DRAWN TO MY SIRED VAMPIRE

chapter seven

Dianne’s POV

The memories all came rushing back to me like a tidal wave. There was no stopping them now—the pieces of fragments were forming a whole picture. Derek’s face, blood dripping from his fangs, Amanda’s lifeless eyes, and Irene’s mocking laughter—they all flooded into my mind, vivid and undeniable.

I clutched my head, the pounding unbearable. “You lied to me, Derek,” I said, my voice hoarse and trembling. “You knew all this time who you were. What you were.”

“I did,” Derek admitted, his tone quiet but resolute. He stood by the window, his tall frame silhouetted by the moonlight. “And I kept it from you for a reason. Would you have loved me if you knew I was a vampire? Would you still want to be with me even after you find out about my nature? I kept all of this away from you for a reason. I never wanted you to find out this way."

“Let me guess,” I said bitterly, pushing myself off the couch. “To protect me? That seems to be your go-to excuse.”

His red eyes shifted in my direction. “Yes. But not in the way you think. If Irene knew who you were—what you were—it wouldn’t just be you at risk. Everyone you care about would be, too.”

“What am I?” My breath caught in my throat. “What are you talking about? I’m not some... monster like you.”

“You’re not a monster,” Derek said sharply, turning to face me. “But you’re not ordinary either. Your blood—there’s something in it, something even I can’t explain. It’s why Irene wants you. Why she’ll never stop.”

“Don’t try to twist this,” I snapped. “This is about you and your mess. Irene is after me because of you, isn’t she? Because you couldn’t handle your own obsession.”

Derek’s jaw tightened. “You don’t understand what she is.”

“Then make me understand!”

He hesitated, as if thinking about how much he could say. Finally, he sighed. “Irene turned me centuries ago. She wanted someone loyal, someone who would follow her without question. But when she saw I wouldn’t bow to her will, she tried to break me. She’s been trying ever since. Also, I thought she was over me when she found another lover."

"Obviously she hasn't." I stared at him, the words sinking in. “So, she made you her puppet, and now she thinks she can make me one, too.”

“It’s more than that,” Derek said. “She doesn’t just want you as a pawn. She wants your blood. It’s not like anyone else’s. It strengthens me in ways even vampire blood can’t.”

I took a step back, my mind racing. “You’re saying... I’m some kind of freak?”

“No,” he said quickly. “You’re special. Irene knows that. She’ll do anything to get to you, Dianne.”

Before I could respond, a sharp pain shot through my chest, and my knees buckled. Derek caught me before I hit the ground, his grip firm but gentle.

“What’s happening to me?” I gasped.

“It’s the memories,” he said, his voice strained. “Your mind is piecing everything together. But it’s also your blood—it’s reacting to something. I don’t know what.”

A cold dread settled over me. My thoughts drifted to Amanda. “What will happen to her?" I asked immediately with my gaze fixed on Derek. "If you know something, shouldn't you be telling me?" I squeezed my eyebrows. "Last week, I didn't even know Vampire existed, and now... You are standing before me in flesh and blood. How many of you are there?" I asked, trying to keep calm.

Derek looked at me. "First you need to calm yourself down. I can hear your heart beating so fast."

"Sure it would. I have your ex, who wants me dead, and there is Amanda and her group, who have been breathing hard on me before I knew any of this. Would you keep calm in a situation like this?" I stared at Derek's face.

" Amanda? Let's just say judging from the night, then she is in transition. It is only a matter of time before she becomes one of us. If she wants to. Derek replied, and my eyes went wild. "Don't tell me you have the power of a vamp to someone who can go berserk anytime she wants. What happens if she comes for me? Do you think you are going to be there to protect me at all times?" I stared at Derek.

This was becoming hard and disturbing for me. "I shouldn't have loved you; I shouldn't have dreamed of any of this. This... is a freaking nightmare." I shouted in anger.

"Can you even protect me from them? Irene, Amanda, and her friends. Can you protect me? Because from the look of things, I doubt if you can protect me. Derek was dumbstruck; I could see it in his face. He didn't know what to say, and I knew deep down, he was battling with the right words to soothe my mind.

"What do you want me to do, Dianna? Because we are stuck. Do you think Irene will leave you alone if I disappear from your life? Or do you think Amanda and her friends would stop bullying you? Answer me honestly. I have saved you countless times." Derek said, looking at me from where he sat.

"And all of this got even messier and bigger. I would have survived all of this. The bully, Amanda, and her friends. I would have survived them all. Not until you showed up." I said with anger. "Is this my fault? Are you saying all of this is my fault?" Derek looked at me. "What do I do? How do I protect myself from them?" I looked at Derek, and his next words sent shivers down my spine.