Bloodlines of Shadows

Leaving Normalcy

My heart sank as Josh's voice echoed through the forest. What was he thinking, bailing on us after we'd come this far? I turned to Max, whose eyes were fixed on the narrow path he wanted me to take. His eyes glowed red in the dark, his fangs bared, and the veins in his neck bulged.

His aura was icy, radiating anger. But something was off-the footsteps weren't drawing closer; they were retreating. My heart leaped with a flicker of hope.

"They're not chasing us," I whispered to Max, who looked ready to fight to the death.

"Max? Max?" I whispered again, shaking his shoulders. He looked down at me, struggling to control his burning gaze. Slowly, I watched it transform back into the mesmerizing green it always was.

"Go on. This is your only chance," he said, cupping my cheeks and staring into my eyes. "Why are you stalling?"

"Huh?" I asked, my voice catching in my throat.

"Uhh... nothing," I stammered, trying to mask my embarrassment.

Max took his hands off my cheeks and put them into his pockets. Still staring at me, he leaned in and planted a kiss on my right cheek. "You need to stop drooling over me and move before you get caught," he said, gesturing towards the path I had to take.

"Why are you helping me? You're confusing me," I said, my voice trembling. "I'm tired of feeling this pain alone. For Christ's sake, pick a personality and stick with it. This moment you are harsh and the next moment, I am all that matters to you.

He stared into my eyes, and I don't know how I managed to hold his gaze, but it was something I silently praised myself for. Amelia wouldn't believe this if I ever made it back home.

"I don't even know how I got here. How am I supposed to know how to leave?" I asked, trying to ease the tension after realizing how stupid I sounded and my feet suddenly seemed the most fascinating thing to look at in the oppressive darkness.

Max's eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of something unrecognizable crossing his face. "Just trust me," he said, his voice a low, urgent whisper. "Go, now."

I nodded, the weight of his words pressing on my chest. My steps came to a halt when I heard Josh's voice. "I will go with her," he said, walking up to me and taking my hands in his with a smirk on his face. It was like he had a hidden agenda but I can't fight it, I have no option.

Turning back to Max, I saw his fists clench, but I ignored it and watched Josh lead the way. We hadn't gotten far when Max's voice halted us.

"Wait!" Max called out, his voice cutting through the night. Josh and I stopped in our tracks, turning to see Max's figure silhouetted against the dim moonlight filtering through the trees.

I thought he had left, but he had been following us, and with the look on Josh's face, he knew.

Josh's grip on my hand tightened, but I couldn't help feeling torn. Max was unpredictable, but something about his look at my hands locked in Josh's made me hesitate.

Max approached us slowly, his movements cautious, as if he was fighting some internal battle. "There's something you need to know," he said, his voice tinged with urgency.

Josh glared at Max, his protective stance unwavering. "We don't have time for this. We're leaving, and you have to go. Remember the consequences if the king finds out," he said firmly, trying to pull me forward.

I couldn't move an inch as I stared into Max's eyes, his gaze conveying something I couldn't understand. An emotion I couldn't interpret.

"You can't get close to blood," he finally said. "Wherever you see blood, excuse yourself immediately because you will feel an insatiable hunger for it. Stay away until the hunger dies down. I don't know how you survived all these years without blood, but I have awakened your thirst for it, and now it's going to be unimaginable and tough. When it feels like you can't take it anymore, bite yourself if I am not there to help you," he said, looking at me, his tone laced with urgency and concern.

A lump formed in my throat. I bit my tongue, hoping to wake up from this nightmare, but the pain was real. I looked at him as the words left his mouth.

"Am I supposed to thank him now? He's just ruined my life. My mom owns a whole hospital, and I always planned on being a nurse to help her out. Now what? Everything's crumbled. I can't even go near people. If a bleeding person comes to the hospital, what am I supposed to do? Excuse myself? This is too much." My mind raced. I can never be normal.

Tears streamed down my face as the words sank in. Max reached out and wiped them away, lifting my chin to meet his gaze.

"You have to be strong," he said, scanning my face for reactions.

"What are you saying, Max? I thought it was just your blood. Don't tell me it applies to every human's blood. What am I going to do? My mom owns a hospital; I want to be a nurse. What's my fate now, Max? What lies ahead?" I asked, breaking down into sobs, the pain too much to bear.

"Lower your voice," he said urgently. "The king and his minions will be here any minute."

"Let them come. I don't have a life to protect anymore."

"Okay then, let's head back. The king would be pleased to see you, and I'll tell him I captured you while you were trying to escape. Who knows, he might make me the next in line," Josh cut in, firing Max a deadly glare.

"You know, there's a price that comes with being king. I can have whoever I want and whatever I want. I could keep you in the dungeon, visit you whenever I please. As for Max, he could be my right hand. Maybe one day, we can finally have our steamy night together," Josh said, smacking his lips and winking at me.

"Make your choice faster before my greed takes over. I might also want Kiara for myself."

"f**k you," Max said, landing him a heavy punch.

I felt a pang in my heart as he held Josh by his shirt, raising him off the ground. Did he care about Kiara that much?

Just then, I caught a familiar scent of blood. Something's not right. "They're coming," I blurted out in fear, and Max dropped Josh, turning towards me.

Vote, follow and share 😌