Soul Bound

Accident

Alissa's head was pounding. She opened her eyes only to slam them shut again immediately, groaning softly as halos of light still flashed on the inside of her eyelids. Her head felt sore in a way it hadn't done since she was a stupid teenager. How much had she had to drink last night?

Carefully she stretched her hand out for her phone. The first week she had accidentally knocked the lamp off her nightstand a few times and it had annoyed her to no end. When her hand dropped down into thin air she frowned.

Had the nightstand been moved? Or did I go home with someone?

Vague memories of a man pulled at her and made her heart beat faster as she stretched out her hand again, slower this time. When she couldn't feel anything under her palm she brazed herself and pried her eyes open to look.

She was definitely not at home. A bell started tolling in the back of her mind. She had never seen this room before in her life. This room was bare except for the simple bed that she lay on, the sheets white. Even if she had been dead drunk she always remembered something.

She sat upright and groaned loudly at the way her vision spun. She cradled her head in her hands.

First find aspirin. Then get the hell out of here.

After a few minutes everything went down a few notches again and she breathed out a sigh as she lowered her hands and opened her eyes, finally feeling like she could adjust to the sunlight falling in through the window. Slowly she kicked the blanket to the side and turned her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks and automatically she turned her head in that direction. A tall man was standing in the door way, watching her. Steel gray eyes met hers and she looked away, her heart skipping a beat.

Why did she recognize that voice? Was he the man that she had hooked up with? Something told her that he wasn't.

A cold hand on her wrist made her jump and she turned her face up to see a glas of water and a pill held out in the line of her vision. She grabbed it and ignore the lack of wiseness in taking an unknown pill from an unknown man. The water was chilled as it went down her throat with the pill.

"Thank you... I'm sorry but I don't remember who you are?"

She took a discrete breath and looked at the man. Suddenly she was in the forest, the ground wet beneath her back. Lying on the ground he seemed bigger than ever as he was staring down at her, a distinct pair of fangs indented against austere lips.

Her heart started palpitating in her chest, like a caged bird that wanted to escape, and she felt a cold sweat break out at her back. From the ash into the frying pan?

"Easy there. You had an accident and hit your head. I found you in the woods."

Her mouth moved of it's own accord. "I saw you there- I saw you- You had fangs."

Fear made her cold as she waited for him to jump at her. In her mind she saw him press her down into the mattress and tear at her throat with those teeth.

The man by her bedside laughed quietly and shook his head. With a grin he displayed his teeth to her, all of the teeth in normal size.

"You must have hit your head harder than I thought."

She could feel a blush climbing up her throat and she lowered her gaze.

Nice work Alissa. Accusing the one who saved you for being a vampire.

"Sorry", she muttered.

"Don't worry about it."

The pain in her head was lessening minute by minute and she closed her eyes to take inventory of her body. For some reason her whole body was aching in one degree or other. The soles of her feet, her arms, her legs. She frowned as she let her hand travel up to her throat where the pain was pulsating mutely but steadily.

"I think you were attacked by some wild animal or something that got spooked when I arrived."

She opened her eyes again fully to study the man in front of her, a frown pulling at her eyebrows. Something told her that the man was lying but in the sharp lines of his face she saw nothing to indicate that. He was sitting with his hands loosely clasped between his knees dressed in a black dress shirt and a pair of worn down jeans. His dark brown hair had started graying at the temples and his skin showed the marks of a life well lived.

What was it about him that put her on edge?

After a few seconds she realised what it was as her gaze finished their scrutiny and met his gaze again. Even if the lips where shaped in an easy-going smile, the eyes betrayed that emotion. They reflected a grey that seemed to be the sky over an ice cold ocean. A chill went through her as she was unable to look away. With an effort she managed to tear her gaze away. More questions were flitting through her thoughts but the exhaustion was looming and she had a feeling that he wouldn't answer them.

"Thank you for taking care of me. I think I better get home now."

She blushed even more as she couldn't quite keep her voice steady.

"Yes, naturally", came the short reply and she had to hold back the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding and that wanted to slip out. She didn't want to seem ungrateful.

Slowly she stood up, careful not to trigger any wounds she wasn't aware of yet. In her line of sight was the clothes she was wearing. The sweatpants were a light grey and the t-shirt was a simple pink one that sat a little loose on her.

"What happened to my clothes?"

A small pause followed that made her look at him again. She could have sworn that something flickered over his face but she couldn't identify it before it was gone.

"They were destroyed unfortunately by the animal and the mud. You can take the ones you're wearing now. My sister said she wouldn't need them anymore."

So he had a sister? She nodded mutely and exhaled quietly as the room stayed still. Whatever pain medication the man had given her had worked it's magic.

It wasn't until she felt his knees on either side of her legs that she realised how close to him she was standing. Her heart skipped a beat again as the image of him looking up at her, those strong hands so close to her thighs, made a thrill dance through her blood stream.

No, I should not go there, she chastised herself sternly and quickly shook the feeling off.

"Did I have my phone on me when you found me", she asked as she made her way past his knees only to stand hesitantly at the edge of the bed. The simple wooden door was looming closed before her. Was she supposed to just find her way out by herself? She threw a look back towards him and found those eyes directed straight at her.

"No. If you want to call someone you can use mine."

She shook her head shortly. "I would rather just get home right now. I can call once I've sorted myself out."

He rose from the chair and she couldn't help but notice how he towered over her. It was not everyday that a man made her feel small with her 182 centimeters.

"This way."

The man passed her and made for the wooden door. She followed a few steps behind.

The door lead out into a non-descript corridor with walls painted in a light blue. There were three other doors in the corridor, all closed.

They continued down a stair case in silence. She studied her surroundings, the simple furniture placement and the lack of decorations. The lack of personal belongings everywhere as they passed another floor with a hallway and then stepped into a living room at the bottom floor.

This feels more like a hotel than a home.

When they stepped out she paused for a moment as the sun lit upon her face. She took a deep breath and threw a look back up at the house. Part of her fear that it had all been a ruse let go.

"Over here."

She turned and saw the man standing next to a pickup. She nodded and made her way towards the car. Time to go home and forget this whole mess.