeks yet again. "I know it's crazy, but it's almost like my heart loves you already. Like just because it's you and it's me, we skipped all the steps. Instead of falling for you slowly, it was like getting shoved off a cliff. Quick. No warning. I don't want to be apart from you either. I just don't see a way through this that doesn't end with me dead or us separated." She brushes her nose lightly against mine, her bottom lip barely grazing against mine.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes at her admission, a shiver of excitement rolling down my spine. I'm elated, ecstatic that she could feel the same for me as I do for her. I'm not convinced that there's a god for monsters like me, but on the off chance that one exists for a human like her, I pray silently for a chance, any slim shot at all, that we can stay together and be happy. I hope that if I pray on her behalf, any higher power that could be watching over her would want his sweetest angel to have a shot at happiness too. "I'll never let anything happen to you." I murmur softly to her.

I lift one hand to her cheek and gently run my thumb across her skin and down to her lips, parting them softly as I breathe in her intoxicating smell. "God, I want you." I whisper heatedly and stop to search her eyes for permission before moving my hand back to grip her hair and pressing my lips down on hers. She gasps against my lips and pulls herself closer, letting her mouth melt against mine in a soft, sweet, warm kiss. It starts off slow and innocent, her soft lips melding against my own. And we stay that way for a while, worshipping each other's lips for long, slow, drawn-out moments. Eventually, a warm tingling begins to build in my gut and I know she feels it as well when she presses her chest against my own in an open invitation to press for something deeper.

I let my tongue peek out to slide against her lips, needing to taste her, to have more of her, and I feel her lips fall open on a sigh, allowing me to enter her sweet mouth. I can feel my heart racing and our temperatures rising as the need rises in us both. I can feel everything growing foggy and it's hard to think about anything other than this. I know this is sudden and that I should slow down, but I don't want to. I growl low against her mouth and she nips at my lower lip teasingly, causing my lust to skyrocket and I pull back to look her in the eye as I pick her up and she wraps her legs around me tightly, rubbing sensually against me. Seeing the heat in her gaze is all that I need to assure me that she wants me just as badly as I want her, so I use vamp speed to rush us to bed.

As I lay her on her back and continue my assault on her mouth, she lifts her hips up against mine and grinds against me. "Whoa." I mutter, feeling very lightheaded as the blood rushes from my big head down to my little one. "Slow down, El. Give me a minute to think." I can feel her lips trailing down my jaw and down to my neck where she sucks and nips at the sensitive skin there.

"So think." She purrs, her hands curving around my shoulders and running slowly down my back, her nails lightly raking against my skin. I can feel my senses tingling, my brain trying to warn me of something, but I can't concentrate on anything other than her sweet sigh and the roll of her hips. "No one's stopping you." She whispers into my ear, nipping at my lobe, her tongue trailing along seductively to ease away any ache her teeth may have left behind.

I groan lightly and lick my lips, my eyes drifting closed. "I can't." I murmur hotly against her neck, pressing openmouthed kisses against the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. I keep one hand tangled in her hair and start the other trailing softly down her side, across her hip, and along her thigh, pulling her knee up against my hip and allowing me to fit more snuggly between her thighs. I'm just about to pull her mouth back down to mine when I hear a noise from outside the room that draws my attention away. Footsteps?

A knock on the door is like ice water dumped down my back and I tear my mouth away from her throat, my eyes quickly finding the door and narrowing to slits as I focus in on it. El doesn't seem to have gotten the hint and she continues her assault on my neck and jaw as she tries to pull me back down to her, her body wriggling against my own. Before I can even say a word, the door knob turns slowly and I know that any moment the door will open and we'll be caught. I turn the options around in my head before landing on the only solid idea I can grasp and I look down at her quickly, carefully searching her eyes. "I'm sorry." I whisper so softly that only her ears can pick up on the sound, before I lower my mouth to her throat and pierce my teeth into her neck.

She instinctively reaches up to push me away, but I catch her wrists swiftly, pinning them above her head to keep her still.

All I can hear as the door swings open is the sound of her startled scream piercing the air.